Hidden fees are a legitimate concern for consumers, especially for economically vulnerable Americans or senior citizens without much income, but not every state protects consumers from them. Sean Kennedy, the National Restaurant Association’s vice president for public affairs, said this is especially true for the restaurant industry. “The choice to charge an additional fee for PPE is an individual dental practice business decision,” Gehani said in an email. The department threatened to punish insurers that don’t inform providers that they cannot charge PPE fees or make sure that patients who were charged are refunded. Businesses that require physical contact and close interaction, such as hair salons, have also been reported for charging coronavirus fees.

Source: Washington Post February 05, 2021 13:06 UTC