Kim Kardashian is no stranger to controversy and this latest moment of public scrutiny has reignited a long-running healthcare debate. 

Kardashain recently posted an Instagram photo of herself next to a full body scan machine and touted its supposed benefits in identifying serious conditions like cancer or aneurysms early.

“I recently did this @prenuvo scan and had to tell you all about this life-saving machine,” Kardashian wrote in the post. “The Prenuvo full-body scan has the ability to detect cancer and diseases such as aneurysms in its earliest stages, before symptoms arise.”

She added that the scan was like “getting an MRI for an hour with no radiation” and that it “really saved some of my friends’ lives and I just wanted to share.” 

She ended with the hashtag #NotAnAd. Prenuvo told BuzzFeed it did not pay Kardashian for any sponsorship or advocacy.

As a result of the post seen by her 363 million followers, health screening appointments have seen a 13% uptick, according to Zocdoc.

While many healthcare brands would love having their products or campaigns endorsed by Kardashian, her post has generated both a positive and negative impact. 

On the one hand, she’s managed to raise awareness about the virtues of preventive healthcare, which many healthcare professionals and organizations have been prioritizing as a more appropriate, proactive approach to patient care instead of the traditional ‘sickcare’ model. 

On the other hand, she has also stirred controversy over whether such expensive full-body scans are necessary or even accessible for the average patient.

Kardashian’s post praised Prenuvo, a medical diagnostics company that charges between $1,000 to $2,500 for full-body MRI scans. The firm claims its scans can identify tumors, aneurysms, musculoskeletal problems and other health issues earlier so patients can get treatment faster.

However, Kardashian’s claims – and the assertions of full-body scan companies like Prenuvo, Ezra and Neko Health – aren’t fully backed by physicians. 

Over the years, medical experts have raised questions about the utility of such scans, pointing out that there’s currently no data showing the scans can improve survival or tumor detection.

The scans, experts say, also run the risk of false-positives and can trigger patients into a frenzy of more unnecessary testing and spending money.

“Whole-body scanning is not recommended by medical professional societies for individuals without symptoms, nor is it a routinely practiced screening procedure in healthy populations,” the American Academy of Family Physicians wrote in a blog post.

The Food and Drug Administration has also weighed in on the debate, arguing that full-body CT scans in particular aren’t necessary for patients.

“Taking preventive action, finding unsuspected disease, uncovering problems while they are treatable, these all sound great, almost too good to be true!” the FDA wrote in 2017. “In fact, at this time the [FDA] knows of no scientific evidence demonstrating that whole-body scanning of individuals without symptoms provides more benefit than harm to people being screened.”

Still, the questionable benefits of the scans aren’t the only problems people had with Kardashian’s post. 

A debate raged online in the days following her post, with many users calling Kardashian out for being “tone deaf” about the high cost of the scan – which most insurers don’t cover – and the lack of access ordinary patients face.

“Kim, this is for wealthy people,” one commenter wrote. “People can’t afford food right now.”

“Unfortunately us regular people can’t afford this type of preventive care,” another wrote. “Most insurances won’t cover this.”

As the disparities in access and affordability continue to be examined in the healthcare space, companies like Prenuvo have brought in significant capital thanks to Hollywood stars and prominent figures.

Prenuvo, along with other companies in the space like Ezra, have grown in recent years and brought in significant funding from celebrities and tech leaders. Prenuvo closed a $70 million Series A funding round last October, backed by investors including Anne Wojcicki, the CEO of 23&me, as well as supermodel and actress Cindy Crawford.

Meanwhile, Neko Health – the full-body scan company co-founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek – managed to pull in $65.4 million in Series A funding this year.