Background Established in 2002; 4 full-time staff and many dedicated interns Our mission is to empower and protect Georgia consumers on matters that impact their wallets and quality of life through education, advocacy and policy development.

What Do We Do? Ensure consumers get a fair shake. Empower consumers through outreach and education. Serve as a trusted resource for elected officials, the public, and the media. Keep a watchful eye on legislation that affects consumers. Offer a toll-free Consumer Hotline.

Areas of Focus We focus mainly on issues that impact your wallet and quality of life:

Health Access Program Primary Areas: Medical Bills Nonprofit Hospitals Health Insurance Medicaid Expansion Access to Quality Care Created in 2007 Seeks to expand access to safe and affordable health care for all Georgians through consumer empowerment, policy development, and advocacy. Works to ensure existing laws and policies that protect vulnerable patients are honored and upheld. We work with multiple partners in this realm around medicaid expansion, healthcare navigation and other efforts at the policy level.

Civil Justice We keep an eye on court decisions that affect consumers Author comments on proposed federal rules and provide input on legislation to elected officials

Financial Protection Program Addresses: Identity Theft & Scams Avoiding Foreclosures Predatory Practices Payday Title Pawns Tax Fraud ‘Debt Settlement’ Managing Debt & Building Wealth Understanding Credit -In 2008, Board member Clark Howard helped Georgia Watch win a victory for consumers through legislation providing for low cost credit freezes. -Georgia Watch urged policy makers to protect homeowners during the financial crisis. -Through outreach, Georgia Watch educates consumers about the harmful effects of predatory lending.

Consumer Energy Program Advocates before the Georgia Public Service Commission Attempts to lower consumer energy bills through policy change Provides education on available resources & consumer-side practices that reduce energy costs

Offered Workshops: Fighting Back Senior Scams Financial Success Starts Here Checks and Balances Identity Theft Why am I 678? The 10 Basic Rules of Money Management How to Save Money on Your Power Bill The Importance of Advocacy

Recent Accomplishments In 2015, we released a report analyzing the first round of nonprofit hospital community health needs assessments in Georgia In early 2016, we conducted a mystery shopper study that examined the paid tax preparation market in Southwest Atlanta During the 2016 Legislative Session, we successfully prevented title pawn lenders from redefining the fee schedule to make loans more costly for consumers We are currently authoring a Military Consumer Protection Guide for Georgia service members

Tell your story and share information with elected officials. Volunteer your time and talent. Engage with us on social media. Subscribe to our newsletter. Hold a Georgia Watch workshop for your group/community. Donate to Georgia Watch to support our programming.

Questions? Comments? Beth Stephens bstephens@georgiawatch.org (404) 525-1085 1-866-33-WATCH (toll free) georgiawatch.org