Medical record mistakes

Today Action 13 Consumer Reporter Jeff Ehling told us about the importance of checking your medical records. 

A mistake in the records could mean being denied insurance or being forced to pay higher premiums.   

You may not know it, but you can request a copy of your medical records by going to www.mib.com

Wal-Mart expands prescription drug program

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding its national $4 generic prescription drug program by about 10 percent, adding drugs for some new conditions.

      The world's largest retailer said Thursday it has added drugs covering glaucoma, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fungal infections and acne.

      Two prescription birth control drugs and one fertility drug were added at $9, reflecting a higher cost that the company said could not be brought down further.

      The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer launched the $4 generics program late last year as it pushed a variety of health and environmental initiatives to counter political pressure led by union groups over its labor practices, including health insurance.

      "We have taken what we do best, working with suppliers, driving costs out of the supply chain and passing those savings to our customers. Now we're applying that to health care," chief operating officer Bill Simon said on a conference call for reporters and analysts.

      The increase adds about 30 prescriptions, made up of 14 drugs in various doses, to a list of 331 prescriptions and 143 drug compounds sold under the first phase introduced last year.

      Critics including the National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents non-chain pharmacies that compete with Wal-Mart, have called the discounts a publicity stunt that covers only a fraction of the 8,700 generic prescription drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

      Analysts have said the main benefit for Wal-Mart was in drawing more shoppers into its stores who may come for prescriptions and then make purchases in other departments.

      Wal-Mart has made the $4 plan, which covers 30 days worth of generic drugs, a central plank of its public relations effort and says the program has cut over $610 million in health care costs since it started. That figure is the difference between the old price it charged for the generics and the new price, times the number of prescriptions sold, Simon said.

      Simon said Wal-Mart is not selling any of the $4 prescriptions at a loss. The generics are profitable, he said, without providing detailed figures.

      Simon said the $4 generics under the first phase account for just under 40 percent of all prescriptions filled at Wal-Mart pharmacies. He projected that rate will climb to well over 40 percent with the new drugs.

      Shares of Wal-Mart Stores rose 31 cents to close at $43.61 Thursday.

       You can find more about the drugs covered in the Wal-Mart program by visiting http://www.livebetterindex.com/healthwellness.html

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Be Careful Before Buying Medicine Online

Attorney General of Texas Greg Abbott has these tips about buying medicine online:

 

Though the Internet offers real benefits to consumers by fostering competition and lowering prices for many goods and services, Texans should be careful before buying medication online.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) routinely reminds consumers to take common sense precautions before buying anything over the Internet. These tips include:

• Deal only with reputable businesses;

• Use credit cards or other payment options that will protect you if the product does not arrive or fails to live up to its advertising; and • Beware of Web sites that do not provide a refund policy or a physical address for the seller.

When it comes to buying prescription medications online, consumers should be doubly cautious. Unfortunately, many online pharmacies are based in foreign countries and could pose serious risks to consumers' health. These pharmacies are not regulated by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other U.S. authority.

The OAG and the Texas State Board of Pharmacy strongly discourage consumers from buying medicines from any online pharmacy that is not based in the United States. No matter how tempting the offers and how legitimate the Web site might appear, it is best to play it safe. Consumers may place their health at risk by buying unapproved drugs.

There are numerous instances in which foreign online pharmacies have sold counterfeit drugs that do not meet with U.S. quality standards. For example, active ingredient content might be higher or lower than what the package indicates, and in many instances consumers have purchased drugs that had long since expired.

Even if the offer from a foreign or unapproved Web site appears to be for a name brand drug, the product could be of inferior quality or might even be a clever counterfeit. Consumers have no guarantee that a non-U.S. pharmacy is providing what they need to treat or manage serious medical ailments.

If consumers choose to use an online pharmacy, they should only use those based in the U.S. and approved by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacies (NABP) through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program (www.vipps.info). Consumers should independently consult the VIPPS site to make sure they are dealing with an approved entity, and they should not rely solely on a Web site's reassurance that it is approved by NABP or has the VIPPS logo.

Furthermore, even if the pharmacy is located in the United States, consumers should never deal with an entity that does not clearly state its physical location, the name and license number of the affiliated pharmacists, and the states which issued the licenses.

Another red flag are Web sites that fill out prescriptions based on a consumer's responses to a questionnaire or a brief phone conversation with a purported pharmacist. Under Texas law, those informal consultations could be illegal. There is no substitute for an in-person visit with a legitimate pharmacist or doctor. Texans should steer clear of online merchants willing to sell them medications without a prescription, if they would otherwise need one to buy the same drugs at their local pharmacy. It is illegal to purchase controlled substances without a prescription.

Texans should also avoid Web sites that offer "miracle" drugs or advertise drastically reduced prices for what are normally expensive medications. Under no circumstances should consumers respond to unsolicited e-mail offers for prescription drugs. These annoying advertisements are almost always sent by spammers in other countries selling medicines that quite possibly do not meet U.S. standards.

We also encourage Texans to consult with their local pharmacist or physician to help them understand which sites are legitimate. A pharmacist can also help reduce prescription costs by providing information on lower-priced generic alternatives and various assistance programs for free or low-cost prescriptions, including those sponsored by drug manufacturers.

Texans who believe they have been scammed by an online pharmacy can contact the Office of the Attorney General to file a complaint by calling (800) 252-8011 or through our Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us.

Additional information to avoid pitfalls when buying medications online is available from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy at www.texaspharmacyboard.org or from the FDA at www.fda.gov/buyonline.

• ALWAYS consult your local pharmacist and doctor about buying medications online.
• ALWAYS check out online sites (based in the U.S.) independently through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at www.vipps.info.
• NEVER buy medications from a Web site based outside the U.S.
• NEVER buy medications from someone who does not request a prescription.
• NEVER rely on an online questionnaire or phone "consultation" with a Web site employee as a means to obtain a prescription.
For more information about buying medications online, including product recalls and other updates:
Texas State Board of Pharmacy
(512) 305-8000
www.texaspharmacyboard.org
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(888) INFO-FDA (888-463-6332)
www.fda.gov/buyonline
To file a complaint about an online pharmacy, contact:
Office of the Attorney General
(800) 252-8011
www.oag.state.tx.us

New Way to Compare Drugs Online

WPVI in Philly found some interesting medical news for us:

Seniors have a new way to compare drugs used to treat particular illnesses or conditions.

They can see how the drugs stack up against each other in terms of price, effectiveness and safety.

"They can learn more about it and take that information to their doctor," said Diane Menio of CARIE.

CARIE - the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly - has partnered with Consumer Reports to offer online information in paper form for seniors.

Consumer Reports continues to research drugs to add to its Best Buy program. For instance, it will issue information on diabetes drugs sometime this summer.

You can call 215-545-5728 to get the information you need, or click here to visit Consumer Reports' Best Buy program (www.crbestbuydrugs.org) on the net.

(Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc.  All Rights Reserved.)

Is that pill really for you?

Is that pill really for you?  It's a question everyone who takes prescription drugs should ask. We found one pharmacy in Houston with four customers who have the same name. One of those customers got drugs intended for someone else with the same name. (FULL STORY)

It's hard to find out, we asked the Texas State Board of Pharmacy how often this happens, but surprisingly pharmacies don't have to report these cases so it's up to consumers to read the prescription labels, make sure the address is correct, read the medicine insert before taking the pills, and if you have any concerns, call your doctor before taking the medicine.

Consumers can complain to the state and then they will investigate.

http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/consumer/complaint.htm

Conflict free diamond

Today at 4:55 pm, Jeff Ehling showed us how to make sure your diamond is conflict free.

www.apollodiamond.com

www.brilliantearth.com

www.diamondfacts.org

ICE on Cellphones

There were emails circulating about putting ICE on your cell phone as an "In Case of Emergency" number.  Well people are now actually doing it, or at least thinking about it says the NY Times:

It stands for In Case of Emergency, and a report presented at a recent gathering of the American Conference of Emergency Physicians said doctors should encourage their patients to start using it.

“We are always faced with situations where patients come into the emergency room and for one reason or another are not able to communicate with us,” said the author of the report, Dr. Dennis McKenna of the Albany Medical Center.

When the consumer decides the diagnoses

The web has given the consumer power.  In this case it deals with disease.  Specifically an ailment called Morgellons disease.  Members of the public believe they have it, doctors say it's in the patient's mind:

Morgellons was brought to public attention by a woman in South Carolina, Mary Leitao, who in 2001 created a Web site describing the mysterious sores and bizarre threadlike extrusions that afflicted her young son. She said she had tried for years to find a medical explanation for his illness. Ultimately, she said, doctors accused her of staging it.

Ms. Leitao named the condition Morgellons after a 17th-century medical study she’d found that described French children with roughly the same symptoms.

After creating the Web site, she said, she was inundated with e-mail messages from people who said they also had the disease. More than 7,000 people claiming to have Morgellons have registered on the site.

But after these web sites were built around the disease, the Center for Disease Control is opening an investigation reports the New York Times.

Wal-Mart expands sale of $4 generic drugs to Texas

You'll want to read more about this if you take prescription drugs:

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding a program offering $4 prescriptions for some generic drugs to Texas and 13 other states, two weeks after rolling out the low-cost program in Florida, the world's largest retailer said Thursday.

Here is the list of generic drugs Wal-Mart is offering at the $4 price. 

Here is a story Jeff Ehling did on generic drug prices from November of 2005. 

Safe sun gizmos and gadgets

Today at 4:55 pm, Jeff showed us ways to protect kids from the sun.  Here are links to the items he featured:

Bendable Sunglasses:
http://frubishades.com/

Breathable baby blankets:
http://shadebaby.com/

High SPF sunhats:
http://shadebaby.com/

High SPF beach tents and kiddie pool with meter:
http://www.onestepahead.com/directory/117/100182/117.html

Sun meter 'watch':
http://www.onestepahead.com/directory/117/100182/117.html

Sun sensitive beads:
http://store.sundancesolar.com/enbeaduvsenb.html

UV Neoprene Bracelets:
http://www.shadefoundation.org/

Sun stickers:
http://www.sunsafe.com/ViewProducts.cfm?CatID=2&ObjectgroupID=46

Getting off mailing lists

Mark from Houston wrote into the Consumer Blog to ask a question that haunts many consumers:

Jeff; I'm on a million mailing list for get rich [schemes], health cures, mortgage offers, sports stuff, etc,etc. Is there a way to mail these guys and get me off there mailing list?

We did a story on this. Mark could be on the "sucker list." It's tough to get off.  Most of the people sending the mail don't care about requests to remove names.

You can try the Direct Marketing Association list to stop the endless letters:

How to remove your name from mailing lists.
Some consumers would like to receive less advertising mail at home. Mail Preference Service (MPS) is designed to assist those consumers in decreasing the amount of national nonprofit or commercial mail they receive at home. You can register online, or via mail.

While you're on that page, take a look at the Association's other services:

How to get your name off telemarketing lists.
Some consumers would like to receive fewer telephone marketing calls at home. The Telephone Preference Service (TPS), a do-not-call service, is a service to assist those consumers in decreasing the number of national commercial calls received at home. You can register online, or via mail.

How to get your name off e-mail lists.
Sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association, this service allows consumers to indicate that they wish to reduce the amount of unsolicited commercial e-mail they receive. Consumers register and, for security purposes, re-confirm their individual registration with the e-Mail Preference Service (e-MPS).

How to remove deceased individuals names from marketing lists.
The DMA sometimes receives calls from family members, friends or caretakers seeking to remove the names of deceased individuals from commercial marketing lists. To assist those who are managing this process the DMA has created a new Deceased Do Not Contact List (DDNC).

Senior warning

Today at 4:55, Jeff warned us about a senior scam concerning the new Medicare prescription plan.  Be warned, the con artists will call and pretend to be offering you a chance to be on the plan or verify your information, but all they want is your bank account information.

Here are some places to report these calls to:
The Better Business Bureau Education Foundation
713.341.6184 or 877-468-9222

Or call:
1-877-7SAFERX

Medical bill statute of limitations

Patricia wrote into the Consumer Blog and asked:

Is there a statute of limitations on medical bills?

We went to our medical billing expert, Becky Stephenson of VersaClaim, Inc., for the answer:

A Medical Bill may be considered an unsecured debt, but without knowing details of your case (whether or not you signed a payment agreement with the physician)

The Statute of Limitations on debt depends on the type of debt and your State's civil debt collection codes. In Texas, I have listed 2 sites below that state that there is a 4 year statute of limitations from the last attempt to collect.

http://ihatedebt.com/DealingWithYourCreditors/DealingWithDebtCollectors/

www.bankrate.com

However, the following factors must be considered:

1. Did the medical office attempt to collect from you before sending you to collections?

2. When was the last time they attempted to collect from you before sending you to collections?

I would list all of these facts and write a certified letter to the agency that provided you with this credit information and dispute the claim if you believe that your case falls meets guidelines for appeal. I am not an attorney, but if this is problematic for you, may have to enlist the services of one if you cannot resolve this with your appeals. Please keep good notes and copies all of your correspondence.

Viewers ask about medical bill errors

Last week we told you how to fight medical bill errors.  That story prompted Will to write in with this question:

Don't know if you can help, but do you know if medical debt collectors can file against a person's credit report here in Texas? We have been making payments as we agreed to with the hospital, but we have been constantly called and mailed to by different collection agencys.

So we went to our expert, Becky Stephenson (President/CEO of VersaClaim, Inc.), to find out the answer.  She told us:

Yes, you can be turned into a credit agency...however most physician offices don't fool with it and only some facilities actually do it. If you are making payments according to an agreed upon payment plan....then they should not hassle you. If they are strong arming you into a payment plan that is not acceptable, then renegotiate the terms and be very firm and realistic about what you can pay each month. Different collection agencies reflects different collectors: hospital, physicians, etc.

Thanks Becky.

Medical bill errors

Today at 4:55pm, Jeff showed us how medical bills can be filled with errors.  What can you do?  The experts say it's tough, but you need to:

1.  Understand what your insurance will cover
2.  Go line by line through the bill
3.  Always call the bill sender and insurance company to make sure the bill was submitted
4.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.

If you need help with a bill, you can log onto claims.org.

If you would like to get in touch with Becky Stephenson of VersaClaim, Inc., the expert in our story, email us.