The Great Lakes Bay Region People's Power Campaign - RIP Medical Debt

Help Abolish Medical Debt Today

Every dollar you donate forgives $100 in Medical Debt

$3,961
raised of $10,000 goal
39%
Donate by Check
Avatar
Campaign Created ByThe Great Lakes Bay Region

The Great Lakes Bay Region People’s Power Campaign

Help Abolish Medical Debt Today

Every dollar you donate forgives $100 in Medical Debt

With your invaluable support, you can play a vital role in abolishing medical debt in Michigan through RIP Medical Debt. Each dollar donated has the power to abolish $100 of medical debt within the region, transforming lives and offering hope. Rest assured, every donation made through this page will be directed solely towards forgiving the medical debt that RIP Medical Debt can access in Michigan. Together, we can alleviate the burden of medical debt and make a lasting difference!

How it works
In the past forty years, medical costs have doubled, 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.

  • 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. Recipients have no tax consequences or penalties to consider. Just like that, they’re free of medical debt!
Campaign Support Recipients
Bay County, Michigan
Genesee County, Michigan
Saginaw County , Michigan
Midland County, Michigan
Huron County , Michigan
Losco County , Michigan
Wayne County, Michigan
Ingham County, Michigan
Grand Traverse, Michigan
Eaton County , Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Linda K. just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Erin S. just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Teal A. just donated $1,057
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $1,057
  • Donor Avatar
    Samuel R. just donated $529
$3,961
raised of $10,000 goal
39%
Donate by Check
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Linda K. just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Erin S. just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Teal A. just donated $1,057
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $106
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $1,057
  • Donor Avatar
    Samuel R. just donated $529

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.

More Campaigns

14% Raised
$500,000 Goal
RIP Medical Debt
145% Raised
$10,000 Goal
The Renns
Renn Jubilee
Supporting: Indiana
Help us fundraise!
$100,000 Goal
Ordinary Angels Movie
35% Raised
$10,000 Goal
Sunrise SB
Sunrise Supporting Medical Debt Relief
Supporting: California and Santa Barbara, California
10% Raised
$10,000 Goal
PRF Institute
Alabama Medical Debt Relief Initiative 2
Supporting: Chambers County, Alabama, Lee County, Alabama, Macon County, Alabama, Tallapoosa County, Alabama, Montgomery County, Alabama, Russell County, Alabama, Conecuh County, Alabama, Escambia County , Alabama, Lowndes County, Alabama and Wilcox County, Alabama
88% Raised
$89,000 Goal
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Supporting: The Upper Midwest

Ready to Launch Your Own Debt Relief Campaign?