NCL: Election Day minimum wage victories a sign of things to come – National Consumers League

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November 8, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer / worker advocacy group today is heralding the election results of minimum wage-related ballot initiatives in states across the country as a positive sign for the living wage movement that is gaining momentum nationwide. The National Consumers League (NCL), the 114-year-old consumer and worker advocacy group founded during the Progressive Era, is today celebrating victories in New Jersey and the Seattle metro area—some confirmed by election results, others too close to call—that will increase the pay of minimum wage workers.

In New Jersey, a state constitutional amendment that passed yesterday, will now tie automatic minimum wage increases to inflation rates and raises the state minimum wage from the federally mandated $7.25 to $8.25, putting it on par with more progressive areas including the District of Columbia.

In the Seattle area, where votes will continue to be counted until mail-in ballots are received, a SeaTac ballot measure would raise the minimum wage of hospitality and transportation workers in and around the Seattle-Tacoma airport to $15 an hour. The current minimum wage in Washington is $9.19 – the state rate highest in the nation – with a raise scheduled for implementation on January 1, 2014 to $9.32. The results of SeaTac’s ballot measure are still too close to call, but passage would ensure benefits such as paid sick days and tip protection from wage theft. It would also require employers to offer additional hours to part-time workers before hiring new staff and to retain existing employees for at least a 3-month period following a change in ownership.

“These results show that there is strong popular support for raising the wages and living standards of the nation’s lowest paid workers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “All the scare tactics of big business—like threats that businesses will not survive the wage hike or that consumer prices will sharply escalate—didn’t win the day. We’re proud of the voters and their support for raising the standard of living for those at the bottom of the economic ladder.”

NCL has a long history of supporting the interests of workers and consumers since its founding in 1899, and NCL’s first General Secretary, Florence Kelley, wrote the first state minimum wage laws in the United States. This fall, it supported a movement in the District of Columbia, where it is headquartered, to implement the Large Retailer Accountability Act (LRAA) or Livable Wage Act, to require DC retailers whose parent companies do more than $1 billion in sales annually to pay their employees the DC living wage and benefits of $12.50 an hour. The LRAA was passed by City Council but ultimately vetoed by Mayor Vincent Gray.

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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.

Patient, consumer advocates call on FDA to restore generic drug manufacturer accountability


 – National Consumers League

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November 5, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Generic drugs account for more than 80 percent of all prescriptions filled in the United States, but generic manufacturers are not required to warn consumers about safety issues of the drugs they produce. A group of 15 patient and consumer advocates have sent a letter to Margaret Hamburg, M.D.,
Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), applauding the
 FDA’s announcement to revise its regulations to allow generic drug manufacturers to independently update their drug safety labels and to restore Americans’ right to quality drug safety information.

Due to a 2011 United States Supreme Court decision, Pliva v. Mensing, generic drug makers cannot be held legally accountable when they fail to adequately warn patients about the risk of their drugs. Patients who take generic drugs have their rights limited and justice denied, while patients who take brand name drugs do not.

“We believe it is critically important that all prescription drugs carry current and adequate safety warnings,” the groups (see list below) state in their letter. “Allowing generic drug manufacturers to update safety labeling is vital to ensuring that the public remains appropriately informed of drugs’ risks and benefits.”

The groups’ letter encourages the FDA to address this safety issue as quickly as possible and implement the new regulations to help diminish the risk that inadequately labeled generic drugs currently pose to consumers. Prescription medication can only be safe and effective if all manufacturers remain attentive to potential health hazards and accountable for warning patients of new potential risks.

Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League, said, “NCL joins with other like-minded organizations in urging the FDA to level the playing field by allowing generic manufacturers to initiate changes to the safety warnings that appear on the labels of their prescription medication. All manufacturers, generic and brand, must be treated the same for the sake of patient safety and consumers must be warned about all potential risks.“

Cynthia Pearson, Executive Director of the National Women’s Health Network. “Women need to be warned of safety problems with a drug regardless of whether they take the brand name or generic version. We applaud the FDA for taking action to protect consumers.”

Signers of the letter include: AARP, Alpha-1 Association, Alpha-1
Foundation, American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Breast Cancer Action, COPD Foundation, Lupus Foundation of America, National Consumers League, National Eczema Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation, National Women’s Health Network, Prevent Blindness America, Public Justice, P.C. and the Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation.

To read 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.

November is Family Caregivers Month and a time to reexamine the role of the caregiver – National Consumers League

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By Sarah Hijaz, Health Policy Intern Sarah is a recent graduate of The George Washington University Trachtenberg of Public Policy and Public Administration, where she received a Master of Public Policy (MPP). Her main background is in public health, having worked in clinical trial protocol development and cancer health disparity research and outreach efforts. Sarah plans to pursue a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree, concentrating on health policy. During the interim period before starting a DrPH program, an internship at NCL is a great opportunity to gain exposure to the advocacy side of public health and health policy.

November is Family Caregivers Month, and as President Obama describes it’s meant to “recognize and thank the humble heroes who do so much to keep our families and communities strong.” Family caregivers are individuals, including friends or neighbors that dedicate unpaid time and resources towards caring for the physical and/or mental health of a loved one. The Caregiver Action Network, a non-profit organization that provides support, education, and resources to family caregivers across the United States, has identified the theme for this year’s Family Caregivers Month as “Now More Than Ever.”

Family caregiver advocates are increasingly calling for a shift in the focus of national conversation away from the concept that family caregivers are simply providers of care to a more relationship in which these caregivers are also integral members of loved ones’ healthcare teams. There are 90 million family caregivers in this country; that’s two out of every five adults who care for one or more family members. Certain patient populations that depend heavily on family caregiving support are rising, such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s, children with special needs, as well as wounded veterans. The overall population of adult caregivers has correspondingly risen from 30% to 39% in the past 3 years. Often, many caregivers find themselves in this challenging and complex role suddenly and with little warning or time for preparation.

Patient health issues can be purely physical, emphasizing family care activities that focus on duties such as administration of medications or household help. However, other loved ones may suffer from psychological ailments that leave them unable to take part in their care planning, transforming the family caregiver into a healthcare decision maker. Because of the many different roles that a family caregiver can play, there are rising calls for a more formal recognition of family caregivers as key members of patient-centered teams.

This past Friday, I attended a conference at The Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health in Washington, DC. The focus of the event was “Identifying Family Caregivers in Electronic Health Records (EHRs).” Technology is beginning to play a larger role in healthcare, especially technology aimed at compiling and organizing patient information. Proponents of EHRs claim that computerizing patient health records can have many benefits, such as reducing unnecessary testing and prescribing. The push towards expanding EHRs to all healthcare settings is gaining traction; the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act even includes elements to support this drive. While EHRs can expand patient-provider communication and improve health care, there are concerns that family caregivers might not have equal access to electronic records. Especially since family caregivers have so far been under-recognized as valid healthcare team members.

There was no doubt in the room that supporting patients/loved ones requires expanding the healthcare team to include family caregivers. However, while this concept may seem straightforward, there are plenty of questions that need to be addressed in order to incorporate this goal into EHRs. For example, are family caregivers’ formally identified in the EHR? Does the patient identify family caregivers? If so, what if the patient is suffering from dementia? At what point do caregiver demands and the seriousness of a patient’s conditions warrant the designation of someone who is “helping out” to be an official family caregiver?  There is a great deal that needs to be clarified as the healthcare system in this country continues it push towards expanded EHR systems. Family caregiving is not only an evolving role, but also is an evolving concept.

The nature of what constitutes a family caregiver is being discussed and debated. The increasing conversation on this topic can only improve our understanding and will hopefully improve care for patients under the attention of family caregivers as well as ease the burden associated with caring for a loved one. For more than 90 million Americans, Family Caregivers Month is not the only time of the year that family caregiving is recognized and reflected upon. Patients and their professional healthcare providers have long asserted the important nature of family caregiving.

NCL statement on FCC confirmations – National Consumers League

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November 1, 2013

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein, (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League today applauded the confirmation of Thomas Wheeler and Michael O’Rielly as Chairman and Commissioner, respectively, of the Federal Communications Commission. The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director:

“The nation’s consumers are better protected by a full slate of Commissioners at the FCC. As Chairman Wheeler and Commissioner O’Rielly prepare to take up their charge, we urge them to keep consumers — first and foremost — in their minds as they take up the crucial issues currently before the Commission. America’s consumers, particularly those with low incomes and in rural areas, also owe a debt of gratitude to acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn who has led the Commission ably for the past seven months.”

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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.

Consumer, worker regulations being held up in broken process – National Consumers League

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From the safety of the food we eat to the air we breathe and the cars we drive—Congress has enacted landmark laws to ensure our air, food, and autos meet minimum safety standards. Yet today, many of the rules required to execute these laws have been delayed and/or weakened as a result of a sluggish, and often hostile, regulatory agency. Due to unjustified delays, Congressional mandates and sensible safeguards are being held up, and consumers pay the price.

Many people don’t realize that even a law enacted by Congress can remain caught in regulatory doldrums because of a system set up to review and often delay a protective law from taking effect. The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) plays the role of gatekeeper to a fault, too often, by trapping legitimate consumer, labor, or environmental protections. Some have described OIRA as the place where regulations “go to die.” At an October Senate briefing following the federal government shutdown, NCL and partnering organizations hosted a discussion of the broken regulatory process and the Congressional mandates being thwarted as a result.

An example: in 2010, 73 Senators joined forces to pass the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the largest revamp of food safety efforts in decades, following a series of contaminated food outbreaks. President Obama signed the law in 2011. Nearly three years later, major changes needed to implement the law have not been finalized by the Food and Drug Administration. Despite clear statutory deadlines, several proposed regulations have been stalled in OIRA for more than a year—a period significantly beyond the executive order limiting review to 120 days. Even the food industry is welcoming this new set of guidelines to ensure their products are safe.

Many times, however, industry is not aligned with the wishes of consumer organizations and public health and safety groups. Car safety and worker safety regulations have been delayed due to industry complaints. In both instances, the corresponding industries have fought the regulations arguing the costs for implementation outweigh the benefits.

One of the delayed rules is the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, passed in 2008. This law mandated that the Department of Transportation create a rear visibility safety standard which would expand the required field of view when backing up and provide drivers with a means of detecting the presence of a person or object behind their vehicle. Backup cameras, now widely available, would fix the visibility problem. Hundreds of children are killed and thousands seriously injured every year because a driver can’t see them while backing up.

The auto industry has been fighting the regulation, arguing it costs too much. Most car companies, however, offer a backup camera as an (oftentimes pricey) option. Honda offers the backup cameras as standard equipment on every vehicle it sells, providing the high water mark for the industry. NCL strongly believes that protections that would save children’s lives should not be available only to those who can afford it, but should be available as a standard piece of safety equipment.

Another delayed rule deals with worker exposure to silica dust. Breathing tiny particles of silica, which is basically sand, can damage the lungs and cause silicosis. Those who are afflicted can’t get enough oxygen and they become weak. There’s no cure. Workers can encounter silica dust while doing all kinds of jobs, from mining, to manufacturing, to construction.

Experts estimate that there are thousands of new silicosis cases each year, and hundreds of deaths. Silica has also been linked to other diseases like lung cancer. But for almost two years, the Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations have been stalled at OIRA. While the government does limit the amount of silica workers can be exposed to, that exposure limit was set in the 1960s. The proposed regulation would cut the amount of exposure in half and potentially save thousands of workers lives. Industry groups argue that the current level is adequate to protect worker health and safety, and that any change could cost billions of dollars.

“The regulatory process has been hijacked by this unelected, largely hidden entity known as OIRA, where regulations can languish for years,” said NCL’s Sally Greenberg. “By relying on flawed cost-benefit analysis, demanding study after study, and listening to industry complaints to the exclusion of other commonsense arguments, OIRA too often failed to do its job, which is to review and release regulations in a timely fashion.”

Dr. Ruiz Leads Effort to Combat Fraud in Health Insurance Exchanges – National Consumers League

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October 31, 2013

Contact: Michael Ford, Michael.Ford@mail.house.gov

Washington, DC–Today, Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) was joined by 32 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, urging that they prioritize resources to combat fraud in the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges.

In the letter, Dr. Ruiz and his colleagues wrote: “Across the country, misinformation about the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges is creating opportunities for con artists to defraud families, seniors, and small businesses. Criminals who defraud consumers for financial gain must be brought to justice. We urge you to devote more resources towards educating consumers, investigating complaints, and taking swift legal action to crack down on fraud.”

“Experience has demonstrated that scam artists will attempt to capitalize on consumer confusion about new government programs to defraud consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, National Consumers League (NCL) executive director. “Expanding health care to millions of uninsured Americans has long been a goal of NCL. We must not allow fears of potential fraud to derail the success of the ACA.”

Currently, there are reports of criminals preying on consumers as they begin to shop for affordable health insurance on the state and federal exchanges.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Committee HHS Secretary Sebelius acknowledged this issue and discussed the importance of addressing fraud in the exchanges.

Dr. Ruiz’s letter was signed by the following Members of Congress: Rep. Costa (CA), Rep. Cardenas (CA), Rep. Michaud (ME), Rep. Roybal-Allard (CA), Rep. Gabbard (HI), Rep. Peters (CA), Rep. Swalwell (CA), Rep. Lujan (NM), Rep. Sinema (AZ), Rep. Meng (NY), Rep. Negrete McLeod (CA), Rep. Sherman (CA), Rep. Enyart (IL), Rep. Honda (CA), Rep. Napolitano (CA), Rep. Cartwright (PA), Rep. Esty (CT), Rep. Hastings (FL), Rep. Vela (TX), Rep. Hinojosa (TX), Rep. Foster (IL), Rep. Barber (AZ), Rep. Garcia (FL), Rep. Brownley (CA),  Rep. Frankel (FL), Rep. Becerra (CA), Rep. Rangel (NY), Rep. Jeffries (NY), Rep. Capps (CA), Rep. Murphy (FL), Rep. Gallego (TX), Rep. Cuellar (TX).

Additionally, the letter is supported by the National Consumers League, the National Hispanic Medical Association, and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Click here for the full letter.

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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.

This Halloween, let the kids live a little – National Consumers League

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kelsey By Kelsey Albright, Linda Golodner Food Safety & Nutrition Fellow Halloween and candy are like two peas in a pod.  It wasn’t always this way though; before candy started dominating this spooky holiday, an assortment of goodies ranging from popcorn balls and cookies to fruit were commonplace treats for trick-or-treaters.  As the holiday progressed, it made more sense to hand out candy with its ease of preparation, pre-packaged safety, and long shelf life.

Candy embodies a kind of magic.  The forbidden fruit of our childhoods, candy represents a nostalgic reminder of something simple and so irresistibly sweet.  It was more than just the candy though; it was the costume and the trading and staying up a little later than usual.  Most children and adults can relate to these memories, we remember Halloween as one of those days that was bound to be great.  I worry that with childhood obesity on the rise and the ever growing vigilance of some parents, these memories could be forever altered.  To many, candy carries an inescapable black mark as a food to always avoid, but in my opinion, that shouldn’t be so. Candy is honest.  It doesn’t masquerade as something that’s healthy or has vitamins, it’s bad for you and everyone knows it. 

I present you with an age old concept that nutritionists come back to again and again: everything in moderation.  Yes, children need to eat fruits and vegetables; they need to drink milk for strong bones.  Many parents realize these things and it’s a constant struggle to inform those that don’t but that doesn’t mean that candy is out of the question. It’s important that children occasionally have access to treats; otherwise the concept that candy is a forbidden fruit, something they always want and can never have, may be taken to extremes later in life.  I look around me and I see how confused society is about food, frequently falling on one side of the healthy eating spectrum or the other, but it’s far simpler than we make it out to be.  Indulgence is a vital part of a balanced diet and it makes it far easier to choose nutrient dense food items the other 95% of the time.  So this Halloween let your kids have some candy, just don’t let them have the whole bag!

Across the Atlantic, finding common ground with consumer advocates – National Consumers League

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director
I’m spending the first part of this week in Brussels with colleagues from across the pond in a meeting with the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD). The TACD is a forum of US and EU consumer organizations which develops and agrees on joint consumer policy recommendations to the US government and European Union to promote the consumer interest in EU and US policy making.

The TACD was launched in September 1998, at the end of the inaugural meeting which took place in Washington and gathered more than 60 consumer representatives from the US and the EU.TACD’s objectives are to provide a formal mechanism for EU and US consumer representatives to input to EU and US political negotiations and agreements as well as explore ways of strengthening the EU and US consumer view at the international level. TACD champions the consumer perspective in transatlantic decision making.

It is our mission to ensure that EU/US policy dialogue promotes consumer welfare on both sides of the Atlantic and is well informed about the implications of policy decisions on consumers. The TACD provides a common voice for EU and US consumer organizations ensuring that key consumer priorities are promoted and advocated within EU-US regulatory and governmental processes, helping to protect health and safety and assure truth and fairness in the marketplace. Through meetings and multi-stakeholder conferences TACD contributes to the exchange of information, dissemination of knowledge and sharing of expertise on key consumer issues in the EU and the US. 

TACD works with stakeholders such as the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue (TLD) and the Transatlantic Business Council (TABC) through the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), of which TACD is a member of the advisory group, to find areas of commonality and to seek increased consensus. It was a pleasure to be a part of this conference.

Lots to talk about during Talk about Prescriptions Month – National Consumers League

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By Rebecca Burkholder, NCL Vice President for Health Policy October is Talk about Prescriptions Month, and with 50 percent of Americans taking at least one or more prescription drugs, there are a lot of conversations that need to happen. If you are taking a prescription medication, always ask your doctor or pharmacist why you are taking the medication, its name, how to take it properly, and if there are any side effects. Taking medication as directed is important to obtain the full benefits of the medication; this is especially true if you are taking a medication for a chronic condition.

How you access your medications is also important. This month FDA reminds us that if you buy your medications on line, do so safely. Earlier this month a report released from the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) emphasized that with the increased number of Americans with chronic conditions, proper use of mediation is more important than ever.  Today, 27 percent of Americans are living with multiple chronic conditions, and 68 percent (21.4 million people) of Medicare beneficiaries are being treated for at least two concurrent chronic illnesses. Treating multiple chronic conditions accounts for 66 percent of the nation’s health expenditures.

Of the $300 billion Medicare spent in 2010 on health care, the price tag for treating the 14 percent of beneficiaries with six or more conditions was over $140 billion.  For these patients, poor medication adherence is commonplace and they are at higher risk for medication-related problems and the costly emergency room visits and hospitalizations that can result. The new report, Accelerating Progress in Prescription Medicine Adherence: The Adherence Action Agenda, which was based on input from 23 organizations, including NCL – underscores that as morbidity, mortality and health care costs rise action needs to be taken quickly to improve adherence among Americans living with multiple diseases.  The report outlines a 10-point action agenda that advocates for an increased focus on multiple chronic conditions and policy and programmatic solutions for improving adherence.

For practical tips on taking medications as directed, especially if you have a chronic condition, see NCL’s Script Your Future website.   In addition to being careful about taking our medications, Americans also need to continue to be mindful about where they purchase medications, especially if buying online. Buying medicines from fraudulent Web sites – which often look legitimate – puts your health at risk because the products may contain the wrong ingredients, too little or too much of the active ingredient, or they might be made with other harmful substances. As a result, consumers may not receive the therapy they need, or they may experience unexpected side effects and possibly get worse. The FDA campaign, BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy Web site has a new video featuring FDA’s Health Fraud Coordinator Gary Coody, who explains how to avoid fake online pharmacies. In addition to the “how to” video, the BeSafeRx Web site provides an interactive map for checking a pharmacy’s license through states’ boards of pharmacy, fact sheets, and other materials. For more information about counterfeit drugs, check out our information at Fraud.org.

Senate briefing: How congressional mandates are thwarted by our broken regulatory process – National Consumers League

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By Michell K. McIntyre, Outreach Director, Labor and Worker Rights From the safety of the food we eat to the air we breathe and the cars we drive—Congress has enacted landmark laws to tackle these threats to the public. Yet today, many of the rules required to execute these laws have been delayed and/or weakened as a result of a sluggish regulatory process.

Due to unnecessary delays, Congressional mandates and sensible safeguards are being held up, and the results can be catastrophic. While most people understand the basics of how a bill becomes a law, many don’t realize that federal laws that create new regulations must first clear the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) before going into effect. OIRA might be the most powerful federal agency consumers haven’t heard of. OIRA analyzes the costs and benefits of new rules passed by Congress and takes into consideration comments by the public and affected industries. Many significant rules have been trapped in OIRA purgatory. NCL and partnering organization will hold a Senate briefing tomorrow, October 25, to discuss our broken regulatory process. These common sense rules, passed by Congress, should not face years of unnecessary delays. Sign up for the event here.