| Giving patients a voice in health insurance decisions
From
stopping unnecessary medical procedures to getting critical surgeries covered,
Cooper’s Managed Care Patients Assistance Program helps patients navigate their
health insurance benefits every day. Thousands of callers with hundreds of
questions are getting help.
This
work affected thousands of people, and consumers would have spent more than $1.5
million last year without the help. Other assistance helped individuals, such
as patients who faced critical surgeries and needed quick advice on how to cut
through red tape.
Fighting Identity Theft
Roy
Cooper launched a statewide education initiative to help people and businesses
stop identity theft. He is warning consumers to protect their personal
financial information and to check regularly to make sure they haven’t been
ripped off.
Cooper
provided new ways for law enforcement to detect ID theft and pushed for
businesses and government do a better job of protecting people’s private
information.
He
also successfully pushed legislators to toughen penalties and to prevent
businesses from printing consumers’ credit card numbers on receipts, reducing
their vulnerability to identity theft. He has been recognized by the Federal Trade
Commission as a national leader in fighting this crime.
Stopping unwanted telemarketing calls
The
highly successful Do Not Call law, which Cooper pushed through the General
Assembly, has slowed telemarketing calls and given consumers the chance for peace
and quiet at home. More than 4 million North
Carolina phone numbers are on the Do Not Call
Registry.
Cooper
and his consumer protection team are taking telemarketers who break the law to
court, making them pay for violations and ordering them to stop harassing
consumers who don’t want to be bothered.
Winning refunds for consumers
After investigating unfair lending practices by
Household and Beneficial Finance, the Attorney General distributed $11
million in refunds to homeowners in the nation’s largest such
settlement. Another $7.9 million went to community health programs
after a settlement with leading vitamin manufacturers accused of unfair
pricing practices.
North Carolina’s largest single settlement
for predatory lending against the Associates resulted in $20 million in
refunds for mortgage holders. The industry had tried to rob
unsuspecting homeowners of equity with inflated fees and hidden balloon
payments. In the end, they refunded consumers and agreed to stop the
illegal loans. Overall, Cooper has recovered more than $60 million in
restitution for North Carolina consumers.
Taking North Carolina’s law against unfair lending to the nation
After
investigating unfair lending practices by Household and Beneficial Finance, the
Attorney General distributed $11 million in refunds to homeowners in the
nation’s largest such settlement. Another $7.9 million went to community health
programs after a settlement with leading vitamin manufacturers accused of
unfair pricing practices.
North Carolina’s largest single
settlement for predatory lending against the Associates resulted in $20 million
in refunds for homeowners. The industry had tried to rob unsuspecting
homeowners of equity with inflated fees and hidden balloon payments. In the
end, they refunded consumers and agreed to stop the illegal loans. Overall,
Cooper has recovered more than $80 million in restitution for North
Carolina consumers.
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