What The New Obesity Study Didn’t Tell You

In the Park Avenue salons where the rich and thin gather here in New York City, one of their favorite targets are the obese. People who are overweight. Sometimes people carrying just a few extra pounds.

It’s an attitude I’ve heard a lot and am not fond of. Because not everyone can control their weight. And, despite the whispers and jokes, extra pounds is not a sign of laziness or ineptitude.

Sure, I’d like to see all of us achieve our ideal weight. And, for the chronic diseases sometimes associated with heaviness to go away – diabetes, high blood pressure, and the like. But what I see is a bias, a chauvinism, a prejudiced attitude toward people who are overweight – and that is masquerading as a desire to help the little people.

Give me a break!

Good or Bad Charities?

It's been six months since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Today, victims were remembered at a special ceremony.

After the tragedy, Americans opened their hearts -and wallets - and sent over $15 million to help those victims and their families.

We've been following what happened to that money and tonight we can report most of that money - over $10 million- has still not been given out.

What’s going on in Newtown is just one example of the problems in the charitable world. There are plenty of others. In fact, we recently talked about America’s Worst Charities – and if you missed that segment, you can find it here on gerriwillis.com. I’ve already heard from friends and family who say they gave money to some of these loser charities who send pennies on a dollar to those in need.

Frankly, it’s up to you to check out charities. Here are three things you need to know to make sure your charitable dollars aren’t being thrown away:

1.) First off, don’t give money to an organization that calls you asking for donations. More than likely, they’ve hired a telemarketing firm to raise money – and THAT siphons off money that could actually help people. Instead, pick out a cause you truly believe in and find the most responsible charity operator you can.

2.) If you want to give in the wake of a tragedy like Newtown, pick an established charity and then designate those dollars for the victims of the event so that your generosity isn’t  siphoned off to the general fund or to a “future crisis” that doesn’t serve the cause you want to help.

3.) Make sure the charity you choose is spending a large proportion of dollars on the cause. The most efficient charities spend 75 percent of their budget on their programs and services and less than 25 percent goes to fundraising and administration. Charitynavigator.org provides analysis for free on their website. 

Customer Service, A Thing Of The Past?

This weekend my husband and I were traveling home from Canada where we were visiting a relative with health issues. Maybe it was our frame of mind – preoccupied – but nothing seemed to go right. We couldn’t find the car rental return and by the time we did find it, we were running late. We tried to check-in at the kiosk for our flight, but the machine wasn’t working either. We jumped on line to check in, hoping we would find a friendly face.

“You missed the cutoff by seven minutes,” the agent chirped. She was smiling, but insistent. My husband pointed out that we had to stand on line to wait because the airline’s equipment failed us. The smile now gone, the agent began to explain the reasons for the rules, almost as if reading it from the company's manual. She wasn’t rude. In fact, was calm and insistent as she swiped my credit card for $300 in change fees to get on a later flight.  My husband groaned his disappointment at her lack of interest in our plight.

As I walked away, she protested to me, saying, “You can’t say I wasn’t polite!” But, of course, that wasn’t the point. We were in the wrong. We were late. But what we were looking for was some customer service, some help, maybe even some assistance. What we got was a robot reading cue cards.

Strangely, we went to customer service near the gate and were put on our original flight. So, we ended up paying $300 for nothing. Like most consumers, I didn’t write a letter to complain. But it’s not likely we will fly with that airline again. All of which makes me think that customer service is a thing of the past. Voting with your dollars is the only real recourse!

America’s Worst Charities

Our top story on the Willis Report tonight was charities giving little - or none - of the money they raise to help people in need. Sounds incredible, but according to a new report today in the Tampa Bay Times the top 50 worst charities in America hire for-profit companies to do their fundraising - and the net result is that just a few cents on the dollar goes to folks who need it. In some cases - according to the Times - a few charities spend all the money they raise on overhead and give absolutely nothing to needy cases. I spoke with Kris Hundley from the Tampa Bay Times - who has spent a year investigating this story – and I promised to link to her list here:

http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charities/worst-charities.pdf

Scam Artists Targeting Seniors

Remember the old TV ad that showed a senior on the floor of their home, saying “I’ve fallen down and I can’t get up”? So do the scam artists who are using the appeal of that ad to tap seniors’ pockets.

According to the Michigan Attorney General’s office,  criminals are robocalling seniors all over the country to tell them that their children or doctor or insurer have placed them on a list to get free medical alert services, like the Life Alert product (although it is not in any way affiliated with Life Alert). But the scammers’ service is not free. Seniors who follow the directions to just press “5” on their phone to accept the gift are immediately called back by a live operator and asked for their credit card number or other method of payment for a $35 monthly charge. Other seniors are asked for their social security number and other private details, presumably by identity thieves.

For most of us, such an approach wouldn’t work. We’re too savvy for that, but seniors and the elderly are more likely to consider complying with the robocaller, especially if they believe they are receiving a gift from friends or family. And, some of the live callers pressure victims to cooperate.

A spokeswoman at the attorney general’s office says they are urging elderly call recipients not to disclose personal financial information. Those warnings are even more important because seniors, once scammed, loathe telling anyone they’ve been wronged. According to the AARP, crooks scam seniors out of $3 billion dollars with various ploys ever year. But only 4% or less than 1 in 25, report these crimes perhaps because they are too embarrassed.  

And remember this; older Americans are more likely than most any other age group to get scammed. Crooks know that one of the first skills that seniors lose as they age is the ability to understand and manage their own finances. An expert in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans says that 22 % of people over the age of 70 have mild cognitive impairment, which may or may not be diagnosed.

Clearly, sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters should consider speaking to their parents and grandparents about such scams. Consider describing the risk as something that happened to someone else you know. Seniors don’t always want to take advice from the younger generation. And, when you are sending them a gift, let them know ahead of time.  That extra phone call might mean they don’t fall prey to crooks looking to tap their pockets.

It's Time to Change the Organ Donor Policy

Watching Sarah Murnaghan, the 10-year-old with end-stage cystic fibrosis, and her mother beg for consideration to receive a lung from the adult donor list has been heart-wrenching. It’s been unlikely that Sarah would receive a lung from the under-12 list because there are so few donors in that age category. Sarah’s mom has urged officials to make an exception as her young daughter’s condition continues to deteriorate. Last night, a U.S. district court judge agreed, and put her on the list, although a hearing later this month could call into question that decision.

Is that the end of the story? Far from it. Bioethicists and others are raising questions about the fairness of the judges’ ruling. What about the people who were already on the list to receive a new lung? Even though we haven’t seen their faces in television packages and on newspaper covers, their plight is no less pressing.

The workings of donor lists is a mystery to most of us. What is clear is this: there are simply not enough organs to go around. One simple change would be to make organ donation the law of the land, unless an individual decides to opt out for whatever reason, religious or otherwise. You would be “opted in” automatically to donation, unless you chose to “opt out.” Let’s face it, many of us believe in donation, but simply don’t get around to checking the box on our drivers’ license that would allow our bodies to be used to help other people. If the law were changed to make organ donation automatic, the shortfall of organs would be solved and lives would be saved.

A friend of mine watched in horror as her brother’s bid for a new heart failed. She says the system doesn’t work and needs reform.

Mercedes Colwin, an attorney and Fox News contributor, told me, “Unfortunately, my 41 year old brother Arthur was a victim of the organ donation process.  Balancing all the competing concerns – the medical care being administered, the grim diagnosis, the family life in tatters – is overwhelming for anyone facing a transplant. Simplifying the process and eliminating delays while maintaining the best medical care for these patients must be a priority.  This can be accomplished through an opting out process as opposed to opting in for organs.  Currently, overwhelmed families and patients must confer with their doctor and make the already difficult time sensitive choice of being placed on a transplant list.  Ultimately, the process becomes a race for organs as the timing of when the patient is placed on the list becomes a significant factor, sometimes eclipsing medical necessity.  In an opting out process, the patients will be placed automatically on a transplant list and the patient has the choice to remove themselves from the list.  In my own family, Arthur battled heart disease for two years before he was placed on a list. With only weeks to live, there was no heart to save him. “ 

We know there is a better policy for organ donation. We should make the simple change that could save thousands of lives. 

Homeowners ask: "Where is the Money?"

New Jersey officials today are applauding the fact that 95% of insurance claims in the wake of superstorm Sandy have been settled. What they aren’t telling you is that one in four of those claims resulted in no settlement. According to a study of claim filings by the New Jersey Star-Ledger, 100,000 claims for settlement (of private policies) got no money at all. What’s more, attorneys representing Sandy victims say some insurers are overestimating the amount of flood damage and underestimating the amount of wind damage. As you probably know, the government pays out flood claims from its National Flood Insurance Program, while private insurers cover wind damage.

And, according to those in the industry, all of that may bode ill for victims of the mega tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, eight days ago. They say that the industry has been limiting its exposure to storms based on the ground – tornadoes and intense thunderstorms – after damage from those storms hit a new high in 2011 of $25 billion.

For some time, now, insurers have been instituting higher deductibles on homeowner policies. Forget the $250 or $500 dollar deductible. These days you are likely to face a deductible that is one to five percent of the insured value of your home. In addition, insurers are doling out lower reimbursements for roof damage, saying that roofs lose value over time. Also expected is a limit on total reimbursements for people whose homes were demolished in the storm. Caps on the amount of money provided for rebuilding may well be put in place in cases where costs are higher than the property’s insured value.

Both Sandy and the Moore tragedy should be a call to action for homeowners. That’s because most of us are woefully underinsured. You may think you are safe because housing prices have come down in the last few years but what you need to consider is replacement value not market value. Replacement value is what it would cost in terms of labor and materials to actually rebuild your home – and that can be more than the market value. More than half of the nation’s 80 million homes are underinsured. To find out if your home is one of them, check out accucoverage.com, or consult an reliable agent to help you determine an appropriate level of coverage. 

Retailers Tracking Your Every Move

When it comes to your privacy, there is one industry that make it their business to know your secrets. Data-mining companies don’t dig for gold, but for consumer information, a powerful and lucrative commodity. One company that has proven itself sophisticated at harvesting its customers’ data is Target.

One Minneapolis area dad found this out the hard way when he discovered Target ads for baby furniture and maternity clothing in his mailbox. Turns out, his teenage daughter was pregnant. Shockingly, the retail chain knew before he did. Target marketers have developed a detailed list of purchases typically made by pregnant women because they know that big transitions like starting a family means a consumer is changing what they buy and possibly where they buy it.

Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” found that the company kept track of both the usual and the unusual when it comes to their customers, including, age, marital status and address, but also surprising things like the amount of time it takes the client to drive to Target, reading materials, job history, political affliation, estimated salary and favorite websites.

Retailers like Target actively track their customers but there are some companies that do nothing but collect information on consumers. Two companies, Milliman and Ingenix, compile prescription drug histories on consumers from databases maintained by pharmacy chains and prescription benefit managers. Your medical conditions, test results from insurance underwriting exams and even potentially hazardous hobbies you have and driving records are compiled by a consortium of insurers called MIB Group.

To protect yourself, it used to be enough to put your name on the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call registry, but these days, you’ll need to do more. Don’t ignore privacy rights notices from banks, brokers and other financial companies. You can use these notices to prevent companies from “sharing” or in truth, selling, your information with others. Another protection: When filling out a warranty card don’t put any more information on the card other than your name, address and the necessary product information Privacy Rights at offers opt-out policies for data brokers at www.privacyrights.org/ar/infobrokers.htm.    

Make sure to catch tonight’s Willis Report at 6pm ET as Medical Privacy Week continues with Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit." He'll show us how companies are tracking your every move to monitor your health!

Protect Yourself Against Medical Identity Theft

I’m a big fan of keeping my personal information personal. But when it comes to your medical information, maintaining privacy is difficult, if not impossible. That’s because your information isn’t just held by your doctor, hospital and insurer, it’s also a commodity bought and sold by marketers, data base companies and even retailers.

In fact, on the black market, your medical records are more valuable than your social security number.  According to Dr. Deborah Peel of Patient Privacy Rights, it costs just 50 cents to a dollar to buy a social security number, but $14 to $24 to buy someone’s private medical details. Smart identify thieves are leaving the dumpster diving behind and focusing on medical identity theft because they prefer the deeper pockets of insurers to consumers.

A typical identity theft involves the looting of your insurance information by a thief who then makes false claims for drugs or medical services. The mess that creates can plague a victim for years to come. It’s no surprise then that when the state of California suggested having ex-felons sign up people for healthcare exchanges under Obamacare , privacy advocates fought against the proposal. 

And, don’t think it can’t happen to you. Medical identity theft is a big and growing problem– as much as half of the $80 billion a year in health care fraud, as estimated by the FBI. The World Privacy Forum’s Pam Dixon says the FBI concedes that drug dealers have switched careers to medical fraudsters because the risk of being caught is so low.

Victims may never find out their medical identity has been stolen until they get an explanation of benefits letter from their insurer describing services they’ve never received. If that happens to you, get a complete copy of your health records, which are essential to figuring out your case.

By law, one must be provided access to your records. Contact all health care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, and even labs and insurers to get the details. Typically, your personal information may be mixed up with the fraudster’s. Covered entities have 30 days to respond.

Getting the information may be the easiest part of fixing the problem. Your next goal will be to remove information that could impact future treatment. Most of the companies you deal with will NOT be required to work with you. Ask to amend the record, if you can’t get rid of information that doesn’t belong to you. Setting the record straight is important because the wrong information on your health record can harm you. An incorrect blood type or wrong personal case history could impact your care in the future.

For more on how your medical records are being used and abused - tune in tonight to the Willis Report for a special investigation at 6pm ET on the Fox Business Network.

Your Medical Privacy at Risk

Your health care information including your medical data, history, treatment, even your shopping habits at the pharmacy is the next big frontier in the battle for consumer privacy.

Everything from your prescription data to hospital records and insurance details is being collected not by just your doctor, hospital and insurer, but also by data clearing houses, retail pharmacies, marketing companies and employers.

Even pharmacy loyalty cards-the ones that provide consumers with discounts and coupons- play a role in helping marketers figure out what kinds of health care products to sell to you.

You may have heard the story of the Minneapolis area dad who found out his young daughter was pregnant after Target started sending promotions for baby clothes and furniture to their house. Astute marketers know that young women that buy certain types of vitamins and clothes are probably pregnant. Targeting them early is a competitive advantage. If Target marketers can  convince a young pregnant woman to shop at their stores, she may stay for life.

Clearly, the business of buying and selling medical data is big, and  medical privacy expert Dr. Deborah Peel told me an individual's health information is even more valuable than their social security number.

“This data is the most valuable personal information about you. More valuable than anything," she says."Many people know that personal information like your social security number is very valuable for identity thieves. It costs somewhere between 50 cents and a dollar to get a social security number, but your medical records can be bought for $14-$24 each online!”

Of course there are federal rules about how much of this information can be shared or even sold.

But much of the medical establishment is either too busy or too disinterested to pay a lot of attention to them. The results of a Health and Human Services audit of 115 health care providers and insurers released May 10, showed that the vast majority of them failed to comply with federal guidelines for privacy. They say they didn't know the rules. 

For more on how your medical records are being used and abused - tune in tonight to the Willis Report for a special investigation at 6pm ET on the Fox Business Network.