Action: Medicare clears up problem with records

I've been receiving a bill from a medical practice since March 2002. I went there Feb. 14 for an evaluation; I had fallen over my sweeper the night before and hurt myself. When the insurance lady submitted my claim to Medicare, she filed it as a car injury. As a result, the claim was denied "because this injury is the liability of the no-fault carrier." I did have an accident in 1992, but this injury has nothing to do with it. I have tried to straighten this out but keep getting the same bill from the medical practice, whose fault this was to begin with. Ellen Fradenburg

Response: According to Medicare, the problem stemmed from your account being flagged as a result of your car accident. The flag has been removed, the claim is being processed, and it appears all is well.

Product recalls

The following products, distributed nationwide and in Florida, were recalled between Aug. 2 and 8:

About 160,000 engines used on fun-karts by Briggs & Stratton Corp.; fuel can spill out if the fun-kart overturns, posing serious fire and burn hazards. The engines were sold between May 1992 and June 1995 to fun-kart manufacturers, and to authorized distributors and dealers who might have resold them to consumers building go-karts. Contact local Briggs & Stratton dealer for a free engine repair. Call toll-free 1-800-999-9444 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays; Web site: www.briggsandstratton.com.

About 1-million DCT2000 digital cable set-top boxes, distributed by digital cable operators between March and June, by Motorola Inc. Broadband Communications Sector; pins in the rear of the box that connect to the power cord could break, posing an electric shock hazard. The black boxes have "Motorola" and "Interactive Digital Communications" on the front, and the model number "DCT2000" on the cover of the user guide. Consumers can continue to use the set-top boxes, but they should not remove the power cord from the rear. If necessary, unplug the box from the wall outlet or other energy source first. Call your local cable provider or Motorola at toll-free 1-866-281-1588; Web site: www.motorola.com/broadband.

About 3,800 Star Clacker wooden toys and 3,000 Ride-On Duck wooden riding toys by Pottery Barn Kids; the wooden peg can come off the Star Clacker and pose a choking hazard. The Ride-On Duck's wheel cap can break, releasing small parts that present a choking hazard. Return toys to store where purchased for refund or replacement toy. Call toll-free 1-866-428-6467 between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. weekdays; Web site: www.potterybarnkids.com.

About 2,740 plastic folding chairs under the brand names Adams Quik Fold Chair (as individual chairs) and Quick Fold f Set (as a set including a table and two chairs) by Adams Manufacturing Corp.; some of the chair legs were misassembled and the chair can collapse. Return chairs to the place of purchase for replacements or refund. Call toll-free 1-800-237-8287 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays; Web site: www.adamsmfg.com.

Gustafson Brand Chocolate Break drink in 1-gallon HDPE plastic jugs by Gustafson's Dairy Inc.; product might contain undeclared whey powder, posing a risk of life-threatening or other serious reactions to those with allergies to whey powder. All product with a sell-by date through AUG 26 02D and earlier is included. Return product to place of purchase for refund. Call toll-free 1-800-342-1092.

About 1,500 Hustler "FasTrak" riding lawn mowers with 44- and 52-inch decks by Excel Industries Inc.; excessive heat, vibrations and wear cause the fuel line to droop over time and rub against the transmission fan, causing the fuel line to be cut, which poses a fire and burn hazard. Affected are model number 926519 with serial numbers 01127008 to 02057218; model number 926592 with serial numbers 01117001 to 02057263; model number 926600 with serial numbers 02027111 to 02057243; and model number 926774 with serial numbers 02047277 to 02057128. Contact local Hustler dealer or call toll-free 1-800-395-4757 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays; Web site: www.excelhustler.com.

About 5,000 grass bag attachments for mowers by MTD Products Inc.; the rear-mounted bag does not seal properly to the rear door of the mower, allowing grass and other debris to be thrown out at the top of the bag, resulting in possible injury to the operator or bystanders. The bags are attachments for MTD electric walk-behind lawn mowers with model numbers 18A-407-000 (red body) and 18A-407-062 (green body). Call toll-free 1-888-848-6038 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays for free replacement bag; Web site: www.yardmachines.com.

12-ounce white meat chicken salad, distributed to Winn Dixie supermarkets, by Reser's Fine Foods Inc.; product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The UPC bar code is 7111719008; the date code is Aug. 13, 2002. Return salad to place of purchase for refund. Call toll-free 1-800-966-3677; Web site: www.resers.com.

18,011 Milwaukee automotive battery chargers, catalog no. 48-59-0184 (all serial numbers) by Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.; they can overheat, resulting in a fire. This charger was also packaged with the Automotive 18-volt Impact Wrench Kit, catalog no. 9079-23 (serial numbers 241A40152001 thru 241A402080126). Stop using charger immediately. Owner notification began April 1; if a replacement is not received within a reasonable time, call toll-free 1-800-414-6527.

About 5,000 "Elements Media Carts" by Crate & Barrel; the metal and plastic casters can break, causing a television or other objects on the cart to fall. Contact store where purchased for replacement casters, or call toll-free 1-877-477-0653 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays; Web site: www.crateandbarrel.com/customer. Carts that have the word "KAMA" printed on the rubber of the wheel are not included in this recall.

-- Sources: SafetyAlerts at www.safetyalerts.com; Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov, toll-free 1-800-638-2772; Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov.; USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at toll-free 1-800-535-4555; government food safety information at www.foodsafety.gov; National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline, www.nhtsa.dot.gov/hotline; toll-free 1-888-327-4236.

- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

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