May 12, 2020 Letting the non-cancellation directive lapse would be premature, said Laura Colbert of the consumer group Georgians for a Healthy Future. “Many Georgia consumers are still going to be out of work at the end of May, and if they are back at work, many will be catching up on rent, utilities, and credit card bills,’’ Colbert said Thursday. “Georgians will struggle to make up premium payments at the same time.” State leaders, she said, “should prioritize actions that preserve and expand the number of Georgians with health insurance.”

Apr 6, 2020

“This waiver is a positive step in Georgia’s response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Laura Colbert of consumer advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future. “It will make it easier for doctors and other health care providers to see Georgians covered by Medicaid and provide needed health care services, including mental health care. These changes should ease the strain on Georgia’s health care system, especially for the providers who see low-income Georgians, those with complex health conditions or disabilities, and children.”

Apr 6, 2020

Mar 17, 2020

The challenges Georgia’s rural communities confront with the coronavirus pandemic serve to highlight problems that have been around for a long time, said Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a health care consumer advocacy group.

“Health care has been a top issue for voters and consumers for a number of years now, and I think that we’re seeing exactly what doesn’t work under a magnifying glass,” she said. “So, in Georgia, we’ve got about a 15% uninsured rate. We’ve got many folks above that 15% who have health insurance but are considered underinsured, or even if they don’t fall, technically, within the category of underinsured, many feel like they’re being stretched too thin with premiums and deductibles.”

Feb 25, 2020

Consumer groups have supported the legislation. Laura Colbert of Georgians for a Healthy Future said Tuesday that the legislation “is a big step forward for Georgia consumers.’’

Feb 21, 2020

Consumer groups have supported the legislation. Laura Colbert of Georgians for a Healthy Future said Tuesday that the legislation “is a big step forward for Georgia consumers.’’

Feb 20, 2020

Patient and consumer advocates, though, argue that the measure as-is would make a significant dent in the problem of surprise medical bills. About 2.6 million people could be helped, according to Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Any further delay in passing this legislation would really only serve to keep consumers in a place where they’re receiving bills for hundreds or thousands of dollars after they’ve scheduled health care services and have done their due diligence and yet still receive bills that are out of their control,” said Laura Colbert, director of Georgians for a Healthy Future.

Colbert cited a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association that found that about one out of five in-network surgeries at in-network facilities result in out-of-network bills.

Feb 17, 2020

Laura Colbert of Georgians for a Healthy Future told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee about a Cedartown resident who got a surprise $2,200 bill from an anesthesiologist not in his network.

“We believe these protections (in the Senate bill) are fair and reasonable,’’ Colbert told the panel. “It’s time to protect Georgians.’’

Feb 17, 2020

“If CMS were to approve this waiver in its current form, I would expect lawsuits on behalf of Georgia consumers and families,” said Laura Colbert, executive director at Georgians for a Healthy Future, a consumer group based in Atlanta that has called the proposal “terrible for Georgians.” “The proposal would encourage enrollment in substandard plans and likely cause many Georgians to lose coverage. People with preexisting health conditions would be put at risk.”

Feb 13, 2020