Georgia Watch

Georgia Watch is at the Consumer Federation of America’s Consumer Assembly, joining advocates from across the country to discuss emerging consumer protection challenges and solutions.

Today’s sessions highlighted:

🔹 The growing impact of scams, deceptive practices, and other tactics that increase costs and erode consumer trust.
🔹 Surveillance and algorithmic pricing practices that can result in consumers paying different prices for the same products and services.
🔹 Predatory fintech products targeting young consumers and the need for stronger safeguards.
🔹 Persistent disparities in home insurance pricing that create additional barriers to affordable homeownership and wealth-building.
🔹 Innovative housing models that expand access to affordable homeownership while protecting consumers from predatory practices.

We look forward day 2 of the assembly and bringing these insights back to Georgia as we continue our work to protect and empower consumers.

Our second stop for was the office of Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. We had a great discussion with the Senator’s Economic Policy Advisor Adam Finkel about protecting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, strengthening interest rate limits and transparency, and opposing actions to exempt payday loan apps from federal and state fee and interest rate caps.

Thanks to Senator Warnock for standing up for Georgia consumers!

A new edition of The Watcher is out!

This month’s newsletter features Deputy Director Natasha Taylor discussing healthcare affordability and access challenges with 11Alive, highlights from our latest healthcare access blog, and spotlights Board Members Johnny Smith and Dr. Maura George Simpson and their work to strengthen behavioral and maternal healthcare access across Georgia.

We’re also excited to welcome our summer interns to the Georgia Watch team!

Check out our website to read the full newsletter and subscribe today: https://georgiawatch.org/news-press/newsletters/

In advance of Georgia's primary elections, 11Alive's Joe Ripley shared the story of a rural Georgia resident frustrated by her difficulty finding and getting the care she needed when facing a cancer diagnosis.

Georgia Watch Deputy Director Natasha Taylor recently spoke with Ripley about the growing healthcare access and affordability challenges facing communities across Georgia, particularly in rural areas impacted by provider shortages, hospital closures, transportation barriers, and rising healthcare costs.

"There's already an issue in rural Georgia with provider shortages, hospital closures, transportation, getting to care," Taylor shared. "Now you're talking about not affording care as is. That's going to limit people going to the doctor and getting their prescriptions, which is, in turn, going to make people sicker and force people into those ER situations. That creates more of a burden on the limited hospitals you have."

"People are employed, but they have to make a choice between paying their rent and paying to put food on the table or paying for health coverage," she added. "Across parties, I think the biggest issue for people is, ' Am I going to pay my mortgage or am I going to pay for my health insurance?'"

The story also highlights the importance of strengthening Georgia’s healthcare workforce, including Community Health Workers, who help bridge gaps between patients and providers and improve access to care in underserved communities.

Read more: https://georgiawatch.org/healthcare-access-affordability-high-on-many-voters-priority-lists/

Healthcare access, affordability high on many voters' priority lists Watch Here By Joe Ripley with 11AliveJulianna Ferrone will never forget the day in July 2020 when she felt the bloating, back pain, and abnormal bleeding. It changed her life forever."I was 27 years old when I got

Georgia Watch's Natasha Taylor joins Joe Ripley with 11Alive to discuss the biggest barriers to healthcare Georgians are facing.

Amidst rising costs and falling insurance enrollment, access to consistent healthcare is becoming harder for many Georgia communities, leading to overburdened rural hospitals and emergency departments.

The state legislature took several steps to improve access to healthcare, but several key bills were left on the table.

Natasha emphasizes the vital role Community Health Workers play to close the gap between communities in need and healthcare providers, public health resources, and coverage options.

Watch here: https://georgiawatch.org/healthcare-access-and-barriers-in-georgia/

Healthcare access and barriers in Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMvVfbJRoM Georgia Watch's Natasha Taylor joins Joe Ripley with 11Alive to discuss the biggest barriers to healthcare Georgians are facing. Amidst rising costs and falling insurance enrollment, access to consistent healthcare is becoming harder for many