Gouging

South Carolina Activates Price Gouging Law in Response to Wildfire State of Emergency

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Augusta, Ga. – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has activated the state’s price gouging statutes following Governor Henry McMaster’s declaration of a state of emergency in response to widespread wildfires. This law enforcement action aims to protect consumers from excessively high prices for essential goods and services during the ongoing crisis. The triggering of the price gouging law is a direct consequence of the state of emergency and is intended to prevent businesses from exploiting the disaster by inflating prices on commodities such as food, water, gas, and hotel accommodations. South Carolinians who suspect … Read more

Aetna Sues Radiology Firm Over Alleged Price Gouging and Abuse of Federal Arbitration Process

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Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health, is taking legal action against Radiology Partners, one of the largest radiology practice networks in the U.S., over allegations of inflating prices and manipulating a new federal billing arbitration process. The conflict underscores deep-rooted issues in the U.S. health care system’s billing practices, exaggerated by the recent implementation of the No Surprises Act. The No Surprises Act, introduced in 2022, aimed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills by streamlining the settlement of charges for out-of-network services. However, the reality has unveiled a contentious arena where health providers and … Read more

North Carolina Implements Price Gouging Law as Winter Storm Looms

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Wilmington, North Carolina – In response to Governor Roy Cooper’s state of emergency declaration, Attorney General Josh Stein has implemented North Carolina’s price gouging law. This law aims to prevent businesses from unfairly raising the prices of goods or services during times of crisis. The governor declared the state of emergency in anticipation of severe weather conditions, including heavy rainfall, flash flooding, high winds, and tornado warnings. These conditions pose a risk of power outages due to downed power lines and fallen trees. Under the price gouging law, businesses are allowed to increase prices to … Read more