Page 49 - Consumer Issues News Today

August is National Make-a-Will Month, a gentle reminder to some seven in ten Americans who dont currently have a will or estate plan that its never too early to complete this important step in charting their end-of-life journey. Sam Young - senior director of legacy and planned giving with the group Compassion & Choices - said having a legal, up-to-date will is a powerful way to protect your loved ones, make important decisions about the future on your own terms, and support the causes you...

Relief may be on the way for many older Nevadans who need hearing aids but cant afford to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for a pair. The Food and Drug Administration has just cleared the way for hearing aids to be sold without a prescription or a visit to the audiologist. Favil West is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit Foundation Assisting Seniors in Henderson, which helps older folks get durable medical equipment. ...

President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law Tuesday, providing a means for making prescription drug prices more affordable in the future. Along with $370 billion for clean-energy programs, the legislation helps cap drug costs in a number of ways, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and limiting those paid out-of-pocket to $2,000 per year for people with Medicare Part D. Andrea Meyer, director of government relations for AARP Oregon, applauded t...

Small businesses that suffered damage or destruction from the recent historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky can get one-on-one assistance as they try to get back on their feet. Seven nonprofits and the Small Business Administration are operating Business Recovery Centers in Hazard, Manchester, and Whitesburg. Chief Operating Officer of the group Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), Joshua Ball, said running a small business is challenging under normal circumstances - let alone in the afterm...

Sweeping legislation approved by Congress is designed to address a range of issues, including climate change and deficit reductions. Other components tackle skyrocketing medication costs, and Wisconsin advocates say older residents will see benefits. The Inflation Reduction Act, which cleared its final Congressional hurdle last week, allows Medicare to negotiate for prescription drug prices, while capping out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries at two-thousand dollars each year. ...

As parts of Southern California suffer with triple-digit temperatures, state lawmakers are set to vote today on two bills to study and mitigate heat waves. Assembly Bill 2238 would create a heat-ranking system like we already have for tornadoes and hurricanes. David Azevedo, associate director of AARP California, said heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the country. ...

Many rural North Carolina kids lack access to summer camps and consistent meals when school is out, but an organization in Benson is working to change it. The Four Leaf Clover Program provides free lunches and activities for kids several days a week until the school year starts. Cleo McKinnon, founder and president of the Four Leaf Clover Program, said she started the program seven years ago with encouragement from her daughter. ...

While its named the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation in the Senate actually goes a long way toward making agriculture more climate-resilient. The measure provides roughly $370 billion for energy security and climate-change programs over the next 10 years. Amalie Lipstreu, policy director for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, said one key piece is a $3.25 billion investment in the Conservation Stewardship Program, which provides technical and financial support to farmers to imp...

A program that ensures that thousands of Arkansas children have health coverage turns 25 this week. The Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federal-state partnership that covers children when parents cant afford private health insurance. Its known in Arkansas as ARKids First and covers more than 70,000 children. ...

Quick-turnaround loans of up to $5,000 are available to small businesses in eastern Kentucky affected by the devastating flooding that has left at least 28 people dead across more than a dozen counties. Many of the regions local businesses were just starting to make a comeback from the pandemic, said Robert Allen, lending director at the Mountain Association, and now theyll need help rebuilding. He said residents and rescue crews who are beginning the cleanup process are counting on shops and s...