Students in Action - RIP Medical Debt
$392
raised of $1,000 goal
39%
Christina Pan
CP
Fundraiser ByChristina Pan

As a senior in college and aspiring doctor, I’ve been immersed in rigorous courses and vibrant environments catered to the medical field and the career paths available to me within it. However, rarely was I exposed to information concerning even the basics of healthcare, this other side of the field I’ve grown to love learning about, that is similarly plagued with failures and hardship but in the form of financial burdens.

In 2019, two thirds of all personal bankruptcies were due to healthcare-related debt¹, and more than half of Americans with medical debt have no other debt on their credit reports.² With the fear surrounding the consequences of astronomical medical expenses, it’s no wonder that one in ten adults delayed or didn’t get care due to costs, with the rates of those in worse health being twice as high, and those of the uninsured more than three times as high as their insured counterparts.³ That’s where RIP Medical Debt comes in, by utilizing your contributions to forgive medical debt and prevent more households from having to choose between medical bills and basic needs like heating, food, and housing.

I am proud to be working with RIP Medical Debt under this Students-in-Action campaign. Each dollar we raise will abolish $100 in medical debt in the U.S., helping these indigent households gain financial stability and opportunity with a fresh start in life. With your help, we can not only provide relief to these families, but raise awareness about healthcare, educating and familiarizing ourselves and future generations about this massive industry and the role it plays in our lives.

1 “Medical Bankruptcy: Still Common Despite the Affordable Care Act”, American Journal of Public Health

2 “Consumer credit reports: A study of medical and non-medical collections”, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

3 “How Does Cost Affect Access to Care?”, Kaiser Family Foundation, Peterson Center on Healthcare

Campaign Support Recipients
Nationwide

This fundraiser supports a campaign: Students in Action.

Campaign Details

Medical costs have doubled in the past forty years, insurance copays and deductibles have spiked, and bankruptcy rates have quadrupled, creating an avalanche of destructive medical debt. More than 60% of bankruptcies in America have medical debt as a root cause. Take the first step towards addressing this mounting crisis by joining The Students in Action Campaign! The Students in Action Campaign aims to bring together students from across the country to tackle one of America’s longest-standing social issues. Fun fact: Did you know that since 2018, students have raised over $80,000 and abolished over […]

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Campaign Created ByRIP Medical Debt Students in Action Program
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$392
raised of $1,000 goal
39%
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $200.20
  • Donor Avatar
    Andrew T. just donated $20.72
  • Donor Avatar
    Tomson Z. just donated $10
  • Donor Avatar
    Sarah K. just donated $10.46
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $5.20

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.

Join This Fundraiser

Give this fundraiser a boost towards success by helping to raise money targeted directly at those in need.

1 Active Member

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.

Ready to Launch Your Own Debt Relief Campaign?