The approval of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease is controversial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the drug lecanemab (Leqembi) Thursday to treat adults with Alzheimer’s disease. In January, Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization, urged the agency not to approve the drug. Read more →

Either I missed the Public Citizen report on the toll private equity is taking on U.S. health care or I didn’t understand its significance. The report, released in March, says private equity takeovers have come with shocking lapses in safety, with prices rising faster than at non-private equity entities, while patients have been subjected to price gouging. Read more →

It’s not surprising what last year’s top consumer complaint was. I’ve seen it many times as No. 1 on annual consumer complaint lists. It’s auto sales and repair. “Consumers rely on cars to get to work, school, doctors’ appointments and more,” said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America. Read more →

No. What ended on Thursday was the covid health emergency on public health and safety measures in the United States. In addition, the World Health Organization recently ended the covid related global health emergency. The U.S. ended the covid health emergency because Republicans would no longer support funding for it. Read more →

I missed writing about Medicare Advantage plans during open enrollment from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 when you can join, switch, or drop a plan. I always know when it occurs: my mail box and email are flooded with ads and TV and social media, too. I also get phone calls about the plans. Read more →

Caregivers can’t be pursued over friends or family members’ debts from nursing home facilities. A report by the CFPB gives examples of how this illegal debt collection affects consumers: A daughter: The nursing home sent my name to the collection agency as if this was a debt accumulated by me. Read more →

Scammers are targeting Medicare recipients with fake offers to get “free covid tests.” They’re calling, using TV and online ads, and setting up websites to try to get people to give them their Medicare information. If scammers get the information, they'll bill fraudulent charges to Medicare. And, the consumers never get any free covid tests. Read more →

It seems like a miracle. The Democrats finally came together and passed major legislation to benefit American consumers. It’s called the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said the law will have a lasting impact on the planet and will help lower costs for Americans across our country. Read more →

Every year, consumer agencies and groups report on the top consumer complaints of the previous year. Often, auto complaints top the lists. That’s the result being reported by the Consumer Federation of America. Auto sales and repairs are the No. 1 category of complaints made to local and state consumer agencies in 2021. Read more →

It’s so frustrating. The covid-19 level is high now in the county where I live. Yet, most people aren’t wearing masks indoors. When governors and health officials dropped mandatory mask requirements, they said when covid levels rise to “High” in a county, masks should be worn indoors again. Read more →