Latest Consumers Union Stories

Consumers Union Ad Focuses on Need to Close Loophole as Senate Prepares to Vote on FDA User Fee Act WASHINGTON, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, is calling attention to a dangerous medical device loophole that puts patients at risk in a full-page print ad in Politico today. The ad is running as the Senate prepares to vote on a bill this week to reauthorize the statute governing medical device oversight....

Bill Includes Important Improvements Over Current Law But Lacks Critical Medical Device Patient Safety Provisions WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act today. While the legislation includes some improvements over current law, it leaves many significant flaws with the FDA's current medical device oversight system unaddressed, according to...

Medical Device User Fee Bills Face Key Votes in Congress Next Week WASHINGTON, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Key House and Senate Committees will vote next week on legislation to reauthorize the statute governing medical devices at a time when the law has come under increasing criticism for failing to ensure devices are safe and effective. While the Senate legislation is stronger than the House version, neither bill includes critical reforms needed to protect patients...

Mobile Payments Offer New Options For Making Purchases But Consumer Protections Haven't Kept Pace With New Technologies WASHINGTON, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Suzanne Martindale, staff attorney for Consumers Union, the advocacy and policy arm of Consumer Reports, will testify at a House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions hearing on March 22, about the growing mobile payment options in the U.S. and their impact on consumers. Martindale's testimony highlights some...

Industry Pressure Stymies Patient Protections In Draft House and Senate Medical Device Bills WASHINGTON, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new Consumer Reports poll shows overwhelming public support for strong medical device safety oversight. The poll was released just as House and Senate Committees have issued draft legislation to reauthorize the statute governing medical devices and at a time when the FDA's process for reviewing new implants has come under intense...

Study Finds Progress But Patients Need Greater Access To Their Electronic Medical Data & Stronger Privacy Protections SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Health care organizations need to do more to help patients realize the full benefits of electronic data from emerging health information exchange systems, according to a new study commissioned by Consumers Union that appears in the March 2012 Health Affairs. The study examines how well five major...

FDA Should Do More Rigorous Testing To Prove Medical Device Is Safe & Effective WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of patient, consumer, and public health groups urged the FDA today to require more rigorous testing before a medical device used for addressing complications from aneurysm treatments can be sold. The FDA recently announced that it granted approval for the new device after a small study of only 10 women and 144 men, under...

Congress Shouldn't Sacrifice Patient Safety In The Drive to Speed Up Medical Device Approvals, CU Says WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lisa Swirsky, senior health policy analyst for Consumers Union, will urge Congress today to strengthen medical device safety oversight in testimony before the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee. The subcommittee will hold a hearing on the reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee Act beginning at 10:15 AM in...

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ConsumerWatchdogWatch.com, a new website that exposes ConsumerWatchdog as a "pay to play" organization that generates millions of dollars for itself in fundraising schemes without revealing its special interest donors, was launched today. The website includes records of fines levied by the California Fair Political Practices Commission against the organization, a detailed accounting of the millions of dollars in funds it collects for...

Consumer Group Teams Up With Patient Safety Activists To Urge Congress to Strengthen Medical Device Oversight WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the debate in Congress over reauthorizing the statute governing medical devices intensifies, Consumers Union is stepping up its campaign to strengthen the law to better protect patients from potential safety risks. This week, Consumers Union's Safe Patient Project is bringing eight patient safety activists from around...