Practice safe shopping this Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday season

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November 22, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, (202) 207-2832 or cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–As families prepare for their annual Thanksgiving traditions, many, too, are getting ready to put their credit cards and hard-earned cash to work this Black Friday (or even earlier at some retailers). While “Cyber Monday” used to be considered the biggest online shopping day of the year, the holiday shopping rush seems to start earlier and earlier each year. With more and more consumers opting to avoid the mall, online spending over the Thanksgiving weekend through Cyber Monday is expected to be in the billions.

Forbes reported last month that this holiday shopping season is expected to be “robust.” Whether consumers do their shopping online at the workplace or at home, advocates are reminding them to practice safe e-shopping habits in the coming weeks and year-round.

“The Internet can make your shopping faster and easier, but there can also be pitfalls if you’re not careful,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, which today released its top ten tips for avoiding cyber grinches and scams this holiday season. “There are ways to ensure you have a safe online shopping experience, so that gift-giving is a joyous occasion, not an opportunity for cyber thieves.”

  1. Don’t shop online on an unencrypted or open wireless network. As convenient as they seem, an airport or coffee shop’s wireless network is not an appropriate place to conduct financial transactions. Entering personal financial information over an unsecured connection may leave your computer open the to hackers and thieves to capture your financial information. Home Wi-Fi networks can also be compromised, so consumers should find out how to secure their connections.
  2. Secure your own computer before shopping online. Before connecting to the Internet or shopping online, take the following three core protections: 1) Install anti-virus and anti-spyware programs and keep them up to date; 2) Install a personal firewall; 3) Regularly update operating system and anti-virus programs to current protections.
  3. Know who you’re dealing with. Before shopping online with an unknown e-store, check out the seller and be sure to get the name and physical address of the vendor in case something goes wrong. If you’re buying gifts on an online auction site, check the track record of the seller before you bid.
  4. Pay the safest way – by credit card, especially when you’re purchasing something that will be delivered later. Under federal law you can dispute the charges if you don’t get what you were promised. You may also dispute unauthorized charges on your credit card. Consider using a “virtual” credit card number.  These numbers replace your plastic credit card number with a new number that is linked to your real account number.  When you’re prompted to enter your credit card number at checkout, you enter the virtual number instead of the real number.  These “virtual” numbers can be set to have a low credit limit, to only work at certain Web sites, or to expire after a certain period of time (two months from date of purchase is a good rule of thumb).  This way, if the Web site you’re shopping at is compromised, the crooks likely won’t be able to run up charges on your real credit account since the virtual number.  A note of caution, however: think twice before using a virtual credit card number for services where you will be billed repeatedly or for things like rental car reservations, since the card may not be billed until you pick up the car.
  5. Only shop on safe sites. When providing payment information, the Web site URL address should change from “http” to “https,” (or, less frequently, “shttp”) indicating that the purchase is encrypted or secured. Look for an icon on the browser (generally in the bottom right of the window), such as an image of a padlock closing, to indicate that the page is secure.
  6. Don’t fall for a phishing email or pop-up. Legitimate companies don’t send unsolicited email messages asking for your password, login name, or your financial information. But scammers do, and it’s called “phishing.” Crooks often send emails that look like they’re from legitimate companies – but direct you to click on a link, where they ask for your personal information. Delete these emails.
  7. Be careful when shopping for a gift in an online auction. Consumers sometimes turn to auctions for harder-to-find collectibles or expensive electronics. Understand how the auction works, and check out the seller’s reputation before you bid. Use safe ways to pay, like a credit card. If you use a 3rd party payment system, read the terms carefully to understand what protection, if any, it offers if you don’t receive what you were promised. Always ask about terms of delivery and return options. Be especially wary of auctions that ask for payment via wire transfer.
  8. Turn your computer off when you’re finished shopping. Many people leave their computers running 24/7, the dream scenario for scammers who want to install malicious software—“malware”—on your machine and then control it remotely to enable them to commit cyber crime. To be extra safe, switch off your computer when you are not using it.
  9. Don’t be tempted by offers of free money. Con artists take advantage of cash-strapped consumers during the holidays to offer personal loans or credit cards for a fee upfront. These scammers simply take the money and run. Beware of emails offering loans or credit, especially if you have credit problems.
  10. Visit www.fraud.org to learn more about protecting yourself from online scams year-round and to report suspicious sites, sellers, or scams. You don’t have to be a victim to report a scam, and your information will help law enforcement go after cyber grinches.

Above all, look into the business or individual with whom you are doing business before making the transaction. For more information on avoiding scams throughout the year, visit www.fraud.org.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Women can’t be complacent about their Medicare choices – the cost is too high – National Consumers League

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This post originally appeared at Huff Post.

With all the news and controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment period, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Medicare open enrollment is also in full swing from now through December 7. This is the time for retirees to decide whether they should remain on their current Medicare plan or switch to another.

Ideally, the process should entail assessing your medical needs for the coming year, reviewing the details of your current plan to make sure it covers what you’ll need going forward, and considering whether there’s a better plan that will provide the right coverage at the right price. But unfortunately, that’s not how it usually works. In fact, a new survey sponsored by WellCare Health Plans, called the Cost of Complacency, shows that only about a third of seniors comparison shop for a Medicare plan at all.

Those harmed the most by not doing so are women: 26 percent more women than men ages 65 and older report feeling burdened by the cost of healthcare. It’s no wonder; there are several reasons for this. Women live longer than men—by an average of about 7 years. Longevity should be good news, but coupled with the fact that women typically have lower incomes and fewer financial assets—and have more chronic conditions requiring medical care than men—women often spend those extra years in a precarious financial situation.

Given these realities, it’s critical that older women have healthcare coverage that will meet their medical needs—not threaten their financial health. That’s not to say that figuring out what you need and which plan will best serve you is easy. As the WellCare survey found, 29 percent more women than men find the process of reviewing and comparing plans painful and frustrating. But the stakes are too high for women to not engage in the critical process of ensuring they are getting coverage that will protect both their health and their finances.

The reason it’s important to review and reassess your plan each year—even if you’ve been satisfied with your past coverage—is that it likely won’t be the same in 2018. Most plans change every year and some of those changes can be significant. Your health also changes (inevitably with greater costs as you age), so it’s especially important to consider how your current health conditions and whether the plan you’re currently on will provide adequate coverage if you are likely to need more diagnostic tests, different drug regimens, or more health care visits.

The basic rules of reviewing your plan include determining out-of-pocket costs, which consist of your premium, deductible, and cost-sharing charges, whether they may be copayments or co-insurance. You should also make sure that the pharmacies, health care providers, and hospitals you use are covered by the plan’s network or—if they aren’t—decide that you’re willing to switch to those that are.

For women on traditional Medicare (Part A & B), it’s also important to understand the gaps and limitations of that coverage. For instance, if you currently have or have had cancer in the past, you should be aware that there is a lifetime limit to the amount of diagnostic testing Medicare will cover. With treatments now enabling people to live with cancer for years as a chronic disease, you can quickly hit that maximum if there’s a need for expensive annual tests such as PET-CT scans. If you reach the Part B cap, you could be looking at exorbitant out-of-pocket costs.

With older women having higher rates of cognitive impairments, such as memory loss and dementia as they age, the Medicare limits on services associated with those conditions can have a particularly negative impact. While Medicare covers assessments for cognitive and neurological decline, it does not help with related ongoing services including daily care, care management, and home companions who can be incredibly costly, especially if needed for an extended period of time.

There are also significant coverage gaps in cataract treatments and no coverage at all for corrective eye exams, hearing exams, hearing aids, or common dental work.

About half of all women fill some of these gaps by enrolling in private plans, such as a supplemental Medigap insurance policy or a Medicare Advantage Plan that provides both Part B coverage as well as additional benefits.

So, there’s a lot to consider and yes, it can be overwhelming, which is why you shouldn’t do it alone. But, as the Cost of Complacency survey showed, most women do try to power through the process on their own, which could be why so many give up on doing it altogether. Instead, get together with a friend, your spouse, child, or grandchild and look to do the following: 

  • Review your current plan’s paperwork, including benefits and any limitations;
  • If you have them, review your medical receipts from the year to determine how much money you spent, and on what services;
  • Create a priority list for a Medicare plan, including not just “must haves,” but also “might needs”;
  • Use the Medicare Plan Finder tool on Medicare.gov to research plans based on your needs. Also, access community resources, such as senior centers, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or the toll-free numbers provided by the plan providers to ask questions; and
  • Don’t try to review everything in one day. Do a little bit each day until the December 7 deadline.
You still have time to review, compare, and choose a plan that will serve your health needs for the coming year! It may be one of the most important things you can do to protect your health and your financial wellbeing.

FCC Lifeline vote threatens affordable access to broadband – National Consumers League

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November 16, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League is extremely disappointed in today’s vote by the Federal Communications Commission to begin a rulemaking process to alter the Lifeline program. In particular we are concerned that the FCC’s proposal will restrict funding to only facilities-based providers of Lifeline service. Such restrictions would threaten access by the most vulnerable Americans to voice and broadband services by excluding from the market the very Lifeline service providers that have helped make the program a success.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League:

“The current FCC leadership would like the public to believe that its vote today will help bridge the digital divide. In reality, the FCC’s action threatens to exacerbate the current digital divide, with low-income consumers are relegated to expensive, low-quality Internet service while those with means enjoy access to 21st century broadband. We urge the Commission to instead expand outreach to the millions of consumers who qualify for Lifeline, but haven’t enrolled. The National Consumers League stands with the coalition of consumer, rural, tribal, and low-income advocacy organizations who are calling on Chairman Pai to focus on expanding the Lifeline program and promoting policies that bridge — rather than worsen — the digital divide.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on announced resignation of CFPB Director Richard Cordray – National Consumers League

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November 16, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC—Director Richard Cordray of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced his intention to resign by the end of the month. The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg: 

“Since 2012, Director Richard Cordray has served as the head of one of the most important consumer protection organizations in our country’s history. Under his leadership, the CFPB returned more than $12 billion dollars to more than 29 million consumers affected by illegal business practices. Thanks to director Cordray, the CFPB has reined in abuses by predatory debt collectors and payday lenders, put the brakes on deceptive student loan servicers, and worked to end the spread of outrageous forced arbitration clauses. 

In honor of his outstanding work, NCL recognized Director Cordray at our annual awards dinner October 25 with a Trumpeter Award for his service to consumers and the American public. From the beginning of his tenure, Director Cordray has been the epitome of an honest, transparent and hardworking civil servant. He oversaw a staff of nearly two thousand public servants, all dedicated to ensuring that consumers were given a level playing field with the financial services industry and protected from serial abusers of the public trust such as Wells Fargo. 

This announcement is a sad day for consumers, especially given the hostility shown by the majority in both houses of Congress and the Trump Administration to the Bureau’s mission of protecting consumers from predatory practices. 

President Trump now has the right to nominate a new director. NCL will remain vigilant to ensure that the President nominates another champion of consumers and the middle class, not a champion of Wall Street and big banks. The CFPB’s has made great progress in protecting consumers, but there is still much work left to be done. Rest assured, NCL will continue fighting on the front lines to ensure that the next director is up to the task.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL welcomes nationwide removal of misleading nutritional scoring system from grocery shelves – National Consumers League

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November 9, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) has welcomed news that a supermarket-based nutritional scoring system of food products called NuVal, which at its peak was used in 1,600 grocery stores nationwide, has been discontinued. For the last five years, NCL has been a vocal critic of NuVal’s controversial ratings system. In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012, NCL called NuVal “fatally flawed,” pointed out that it gave some junk foods higher nutritional ratings than canned fruit, and called for its investigation and removal from grocery stores.

NuVal scored food on a scale of 1-100, with printed labels appearing on shelves next to price labels in stores that used the system. NuVal claimed to help consumers compare products by simplifying their nutritional value; the higher the number, the “better the nutrition.”

“The NuVal rating system was fatally flawed, and its removal from grocery store shelves is a win for consumers,” said National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Its proprietary algorithmic formula – which was not made transparent to consumers or the scientific community – resulted in snack chips, soft drinks, and desserts being given as high or higher nutritional scores than some canned fruits and vegetables. We welcome the news that NuVal has been discontinued nationally.”

The consumer group criticized NuVal’s nutritional ratings as confusing—not helpful—to consumers trying to make healthy decisions for their families and called on the FDA to step in and set industry-wide standards to govern such systems so that they truly benefit nutrition-minded consumers. Other critics questioned conflicts of interest behind NuVal’s research and food manufacturers.

The Yale Daily News reported that, according to NuVal’s creator, Director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center David Katz, “Hershey’s paid him more than $731,000 for research, and Quaker Oats had paid him more than $633,000. He has also received funds from Kind Bar and Chobani.”

Last fall, NCL noted that several regional grocery store chains, including Tops Market, based in Williamsville, NY, California-based Raley’s, and Massachusetts-based Big Y, had also begun phasing out the system.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Advocates urge FTC to protect consumers from pyramid schemes – National Consumers League

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November 3, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC–Today, a coalition of consumer advocacy organizations, civil rights groups, and pyramid scheme experts joined the National Consumers League (NCL) in calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to make any guidance it offers to the direct selling industry about pyramid scheme enforcement as strong as possible. 

In 2016, the FTC signaled that it would issue updated guidance to the direct selling industry on how to avoid pyramidal business practices and stay in compliance with the FTC Act. Next week, Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen will be a featured speaker at the Direct Selling Association’s Fall Conference, a venue that the FTC has used in the past to offer guidance to the industry.

The advocacy groups’ letter calls on FTC to ensure that any guidance it offers:

  • Reaffirms case law stating that multi-level compensation should be primarily tied to sales of goods and services to customers outside of the business opportunity;
  • Draws on the lessons of previous FTC investigations and settlements, such as the Commission’s successful actions against BurnLounge, Vemma, and Herbalife;
  • Reiterates that compensation based on internal consumption by distributors must be subject to reasonable and transparent limits; and
  • Makes clear that multi-level marketing companies must be able to substantiate income and health claims and monitor their distributors to ensure that prohibitions against deceptive claims are enforced. 

“The direct selling industry has been furiously lobbying in support of thinly-veiled pyramid scheme legalization bills in Congress,” said John Breyault, NCL’s vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud. “By issuing strong, unambiguous guidance, the FTC has an opportunity to rebut spurious industry claims that there is regulatory confusion and strengthen consumer protections against pyramid schemes that harm millions of consumers. Such guidance will reaffirm how ethical direct selling companies should operate to stay on the right side of the law.” 

In addition to NCL, the letter was signed by Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Consumer Watchdog, League of United Latin American Citizens, MANA, National Association of Consumer Advocates, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Public Citizen, U.S. PIRG, William W. Keep, PhD, and Peter J. Vander Nat, PhD. 

To view the full letter, click here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League condemns President Trump’s decision to side with Wall Street over Main Street – National Consumers League

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November 3, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC–On Wednesday, President Trump once again sided with Wall Street executives over the middle class by signing a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) arbitration rule. The rule, the result of years of study and a congressional directive would have restored consumers’ constitutional right to access the courts when companies like Wells Fargo defraud them.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, National Consumers League executive director:

“It is a hallmark of the American justice system that when individuals are wronged, they can seek justice through the courts. With a stroke of his pen, President Trump stripped away that right from millions of consumers. When companies like Wells Fargo break the law and open nearly 1.4 million fraudulent accounts without their customer’s consent, consumers must be able to band together and hold corporate wrongdoers accountable. Congress and President Trump’s decision to take away this basic protection underscores the need for NCL to work harder than ever to fight to restore consumers’ fundamental legal rights including, the right to sue when they are harmed by big corporations.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Senate votes to undermine Americans’ right to a day in court – National Consumers League

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October 25, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) condemns the Senate’s passage of a Congressional Review Act resolution to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) arbitration rule. The rule would have allowed consumers access to courts after big banks like Wells Fargo steal their identity, or credit bureaus like Equifax compromise consumers’ most personal information.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

“Last night, while most Americans were sleeping, 50 Senate Republicans and Vice President Mike Pence voted to take away our sacred right to a day in court. Today, in the aftermath of massive financial wrongdoings like Wells Fargo’s nearly 1.4 million fraudulent accounts scandal or Equifax’s massive data breach, financial companies will continue to be free to bury binding arbitration clauses in their terms of service. These ‘rip-off clauses’ are designed to prevent consumers from having their day in court or joining together to form a class action lawsuit after they are harmed.

In fact, earlier this year the NCL Board of Directors voted to take NCL’s operating capital out of Wells Fargo and switch to Bank of Labor precisely because of Wells’ requirement that customers to give up their rights. Bank of Labor, Bank of America and many credit unions are thriving without forcing their customers to sign away rights through these odious ‘rip-off clauses.” We applaud CFPB director Richard Cordray, whom NCL is honoring this evening, for his efforts to protect the consumer rights that were just taken away in one fell swoop by this unfortunate Senate vote.

The Senate’s decision to side with Wall Street over consumers is shameful. The denial of one of our most basic rights as Americans — the right to our day in court — is a massive step backwards for consumers and our nation. While this may be a setback, the National Consumers league will continue fighting before Congress and the Administration to reaffirm consumers basic rights, including, the right to justice.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Congressman John Lewis, CFPB’s Richard Cordray to receive highest honor from pioneering consumer watchdog org – National Consumers League

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October 24, 2017

FDA’s Dr. Janet Woodcock to receive Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award

Contact: Cindy Hoang (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org   

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, will honor Georgia Congressman John Lewis and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, on Wednesday, October 25 in Washington, DC. The award has honored leaders in the fight for consumer and workers’ rights for more than 40 years, and past honorees include: Senator Ted Kennedy, the award’s inaugural recipient, as well as Labor Secretaries Hilda Solis, Robert Reich, and Alexis Herman, Senators Carl Levin and Paul Wellstone, Delores Huerta of the United Farm Workers, and other honored consumer and labor leaders. Last year’s recipient was Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

“The Trumpeter Award is given to leaders who have dedicated their lives to social justice and to fighting for those who cannot defend themselves. This year’s Trumpeter recipients, the legendary Georgia Representative and Civil Rights leader John Lewis, and the indomitable head of the CFPB, Richard Cordray, will join this esteemed group as true American heroes. Congressman John Lewis embodies these values throughout his six-decade career representing citizens of the state of Georgia and across the nation, in his pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, and in his continued work in Congress today,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “CFPB Director Cordray’s commitment to regulating industry practices that prey on the most vulnerable consumers have earned him universal respect. As first director of the CFPB, he has set an inspirational trail for others to follow.”

Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award

In addition to the Trumpeter Award, NCL will the honor the recipient of this year’s Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award: Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the Center for Research and Drug Evaluation at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Dr. Woodcock is a passionate advocate for American patients and consumers, an ally to patient advocacy groups, and a fearless leader at the FDA,” said Karin Bolte, NCL health policy director. “Dr. Woodcock has helped transform the FDA into the agency it is today, one that strives to put patients at the center of its decision-making. We are delighted to celebrate her leadership and the difference it has made for America’s health.”

The event will feature a reception, dinner, and speaking appearances by NCL leadership and the honorees, as well as Maria Cardona, CNN/CNNE Commentator & Principal of Dewey Square Group, and Ellen Sigal, Chairperson and Founder of Friends of Cancer Research.

MEDIA ADVISORY

What:  National Consumers League’s 2017 Trumpeter Awards
When: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | 7 pm Dinner and Presentation of Awards

Where:
Omni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008 

Members of the media are welcome to attend this event but must RSVP. For questions or to RSVP: Call Cindy Hoang, (202) 207-2832 or Carol McKay, (724) 799-5392.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL condemns Trump Executive Order undermining Affordable Care Act – National Consumers League

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October 13, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) condemns the Executive Order issued Thursday by President Trump that would undermine the Affordable Care Act, weaken or eliminate critical consumer protections, make it difficult for those with pre-existing conditions to afford health coverage, and destabilize the individual insurance market.

The Trump Administration’s Executive Order would allow Association Health Plans to offer coverage across state lines that would not be subject to state insurance regulations or the ACA’s requirement to cover the Essential Health Benefits, such as hospitalization; prescription drugs; pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services; preventive and wellness services; and other critical health services.

The availability of Association Health Plans would bifurcate the market, with healthy people buying skimpier, non-ACA compliant policies and sicker people seeking to buy more expensive, comprehensive plans. By thrusting people with pre-existing conditions into a separate risk pool, the Executive Order would result in a death spiral and a return to the pre-ACA days in which those with pre-existing conditions were unable to get affordable coverage on the individual market.

Ignoring the pleas of millions of consumers to protect their care, President Trump’s Executive Order is the latest in a long line of Trump Administration actions to undermine the Affordable Care Act — starting with Congress’ multiple unsuccessful attempts to repeal the law, the President’s refusal to guarantee payment of the Cost-Sharing Reduction subsidies that allow people to afford health coverage, and the sabotage of Open Enrollment by cutting the enrollment period in half, slashing federal support for advertising and navigators, and completely shutting down HealthCare.gov for 12 hours every Sunday throughout Open Enrollment.

“President Trump’s actions are inexcusable,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Rather than promoting Association Health Plans, the Trump Administration should allow Congress to continue the bipartisan process started by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to strengthen the ACA and stabilize the health insurance marketplace so that all consumers can have access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.