rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/tell-equifax-stop-price-gouging-medicaid-immediately?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-tell-equifax-stop-price-gouging-medicaid-immediately' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> More Perfect Union https://actionnetwork.org/groups/more-perfect-union https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg When Republicans cut critical funding for Medicaid to pay for their huge tax breaks for billionaires last year, they set up a new system of work requirements that relies on data supplied by Equifax. Access to that data isn’t free. Many states use Work Number, an Equifax product with a database covering at least 99 million workers, to instantly verify a Medicaid applicants’ wages and work hours. The problem is Work Number has exclusive contracts with payroll contractors and employers allowing Equifax to monopolize the market. The New York Times found that Equifax uses their market share to raise prices “steeply and frequently” without any noticeable difference or improvements to the product. At rates as high as $15 for each data match, governments already fork out at least $5 billion paid for by taxpayers and that’s before the new Medicaid work requirements actually kick in. Equifax sees the opportunity and is ready to squeeze states for millions more thanks to the new red-tape requirements for Medicaid. And CEO Mark Begor knows it. That’s why he told the investors two and a half weeks after President Trump signed the law, “we’re pretty bullish around government going forward.” In an October earnings call, he described the law’s changes to Medicaid as “a big positive” for the company. Now Senators Bernie Sander, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden are demanding answers from Begor over these price hikes and warning Equifax against surging prices in response to the new law. Equifax is counting on the behind the scenes nature of its work to get away with it. That’s why the publicity exposing their plans matched by direct public pressure from the public can make a difference right now. This is a critical chance to force public accountability. Click ‘START WRITING’ to sign and send your own message directly to the CEO of Equifax demanding Equifax stop price-gouging states now.   https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-equifax-stop-price-gouging-medicaid-immediately