Georgia Health News, Andy Miller – November 1, 2016 Just 22 percent of Georgia hospitals received an “A” grade on patient safety in the latest ratings from the Leapfrog Group. That put Georgia in a tie for 36th place among states ranked on...
More infoA Victory for Georgia Consumers in Western Sky
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled in favor of Georgia consumers. In Western Sky Financial, LLC v. State of Georgia, three online payday lending companies, incorporated in different states, provided payday loans to Georgia residents. Georgia...
More infoGeorgia Watch Recognizes 2016 Consumer Champions
ATLANTA, October 17 – Last week, Georgia Watch presented its 2016 Consumer Champion Awards to advocates, regulators and legislators at a celebration at Turner Field. The award recipients were recognized for their work to protect and empower consumers...
More info“Major changes could be coming for prescription drugs”
October 12, 2016 By Kim Passoth, ATLANTA (CBS46) – “You could soon be paying more and getting less as major changes could be on the way for prescription drug coverage. Many health insurance companies are changing their policies, meaning drugs...
More infoGeorgia Watch comments on CFPB proposed payday lending rules
ATLANTA, GA – October 7, 2016 – Georgia Watch submitted formal comments on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) proposed rule on payday, vehicle title, and certain high cost installment loans. We are encouraged that this...
More info“Fines, firings in Wells Fargo turmoil”
By Ken Sweet, Associated Press NEW YORK – California and federal regulators fined Wells Fargo a combined $185 million on Thursday, alleging the bank’s employees illegally opened millions of unauthorized accounts for their customers in order to...
More info“Who needs and doesn’t need licenses to work in Georgia spurs questions”
By: Kristina Torres In Georgia, the professional landscaper reimagining your backyard may need three separate licenses to do the work you want, but not the woman who does your taxes. Several dozen professional occupations — such as auctioneers, used car...
More infoMaking Energy Efficiency Available for All
In 2016, Georgia Watch intervened in both the merger between Southern Company and AGL Resources and the Georgia Power Integrated Resource and Demand Side Management (DSM) Plan proceedings before the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). As an...
More infoCheck Your Doctor
Georgia Watch’s Health Access Director, joined Dale Cardwell on WGST AM 640 (Trustdale.com) to discuss how to use physician quality information to research physicians to help consumers choose the best doctor for them. Listen to the interview below...
More info“Louisiana rolls out Medicaid expansion; can it be a model for Georgia?”
By Tom Crawford On June 1, Louisiana became the first southern state bordering the Gulf of Mexico to launch a Medicaid expansion program funded through the Affordable Care Act. That happened because of the upset victory last fall of Democrat John Bel...
More info“Federal payday lending rule draws strong comments from both sides”
By Tom Crawford Consumer advocate organizations warned Thursday that a federal rule proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to put tighter limits on payday lenders could potentially harm states like Georgia that already have...
More infoCFPB Issues Proposed Lending Rule
June 2, 2016 – Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a proposed rule to address the cycle of debt caused by payday lenders and other high-cost, small dollar loans. These predatory lending practices are designed to maximize lender...
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