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Connecticut's Insurance and Real Estate Committee failed to advance any bills by its legislative deadline. Almost 40 bills were brought before the committee this session, but last-minute disagreements cost them a chance to vote on any of them. Some of this legislation could have provided relief for residents, since insurance rates increased this year. ...
A new report from the Arizona PIRG Education Fund finds that Arizonans are getting hit with what are known as facility fees, leading to higher costs for medical care. Maribeth Guarino, health-care advocate with PIRG, said facility fees can be thought of as a flat charge, added to a patient's bill only for stepping through the door of a doctor's office to seek care. She said facility fees are arbitrary and cost anywhere between a few dollars and thousands of dollars. ...
More than 8% of Utah's population lives in poverty, according to the Census and an event this month wants to give participants a better idea of the challenges and barriers those in poverty face on a daily basis. Stefanie Jones, program specialist for the Community Action Partnership of Utah, said the poverty simulation happening at the University of Utah on April 9 is all about catalyzing local change as well as empathy for those experiencing difficult times. "Really, I think what these simulations do is show you that there are factors outside of one's will and determination to get...
This year Californians can file simple tax forms for free and save time to boot, thanks to a new pilot project from the Internal Revenue Service called IRS Direct File. Californians spend an average of 9 hours and $150 a year to file their taxes. Adam Ruben, vice president of campaigns and political strategy for the nonprofit advocacy organization the Economic Security Project, said now they can just go to Directfile.IRS.gov. ...
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle to now pay their energy bills. According to the utility, the average residential customer will see an expected bill increase of about 8%, which translates to about $10.50 a month. They said it is all in an effort to continue to provide Arizonans with reliable and resilient power and make "critical investments" in their system. ...