Arizona - RIP Medical Debt

Abolish Arizona Medical Debt

Every dollar you donate forgives $100 in Medical Debt

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Campaign Created ByRIP Medical Debt
The Problem

In the past forty years, medical costs have doubled, insurance copays and deductibles have spiked, and bankruptcy rates have quadrupled, creating an avalanche of medical debt. Over 60% of bankruptcies in America have medical debt as a root cause.

The situation in Arizona is particularly problematic. A 2011 study revealed that individuals in Arizona with medical debt often delay or completely avoid seeking healthcare, resulting in a detrimental cycle of deteriorating health and escalating medical debt. Moreover, like many Americans, Arizonans are frequently unable to manage the financial strain caused by even a single unexpected hospital visit, further exacerbating the issue of medical debt.

A journey through historic Tombstone vividly brings to life Arizona’s rich past as the final frontier of the American West. The enduring spirit of independence and ambition that once fueled the development of ancient cultures and modern lifestyles amidst the Sonoran Desert and the Grand Canyon still thrives among Arizonans today. Against this backdrop of resilience and pioneering spirit, the medical debt crisis in Arizona emerges as particularly disheartening.

In Arizona, hundreds of thousands are confronting the realities of burdensome medical debt, highlighting a critical need to tackle healthcare expenses. This challenge is crucial for ensuring individuals can sustain their financial well-being without being overwhelmed by additional economic pressures. The contrast between Arizona’s legacy of self-reliance and the current healthcare financial crisis underlines the urgency of finding solutions that honor the state’s heritage by supporting its residents’ financial health.

How You Can Help

RIP Medical Debt uses your donations to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios from hospitals and on the secondary debt market and then forgives that debt at pennies on the dollar. 

On average, $1 is leveraged to abolish $100 in medical debt, and every donation through this page will be spent directly on abolishing medical debt in Arizona.

When debt relief recipients open the yellow envelope from RIP, they are told that their debt has been bought by a third party and erased with no strings attached. They owe nothing on the debt and face no tax penalty. A recent beneficiary wrote to us, saying:


“I read my letter over a few times to make sure it was the real thing. Receiving this debt relief renewed my faith that I can get back on track. It jump-started it – that we can do this – I can get back in the game! It’s unheard of what RIP does, and it’s a game changer in the medical world. It’s a game changer for me.” 

— Reagan, RIP Medical Debt Recipient of Debt Relief


Every dollar you contribute is a $100 investment in Arizonan towns and cities. Money will stay in the community instead of being taken by out-of-state debt collectors. On average, $22.04 can abolish the medical debt of an entire family in Arizona, allowing them to invest in a home, schooling, or retirement.

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$72,030.66
raised to date
Donate by Check
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $318
  • Donor Avatar
    Daniel E. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    CAROLYN S. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Amy F. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $318
  • Donor Avatar
    Trisha Haddad S. just donated $25
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $265
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    Sandra W. just donated $58.50

New research on the impacts of medical debt

A new survey published by PerryUndem in 2023 shows that medical debt is a shared experience for patients across the country.

Key Findings

Patients are making tradeoffs that affect their daily lives.
  1. Nearly 7 in 10 Nearly 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they receive medical bills they cannot afford. Many are forced to delay paying the bill, put it on a credit card, or challenge the bill.
  2. 6 in 10 Six in ten patients report they have self-treated, delayed, or skipped dental and medical appointments. Thirty-four percent report changing the foods they eat or eating less food to afford health care.
People and patients feel trapped in debt and see no way out. They see medical debt as different from other forms of debt - entirely the fault of institutions and systems, and not something consumers have any control over.
  1. Nearly 50% Nearly half feel trapped and believe they will never be able to pay off their debt, while a third of respondents reported feeling heightened depression and anxiety.
  2. Nearly 9 in 10 Nearly 9 in 10 blame the health care industry for fueling the medical debt crisis - not patients themselves. They say the problem stems from the system putting profit over patients.

Fundraise for This Campaign

Start a fundraiser to help those in need. Set a personal fundraising goal and track online donations easily with RIP.

How RIP Works

Over a hundred million Americans, one in three, struggles with the weight of medical debt.

  • You make a donation

    We use data analytics to pinpoint the debt of those most in need: households that earn less than 4x the federal poverty level (varies by state, family size) or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income.

  • RIP buys medical debt at a steep discount

    We buy debt in bundles, millions of dollars at a time at a fraction of the original cost. This means your donation relieves about 100x its value in medical debt.

  • Together we wipe out medical debt

    People across the country receive letters that their debt has been erased. They have no tax consequences or penalties to consider. Just like that, they’re free of medical debt.


Frequent Questions

Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) charity and your donation is 100% tax deductible.


Relevant Documents:

When we purchase a portfolio of medical debt, we abolish debt for individuals who:

  • Earn less than 4x the federal poverty level (varies by state, family size).
  • Debts are 5 percent or more of annual income.

We only buy debt that has been pre-qualified by our partners to meet at least one of these criteria. 

We never collect on debt we purchase, only relieve it.

No. With your help, we abolish medical debt permanently. Recipients have no adverse tax consequences, obligations, or strings attached.

For those whose medical debts are relieved, the relief is a gift from a detached and disinterested third party (RIP) as an act of generosity, so relief of the debt does not count as income to the debtor. We will not file a Form 1099-C with the IRS.

Due to HIPAA laws, RIP Medical Debt cannot disclose the names, contact information or any other specific details of the debt relief beneficiaries.

RIP Medical Debt cannot relieve debt by individual request.

While we would love to help everyone who needs assistance, RIP Medical Debt cannot abolish medical debt for specific individuals. We approach the problem of medical debt by acquiring large portfolios of debt to help thousands of people at once.

Because medical debt affects so many people who may not have debt accounts in the portfolios we purchase, we have compiled a list of resources that may be able to help in ways RIP Medical Debt cannot.

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