HOUSTON – It’s that time of year when many of us think about our health. You may hear a lot lately about preventative health testing like cancer screenings or heart scans. Are these screenings legit? This is something you’ve asked Amy Davis about.
Viewer Stefanie emailed about this after listening to a sales pitch.
Question: “The sales rep highly encouraged us to take advantage of their offer to screen for early detection. I personally got used car salesman vibes from him.”
“I looked online to try and find out more information and there doesn’t seem to be much.”
Jennifer Salazar with the Better Business Bureau Education Foundation joined Amy for an Ask Amy episode. She says these health care screenings are one-way thieves target people, not just senior citizens.
“Through the years, it is called genetic testing. There are also cancer screenings, but basically, they offer to send you a swab. You swab it in your mouth and it tells you if you have a genetic disorder or if you have cancer. It’s definitely a scam. Also, cardiovascular genetic testing. Again, if you need any of these services, go to your doctor,” said Salazar.
Often during the sales pitches for these screenings, there is a sign-up where you might leave your personal information like your name, Medicare or social security number. They may just be going through the motions to get that personal information.
Ways to protect yourself from health screening scams
- Never give your medical insurance ID number, Medicare or social security number to strangers
- Don’t consent to lab tests without direct orders from your doctor
- And keep a close eye on correspondence from your health insurance provider. Let your provider know right away if you notice any unauthorized changes
Check the BBB website for business complaints and reviews.
Thieves can use this information to bill your insurance for thousands of dollars worth of tests or even to steal your identity.
You can see Amy’s interview with Salazar here. Amy also talked about red flags to look out for to see if you are already the victim of medical ID theft.
Do you have a question for Amy? Email AskAmy@kprc.com.