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Aktuell im WWW => *** PRESSEMELDUNGEN *** => Topic started by: Krik on August 02, 2024, 08:29:58 AM
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Consumer Health Digest #24-30
July 28, 2024
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H.
http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/william-m-london
, with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D
http://www.quackwatch.org/10Bio/bio.html
., It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; other news items; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digest’s primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available. To subscribe, click here
http://lists.quackwatch.org/mailman/listinfo/chd_lists.quackwatch.org
.
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Ear “electroacupuncture” huckster accused of Medicare fraud agrees to pay $180k
Chiropractor Kevin Michael Brown of Menifee, California, has agreed to pay $180,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting hundreds of false claims to Medicare through his Revive Medical clinics in San Diego, Chico (CA), and Oklahoma City.
[Riverside county chiropractor agrees to pay $180,000 to resolve allegations of health care fraud
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/riverside-county-chiropractor-agrees-pay-18000-resolve-allegations-health-care-fraud
. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California press release, July 23, 2024]
He also agreed to a five-year exclusion period from Medicare, Medicaid, and all other federal health care programs.
As part of the settlement, Brown stipulated that, through his companies, he submitted claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulator devices, even though his companies did not perform surgery or implant neurostimulators. Instead a disposable “electroacupuncture” device called “Stivax,” was simply taped to patients’ ears. The Stivax system and some similar devices have received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for unspecified use as ear acupuncture devices. However, they have not been approved as effective for medical purposes. Their use is not covered by Medicare or private insurance companies.
[D’Ambrosio A. Why is DOJ cracking down on electroacupuncture?
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/95898
MedPage Today, Nov 26, 2021]
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Not all allergy tests are appropriate—or helpful
In her latest “Inside Immunity” column, Andrea Love, PhD, contrasted appropriate FDA-approved allergy tests with hyped but invalid tests. Clinical allergists/immunologists make appropriate use of FDA-approved allergy tests including IgE skin-prick tests, intradermal skin tests, patch tests, challenge tests, and IgE blood tests. In contrast, Love notes:
*** At-home allergy tests should never be used for diagnosis. They are not FDA-approved or validated for use. “Their methods and results are not accurate and trusting them can lead to harmful consequences.”
*** You should never use allergy tests not approved by the FDA or supported by credible allergy-expert organizations. (Updated Practice Parameters
https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Practice%20and%20Parameters/allergydiagnostictesting.pdf
can be found here.)
These include any screening tests done in a grocery store or pharmacy, any at-home testing, allergy testing by testing muscle strength or weakness, cytotoxicity testing for food allergies, Rinkel skin titration method, provocative neutralization testing, and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing for food “sensitivity.” These are not accurate, are ineffective, and can lead to false diagnoses and treatments.
Love also described two inaccurate allergies tests that have become increasingly popular: finger prick allergy tests and urine testing for IgE antibodies.
[Love A. At-home allergy tests: Are they a useful alternative to a clinical allergist visit?
https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/at-home-allergy-tests-are-they-a-useful-alternative-to-a-clinical-allergist-visit/
Skeptical Inquirer, July 16, 2024]
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FTC announces Eyeglass Rule updates to promote prescriber compliance
Concluding a comprehensive multi-year review, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced final updates to its Ophthalmic Practice Rules
https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-456-ophthalmic-practice-rule-eyeglass-rule-final-rule-june-2024
, known as the Eyeglass Rule.
[FTC announces final Eyeglass Rule implementing updates to promote competition and expand consumer choice
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/06/ftc-announces-final-eyeglass-rule-implementing-updates-promote-competition-expand-consumer-choice
. FTC press release, June 27, 2024]
Issued in 1978, the rule helps facilitate consumer choice and promote competition in the eyeglass market by requiring ophthalmologists and optometrists to automatically provide patients with a copy of their eyeglass prescription immediately after any eye exam that includes a vision test, even if the patient does not request the prescription. Prescribers cannot: (a) require patients to buy eyeglasses before providing them with a copy of their prescription, (b) place a liability waiver on the prescription, (c) require patients to sign a waiver in order to receive their prescription, or (d) require an additional fee in exchange for a copy of the prescription. Prescribers also cannot refuse to perform an eye exam unless the patient buys eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other ophthalmic goods from them.
Despite the rule’s longstanding existence, prescribers have not always complied with the automatic-release requirement. The revised rule states prescribers who have a financial interest in selling prescription eyewear must request a patient’s signature confirming they received their prescription, and prescribers must keep a record of that confirmation for at least three years. These confirmation requirements mostly mirror those already in place for contact lens prescriptions. The revised rule also changes the term “eye examination” to “refractive eye examination” throughout the text and emphasizes the need for prescribers to educate consumers there can be a difference between an eye health examination and a refractive eye examination (an eye exam that includes a vision test).
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Are collagen supplements just hype?
Scott Gavura, B.Sc.Phm., M.B.A., RPh. has noted that supplement products of collagen, the major component of connective tissue in the body and the most abundant protein, have been increasingly promoted for the health of skin and hair, and for longevity.
[Gavura, S. Collagen supplementation: Hype and hope
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/collagen-supplementation-hype-and-hope/
. Science-Based Medicine, June 6, 2024]
He concluded:
Based on what collagen is, how it’s absorbed, and how we know collagen is actually synthesized in the body, it’s highly implausible that the tiny amounts of additional protein consumed in most collagen peptide supplements consumed daily will have any meaningful therapeutic effects. Moreover, there is no evidence that if you take a collagen supplement, it will definitively end up in your skin, hair, or joints. Collagen peptides and other forms of collagen are sources of protein that are absorbed and used by the body. But there is no compelling evidence to demonstrate that they provide any meaningful benefits over other less expensive protein supplements — or more simply, just eating a diet with adequate amounts of protein.
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
7 Birchtree Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
http://www.quackwatch.org (health fraud and quackery)
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