Please mark your calendars. We are having our Annual Gala and Consumer Champion Celebration on September 18, 6-8PM.

Details to follow soon.            

Georgia Watch is proud to be the recipient of nearly $33,000 in Cy Pres funds -- those funds remaining unclaimed in the settlement of the Whitehead v. JI Financial, LLC case -- as ordered by the Honorable Robert Reeves, Toombs County Superior Court Judge.

The Cy Pres award results from a class action lawsuit against an unscrupulous debt settlement company that was successfully prosecuted by our board member Jimmy Hurt of Hurt Stolz. Mr. Hurt presented the award to Georgia Watch Acting Executive Director Liz Coyle on May 13.

Georgia Watch provides financial literacy education to consumers and advocates against predatory practices, including by companies offering to "settle" debt for the financially distressed at high fees. Financial literacy workshops are provided regularly by Georgia Watch Director of Community Education Karla Johnson in a variety of locations.  To schedule a workshop for your group or to learn about future workshops, please contact Karla  at 404-525-1085 or kjohnson@georgiawatch.org.

We are proud that the judge and Mr. Hurt chose to support this work through the award!    

Although the March 31st deadline to enroll in healthcare through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace has passed, consumers may still be eligible to enroll in healthcare through what is known as a Special Enrollment Period. "Qualifying life events" that can trigger a Special Enrollment Period include moving to a new state or certain changes to your income or in your family size (including marriage, divorce or having a child). Other circumstances that may give rise to a Special Enrollment Period include: a serious medical condition that kept you from enrolling sooner; the insurance company's inability to process your enrollment due to technical errors between the Marketplace and the insurance company, and errors on healthcare.gov, including incorrect benefit or cost-sharing plan data that were displayed at the time you made your plan selection.

During open enrollment, Georgia Watch provided navigator services to consumers who needed help enrolling in the ACA through the Marketplace. Now that open enrollment is over, Georgia Watch is assisting consumers who are eligible for a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in health coverage through the Marketplace. In two recent instances, Georgia Watch helped "frustrated and exhausted" consumers complete their enrollment applications and enroll in coverage. "I was ready to give-up on getting healthcare this year," said one consumer whose enrollment information would not transfer properly to the insurance company. Thanks to Georgia Watch's assistance, both consumers have successfully enrolled in coverage and are looking forward to paying their first month's premium.