Full-body Scams, er a ... Scans

By Stephen Bucaro

Full-body CT (Computer Tomography) scanners are appearing in strip malls and office centers all over the country. Many doctors are recommending a full-body CT scan (follow the kick-back money). The sales pitch; "A full-body scan can find disease early when it is more treatable." The scans cost between $600.00 and $3,000.00 and are not covered by Medicare or health insurance plans when no symptoms exist.

The scam is most profitable when perpetrated against individuals over 50 years of age. Scans of individuals in this age group often show scars from long ago healed cysts and benign spots on the kidney, liver, or pancreas. Doctors and hospitals can use these meaningless irregularities to generate thousands of dollars in unnecessary tests. False positive test results can generate profits from biopsies and invasive surgeries.

CT scans provide the most profitable but the poorest quality of medial imaging. Contrast agents can be used to make CT scans more accurate, but the fast-buck consumer imaging centers don't use contrast agents. Ultra Sound and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans provide much sharper images, but a lower profit margin. The result is, the CT scan might give you the false security of perfect health when a killer disease exists.

The American Cancer Society, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the American College of Radiology do not recommend full-body CT scans. The American Cancer Society says, "x-ray radiation has a cumulative effect. You should not get unnecessary x-rays." If you have no symptoms but still feel that you need to get a full-body CT scan, you might try seeing a psychiatrist about a condition called hypochondriasis.

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