By T.A. DeFeo, The Center Square — Roughly four in 10 Georgia hospitals earned a grade of C, according to a new analysis from an independent national watchdog. Of the 83 hospitals The Leapfrog Group graded, it gave 21 hospitals (25.3%) an A, 23...
More infoPatients angry over Atlanta Medical Center closing
By Crystal Bui, CBS46 — Health care isn’t cheap in the United States. And for many who couldn’t afford it, Atlanta Medical Center, which was part of the non-profit group Wellstar Health System, was able to help. But now with AMC shutting its doors, many...
More infoCovid-19 booster shot will no longer be covered by the federal government
By Crystal Bui and Jamarlo Phillips, CBS 46 — Throughout the pandemic, Americans have been able to get the covid-19 vaccines, treatments, and the tests without having to pay with their own money. But that’s about to change. The Biden administration is...
More infoReflecting on the Community Benefit and Economic Stability (CBES) Project
By Sarah C. Phillips, Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Georgia Watch – Since 2021, Georgia Watch, Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF), and SOWEGA Rising have worked to protect consumers in Southwest Georgia from unaffordable medical bills and debt...
More infoConsumers who owe medical bills will receive help as of July in terms of their credit report
By JoAnn Merrigan, WSAV — Up to 19% of people in Georgia have a medical bill that’s in collections. “And it’s even higher among people of color, up to 21%,” says Liz Coyle from Georgia Watch.“Sometimes those debts remain on consumers’ credit reports for...
More infoFamily shocked after receiving medical bill that cost more than double what they expected
By Rebecca Lindstrom, 11Alive (WATCH NOW) – ATLANTA — Healthcare costs keep rising and sometimes it’s hard to understand what’s behind it. There’s been stories of patients being charged different prices for the same procedure based on their...
More infoEngaging the Community to Promote Medical Billing Transparency and Reduce Debt in Southwest Georgia
By Sarah C. Phillips, Senior Manager of Policy & Advocacy, Georgia Watch – Medical Debt in Southwest Georgia Medical debt accounts for more than half of all personal debt, affecting the lives of insured and uninsured people alike. In Georgia, where our...
More infoCollecting Community Stories of Medical Debt in Southwest Georgia
By: Whitney Griggs – Georgians for a Healthy Future – In the spring of this year, Georgians for a Healthy Future, Georgia Watch, and SOWEGA Rising launched a project in Southwest Georgia to address the burden of medical debt. Southwest Georgia...
More infoHere’s how to get your medical debt reduced or eliminated
November 23, 2021 By Savannah Levins, 11Alive (Watch Now)– Did you know that medical bills are negotiable? Or that you can get care in Georgia for free? Georgia Watch, a nonprofit consumer group, recently received a $190,000 grant to help Georgians...
More infoGeorgia Watch awarded grant to aid state’s medical debt
By Hannah Jones – Saporta Report Thanks to a $190,000 grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Georgia Watch will address issues surrounding medical billing and debt in Southwest Georgia by working with local healthcare providers and...
More infoFoundation grant aimed at medical billing, debt in southwest Georgia
By Dave Williams – Capitol Beat News Service Community groups and health care providers in southwest Georgia will get help addressing problems with medical billing and debt thanks to a $190,000 grant, Atlanta-based consumer advocacy group Georgia...
More infoCovid-19 Resilience – Community Voices: Adrianne Proeller, CHW
By Puru Gaur, Georgia Watch Intern, Emory MPH Candidate Highlighting the Unequal Impacts of an Unprecedented Pandemic We are mindful that a public health crisis like COVID-19 disproportionately impacts marginalized and under-resourced communities that have...
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