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☆ Opinion | Maximizing Profits at the Patients’ Expense
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Patients Hit With Big Bills While Insurers Reap Fees” (front page, April 7):Chris Hamby’s investigation uncovers the hard truth for patients who receive care from providers outside their insurance network. While most of us try to save out-of-pocket costs by using in-network health professionals and hospitals, it’s not always possible. Health price transparency is improving, but it’s outrageous that even two years after the No Surprises Act passed, everyone except the patient knows the price of a procedure or doctor’s visit in advance, leaving patients unpleasantly surprised. The writer is senior director of Health Care Campaigns for U.S. PIRG. To the Editor:This is just the latest example of the schemes deployed by insurers to maximize profits by cutting reimbursements to physicians and shifting medically necessary health care costs onto patients.

Persons: Chris Hamby’s, it’s, unpleasantly, Patricia Kelmar Alexandria Organizations: Bills, Health, U.S Locations: Va

☆ EPA designates two ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Environmental Protection Agency designated two widely used “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the United States’ Superfund law on Friday. This ruling will allow the EPA to investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, according to the official news release. Exposure to “forever chemicals” has been linked to cancers, heart and liver disease and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, according to the news release. There are more than 12,000 forms of PFAS chemicals in the environment. The designation comes just weeks after the EPA announced new limits for “forever chemicals” in drinking water in the United States.

Persons: Michael S, Regan, Dr, David Andrews, ”, Sanjay Gupta, ” Lisa Frank, Harris, CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, United, EPA, Environmental, CNN Health, PIRG, Fund, Environment America Research, Policy, Biden Locations: United States, U.S, Washington

☆ You're probably throwing out perfectly good food because 'sell by' and 'best before' dates mean nothing. Retailers like Amazon are backing a bill that could change that.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Retailers like Amazon support a bill that would require two labels: "best if used by" and "use by." Related storiesClearing up the confusion can avoid food waste, save people money, and help tackle the climate crisis. Reducing food waste is a way for companies to make progress on their sustainability goals, Melgar added. These advocates said the main question from Republican lawmakers is whether the food industry supports the bill. "Voluntary initiatives were a great first start in socializing this idea of consumer confusion over date labels," she said.

Persons: Tori Oto, Oto, Nestlé, Danielle Melgar, Melgar, Kroger Organizations: Service, Harvard Law School Food Law, Policy Clinic, Agriculture Department, Congress, Whole Foods, Kroger, Walmart Locations: Washington

☆ H&R Block used deceptive marketing and unfairly deleted tax filer data, FTC complaint alleges
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An H & R Block tax preparation office is seen on Flatbush Avenue on February 06, 2024 in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City. H&R Block marketed free products to many consumers who didn't qualify and made it difficult to downgrade, according to the complaint. "H&R Block allows consumers to downgrade to a less expensive DIY product via multiple mechanisms while ensuring the preparation of accurate tax returns." FTC banned 'deceptive advertising' from IntuitThis is the second FTC action against tax filing software providers in recent history. Other free tax filing optionsMeanwhile, consumers have several free tax filing options this season, including a Direct File pilot via the IRS, which will offer limited free filing for certain taxpayers in 12 states by mid-March.

Persons: Michael M, Samuel Levine, Dara Redler, Ed Mierzwinski, PIRG Organizations: Santiago, Getty, Intuit, Federal Trade Commission, Block, Consumer Protection, U.S . Public Interest Research, FTC, IRS Locations: Flatbush, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, FTC's

☆ TransUnion Failed to Quickly Place or Remove Freezes on Credit Reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Freezing your credit report has long been regarded as one of the best steps to take to make sure identity thieves cannot obtain loans or credit cards in your name. And consumer advocates continue to recommend freezes despite recent revelations that TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, botched “tens of thousands” of freeze requests over a period of years. “It’s still a good idea to freeze your credit,” said Mike Litt, director of the consumer campaign at PIRG, a network of public interest advocacy groups. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this month ordered TransUnion to pay $8 million for misleading consumers who believed they were protected by freezes but were not because the company’s computer systems were overwhelmed by requests and failed to activate them, according to an administrative settlement between the bureau and TransUnion and two subsidiaries. The total includes a $5 million penalty and $3 million to compensate customers.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Mike Litt, TransUnion Organizations: Consumer Financial Locations: PIRG

FILE PHOTO: An Apple logo is pictured outside an Apple store in Lille, France, September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) on Tuesday will announce plans to make parts, tools and documentation needed to fix its iPhones and computers available to independent repair shops and consumers nationwide, the White House said. In recent years, Apple executives have begun touting the longevity and resale value of its devices while making it easier to fix them and to access spare parts. Apple started distributing parts and manuals to some independent repair shops in 2019. While Apple has provided spare parts to repair shops since 2019, the California bill also requires it to supply diagnostic tools to those shops as well.

Persons: Stephanie Lecocq, Apple, Joe Biden, Lael Brainard, Brainard, Nathan Proctor, Proctor, Andrea Shalal, Stephen Nellis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Apple, REUTERS, Rights, National Economic, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Lille, France, U.S, California, Colorado , New York, Minnesota, San Francisco

☆ If a single farm produced all the food wasted in the US, it would be the size of California and New York combined. We're the culprits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The land used to produce food that's wasted in the US totals the size of California and New York. If all that food came from a single farm, it would be about the size of California and New York combined. Some states don't allow food to be donated after the quality date has passed — another source of unnecessary food waste, advocates say. Thinking about food waste at every mealMelgar is focused on policy goals like setting standards around food-date labels because changing consumer habits can be tough. "I'm thinking about food waste every time I have a meal, every time I go grocery shopping," Melgar said.

Persons: Danielle Melgar, aren't, Melgar, Danielle, It's, Dana Gunders, Emily Broad Leib, Broad Leib, there's, Gunders, —, it's, she'd, who's Organizations: Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Food Law, Clinic, Harvard Law School, US Department of Agriculture Locations: California, New York, Wall, Silicon, Michigan, San Francisco

☆ Canceled, delayed flights are likely over July 4 holiday weekend. What to know about your rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Over 2.8 million travelers are expected to pass through airport security checkpoints on Friday — a single-day record, according to the Transportation Security Administration. This comes as severe storms and staffing shortages have already derailed thousands of flights this week. Federal law doesn't require airlines to pay compensation to passengers for delays, Palmer said. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Airline Customer Service Dashboard outlines passenger rights for specific airlines. Even if a delay isn't their fault, many airlines will transfer your ticket to another airline's flight with available seats at no additional cost — if you ask, according to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

Persons: Andrew Bret Wallis, Pete Buttigieg, Kimberly Palmer, Palmer, Murray Organizations: DigitalVision, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, U.S, U.S . Department of Transportation's, PIRG

☆ What parents need to know about P2P payment apps as Venmo adds teen account
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Maskot | Maskot | Getty ImagesApps are 'convenient,' but woes can be 'difficult to fix'Peer-to-peer payment apps, also known as P2P apps, are widely in use throughout the U.S. Teresa Murray, a consumer watchdog at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, urges caution when using P2P apps. "There are real consequences if something goes wrong," she said. watch now"People use these P2P apps because they're convenient and they're easy," Murray said. Talk to your teens about moneyAs your teen learns about budgeting and payment apps, experts urge parents, it's important to discuss these topics with them at home.

Persons: Teresa Murray, PIRG, Murray, LendingTree, scammers, Desiree Kaul Organizations: Maskot, Getty, Consumer Reports, U.S . Public Interest Research, Consumer Financial, PayPal, CNBC Locations: U.S, Satellite Beach , Florida

☆ Death of Ownership: Companies Use Software, Subscriptions to Grab Money From Customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Nathan Proctor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

As more devices in our lives run on software, manufacturers have started to exert more control over their products even after the customer has taken them home. In some cases, companies force customers to use their repair services, disabling the product if they try to fix it themselves. Companies are just beginning to monetize this control, with dystopian methods and the assistance of America's unbalanced copyright laws. For companies, the appeal of subscriptions is pretty straightforward: a steady stream of revenue and a lot more money raised from their customers over time. In other cases, companies have tried to block consumers from accessing certain features at all unless they pay up first.

☆ Schools are beginning to throw out expired Chromebooks, creating 'piles of electronic waste,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US PIRG is suggesting Google extend software support for Chromebooks to make them last longer. Chromebooks, the budget laptops running Google software, are creating a lot of e-waste, according to a report from the US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) Education Fund. The report also points to how finding replacement parts for Chromebooks from different manufacturers, like HP, can make repairs more difficult. "Moving forward, these companies should design Chromebooks to last by improving device durability, repairability and sustainability," the US PIRG report says. Gutterman told Insider that, "we just can't afford to keep churning out technology at this rate, whether it's Chromebooks or laptops or phones."

☆ People Are Complaining About Air Travel Way More Than Usual
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Complaints about air travel have nearly quadrupled compared with prepandemic levels after waves of cancellations, delays and lost baggage disrupted the travel plans of millions of fliers. Travelers lodged 60,732 complaints from January 2022 to November, according to a new report by U.S. Pirg Education Fund, a public interest research group which examined U.S. Department of Transportation data. The complaints targeted U.S. and foreign airlines, third-party booking sites, travel agents and others.

☆ Deere gives farmers long-sought ability to repair their own tractors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) gives farmers access to the same Deere documentation, data and diagnostic tools used by the company’s authorized repair shops. In exchange, AFBF officials agreed not to push for state or federal legislation promoting users’ right to repair products they’ve leased or purchased. Farmers have said having to wait days or weeks for an official repair can undermine planting and harvesting schedules. Since 2000, US lawmakers have introduced more than a dozen bills dealing with the right to repair, focusing on automobiles, farm equipment and repairs of medical devices during the Covid-19 pandemic. With Sunday’s MOU, however, the tension between farmers and Deere has been resolved without the need for regulation or legislation, the agreement said.

☆ ‘Porch pirates’ stole an estimated 260 million packages in the last year. How to prevent theft on your doorstep
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Andresr | E+ | Getty ImagesYou may not be the only person eager for packages to arrive at your house. Over the last year, an estimated 260 million delivered packages were stolen, according to a report from SafeWise, an online guide to security and safety products. The total annual lost to this type of theft is an estimated $19.5 billion, according to SafeWise. "The other aspect of this crime that makes it unique and likely to continue increasing is that there's very low risk and very low skill involved," Stickle said. If possible, you should sign up to receive an email or text message when your package is supposed to arrive and when it's actually delivered, Murray said.

☆ Parents beware: Dangerous, recalled toys are still on sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The 37th annual “Trouble in Toyland” toy safety report by Washington-based US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) warned parents to be especially mindful of this hidden danger. PIRG said that in October it was able to buy more than 30 recalled toys from several US-based online sellers, noting that it is illegal for retailers and online marketplaces to sell toys that have been recalled. “None of the other sellers flagged, stopped or sent a warning about any of our other purchases of recalled toys,” the report said. Consumer watchdog group US PIRG warns that dangerous recalled toys are still available for purchase online. The recall covered a variety of the plush duck characters, including Accident Duck, Business Duck, Fishing Duck, Police Duck, PGA Duck, One Day Pay Duck, Heisman Duck and Lifeguard Duck.

☆ What to do if your flight is canceled or delayed
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-28 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

So many things can cause a flight to be delayed or canceled. Here’s some general advice for navigating a very complicated and frustrating system when flights are delayed or canceled. You can also put your airline and flight number directly into a Google search bar to retrieve the status that way. What you might get depends on the airline itself and the specific circumstances on why a flight was canceled. Google your credit card plus travel protections to see what specific offerings your card carries.”If your flight is delayed instead of outright canceled, you might want to weigh whether to wait at the airport.

Persons: ”, Scott Keyes, ” Keyes, That’s, Keyes, Mike Segar, you’ve, “ It’s, It’s, Anna Moneymaker, They’ve, “, Jeff Klee, ” Lousson Smith, ” Smith, Rebecca Blackwell, you’re, They’re, Guy, it’s, ” Tomasz Pawliszyn, ” Pawliszyn Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Delta Airlines, LaGuardia Airport, American Airlines, “, Twitter, Dulles International, Cooperation, Miami International Airport, US Department of Transportation, Delta Air Lines, “ Airlines Locations: Queens, New York City, Dulles , Virginia, Delta

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