Pictures of large medical bills are sometimes shared on social media to show how patients can be blindsided by unexpected costs for care, but as the new year begins, consumers will be offered federal protections to avoid health-care sticker shock.
On Saturday, the No Surprises Act takes effect. Supporters said it will block out-of-network providers from sending large bills to patients who did not choose who cared for them in an emergency situation.
Patricia Kelmar, health care campaigns director for the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), said getting statements in the mail can be very hard for the many Americans who don’t have much in the savings accounts to cover the expenses.
“And when you think about the average out-of-network bill for anesthesia is $1,200, these costs can create a real burden on consumers and can lead to medical debt,” Kelmar explained.
She noted under the law, your bill cannot be sent to collections while you have a complaint under review. Groups such as the American Medical Association have sued the federal government, saying while they back the law, they oppose the arbitration process drawn by regulators. And the North Dakota Health Information Management Association worries it could force smaller providers out of business.
The statewide group said consumer protections are needed, but argued the process caters to larger providers who have more patient volume.
Kelmar contends the law is trying to establish reasonable fees based on average contracted rates in a community.
“We’re seeing higher-than-average, higher-than-market prices from many specialties that use surprise billing as a way to increase their profits,” Kelmar contended.
She added more emergency rooms are being staffed by private-equity firms using contracted specialists.
Groups such as PIRG pointed out while the law will make a difference, they have suggested changes of their own. Kelmar noted the measure addresses air-ambulance service from-out-of-pocket providers, but leaves out ground transport.
“Your ground transportation, the ambulance that we think of when we call 911, those bills from an out-of-network ambulance could still be your financial responsibility,” Kelmar cautioned.
According to federal estimates, the law will impact roughly 10 million surprise medical bills each year. Nearly 30 states have similar protections in place, but policy experts say they’re often limited in scope. North Dakota is among the states without these protections.
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Arizona Public Service (APS) power customers could significantly lower their electric bills this winter, if they get the timing right.
A ruling earlier this year by the Arizona Corporation Commission obliges APS to, under some plans, charge lower rates during the middle of the day, when power demand is the least.
Customers can save by running heavy-use appliances like washing machines, vacuum cleaners and pool pumps during the “Super Off-Peak” rates ordered by regulators.
Abhay Padgaonkar, a self-described “citizen activist” and management consultant at Innovative Solutions, monitors consumer issues at the Corporation Commission.
“Depending on the rate plan, you could save anywhere from 38% to as much as 70% by shifting your usage to between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m,” Padgaonkar pointed out. “But that’s only in the six winter-month billing cycle, from November to April.”
He said about two-thirds of APS’s 2.7 million Arizona customers are on the plan with the lower rates. It’s part of a commission decree in November reducing the company’s 2022 revenues by $120 million dollars. APS said it plans an appeal.
Padgaonkar noted APS has done little to inform customers about the rate plan, and he believes the commission should have also required a public information campaign. Another part of the ruling forced APS to rework its customer guide for choosing a rate plan. Regulators said the old guide was confusing and at times, inaccurate.
“If it was ‘R3,’ that doesn’t tell you anything,” Padgaonkar asserted. “But now, the commission has forced them to make them very descriptive. It’ll say, ‘Weekdays, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.’ So, if you have 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., that means you’re on a ‘Time-of-Use’ plan.”
Padgaonkar added another change coming to the rate structure will to move the power “window” later next year, to 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., to make it more convenient for customers who work during the day.
“If you’re on a Time-of-Use plan, [for] six months of winter, the rate is only 3.2 cents,” Padgaonkar concluded. “It doesn’t get any cheaper than that, a 38% to 70% discount.”
For more information on how to use the Super Off-Peak rates, there is a revised consumer guide to choosing the proper APS rate plan, and a guide to power-use specifications for household appliances.
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Christmas with the kids would not be complete without the occasional meltdown, but it turns out the most demanding kids are often those who spend a lot of time watching “unboxing” videos, also known as online product reviews.
Harsha Ganga, associate professor of advertising at the University of Colorado, said videos showing children unpacking shiny new toys are some of the most popular. Nearly 80% of kids ages four to 10 watch them regularly. He cautioned if yours is one of them, know there might be a correlation to unwelcome behavior.
“The more likely they are to demand those toys, and if parents say ‘no,’ they’re more likely to get upset, and show displeasure and emotional distress,” Ganga explained.
Recent estimates showed most American children spend about three hours a day watching television, but screen time also skyrocketed during the pandemic. Combined with computer time, video games or smartphones, it can total five to seven hours a day.
Ganga noted unboxing videos typically show products in a favorable light and can have the same effect as advertising. He advised it is important for parents to explain television content to children, pointing out commercials are designed to encourage consumerism.
“If we’re teaching the really young children that toys and buying things is the way to be happy, that’s something we have to, as parents, also question, right?” Ganga emphasized. “We want to set good examples.”
He added global spending on advertising to children worldwide has increased from $3.5 billion in 2012, to nearly $4.5 billion in 2019.
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Attention last-minute shoppers: stay vigilant as you complete your gift-buying. Scammers are lurking.
Rebecca Barr – public relations and communications manager for the Better Business Bureau in Great West and Pacific – said three factors are making people especially vulnerable this year.
She said a labor shortage and supply chain issues are making it harder to find certain items, and more people are shopping from home.
“They’re shopping online, kind of in a time crunch,” said Barr. “They’re stressed, they’re trying to find that perfect gift, and it leads them astray and down a path of maybe the website they’re purchasing on is not legitimate.”
Barr said scams are prevalent throughout the year but reports skyrocket during the holiday season.
The Better Business Bureau has its Scam Tracker where people can follow fraud reports in their region and submit scams they come across.
Barr said people should be careful about the websites they shop from and do more research when they haven’t heard of the retailer.
“Running even just a Google search on that company’s name, just kind of learn about that company more,” said Barr. “And read online customer reviews, especially from a third-party website. And that will help you learn what other customers have experienced with that company.”
Barr said scam websites could be offering items not available elsewhere because of supply shortages. She said trust your instincts when something looks wrong.
“Have your red flags out,” said Barr. “If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Really trust your gut.”
Because so many people are delivering packages this time of year, Barr said be wary of emails or texts that say they are from a delivery company and contain a link or a request to call and offer personal information.
She said scammers are looking to take advantage of the busy holiday season.
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https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2021-12-30/consumer/landmark-medical-consumer-protection-law-takes-effect-in-2022/a77207-1
