ALBANY, N.Y. -- AARP is among the groups urging Congress to pass a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription costs with drug companies, as part of the Build Back Better Act.

The average annual cost of prescription drugs increased 55% faster than the average income of New York residents between 2015 and 2019, according to AARP.

Americans pay on average three times as much for brand-name drugs compared to other countries.

Joe Stelling, associate director for advocacy at AARP New York, said it is time for change.

"There's no reason why Americans should pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world," Stelling asserted. "It's just wrong that many seniors are forced to choose between filling their prescriptions and paying rent, or buying groceries."

The Veterans Administration already negotiates prices with pharmaceutical companies. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the VA pays about half as much for brand-name drugs compared to the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Stelling estimates people with Medicare 'Part D' plans could collectively save $117 billion over 10 years with price negotiations.

Bill Ferris, legislative representative for AARP New York, said many of his group's members age 65 or older are on Social Security and have limited incomes. He pointed out the issue with high drug prices isn't new, and can have serious health impacts.

"One of the worst things that happens is when someone can't afford their prescription drug, and they delay filling their prescription, or they don't take their prescription," Ferris observed.

Ferris added the group is working to partner with the Medicare Savings Program, which might allow lower deductibles and cover more prescriptions.

According to an AARP "Price Watch" report, the average older American takes four prescription drugs, often the result of a chronic health condition.

BISMARCK, N.D. -- Over the coming weeks, North Dakotans will be clicking the "purchase" button as they order holiday gifts online, and fraud experts say scammers are finding ways to exploit consumers.

Amy Nofziger, director of fraud victim support for AARP, urged the public to avoid abrupt transactions done with little research, adding fake social-media ads are a big concern this year.

She said as people quickly scroll through online ads, they might not do enough vetting to make sure the company behind a post is real. She added supply chain issues could prompt people to bypass trusted companies through internet searches.

"And they're finding these websites that look legitimate, but they're not," Nofziger observed. "Take the name of the company, put it in a search engine, and do your research. "

When entering the unknown company's name, she suggested typing the words review, scam and complaints to see what pops up. Another common scam right now is getting a message disguised as a warning from well-known delivery companies, indicating something went wrong with a shipment to your address. Experts pointed out the messages often include harmful links.

Parrell Grossman, director of the consumer protection and antitrust division for the North Dakota Attorney General's Office, said they continue to field calls for a variety of scams, including online romance situations where someone loses their money to the person they connected with.

He worries people might be more vulnerable to those scenarios right now.

"When you're lonely at the holidays, it might be the time you decide to engage with someone over the internet," Grossman remarked. "And they can be very convincing, and they will have a myriad of reasons why they need money."

Nofziger emphasized you should never feel ashamed about falling victim to a scam, and taking immediate action is the best approach.

"These are good criminals that are targeting you to steal your money," Nofziger cautioned. "You should be mad, you should be empowered to report it."

CONCORD, N.H. -- With the holiday shopping season under way, experts are urging Granite Staters to watch out for scammers. A survey from AARP found many plans for holiday shopping this year may incur some risk.

Seth Boffeli, fraud prevention advisor for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, said there are steps folks can take to make sure they are shopping from reputable sources. He advised it is important to use trusted vendors and stores, and he added red flags may include having something in stock which is sold out everywhere else, or having a sale for more than 55% off.

"We can't really get rid of scammers, but what we can do is make sure that we're all practicing safe shopping practices during the holidays to keep ourselves protected," Boffeli explained.

The survey found 3 of 4 Americans have experienced some kind of fraud in the past, and nearly 40% received requests from charities that felt fake or fraudulent.

Sunny Mulligan Shea, victim advocate for elder abuse and exploitation for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, said it's important to keep your personal information close.

"Be leery, think twice, don't give out any personal information over the phone, or online, unless you have initiated the call, and you know exactly who you're giving this information to," Shea counseled.

She recommended watching out for fraudulent gift cards as well, and not buying them from third parties. And she pointed out credit cards can sometimes be safer from scams than debit cards, since they are not directly linked to your bank account.

Tom Donovan, director of charitable trusts for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, noted the holiday season is also a time when many people give to charity, and scammers sometimes take advantage. He emphasized it is key to make sure you know exactly where your donations are going.

"There are lookalike names that some scammers use that sound like or look like well-known charities," Donovan stressed. "Go to the website and make sure you've got the name of the charity correct. Do people report online that this particular charity is a scam or there are a lot of complaints about it?"

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Student-loan borrowers have had a reprieve from making payments during the pandemic, but that's set to end in 2022. Starting in February, the pause on federal student-loan payments will be lifted for the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Greg Harper, a financial capabilities counselor at Rural Dynamics, a Great-Falls-based financial nonprofit, has a plan of action for anyone with student debt.

"I recommend that they reach out to their loan servicer, online or by phone, to discuss options right away," he said. "Find out what payment that they will be responsible for and when will it be due. So, first of all, I don't want them caught off guard."

Nearly nine in 10 fully employed student-loan borrowers have said they don't feel financially secure enough to start paying off their loans again, according to the Student Debt Crisis Center. An estimated 100,000 Montana borrowers owe an average of about $30,000, both in federal and private loans.

Harper broke down how much of someone's budget should go toward student-loan debt.

"Debt service, minimum payments combined, should be no more than about 15% of your net spendable income," he said.

Harper added that each person's plan for tackling student loans should be based on their individual circumstances.

"That's the big question, right? It's not a black-and-white issue," he said. "So, it really is to cater to their specific situation, make the proper recommendations based on that."