You may have heard arguments from medical professionals and patients that health screening is a scam.  One of the more prominent arguments against health screening from Life Line Screening can be found in Dr. Ed Zimney’s post at his EverydayHealth.com blog. There, he poses many commonly heard concerns about the value of undergoing a screening, specifically arguments that the screening isn’t covered by Medicare, that the odds of a person being at risk for a certain disease are too low to justify spending the money for a screening, and that companies like Life Line Screening use scare tactics to make money. 

Other perceived Life Line Screening problems include: 1) a lack of qualified technologists; 2) a lack of accrediatation; 3) slow turnaround time for screening results; and 4) unnecessary expenses created for health individuals.

The truth is:

• Life Line Screening employs highly skilled, registered/eligible to be registered sonographers.
• Life Line Screening is certified by the CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988) as a moderately-complex lab.
• Results typically arrive sooner than the maximum three weeks, and in the case of potentially life-threatening situations, patients are advised on the day of the screening to consult their physicians.
• Most insurance cannot cover the costs of these screenings for asymptomatic individuals, yet, the conditions for which Life Line Screening tests are silent.  This creates a gap in the health care system which Life Line Screening helps fill.  In addition, many of Life Line Screening's  customers do not have any traditional insurance coverage and find our screenings an affordable way to take care of their health.  Furthermore, in an increasingly consumer-driven healthcare society where patients take responsibility for their own health screening, Life Line Screening provides distinct value.

Additionally, consider the following:

• According to a longitudinal study completed in September, 2009, most stroke victims did not have warning signs before a stroke occured.¹ In fact, only 15% of stroke victims experience the major warning signs of stroke (a condition called Transient Ischemic Attack) before it occurs.  This means over 80% of stoke victims have no apparent warning signs of stroke until it happens!²
• Up to 80% of strokes are preventable³, and studies done in the United Kingdom⁴ and by the Society for Vascular Surgery⁵ cite ultrasound testing as a successful and cost-effective way to detect risk for stroke due to vascular disease.
• 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation, and many have no idea they have the disease.⁶
• 64% of women and 50% of men who die from heart disease had no previous symptoms.⁷
• The American Diabetes Association recommends Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening for every person with diabetes age 50 and older.⁸
• Approximately one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their remaining lifetime.⁹
• According to a study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery by researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital, women who are 65 and older with a history of heart disease or tobacco use are more likely to suffer from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).¹⁰
• A study done by researchers at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and reported in CardiovascularUltrasound.com concludes that Community-based vascular screening programs play a key role in early vascular disease detection and accurate diagnosis can potentially be cost-effective and in longer term, promote health and increase life expectancy.¹¹
• A study published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders documents that individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis were at significantly increased risk for a cardiovascular event (stroke or heart attack) in the following two years.  The authors note, “Self-report of subclinical atherosclerosis identified an extremely high-risk group with a >25% risk of a CVD event in the next 2 years. These characteristics may be useful for identifying individuals for more aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic efforts.¹²

No matter what argument you find against health screening, the fact remains that potentially fatal diseases with little or no signs of risk are prominent in the United States. Unfortunately, insurance cannot typically cover the screenings we provide in the absence of symptoms, which can be too late. Life Line Screening believes that the earlier you know, the better you can deal with a problem. And regardless of the outcome of your test, knowing whether you are at risk for any one of these prominent diseases can empower you to take preventive action when you otherwise might not have, making health screening a valuable component of your overall healthcare.

As is the case in most situations, there are two sides to the health screening argument.  Some medical practitioners like Dr. Zimney may consider Life Line Screening to be a scam, while others, like Dr. Carrie Jones, support health screenings.

As always, Life Line Screening encourages individuals to research both sides of the health screening argument before deciding whether a test is the right choice for a person’s healthcare.  However, when you consider the high incidence of the diseases we screen for, as well as the supportive input from the millions of health screening recipients in America (some of whom posted comments on the very same post from Dr. Zimney), we think the decision is ultimately an easy one to make.

Learn More Facts About Health Screening Services

Life Line Screening Reviews
Read reviews about Life Line Screening from medical professionals and screening participants.

Common Concerns about Health Screening
Find answers to common concerns about the health screening process with Life Line Screening.

Carotid Artery Health Screening: The Truth Behind the USPSTF Report
A December, 2008 study released by the US Preventive Services Task Force has cast some doubts about the validity of carotid artery health screenings provided by Life Line Screening. Learn the truth about that report and learn how our carotid artery screenings can help save your life. 

Sources:

1 - Hackam, DG, Kapral MK, Wang JT, Fang J, Hachinski V.  Most Stroke Patients Do Not Get a Warning: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Neurology 2009; 73: 1074-1076

2 - American Heart Association

3 - National Stroke Association

4 - Community-based vascular screening for carotid disease has been reviewed by researchers at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom and found to be cost effective and life-saving. Reference: Saleem MA, Sadat U, et al. Role of carotid duplex Imaging in carotid screening programmes – an overview.  Cardiovascular Ultrasound 2008; 6: 34. Research in the U.S. has found consistent findings.

5 - Society for Vascular Screening

6 - Go AS, Hylek EM, Phillips KA, Chang Y, Henault LE, Selby JV, Singer DE. Prevalence of diagnosed atrial fibrillation in adults. National implications for rhythm management and stroke prevention: the Anticoagulation and Risk Factors In Atrial Fibrillation (ATRIA) Study. JAMA 2002; 285:2370-2375

7 - CardioSmart

8 - American Diabetes Association

9 - National Osteoporosis Foundation

10 - Society for Vascular Screening - AAA in Women

11 - Cardiovascular Ultrasound

12 - BioMed Central – Atherosclerosis Study

Carotid Artery Screening: Serious Test or Serious Scam by Dr. Carrie Jones

Life Line Screening: A Scambuster Report by Dr. Ed Zimney