Consumer World Original

Mouse Print*-- Supermarkets Drop Prices, But Remember When Groceries Were Really Cheap?

Last week, Stop & Shop dropped prices on thousands of groceries in the Northeast. And Albertsons did the same a few weeks earlier. Despite these moves, we are still paying so much more than decades ago. We show you some vintage grocery store ads and their low prices will floor you. That story is in Mouse Print* this week.

How Prices Are Changing (And Not for the Better)

Fasten your seatbelt and hold onto your wallet because we are in for a bumpy economic ride. Here, from the Chicago Tribune, is a digest of how prices have changed over the past six months of the new administration. Beef has hit a record high. Products containing metal (think canned goods too) are subject to a new 50% tariff, as is coffee from Brazil.

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Medicare Advantage Plans Ranked

J.D. Power questioned over 10,000 seniors with Medicare Advantage plans. These are all-in-one health insurance plans run by private insurance companies instead of having to get two plans - one from Medicare and a supplement plan from an insurance company. The study shows that policy changes related to out-of-pocket costs, deductible, and pre-auhtorization requirements have contributed to increased confusion, lower member satisfaction and a widespread lack of trust among Medicare Advantage plan members. Because Advantage plans tend to be local in nature, the ratings are for companies in 10 individual states. Blue Cross plans tend to rank in first or second place. See the full results.

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Consumer Alert

The Incredible Shrinking Hotel Room

[Ignore ad at beginning.] The Wall Street Journal shows you how hotels are cleverly shrinking rooms to increase profits. Even the mini-bar is disappearing which seems counter-intuitive.

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