Dr. Joseph P. Fuhr, “Why Biosimilars Will Have a Smaller Competitive Edge Than Generics,” presented at CBI’s Second Annual Summit on Biosimilars and Follow-on biologics, Baltimore, based on an article coauthored by Dr. Erwin A. Blackstone and published in the Journal of Health Care Finance, Winter 2008, pp. 84-95. Slides available.
Steve Pociask, “Why Solvency Matters,” Property [...]

Internet consumers continue to express high concerns about online threats such as viruses, spam, and identity theft, according to a survey by the American Consumer Institute (ACI), though the level of concern was somewhat lower than expressed in last year’s survey.
Topping the list, 63% of consumers saying they were “very concerned” with identity theft, followed [...]

The New York Times discusses our latest Consumer Calculator in its recent personal technology article.  The calculator allows consumers to rank computer printers based on their lifetime printing cost, and shows that ink costs far outweigh the cost of the printer itself.  However, printer manufacturers rarely disclose information on the cost of printing on either their [...]

Try this new consumer calculator!  It will estimate the cost of a new car, SUV, van or Truck, and it will estimate the fuel costs over a multi-year period.  Please et us know what you think and give us ideas for new calculators.

Today, the Washington Times reported on the District of Columbia Bar Association’s attempt to prevent AVVO’s online service from giving consumer’s better information on its members — DC lawyers.  The article quotes Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research.  Read the Times article here. 

In several ConsumerGrams, we reported that consumers were overpaying on computer printer ink by a total of $6 billion a year, because manufacturers were not disclosing their printer or cartridge costs per page.  Furthermore, we showed that, over the useful life of a printer, the actually cost of the printer may be a little as a tenth of the cost of [...]

We can all understand and appreciate the importance of conserving energy, saving gasoline and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  One suggestion has been to increase the use of hybrids.  However, in terms of cost-effectiveness, hybrids can cost a lot more than they save in gasoline.
We developed a “calculator” that looks at all major vehicles sold in the U.S. and found that [...]

Our last ConsumerGram analyzed the hidden telephone fees that consumers pay as a result of an outdated system of regulated payments between telephone companies. We concluded then that these payments represent subsidies that hurt consumers, are inefficient, and are not sustainable in the face of increasing competition. Moreover, the subsidy scheme works to discourage investment [...]