Movieland settled with Washington in April 2007 under terms similar to the FTC settlement but specific to Washington consumers, agreeing to pay Washington $50,000 as consumer reimbursement and to prominently state all important contract terms, including the cost of the subscription service, in advertisements.
Consumers' reimbursements "will actually go up now because the reimbursements were artificially deflated," said Mr. Cuomo, whose office conducted an investigation into these practices.
Andrew M. Cuomo learned about the woman, Mary Reinbold Jerome, days later, soon after he was sworn in as the state's 64th attorney general, and he quickly saw that her predicament was part of a much larger problem: more than a dozen large health insurers were routinely using flawed data to shortchange consumers for reimbursements on out-of-network medical costs.
Finally, it is important to acknowledge that actual translation is much more complicated as different forces such as private investments in research and development, policy and legal frameworks, oversight and regulation, product marketing, coverage and reimbursements, consumer advocacy, provider awareness, and consumer access can accelerate or impede the translation process.
Achieving this level of trust will take work on all fronts: creating legislation that protects consumers, expanding reimbursement models that favor value, and building trusting relationships among healthcare providers and the companies entrusted with medical data.
And so, even while Groupon is around to provide reimbursements, consumer expectations are continually being disappointed.
Different forces can accelerate or impede the translation process, such as private investments in research and development, policy and legal frameworks, oversight and regulation, product marketing, coverage and reimbursements, consumer advocacy, provider awareness, access, and health services development and implementation [ 17, 18].
"Doctors and hospitals are getting higher reimbursements, and consumers are not inclined to play patsy for cost shifting".
Nor was UnitedHealth required to pay restitution to consumers, although the disputed reimbursements are the subject of class-action lawsuits around the country.
It is true that in many cases, consumers profit when they redeem the vouchers for a 'good deal.' Still, if they get to the merchant's door too late, the consumer must seek a reimbursement from Groupon -- in which case the consumer from the vantage point of hindsight has made an interest-free loan to a borrower who nevertheless paid an approximation of interest and brokerage fees -- but to Groupon.
A few other employers are also turning to "health reimbursement accounts" or "consumer driven" health plans, which shift some of the responsibility for managing costs to employees.
