Consumer Protection in the Supplement Law in MD
We are pleased to see Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition today; Dr. Paul Coates, Director, Division of Nutritional Supplements, National Institutes of Health; and Mr. Lee Peeler, Associate Director of the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Dr. Paul Coates, Director of the Dietetics Administration. Supplements, National Institutes of Health; and Mr. Lee Peeler, Deputy Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Consumer Protection. The story of the ephedra supplement clearly shows that it is very difficult for the Food and Drug Administration to protect consumers from unsafe dietary products, which is why Rep. Susan Davis, Rep. John Dingle introduced HR 3156, the Access Act and Awareness of food additives. Most food additives do not pose a health risk, but the Food and Drug Administration does not have enough authority to take quick action to protect consumers from unsafe foods.
Unfortunately, the 1994 law known as the Dietary Supplements, Health and Education Act [DSHEA] made it difficult for the FDA to take action and provide significant protections against unsafe foods. Under the Dietary Supplements, Health and Education Act (DSHEA), dietary supplement manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the products they sell and to ensure that any claims they make about their products are supported by sufficient evidence. While DSHEA requires manufacturers to label their products as supplements and include a full list of ingredients, manufacturers are not required to notify the FDA of any adverse event reports they may receive from consumers.
If you find that a dietary supplement is more or less than what the manufacturer claims, a Washington consumer attorney can advise you on your options for suing the supplement manufacturer. There, you’ll find contact information, educational information, and biographical information for consumer defense attorneys to complement your research. Where possible, their profiles will also include links to the personal biography of consumer advocates, the company’s website, and other relevant information for you.
Consumer protection laws in Maryland are designed to protect citizens in business transactions and protect them from financial harm. Maryland and California are aiming to join the list of states that not only regulate biometrics but also offer consumers the ability to sue accused companies for major legal damages and attorney fees.
Unlike BIPA, Maryland’s bill also appears to borrow from the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), including CCPA-style access and anti-discrimination rights, as well as giving consumers the right to request cancellation of your data. The California bill will also complement the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which includes biometric information in the definition of “sensitive personal information”, expanding restrictions on the use and disclosure of biometric information.
The No Contingency Act supplements state contingency billing laws; no contingency laws do not replace them. In general, state law generally applies as long as the state’s accidental billing laws provide at least the same level of consumer protection against accidental billing and increased cost-sharing as the No Accidents Act and its enforcement rules.
We acknowledge that the Department of Consumer Protection has consistently interpreted the Maryland Consumer Law to permit termination hearings and termination orders in the absence of consumer complaints. The Statute and the provisions promulgated therein provide for an adversarial procedure in which the Chamber appears as a party to hearings. The Division’s statutory powers include the power to receive and investigate consumer complaints, initiate its own investigation of any possible unfair or deceptive business practices, issue termination and termination orders, enact rules and regulations that further define unfair or deceptive business practices or otherwise achieve goals. Maryland Consumer Protection Act and seek temporary or permanent injunctive relief in civil enforcement proceedings.
The department investigated the consumer publishing company’s advertising practices, filed a complaint based on the findings, and held a hearing to determine whether the company violated consumer protection laws. On May 20, 1981, the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection filed a lawsuit against the Consumer Publishing Company, alleging that the advertisement for pills it sold in Maryland contained false and misleading statements that violated the Maryland Consumer Law. Disputes include consumer privacy, data protection, security, advertising or false promises, and hidden or undisclosed fee or rate increases. For example, federal law requires Medigap plans to be standardized to make it easier for consumers to compare benefits and incentives between plans.
States have the ability to introduce traditional health insurance consumer protections beyond minimum federal standards, such as expanding assurance issuance requirements beyond open enrollment periods or adding other qualifying events that require insurance companies to issue policies, as described later in this brief. Under certain qualifying circumstances, people 65 or older with traditional health insurance typically have 63 days to apply for additional Medigap policies under these guaranteed federal protections. Federal law provides limited consumer protections for adults age 65 or older who wish to purchase additional Medigap policies, including a one-time 6-month open enrollment period beginning when they first enroll in Medicare Part B. This document provides an overview of traditional Medigap enrollment and discusses consumer protections under federal and state regulations that may affect beneficiaries’ access to Medigap.