RIP Medical Debt seeks to buy, resolve more hospital debt
1 year, 10 months ago

RIP Medical Debt seeks to buy, resolve more hospital debt

Associated Press  

RIP Medical Debt has found a working formula to relieve medical debt for millions of people. The New York nonprofit uses donations to buy medical debt in bulk from hospitals and debt collectors for pennies on the dollar. Researchers have estimated that there is well over $100 billion in collections in the U.S. RIP Medical Debt named Allison Sesso CEO shortly before the pandemic hit in 2020. So, we’re increasingly using our ability to turn $1 into $100, on average, of medical debt relief to raise awareness about the issue and advocate for policy changes that fix this problem more fundamentally.

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History of this topic

MacKenzie Scott gives rare third gift to medical debt relief group
5 days, 23 hours ago

MacKenzie Scott gives rare third gift to medical debt relief group

Associated Press  

MacKenzie Scott continues to make medical debt relief a priority in her mysterious giving. The continued funding has allowed Sesso “to not have to worry about my next dollar,” she said, and “think more strategically about the narrative around medical debt — she has helped us push that conversation.” Undue Medical Debt was started in 2014 by two former debt …

L.A. County plans to put $5 million toward wiping out medical debt
5 months, 4 weeks ago

L.A. County plans to put $5 million toward wiping out medical debt

LA Times  

Los Angeles County supervisors have voted to set aside $5 million for a pilot program that will relieve medical debt. L.A. County is still working out who will be eligible under its pilot program, but its broad goal is to reach “our lowest-income residents and the working poor who have catastrophic amounts of medical debt,” said Dr. Naman Shah, director …

A growing wave of local governments are erasing billions in medical debts
11 months ago

A growing wave of local governments are erasing billions in medical debts

NPR  

A growing wave of local governments are erasing billions in medical debts Enlarge this image toggle caption Cook County, Ill. Cook County, Ill. Sponsor Message The result: In 2022, Cook County became the first local government to partner with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit group that uses private donor funds to buy up and pay off health care debts. Preckwinkle …

New York City plans to wipe out $2 billion in medical debt for 500,000 residents
11 months ago

New York City plans to wipe out $2 billion in medical debt for 500,000 residents

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York City intends to wipe out more than $2 billion in medical debt for up to 500,000 residents, tackling a top cause of personal bankruptcy, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. “Working-class families often have to choose between paying their medical bills or some of the basic essentials that they need to go through life.” The mayor …

'If you’re reading this I have passed away', this cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt
1 year, 1 month ago

'If you’re reading this I have passed away', this cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt

India TV News  

A New York City woman who died on Sunday from cancer has raised enough money to erase millions of dollars in medical debt with a posthumous plea for help. Casey McIntyre told followers in a social media message posted by her husband that she had arranged to buy the medical debt of others as a way of celebrating her life. …

In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt
1 year, 1 month ago

In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt

Associated Press  

A New York City woman who died Sunday from cancer has raised enough money to erase millions of dollars in medical debt with a posthumous plea for help. Casey McIntyre told followers in a social media message posted by her husband that she had arranged to buy the medical debt of others as a way of celebrating her life. Less …

In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt
1 year, 1 month ago

In death, one cancer patient helps to erase millions in medical debt

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A New York City woman …

Detroit-area county will use federal money to erase medical debts
1 year, 2 months ago

Detroit-area county will use federal money to erase medical debts

Associated Press  

PONTIAC, Mich. — A Detroit-area county said it will use $2 million in federal aid to erase the medical debts of thousands of residents. Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter believes as much as $200 million of debt could be wiped away if health care providers agree to take less money to get some delinquent bills off the books. The county …

Helton teams up with organization to eliminate $10 million in medical bills for Colorado residents
1 year, 3 months ago

Helton teams up with organization to eliminate $10 million in medical bills for Colorado residents

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Retired Colorado Rockies first baseman …

Opinion: Crushing medical debt is turning Americans against their doctors
1 year, 5 months ago

Opinion: Crushing medical debt is turning Americans against their doctors

LA Times  

Debra Smith of Spring Hill, Tenn., racked up more bills from medical providers and hospitals than she could pay, landing about $10,000 in debt. “This is a place that’s supposed to be looking after you.” The experience offered a stark lesson, he said: “Don’t trust the system.” Reporting on medical debt over the past two years, I’ve spent hundreds of …

Governments target medical debt with COVID relief funds
1 year, 10 months ago

Governments target medical debt with COVID relief funds

Associated Press  

Millions of Americans mired in medical debt face difficult financial decisions every day — pay the debt or pay for rent, utilities and groceries. To address the problem, an increasing number of municipal, county and state governments are devising plans to spend federal coronavirus pandemic relief funds to eliminate residents’ medical debt and ease those debt burdens. The City Council …

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started
2 years, 4 months ago

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started

NPR  

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started Enlarge this image toggle caption Juan Diego Reyes for KHN and NPR Juan Diego Reyes for KHN and NPR Soon after giving birth to a daughter two months premature, Terri Logan received a bill from the hospital. "The weight of all of that medical debt — …

Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them
2 years, 6 months ago

Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them

NPR  

Medical debt upended their lives. Approximate Medical Debt: $10,000 Medical Issue: Cancer Enlarge this image toggle caption Jamar Coach for KHN and NPR Jamar Coach for KHN and NPR What Happened: Monica Reed considers herself luckier than most. Approximate Medical Debt: $160,000 Medical Issue: Heart ablation Enlarge this image toggle caption Bram Sable-Smith/KHN Bram Sable-Smith/KHN What Happened: Kareen King calls …

One Good Thing: Flight paramedic treats patient medical debt
3 years, 9 months ago

One Good Thing: Flight paramedic treats patient medical debt

Associated Press  

When flight paramedic Rita Krenz boards a helicopter, she knows her patients are about to face problems she can’t fix — a health care system that buries people in debt after a car accident or stroke. That money has helped RIP Medical Debt forgive the debt of more than 900 people so far, with the average bill abolished totaling around …

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