Staying Safe: Are miracle cures, free equipment and cheap meds too good to be true?
As the weather turns bad, we all start to get aches and pains,maybe even have trouble getting around. Worse, costs (heating,fuel, food, etc.) all go up in the winter. The bad guys will try totake advantage of this by offering miracle cures, low cost or freehome medical equipment, and fake pharmacy assistance programs thatpromise lower medication costs.
Miracle cures
The FTC estimates that more than $2 billion is spent annually onfake cures that are at best useless and at worst can seriously harmthe user. we have all seen and read ads that claim:
• Scientific breakthrough with secret ingredients.
• Can treat rheumatism, arthritis, infection, prostate problems,cancer ulcers, … all at the same time.
• Claims the government and/or medical profession is suppressingthe product.
• Uses “testimonials” about the amazing results.
Be very skeptical of any of these kinds of claims. Remember”natural” or “herbal” does not equal safe. Many herbs in largeamounts are poisons and/or can interfere with your prescriptionmedication.
Arthritis has no cure, and therefore, is a frequent target forscams. The Arthritis Foundation has published a free brochure aboutfake cures. you can get a copy by calling 1-800-283-7800. The FTCalso has a lot of information about these scams(ftc.gov/health, 1-877-382-4357). Other sources of informationare Medline Plus (medlineplus.gov ) and National Health InfoCenter (health.gov/nhic ).
Home medical equipment
There are many reliable suppliers in the medical equipmentbusiness. however, like any business, the scam artists have enteredhere as well. They use all the normal tricks mentioned in earlierarticles: a price too good to be true, quick delivery/set up, a”guarantee” Medicare will pay, need to act fast, can’t talk toanyone else about this, etc.
To minimize your chance of being scammed:
• Start with YOUR medical professionals (doctor, nurse, PT,etc.), not a salesman. Find out exactly what your needs are and askfor a number of recommended, honest sellers, so you can get morethan one quote.
• Check all companies with better Business Bureau(wisconsin.bbb.org , 414-847-6000), Wisconsin Court System(wcca.wicourts.gov ) be sure to check both the company and theperson’s name. Also, ask for local referrals of satisfied customersand check with them.
• Be very suspicious of companies that do not have a physicallocation, store, showroom or office you can visit.
• Medicare does not solicit by telephone, mail or email, anddoes not authorize any supplier to do so in their name. further,they do not recommend specific suppliers or provide beneficiarynames. so, be very wary of anyone that claims to be arepresentative of Medicare, endorsed by Medicare, or sent byMedicare. this is probably a scam.
Prescription Assistance Programs
Legitimate Prescription Assistance Programs (PAP) are sponsoredby Prescription drug companies on a state by state basis. Based onyour financial situation, drug costs, other insurance, etc., theycan provide drugs at a reduced cost or for free.
The scam artists have corrupted the program. They use emails,add (print, radio, TV), and websites to push their for feeprograms. They “guarantee” information to help you find PAP sitesfor a hefty up-front payment. however, since this information isavailable to you for free, this is a scam.
If you think you are eligible, simply ask your health careprovider or pharmacist; they can help. there are a number of publicsources as well: Partnership for Prescription Assistance(pparx.org , 1-888-477-2669), Access to Benefits Coalition(accesstobenefits.org ), RxAssist ( rxassist.org) . if youare on Medicare, try Social Security (ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp, 1-800-772-1213).
As with any scams, your best protection is to take your time,ask advice, and be very wary of anything that sounds too good to betrue.
The Racine County Triad Program was started by the ConsumerFraud Unit of the Racine County Sheriff’s Department in response tocomplaints received involving elderly victims of fraud. Thisconsortium of Racine County law enforcement agencies, seniorserving agencies and citizens is a 501C(3) nonprofitorganization.
