# Free Heart Scans! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 5, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040 "2010-12-05T16:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/1 "2010-12-05T16:11:54Z")
Yesterday I got a call from an “unknown number.” Normally I wouldn’t answer those, but as my wife has a relative in prison, whose calls always show as “unknown,” and as my best friend had a death in his family last week and people are coming into town for the funeral which will be held right next to our house, I feel like I should answer calls even if I can’t screen them. The caller had a lilting foreign accent, but seemed to be soliciting my wife’s attendance for a “free hear scan, absolutely no charge, at [local hospital].” Weird, huh? I said no thanks and hung up. Today I get another such call. Again, unknown caller. Again, same lilting female accent, asking for me specifically this time. Again, the unsolicited offer of “free heart scans.” What’s a “heart scan,” anyway, I wonder? I’ve never heard the term. Are they talking about screening? EKGs? Some kind of MRI or X-Ray? Are they proposing to irradiate my chest _so they can sell me something?_ What’s going on here? Are medical services suddenly feeling the economic pinch and cold-calling people for cardiac MRIs or something? Maybe I haven’t heard it right, I think; she’s rushing on in her script…"limited time offer, no obligation, heart disease is the number one killer, blah, blah, blah. So, I ask: “Did you say ‘heart scan’?” “Just listen,” she snaps, cutting me off, and returns rigidly to reading her script. I don’t need unsolicited medical vendors calling my house, masking their identity so I’ll be tricked into picking up the phone, and I for damned sure don’t need them getting snotty with me while trying to coax me into giving them time and money. It’s bad for my heart, ya know? So I hung up on her. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/2 "2010-12-05T16:34:02Z")
Have a heart man. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/3 "2010-12-05T16:34:24Z")
Judo wanno hard skin? Harda zees is numma wun killer indies con tree. Comma Sane Jame house spittle in gidju hard skin! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/4 "2010-12-05T16:40:06Z")
I always wonder about these offers for free screenings for cancer, respiratory ailments, now heart scans. What if you’re unemployed, or don’t have insurance or money to pay for medical treatment? You go have your free heart scan and find out you have some dread disease. Then what? Go home and make your will? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/5 "2010-12-06T04:30:05Z")
Move to Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/6 "2010-12-06T14:20:20Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > What’s a “heart scan,” anyway, I wonder? I’ve never heard the term. Are they talking about screening? EKGs? Some kind of MRI or X-Ray? I think it’s like that gizmo they put in front of the Grinch’s torso so you can see his heart grow three sizes. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/7 "2010-12-06T14:32:36Z")
Tell her you have your own heart scanner. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/8 "2010-12-06T14:46:43Z")
I always tell cold callers that I’m not the decision maker, as it’s more likely that they have a button for “Don’t call - unqualified” than “Don’t call - doesn’t like being called”. Double glazing? I rent. New phone tariffs? It’s a company phone. It’s not the ideal tactic in this case, unless you have your heart on a leasehold basis. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/9 "2010-12-06T14:47:23Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I always wonder about these offers for free screenings for cancer, respiratory ailments, now heart scans. What if you’re unemployed, or don’t have insurance or money to pay for medical treatment? You go have your free heart scan and find out you have some dread disease. Then what? Go home and make your will? Sometimes problems like that get caught at a very early stage. My husband has high blood pressure, but his medication costs maybe $4 a month. I don’t know about these “free heart scan” things, but people who go to occasional free clinic days (the hospital I work for puts them on a few times a year, around the city, and I know other hospitals and organizations hold them too) may find something similar that would become a Huge Deal down the line, but for now can be managed easily with an inexpensive medicine, or a change in diet - especially for early type 2 diabetes. But cold calling? Screw that. Check the newspaper, check the news item websites for local medical centers, that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/11 "2010-12-07T06:29:32Z")
You have to sit through a 3 hour presentation on condo time shares before your scan. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/12 "2010-12-07T08:18:55Z")
I got one of these phone calls too and was wondering what their angle is. Obviously the calling drone assured me their only concern was my well being :rolleyes:. I’m guessing they do an aggressive sale of some health plan or some crap like that. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/13 "2010-12-07T10:30:52Z")
> [@FreeHeartScan.COM](#): > > [snipped] Reported. Either spammer or sock. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/14 "2010-12-07T14:42:10Z")
Does anyone else keep misreading the title as “Free Heart Scams!” ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/15 "2010-12-07T16:04:32Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Does anyone else keep misreading the title as “Free Heart Scams!” Eh, six of one, half dozen of the other… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/16 "2010-12-07T16:17:09Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Does anyone else keep misreading the title as “Free Heart Scams!” I don’t think you misread anything. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/17 "2010-12-08T10:10:12Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > Judo wanno hard skin? Harda zees is numma wun killer indies con tree. Comma Sane Jame house spittle in gidju hard skin! ::Goes off in search of a blow dryer for the keyboard:: ::Notes to self, “Stop drinking tea when reading SDMB.”:: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/18 "2010-12-08T14:36:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Reported. Either spammer or sock. I removed the post **BigT** mentions and banned the poster for spamming. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/19 "2010-12-08T17:41:59Z")
Tempting, but I’m pretty skeptical after my “free prostate exam” fiasco. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/20 "2010-12-08T18:10:51Z")
What, it wasn’t free? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040/21 "2010-12-08T18:23:50Z")
Sure, the first one’s free, but once you’re hooked, you’ll pay _anything!_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-heart-scans/563040.md?page=2)