By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor (The Center Square) — Georgia’s hospitals ranked 23rd nationally, according to a new review. According to the spring 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which graded 80 Georgia hospitals, 21...
More infoNearly 40% of Georgia hospitals earned average marks for safety from independent watchdog
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 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 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 infoBorn with half a heart; Georgia child’s healthcare in limbo as hospital, insurer negotiate
By Rachel Polansky, CBS46 (WATCH NOW) – CUMMING, Ga. (CBS46) — The deadline for Northside Hospital System and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to come to an agreement on healthcare and insurance coverage is looming. If they don’t, hundreds of thousands...
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 infoWhat a Controversial List Says about Nonprofit Hospitals’ Charity Record
By Andy Miller, Georgia Health News – Grady Memorial Hospital ranks first, and Piedmont Hospital last, in a report rating the 10 largest nonprofit Atlanta/Athens area hospitals on their spending on charity care and other community health initiatives...
More infoFactsheet: What You Need to Know about Georgia’s Surprise Billing Law
The Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act went into effect in January, making Georgia the 16th state to have adopted comprehensive protections against surprise medical bills. Georgia Watch and Georgians for a Healthy Future advocated for...
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...
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