Medical costs are a big issue on everyone’s mind these days with the ongoing debate about health care. February is National Wise Health Care Consumer Month, a time to raise awareness about how you spend money on your health.

Check out these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center for easy ways you can trim the cost of medicine, fitness and more:

Switch to generic. Because of legal restrictions, a generic drug might not look exactly the same as the brand name choice, but it contains the same active ingredients and is just as effective. Brand name drugs cost more than their generic counterparts because the makers of the original, brand name versions had to pay for the research, development and marketing of the medications. Learn more from the Generic Drugs publication from the Food and Drug Administration.

Watch out for scams. They keep coming back in different forms on TV and the internet but one thing stays the same: health scams charge you lots of money for “miracle” cures. And the diet pills and enhancement products they push could be dangerous or have harmful interactions with your other medicines. Save your money for tried-and-true methods or doctor prescribed medicines. Read about common ploys in Health Scams from the Food and Drug Administration.

Reconsider the gym. Gym memberships can be costly, and if you aren’t using your membership regularly, it could be one place where you could save some money. If you’re worried about how you’ll fit your exercise in without the gym, Be Active Your Way from the Department of Health and Human Services suggests several alternate forms of exercise that you can fit into your everyday life.

In tough economic times, we’re all looking to pinch pennies wherever we can. Try out some of these simple suggestions from the Federal Citizen Information Center to help you save money and stay healthy.

There are two ways to get copies of these publications:

1. Read or download them online:

• Generic Drugs (http://go.usa.gov/lWk)
• Health Scams (http://go.usa.gov/l5x)
• Be Active Your Way (http://go.usa.gov/lWB)

2. Order printed copies of Health Scams, Be Active Your Way and Generic Drugs (subject to availability) by:

• Visiting www.pueblo.gsa.gov to place your order online
• Calling toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That’s 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST and asking for Item 576V, Health Scams, Item 116V, Be Active Your Way or Item 555V, Generic Drugs.

The testers can fail to give an indication of live voltage, resulting in the operator falsely believing the electrical power is off, posing a risk of serious injury or death from electrical shock or thermal burns.

The nailers could have a faulty feeder that can allow nails to be ejected sideways, posing a serious injury hazard to the user or bystanders.

The bracelets contain high levels of cadmium. Laboratory analysis determined that in certain tests, over 20,000 micrograms of cadmium were released from the snowman alone. Cadmium can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC) is expanding a March 5, 2010 recall to include additional “Best By” dates of products manufactured with HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) supplied by Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas, Nevada, because the ingredient has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. “Consumption of products containing Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems…

Austinuts of Dallas, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for Honey Mustard Pretzels, Lot number 61150/0280 because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Orval Kent announced today that it is voluntarily recalling multiple dips as a precautionary measure because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The Orval Kent dips are being recalled because they contain HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein) manufactured, distributed and recalled by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., Las Vegas, NV.

In response to a recall commenced by its supplier, Mincing Overseas Spice Company, Dayton, New Jersey, Frontier Natural Products Co-op, is voluntarily recalling several of its products manufactured with non-organic black pepper that were sold under the Frontier brand and under the Whole Foods Market brands listed below that contain black pepper supplied by Mincing Overseas Spice Company. The black pepper has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella

Federal safety regulators recalled a line of holiday-themed bracelets
Thursday, expanding their effort to purge children’s jewelry boxes and
store shelves of items containing high levels of the toxic metal
cadmium.

A top government auto safety official tells Congress that his agency may need more authority to regulate the auto industry. David Strickland says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will take a “hard look” at the power it has to set safety standards for automakers. He says NHTSA’s current authority may be outdated given the modern technology used in cars and trucks.