Page 23 - Consumer Issues News Today

Hundreds of thousands of Mainers are expected to benefit from the Biden Administrations recent announcement that it will begin drug price negotiations with Medicare. A list of 10 widely-used medicines, treating cancer, diabetes and other conditions, marks the start of a new program aimed at lowering what are some of the highest prescription drug prices in the world. Noël Bonam, AARP Maine state director called it a monumental step forward. ...

Ohioans seeking help from companies promising to reduce or eliminate debt or fix their credit scores are getting duped, and often are left financially worse off, according to a new report. Judy Dollison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio, said the rise in student loan, medical and credit card debt has increased demand for such services. The problem, she said, is not all companies are legitimate. ...

Washington and Oregon credit unions are working together to tackle text-message scammers. Credit unions in the region say theyre seeing a sharp increase in complaints about fraudulent texts pretending to be from the regional financial institutions. At the peak of the scam, one credit union fielded between 200 and 400 calls per day from people reporting it. ...

The Keystone State has some work to do to provide more access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs for the youngest Pennsylvanians. Only 43% of eligible 3- and-4-year-olds are in high-quality, publicly funded pre-K, leaving more than 87,000 without access, according to the new "State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania" report. Maggie Livelsberger, policy director for Pennsylvania Partnerships For Children, said young children need access to programs preparing them to...

As kids Medicaid eligibility review gets underway, experts are concerned about the number of Ohio children losing federal health insurance. Kelly Vyzral, senior health policy associate, Childrens Defense Fund-Ohio, said because Ohio does not disaggregate information by adult or child, there is little data available on why kids are dropping off. She added whether their parents obtained employer-sponsored coverage or they lost coverage for procedural reasons like a change of address, the tend is...

Iowa farmers have sent hundreds of comments to their U.S. senators, urging them to support legislation to change the way beef is labeled in the country. The American Beef Labeling Act would be a return to country-of-origin labeling rules. ...

Technological upgrades are making cars safer, but action in the courtroom has also pushed companies to make vehicles less dangerous. James Rogers, a product liability and personal injury attorney in Seattle and a member of the Washington State Association for Justice, said the evolution of automotive product liability litigation, or crashworthiness, became important in the 1980s, holding automakers accountable for things like defective seat belts and malfunctioning air bags. "A lot of...

Older North Dakotans and a key advocacy group are hopeful that seniors will see relief from the heavy burden of prescription drug costs - and theyre hailing a big step announced this week. The Biden administration unveiled the first 10 medications that will be subject to price negotiations under the Medicare program. The action is part of the Inflation Reduction Act approved by Congress. ...

AARP Michigans Vital Voices survey results are in, and more than 700 Michigan adults 45 and older say they are most concerned with staying mentally sharp as they age. Lisa Dedden Cooper, manager of advocacy for AARP Michigan, said the Vital Voices survey analyzed health security, financial security and community livability. Although concerns for things such as retirement and access to Social Security are common results, the survey also made new financial findings. ...

The ACLU of Montana is supporting a lawsuit to overturn a ban on the social media platform TikTok. Montana lawmakers passed a bill fining app providers who make TikTok available in their online stores. The ban is set to go into effect next year. ...