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11

This summer, I dipped my toe into electric vehicle land: It was hit or miss

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October 9, 2023: This summer I bought a new used 2021 Prius Prime. I wanted to dip my toe into the world of electric vehicles and the Prime provided that opportunity. I call my purchase a “new used” because compared to my 2007 Prius, my Prime feels spanking new. I wanted a Prime because unlike a traditional Prius, it provides an electric charge for up to 25 miles; after the electric is used up, the car reverts to using fuel, albeit a very fuel efficient 62 mpg.

12

Unveiling the flaws in the 340B Drug Pricing Program: Hospitals, medical debt, and consumer struggles

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September 18, 2023: In 1992, Congress created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to help ensure vulnerable patients would be able to access medications they need but may not be able to afford. This program provides steeply discounted drugs to health care providers – mostly hospitals – serving low-income patients with the intent that the providers would pass those discounts along to patients. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening. The National Consumers League (NCL) is increasingly concerned about this program, especially as it relates to hospitals’ abusive and aggressive debt collection practices, and how those practices lead to consumer medical debt.

13

NCL mourns the passing of Rhoda Karpatkin

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August 11, 2023: The National Consumers League mourns the passing of consumer icon and President of Consumer Reports Rhoda Karpatkin. Rhoda, who died last week, served as President of Consumer Reports (CR) and Consumers Union (CU)—having served for 26 years from 1974 to 2000.

14

New insurance schemes to carve out specialty drugs deserve skepticism and scrutiny

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August 11, 2023: Employers seeking to cut healthcare costs should remember this simple rule of thumb: If an offer to save money seems too good to be true, it usually is. That seems to be the case with offers to try “Alternative Funding Programs” or AFPs.  This is a devious but growing cottage industry, which promises to cut employer costs for specialty medicines. 

15

National Consumers League Live Event Ticketing Principles

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August 4, 2023: NCL works on behalf of fans for all live events to ensure that consumers get the best possible experience, the best bargain for their hard earned dollars and don’t feel they’ve been ripped off with gotcha added costs, like mandatory “convenience fees” “processing fees” “venue fees” or the like when purchasing live event tickets.

16

What’s going on with student debt cancellation?

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July 31, 2023: A few weeks ago, the US Supreme Court ignored the facts of the case in front of them and wrongfully ruled that President Biden’s first attempt at cancelling student debt was illegal. While the Court was misguided and seemingly hellbent on making life worse for millions of Americans, debt cancellation is not dead.

17

From class action to mass arbitration: Exposing corporate evasion in modern commerce

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July 6, 2023: Several decades ago, clever lawyers for large corporations came up with a scheme to prevent their clients from being held accountable for wrongdoing. They did so by putting “forced arbitration clauses” in consumer and business contracts. The effect was to block consumers and others from getting access to the courts, and instead force them into arbitration, which is a private system for deciding legal cases that is controlled largely by the corporation itself.

20

What will happen to President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan?

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March 13, 2023: Last week, I attended the oral argument in the Supreme Court challenging student debt forgiveness initiative launched by the Biden Administration. The states of Missouri, Nebraska and four others, along with two students, are challenging Biden’s proposal to forgive student loan debt for 40 million Americans.