Temple Sinai DC Medical Debt Relief Campaign
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:
Temple Sinai DC — 46298
Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve surpassed our initial goal of $10,000! Our new goal will be $21,000 to eliminate debt in DC and Montgomery County, Maryland!
Join Temple Sinai, its Multiracial Sinai Committee, and The Davis Center, in eradicating medical debt that burdens our fellow residents in the District and Maryland. Medical debt is an overwhelming concern for more than 90,000 people in DC and over 600,000 individuals in Maryland. This is not just a financial issue; it’s a matter of racial justice and disability justice. Our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) neighbors are disproportionately affected, being three times more likely to bear the weight of medical debt compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, those with chronic illnesses face an even heavier burden.
With the collaboration of Tzedek DC, Temple Sinai is working with RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit organization providing debt relief to underserved communities. Here’s how it works: for every $10,000 we raise, RIP Medical Debt can eliminate a staggering $1 million in medical debt. And the impact doesn’t stop there. RIP goes a step further by completely erasing medical debt from patients’ credit reports, offering them a fresh start. The debt that will be erased will be targeted exclusively to residents in the District and Montgomery County.
Your generous donation can make a tangible impact on the lives of our local neighbors and contribute to the ongoing efforts to address historical injustices and support reparations for communities that have been systematically disadvantaged. Stand with us in this crucial effort to provide relief and hope to those burdened by medical debt. Together, we can create a healthier, more equitable future.
For more background, please watch the recording of the October 19, 2023 Temple Sinai Program: Equity Reimagined: Medical Debt Overhaul, Reparations and Policy Transformation in the DMV
If you would like to donate using a Donor Advised Fund, please:
- Include Temple Sinai DC Campaign in your instructions for the payment
- Ask the Fund Manager to send your gift to: Medical Debt Resolution Inc. (DBA: RIP Medical Debt) 28-07 Jackson Ave.,5th Fl, Long Island City, NY 11101
- Federal Tax ID number: 47-1442997
Campaign Support Recipients
- Recent Donations
- Liz B. just donated $26.80
- Ken S. just donated $1,000
- Rod C. just donated $26.80
- Paulis W. just donated $26.80
- Sarah B. just donated $53.20
- Anonymous just donated $1,000
- Nancy G. just donated $128
- Karen Barr And Andrew E. just donated $191
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:
Temple Sinai DC — 46298
- Recent Donations
- Liz B. just donated $26.80
- Ken S. just donated $1,000
- Rod C. just donated $26.80
- Paulis W. just donated $26.80
- Sarah B. just donated $53.20
- Anonymous just donated $1,000
- Nancy G. just donated $128
- Karen Barr And Andrew E. just donated $191
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.
How RIP Works
Over a hundred million Americans, one in three, struggles with the weight of medical debt.
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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.
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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.
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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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