A bill introduced on Tuesday, HR 5266, co-sponsored by Georgia Representative David Scott (D – GA 13th District), would restructure the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from an agency led by a single director to one headed by a five-member...
More infoVolunteering with Georgia Watch Reshaped My Perspective
By Daniel Thomas, Volunteer When I started volunteering with Georgia Watch in February 2017 helping with distribution of the Georgia Consumer Guide for Medical Bills and Debt, I could not have imagined the effect the experience would have on my personal...
More infoCelebrating 15 Years
Georgia Watch has worked tirelessly for 15 years to empower and protect consumers in areas that affect their quality of life. [video_lightbox_youtube video_id=”Fzr1XENrle8″ width=”640″ height=”480″ anchor=”Watch...
More infoCourt to Hear Wells Fargo’s Bid to Block Georgians From Overdraft Fee Class Action
New CFPB rule would ban clauses that keep these cases out of court unless Congress vetoes it ATLANTA- On Thursday, a federal appeals court in Atlanta will hear arguments in Wells Fargo’s ongoing quest to stop consumers in 49 states, including...
More infoBlue Cross Blue Shield will stop reimbursing some ER visits on July 1st
Starting July 1, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is implementing a new policy that may result in unpaid bills for patients on the individual market who go to hospital emergency rooms for non-emergencies. Anthem, the parent company of Blue Cross in...
More infoAuto Insurance Premiums Tied to Race and Zip Code
ATLANTA, GA –June 15, 2017 – Recently, the Consumer Federation of America reported on analysis of federal consumer expenditure data showing that African Americans and Latino or Hispanic households pay a disproportionately higher rate of premium for their...
More infoGeorgia Watch Comments on New CMS Informed Consent Rules
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new regulations related to the informed consent documents patients receive prior to elective procedures in hospitals. These documents are critical to effectively engaging patients in...
More infoThe resistance is alive and well in Macon
By Regina Willis – Better Georgia In the doorway of the church, the line to get in kept slowing down as friends greeted each other with hugs and laughter, chatting and catching up. There was no rushing these greetings; folks, after all, had come to...
More info“Hundreds of thousands could lose insurance in Georgia under GOP plan”
By Misty Williams – The Atlanta Journal-Consitution Published online: March 15, 2017, In print: March 16, 2017 An estimated 750,000 Georgians — many of them poor and older — could lose their health insurance under the GOP’s Obamacare replacement...
More info“Georgia lawmakers to tackle ‘surprise’ medical billing to patients”
Written by: Andy Miller, Georgia Health News Published: January 26, 2017 When his 5-year-old son suffered a burn injury, Michael Caraway took him to a local hospital emergency room. The hospital was in Caraway’s insurance network. His son got successful...
More infoSUPREME COURT OF GEORGIA TO HEAR HOSPITAL OPEN RECORDS ACT CASE
ATLANTA, GA – December 14, 2016 – On Thursday of last week, the Supreme Court of Georgia decided to hear oral arguments in Smith v. Northside Hospital in April 2017. At issue in the case is whether certain documents related to Northside’s...
More infoGeorgia Watch and the Office of the Attorney General team up to protect military Servicemembers from financial harm
ATLANTA, November 10 – In advance of Veteran’s Day, Georgia Watch officially released the Georgia Military Consumer Protection Guide. In partnership with the Attorney General’s Office, Georgia Watch developed this comprehensive guide for military...
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