[HOME ] [ABOUT] [PHOTOS] [VIDEO] [BLOG] [HOUSTON] [TEXAS] [U.S. NEWS] [WORLD NEWS] [SPORTS] [POP CULTURE] [CONTACT]
Hospital hires beautiful fake nurse-models to entice men
by Joseph Ernest December 17, 2010
Newscast Media -- New Hampshire's attorney general Michael Delaney has launched an investigation into UMass Memorial Health Care over "suspect marketing and billing practices", authorities said. The hospital's bone marrow registry is accused of paying an agency up to $50,000 a week for models to visit shopping centers, flirt with passing male customers and entice them into having cheek swabs taken.
"Their activity was described as very flirtatious. They would attempt to bring in especially younger men. There was some indication they were handing out their phone numbers," New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Jim Boffetti said.
The models, who were in their 20s, allegedly told the men the tests would barely cost anything, before billing them an average of $4,300 each via their health insurance – about 40 times more than the typical cost.
"Consumers who are approaching the Caitlyn Raymond kiosks are being told that the process will cost you nothing, yet we have uncovered that it is impacting those consumers that have health reimbursement accounts," Delaney said.
For 18 months, they were instructed how to dress and how to behave in an attempt to entice men into having swabs taken, officials said.
"Picture this," Mr Delaney said. "The modeling agency sends photographs to the marketing director at UMass for personal selection of models to go recruit donors to save people's lives. It's unbelievable."
The company said it had used models "to help acquaint the public on how they can contribute to this lifesaving effort", but had since stopped sending them to kiosks in shopping centers.
In a statement, the hospital group said: "Every potential donor is provided with a donor consent form that explains that his or her insurance company may be billed". It added that the company "has reviewed its billing practices for this test and confirmed to its best knowledge that it is appropriately paid".
Source:
Department of Justice NH Add Comments>>
|
|
Join the Newscast Media social networks
for current events and multimedia content.
Copyright© Newscast Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy Policy