What do health screening companies claim to offer?
Health screening companies claim that they have helped save thousands of lives as a result of their valuable preventive screening services. They claim to want to make consumers aware of potential health problems and to encourage consumers to go to their physicians for follow-up care by stressing the importance of awareness and early detection. However, once a consumer goes to their physician, the physician will run their own tests, thus causing the consumer-patient to spend more money than if they just went to see their primary care physician in the first place. Additionally, physicians and hospitals partner with these screening services in order to guarantee themselves the consumers’ follow-up care, all at the consumer-patient’s expense.
Are preventive health screenings dangerous?
There is a widespread consensus amongst medical experts that the screening packages that these direct-to-consumer companies provide is inappropriate for unselected, asymptomatic individuals in the general population. Experts indicate that these tests are likely to cause more harm than good and may lead to over-diagnosis and potential unnecessary medical interventions, which can unnecessarily increase a consumer-patient’s anxiety about their health.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), one of the leading medical journals published in the United States, published an article in April 2015 stating that, “[any] screening test exposes patients to the risk of further testing, over-diagnosis, anxiety, cost, and exposure to contrast and radiation.” Most physicians do not recommend these commercial tests for people without symptoms.
These tests often take place in non-clinical settings, like church parking lots, and target the general population. These screens are expensive and come with no official diagnosis. Additionally, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommends evidence-based treatments, these screening tests may do more harm than good. The Task Force discourages people without symptoms from getting unnecessary testing, unless, for example, they are above a certain age or have developed certain long-term habits (i.e. smoking).
How Can We Help You?
If you or someone you know has paid for or received preventive screening from a preventive screening company, contact us today to further evaluate your rights to compensation.
Here at Van Wey, Metzler & Williams, we have more than 100 combined years of experience fighting against a healthcare industry that seems to put profits over patients. This includes doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare entities.
Preventive screening companies capitalize on potential consumers’ fear in order to sell them unnecessary screening packages. These companies consistently demonstrate how they put their own profits ahead of the health and well-being of their consumers. If you or someone you know has paid for or received health screens from a preventive screening company, please call us or submit your case for evaluation today.
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