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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2010)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, May 20, 2010 To Your Health! By Judy Hargis, P.A BUYER BEWARE Healthcare Scams on the rise! Deceptive health plans, health discount cards and medical credit cards are being pushed and advertised at an alarming rate. Tough economic conditions have left mil- lions of Americans without health insur- ance. Mounting job layoffs and rising health insurance premiums are creating an envi- ronment for exploiting a perfect storm of vulnerability, according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Many of these programs are bogus. These fraudulent health plans will promise full health coverage and then leave patients with thousands of dollars in medical bills that their bogus insurance plan refused to pay. The medical dis- count cards require patients to pay most of their medical bills themselves. And the medical credit cards drive people deeper in debt. They claim to have contracts with health care providers, dentists and pharmacies, but consumers often find it difficult to find a provider who takes these plans. If they do take them, con- sumers are still left with significant cost. These crooks are very good at exploiting confusion over health care reform. They advertise on tv. They will even send pitchmen door-to-door pretending to be representatives from the federal government. They have an array of strategies to get you to pur- chase their plans. These include selling fake “special” or “limited open enrollment” policies. Some will manipulate people into be- lieving the coverage they are selling is required by health care re- form. Seniors are often targeted. They use aggressive sales tac- tics such as unsolicited faxes, phone calls or e-mails offering great deals. They offer promises of comprehensive health coverage at bargain rates to lure desperate consumers into paying for policies that are bogus. Health discount card programs are on the rise and take advan- tage of consumers with advertising and sales pitches offering large savings on medical and dental bills, lab tests and prescrip- tions. If you don’t have health insurance or you have inadequate health coverage these discount cards sound like a solution, but their promises are often fraudulent and misleading. Some con- sumers even mistake them for health insurance coverage. Before deciding to enroll in a discount card program, be sure that you un- derstand what it actually offers and how it works, or you could be left with high costs and no benefits. As medical bills pile up, more Americans are paying their doc- tors with plastic. Consumer advocates warn that this is a danger- ous trend. Lenders see a multi-billion dollar opportunity to offer specialized “medical” credit cards. Medical expenses are costs that consumers cannot avoid. High unemployment, rising health care costs and a troubled economy leave consumers feeling des- perate and are fueling this trend. When money is tight, it is easy to reach into our pockets and pull out the credit card. This can lead to a debt mine field that has all the pitfalls of credit cards. These include high interest and payments that may become hard to meet. The main point to remember is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. When considering options to pay for health care, beware of warning signs that things aren’t what they seem. Here are some warning signs to watch for when considering these programs: invasive sales pitches, the deal seems too good, pres- sure to join an association to qualify, slick internet sites, evasive answers to your concerns, sales pitches claiming that the cover- age is required by health-care reform, the “federal oversight con” and pushy pitchmen. Avoid signing up if you’re pressured to buy too quickly, read the policy, check to see if the plan is licensed, contact the insurance company making the offer and, when in doubt, contact the state insurance commissioner. It is always es- sential to read the fine print in any contract that you sign. The unfortunate reality of a tough economy, job losses and ris- ing health care costs leads to a perfect environment for con artists and scammers. When people fall on hard times there will always be others who will swoop in and take advantage of the situation. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to these scams, but anyone in a tough spot can be vulnerable. For more information on this top- ic, or to file a complaint, contact the state insurance commission- er’s office. As always, I enjoy hearing from our readers. Your input and questions are always welcomed. You can contact me at health@the-independent.net. May marks Mental Health month Mental illness can affect anyone, no matter what age, sex, gender or ethnic back- ground. It affects more people than cancer or diabetes. Nearly 44 million Americans experi- ence some type of mental dis- order each year, according to the U.S. surgeon general. That number is equivalent to one in 17 Americans. The purpose of Mental Health Month is to raise aware- ness that treatment and help 503-901-1705 are available. May is also an opportunity to reach out to someone who may be suffering from mental health issues and encourage that person to con- tact a mental health profession- al. In Oregon nearly 110,000 Oregonians receive treatment each year. Without treatment, mental illness has staggering consequences for the person and for society, including un- employment, substance abuse, homelessness and inappropri- ate incarceration. “Caring for your mental health is the key to overall good health,” said Len Ray, adminis- trator of Adult Mental Health Services in the Department of Human Services. “The sooner treatment is started, the health- ier your life will be.” Community mental health treatment is available across Oregon from county govern- ments and more than 100 pri- vate nonprofit providers. Any- one interested in learning about mental health treatment services may contact the local county’s mental health depart- ment or log on to www.ore- gon.gov/ DHS/addiction/geth- elp.shtml. Alcohol & drug programs need overhaul On May 6, Attorney General John Kroger, chair of Oregon’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Com- mission, released the commis- sion’s first report calling for sig- nificant improvements in the state’s alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment pro- grams. “Alcohol and drug abuse cost our state $5.4 billion every year in health care costs, crime, and lost economic pro- ductivity,” said Attorney Gener- al Kroger. “Improving our treat- ment and prevention programs will reduce crime, improve pub- lic health, and cut the cost of government programs.” The report finds that Ore- gon’s current system is frag- mented, with significant gaps in coverage, lack of adequate funding, inconsistent reliance on best available science, and outdated systems to collect data and ensure accountability. The report calls for creation of a new state prevention pro- gram based on best available science to help keep children away from drugs, a new unified data collection and accounta- bility system to make certain that tax dollars are being spent effectively, and a major over- haul in the delivery of alcohol and drug treatment programs. “Alcohol and drug abuse are treated as ancillary issues when in fact they are primary, not secondary, health care and social concerns,” said Dr. Bruce Goldberg, Director of the Department of Human Ser- vices. “Almost 70 percent of the in- mates in the Oregon Correc- tions system have issues with alcohol and drugs,” said Max Williams, Director of the De- partment of Corrections. “We need to shine a spotlight on the havoc that is wreaked by un- treated addictions.” The recommendations will require approval by the 2011 Legislature. In the interim, the Alcohol and Drug Policy Com- mission will continue to flesh out the proposals and consider realistic long-term funding op- tions in light of Oregon’s cur- rent budget situation. The Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission was created by the legislature in 2009.