Virginia is for Lovers of Compassion
Eradicating Medical Debt Together!
To donate to this campaign by mail, please send a check:
Payable To:
RIP Medical Debt
Address:
RIP Medical Debt
P. O. Box 411675
Boston, MA 02241-1675
Memo Line:
Kara Pitek — 47709
We are a group of Virginians who believe that medical debt is an injustice that harms not only the individuals and families that are directly affected, but their entire communities as well. Consider these startling figures:
- 200,000: The number of Virginians struggling with medical debt in our great state, according to recent data from the Commonwealth Fund.
- 5%: The percentage of annual income medical debt eats away at for thousands of our neighbors, pushing them closer to the brink of financial instability.
- Thousands: Number of people across the Commonwealth facing job loss and housing insecurity due to overwhelming medical bills. Medical debt isn’t just a financial burden; it’s a barrier to stable employment and secure housing.
We’ve teamed up with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that buys medical debt in bulk for super cheap, to help us. Once we reach our goal of raising $25,000, over $2.5 million of medical debt is eliminated, and thousands of people are relieved of this crushing burden. How it works:
- 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!
Your generosity isn’t just a donation; it’s a lifeline to someone facing the intersection of medical debt, employment uncertainty, and housing instability. Together, we can break the cycle and help to build a stronger, more compassionate Virginia.
Campaign Support Recipients
- Recent Donations
- Donnie B. just donated $106
- A. G. just donated $10.90
- Don S. just donated $58.50
- Adelle S. just donated $26.80
- Anonymous just donated $106
- Anonymous just donated $26.80
- Mike B. just donated $53.20
- Anonymous just donated $106
To donate to this campaign by mail, please send a check:
Payable To:
RIP Medical Debt
Address:
RIP Medical Debt
P. O. Box 411675
Boston, MA 02241-1675
Memo Line:
Kara Pitek — 47709
- Recent Donations
- Donnie B. just donated $106
- A. G. just donated $10.90
- Don S. just donated $58.50
- Adelle S. just donated $26.80
- Anonymous just donated $106
- Anonymous just donated $26.80
- Mike B. just donated $53.20
- Anonymous just donated $106
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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