Entries by Lisa McDonald

Voices, Urgency, and Hope at the National Health Council Annual Meeting

February 11, 2026 in , , /by

February 11, 2026: Have you heard of Alpha-1 Disorder? I hadn’t either until I had a conversation with the Alpha-1 Disorder team that’s gathered in Ft. Lauderdale for the National Health Council Annual Meeting. I love coming to this gathering because of the energy and drive behind the diverse patient groups and companies working to develop treatments and cures. Lisa Bercu, our Senior Health Policy Director, and I are here talking with and learning from colleagues across the health care spectrum.

National Consumers League Commends FDA for Swift Action Against Hims & Hers

February 9, 2026 in , /by

February 9, 2026: Washington, DC – You can fool some of the people some of the time and all of the people some of the time. But you can’t fool all of the people all the time. On Friday, February 6, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would stop the telehealth platform Hims & Hers from marketing a compounded version of the first FDA-approved GLP-1 weight-loss pill. On Saturday, Hims & Hers said it was withdrawing the product from the market, and the FDA did not pursue enforcement action.

FTC Forces Transparency Reforms on Express Scripts in Landmark Settlement

February 9, 2026 in , /by

February 9, 2026: Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) applauds the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for securing a landmark settlement with one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Express Scripts, Inc., and its affiliated entities. The settlement requires Express Scripts to make significant changes to its business practices that will, among other things, increase transparency, base patients’ out-of-pocket expenses on the drug’s net cost rather than the artificially inflated list price, and increase fairness in community pharmacy reimbursement.   

NCL Calls on Lawmakers to Establish a Framework for the Safe, Responsible Deployment of AVs

February 4, 2026 in /by

February 4, 2026: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today sent a letter to members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee calling for lawmakers to establish a framework for the safe and responsible deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs), which are vehicles that can perform the entire driving task without human intervention. 

Bipartisan PBM Reforms Mark Progress Toward Lower Drug Costs for Patients 

February 3, 2026 in , /by

February 3, 2026: Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League applauds the passage of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (CAA), which includes meaningful reforms to hold pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) accountable and bring greater transparency to the prescription drug marketplace. These reforms are an important step toward ensuring that patients, employers, and plan sponsors benefit from lower drug costs—not entities who profit from opaque pricing practices. 

Senate Hearing on Ticketing Should Push TICKET Act Forward 

January 28, 2026 in , /by

January 28, 2026: Washington, DC: In advance of a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on reform in the live event industry, the National Consumers League urged leaders in the U.S. Senate to prioritize passing the bipartisan TICKET Act (S. 281/H.R. 1402), which has already overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate Commerce Committee.  

Holding Corporations Accountable for Child Labor: NCL Endorses New Bipartisan Bill 

January 11, 2026 in , , /by

January 10, 2026: Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League’s (NCL) Child Labor Coalition (CLC) is proud to support Congresswoman Hillary Scholten’s reintroduction of her bipartisan Justice for Exploited Children Act alongside Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07). This legislation would increase both civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate child labor standards established in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under current law, penalties for child labor violations are as low as $10,000 in some cases – and the maximum prison sentence is 6 months, even if violations result in the death or serious injury of a child.  

New Dietary Guidelines Take on Ultra-processed Foods but Abandon Longstanding Advice on Red Meat, Full-Fat Dairy Products and Alcohol

January 7, 2026 in , /by

January 7, 2026: Washington, DC – As a voice for the nation’s consumers, the National Consumers League (NCL) values recommendations in the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 that encourage consumers to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains but has significant concerns that the guidelines abandon science-based recommendations limiting daily consumption of red meat, full-fat dairy products, and alcoholic beverages.