Health care can be expensive, and sometimes Arizonans get a bill that's more than they can afford. Unpaid medical bills can reduce a person's credit score, but that may be changing.

The major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - have voluntarily agreed to new regulations to lessen the impact unpaid medical bills can have on a person's ability to borrow.

Patricia Kelmar, director of health-care campaigns for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, said it's unfair for consumers to have their credit score dinged over a debt they didn't ask for.

"We get sick, somebody hits us with their car, we're faced with a lot of bills - so, having the credit bureaus treat that kind of debt differently makes a lot of sense to us," she said. "We shouldn't be penalized for the fact that we got sick."

Kelmar said the bureaus announced in July they will no longer list medical debts marked as "paid" or health-care bills of less than $500 on a person's credit report. She added that the bureaus also promised that any new medical debt will not be listed until a year after it goes to collection.

Kelmar said health-care debt has become a billion-dollar problem for Americans, forcing thousands of otherwise creditworthy families into bankruptcy. Poor credit can affect a person's ability to get a loan or a mortgage, increase interest rates and even influence a potential employer's hiring decision. She said she believes medical debt distorts how lenders and others evaluate an individual.

"Medical debts, we believe, are not really indicative of a person's financial responsibility or making wise choices," she said. "These are expenses that are foisted on us, oftentimes through no fault of our own."

Kelmar said there's an easy and free way to check your credit and fight any medical debt that should not be listed.

"You're allowed to get a free annual credit report to see how your credit rating looks," she said. "And just scan that report, make sure there's no medical debt that you've already paid off on that report. And if there is, there's an easy way to dispute it and get it removed."

More information and tips for dealing with medical debt are online at ArizonaPIRGEdFund.org.

Air travelers could face fewer obstacles in securing a refund if their flight is canceled or changed under new federal rules announced Wednesday.

The moves are being praised by watchdog groups. The Department of Transportation said airlines are now required to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when they are owed one.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said some carriers have not adhered to standards, leaving passengers in a bind.

"They would drag their feet, and they would say, 'Well, you bought your ticket from a ticket agent, so we don't know where your money is. Or, here, have a voucher,'" Murray explained.

Amid higher complaint volumes, companies will be forced to act quickly. The new rules, which are being phased in, provide clearer definitions for travel disruptions, including delays of at least three hours on a domestic flight and six hours on international flights. A key industry group responded to the announcement by touting transparency efforts among carriers.

Murray acknowledged most people are not frequent flyers, and it is hard for them to keep up on all the least practices and policies among airlines.

"The average person only flies once every 18 months," Murray pointed out. "This will just bring transparency to that process and it kind of evens the playing field."

Murray added it could come in handy for Midwestern customers when a winter storm wreaks havoc on air travel. The new rules also require refunds for baggage fees when a piece of luggage is delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. And there must be upfront disclosure on fees for first and second checked bags and carry-on bags.


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Wisconsin lawmakers recently debated reforms for payday loans. Efforts to protect consumers come amid new research about financial pain associated with cash advances offered through smartphone apps. The Center for Responsible Lending is out with findings that detail how "earned wage advances" from digital platforms come with extra costs disguised as things like tips. Traditional payday lenders are often criticized for charging excessive interest rates on loans that are usually around $500.

Lucia Constantine, a researcher with the Center for Responsible Lending, said customers are usually seeking smaller amounts from the apps, but she warns they can be just as costly.

"They are trapping consumers in a cycle of borrowing that is similar to that of a payday loan, " she said.

The report said after using these financial products, customers are seeing overdrafts on their checking accounts increase by 56% on average. Industry leaders deny they're barraging consumers with hidden fees, stressing that features such as suggested tips are optional. More broadly, a bipartisan payday loan reform bill in the Wisconsin Legislature failed to advance this month.

Constantine said like longstanding payday lenders, these cash advance apps can be hard to regulate. Meanwhile, she urged those in a bind to explore other options.

"[They should] try talking to their friends and family as a first source. The other option which I would recommend is reaching out to their credit union or banking institution to see if they can get some sort of small-dollar loan," she said.

She noted places such as credit unions typically provide more transparency on loan costs. According to the report, three-quarters of consumers took out at least one advance on the same day or day after a re-payment was posted.


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Food prices remain high, in Montana and across the country.

A new report by the Federal Trade Commission says the country's largest grocery companies are gouging consumers, by keeping prices artificially high.

Many grocers, retailers and wholesalers have consolidated to cut costs. Grocers continue to blame supply chain problems, even though regulators have said most of those issues have been resolved.

President of the advocacy group Farm Action, Angela Huffman, said retailers were doing more than making up for lost revenue during the pandemic-era supply chain disruptions - and the FTC report says they continue to do so.

"In 2021, the retailer revenues, they rose to more than 6% higher than their total costs, and that those profits are still going up," said Huffman. "So, in the first nine months of 2023, the profits increased to 7%."

At nearly 6.5%, Montana had the nation's ninth-highest grocery price increase in 2023.

The FTC data show Amazon, Kroger and WalMart each gained market share during and after the pandemic - while profits continued to rise.

Other large retailers and wholesalers have consolidated, which they say gives them more buying power and the ability to pass those savings on to customers.

Huffman said that isn't what's happening, and calls on regulators to fine the grocers, or more.

"This would be kind of the farthest extent of what they could do, but go so far as breaking them up," said Huffman. "In years past, they broke up the telephone companies and the railroads and, you know, that would be the ideal outcome for us, is to take away their excessive power."

Huffman also points to a 150% increase in egg prices in 2023, which producers blamed on the avian flu. The FTC says the disease did not justify the drastic price hike.