News

2023

September

21

• Federal government to provide free coronavirus tests again. Starting Sept. 25, people can request four free tests per household through covidtests.gov. Officials say the tests are able to detect the latest variants and are intended to be used through the end of the

07

• If you’ve got a new car, it’s a data privacy nightmare. If your vehicle was made in the last few years, you’re probably driving around in a data-harvesting machine that may collect personal information as sensitive as your race, weight, and sexual activity. Volkswagen

03

• Home insurers cut natural disasters from policies as climate risks grow. Major insurers say they will cut out damage caused by hurricanes, wind and hail from policies underwriting property along coastlines and in wildfire country, according to a voluntary survey conducted by the National Association of

August

29

• Here are the first 10 drugs Medicare will target for price cuts. The Biden administration released its list of the first 10 drugs that Medicare will target for reductions the government plans to achieve by negotiating the prices with drugmakers. The list includes: blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto

May

04

• What the end of the Covid health emergency means for you. After May 11, older Americans with traditional Medicare will no longer be able to get free, at-home tests. People with private insurance or Medicare Advantage (private Medicare managed-care plans) will no longer be guaranteed free at-home

March

25

• How Cigna saves millions when its doctors reject claims without reading them. Cigna medical directors do not see any patient records or put their medical judgment to use, said former company employees familiar with the system. Instead, a computer does the work. A Cigna algorithm flags mismatches

15

• Here’s what deposit insurance covers. If you are unsure whether your money is federally insured, use the FDIC’s tool, the Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator. It helps consumers figure out on a per-bank basis how much of their money,

13

• Insurers slashed Hurricane Ian payouts insiders reveal. After years of more frequent and intense storms, national insurance carriers have pulled back from the market and smaller, regional carriers with smaller financial reserves jumped in. In the wake of Hurricane Ian, those companies

February

21

• Why the South has such low credit scores. Almost every corner of America’s most populous region — every race, every income bracket — appears to have low credit scores. The reason why credit scores are so low in the South has

• FTC charges GoodRx with illegally disclosing customer health information. Federal regulators have accused the California-based discount drug and telehealth provider with violating federal law by “failing to notify consumers” about its “unauthorized disclosure” of their health information to Facebook, Google,

2022

December

29

• Big e-vehicle tax credit possible early next year. People who want to buy an electric vehicle could get a bigger-than-expected tax credit come Jan. 1 because of a delay by the Treasury Department in drawing up rules for the tax breaks. As a result,

19

• How Medicare Advantage plans overcharged taxpayers by millions. Medicare reimburses Medicare Advantage plans using a complex formula called a risk score that computes higher rates for sicker patients and lower ones for healthier people. When auditors came calling, the previously hidden Center for

October

17

• You can now buy hearing aids over the counter. For the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy over-the-counter hearing aids.  The White House said that hearing aids are available or coming soon

August

30

• Inside the rise of 'stealerships' and shady car buying. Ten people could go into a dealership and each pay a wildly different amount to buy the same exact vehicle. With supply-chain problems creating shortages recently, many dealerships have been charging much more than

July

27

• How to appeal health insurance claim denials (Summer 2022). Consumers almost never appeal when their health insurance claims are denied. Yet, about 40% of ACA Marketplace claims were overturned on appeal. Consumer Action looks at the key reasons for denial and how to fight for the coverage you deserve.

• How to appeal health insurance claim denials (Summer 2022). Consumers almost never appeal when their health insurance claims are denied. Yet, about 40% of ACA Marketplace claims were overturned on appeal. Consumer Action looks at the key reasons for denial and how to fight for the coverage you deserve.

• How to appeal health insurance claim denials (Summer 2022). Consumers almost never appeal when their health insurance claims are denied. Yet, about 40% of ACA Marketplace claims were overturned on appeal. Consumer Action looks at the key reasons for denial and how to fight for the coverage you deserve.

07

• Medicare could save $3 billion buying drugs the Mark Cuban way. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company promises lower drug prices and complete transparency about how those prices are set.  Cuban’s new company purchases hundreds of generic drugs from manufacturers and sells

• To get banned abortion pills, patients turn to legally risky tactics. The nonprofit abortion advocacy website Plan C, tested whether commercial mail-forwarding services could serve as a link in a surreptitious supply chain from abortion-friendly states to states where abortion pills are banned. Tthe Plan C

05

• Insurers and employers have to reveal health care prices. Insurers and some employers are now required to publicly disclose what they pay hospitals, doctors and other medical providers — an unprecedented look at data that has long been kept secret. While experts create tools