In March, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled unanimously that limits on jury awards in medical malpractice cases are unconstitutional. “The very existence of the caps, in any amount, is violative of the right to trial by jury,” wrote Chief Justice Carol...
More infoIRS Mulling Accountability Guidelines for Tax-Exempt Hospitals
August 9, 2010 When you think about health care, the US Internal Revenue Service might not spring to mind. But the IRS took an important step last month that could make health care more affordable for millions of Americans, including many right here in...
More infoReport: How does your hospital rank when it comes to uninsured and low-income patients?
Atlanta, Ga. – Many metro Atlanta hospitals aren’t doing enough to improve health care accessibility for the low-income and uninsured, according to a report released this week by Georgia Watch. In addition, only half of the 34 hospitals in the 21-county...
More infoReport: Few tax-exempt hospitals adequately inform needy patients of available financial assistance
(Atlanta, Ga. and Boston, Ma.) Many non-profit hospitals are not doing enough to let needy patients know about whether they qualify for hospital charity care programs and how to apply for assistance, according to a report released today by The Access...
More infoEditorial: A Win For Malpractice Victims
By Angela Speir Phelps and Danny Orrock There’s been a lot of chatter about the Supreme Court of Georgia’s decision to overturn caps on damages for victims of medical malpractice. It’s understandable this would generate interest, since it...
More infoTreat the poor or lose tax-exempt status, landmark case states
[This originally appeared in Healthy Debate Georgia, the blog of consumer advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future.] by Holly Lang In a March ruling that could hold implications for all nonprofit hospitals, the Illinois Supreme Court stripped...
More infoGeorgia Watch receives grant to examine access to health care, hospital community benefits throughout the state
Georgia Watch will expand its Hospital Accountability Project to help broaden accessibility to affordable, quality health care for uninsured, underinsured and low-income Georgians by addressing socioeconomic obstacles, hospital policies, community benefits...
More infoHospital Accountability Project: Northeast Georgia Medical Center
March 10, 2010 – Georgia Watch released a detailed financial analysis of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, a regional safety net hospital that serve low-income, uninsured, underinsured and other vulnerable populations in Gainesville and its...
More infoWe the people: Challenging Georgia’s malpractice caps
The following is a short film on Betty Nestlehutt. After receiving plastic surgery, Mrs. Nestlehutt, 72, was left with severe injuries to her face. Her ordeal and the botched procedure has caused Georgia’s arbitrary $350k cap on damages to come under...
More infoMedical bills can make you ill: Avoid phantom costs
Rana Cash Atlanta Journal-Constitution The intravenous dye cost the hospital $14. The patient’s bill for it? Try $600. “That’s more than a 4,000 percent markup. I think about that bill a lot,” said Holly Lang of Georgia Watch, a nonprofit consumer advocacy...
More infoMedical Center cutting services to poor
Heather Duncan The Macon Telegraph The Medical Center of Central Georgia is cutting hours, clinics and pharmacy offerings at its W.T. Anderson Health Center, which provides primary and specialty care to the poor…more.
More infoGeorgia Watch Report: The Cost of Care
Georgia Watch released a report detailing the plight of the uninsured and underinsured when seeking affordable health care in the state. Titled The Cost of Care in Georgia, the report examines overcharging of uninsured patients at nonprofit hospitals...
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