New Search

If you are not happy with the results below please do another search

213 search results for:

11

The return of Striketober and why consumers should care

/in , , , ,

October 10, 2023: The National Consumers League has a long history of fighting for both consumers and workers alike. Founded 124 years ago, NCL’s first major policy accomplishments included the establishment of minimum wage laws and protections around child labor. In support of these goals, much of the League’s early years were centered around consumer boycotts of companies that treated their employees unfairly. Today, NCL’s support of workers’ rights remains just as critical as we find ourselves in another October with truly historic labor action.

12

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

/in ,

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.

13

Guest Blog: Standardizing portions could help stem the obesity epidemic

/in , , , , , , , ,

October 2, 2023: The past few decades have seen dramatic changes in the food environment and food behaviors, all resulting in the epidemics of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases.  About 72% of American adults are overweight or obese and more than half have diet-related chronic diseases. Our research shows that the food environment actually encourages people to eat impulsively and markets twice as much food as people need to maintain a healthy weight.

14

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

/in , , , ,

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.

15

NCL mourns the passing of Rhoda Karpatkin

/in

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.

16

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

/in , ,

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. 

18

National Consumers League Live Event Ticketing Principles

/in , , , , ,

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.

19

What’s going on with student debt cancellation?

/in , , , , , ,

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.

20

Safety in question: The alarming disparities between cannabis product health claims and research, and the magnified risks for women

/in , , , , , , , ,

July 27, 2023: When I started my National Consumers League (NCL) internship in May 2023, I quickly dove into NCL’s health policy work. NCL is leading on several efforts to protect consumers –one area of focus that stood out to me is their work in the cannabis policy space. NCL is a founding member of Cannabis Consumer Watch (CCW), which educates consumers on cannabinoids, their effects, the risks related to the unregulated marketplace, and the ways policymakers and regulators can help protect consumers.