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That debt doesn’t just hurt your bank account—it can harm your health, too. What you must know now. Devin Barrington-Ward was doubled over with stomach pain. His chest hurt, too. Though his family urged him to call an ambulance and he was terrified that his condition was serious, Barrington-Ward had another concern on his mind: the expense. Uninsured, he knew he couldn’t afford the ambulance ride. So his mother raced him to a hospital near his home in suburban Atlanta that day in January earlier this year. After several hours in the emergency room, where […]

Therapy in New York City Costs as much as Three Months Rent

The majority of therapists in America’s most expensive city are not in network with your insurance During one of the biggest mental health and unemployment crises in modern history, the average cost of a 9-month course of therapy in New York City is $7,500. Consumers, many of whom already often pay for sessions via credit card, are now more likely to incur debt in order to cover the costs of their mental health care. Nirvana Health is partnering with RIP Medical Debt to help eliminate patient health care debt. The cost of mental health care […]

Do Something: Relieve Debt

A third of Americans have medical bills they cannot pay. A New York nonprofit has helped eliminate $2 billion of that debt for the poorest of them. Over decades of working low-paying jobs, with no health insurance benefits, Dreama Shaeffer—like thousands of other Americans—found herself early this year with thousands of dollars of medical bills she was unable to pay. A 54-year-old single mom, Shaeffer had bills that stemmed from injuries her now grown son suffered as a child; from doctors appointments to treat her early-onset osteoporosis; from a three-year-old emergency in which she stopped […]

The fallout from the spread of coronavirus has highlighted how many Americans are one disaster away from physical, emotional, or economic ruin. Now, while many await federal and state assistance, those in more secure financial positions have an opportunity to step up and help.  But with so many communities affected, it’s difficult to know where your time and dollars are best spent: Millions of uninsured Americans are at risk for catching the virus, could incur enormous medical bills for treatment, even if relief legislation promises to cover testing; salaried and hourly workers at nonessential businesses have suddenly […]

If there is one thing New Yorkers believe about themselves, it’s that no one pulls together quite as well during a crisis. Vigorous hand-washing, staying home, bumping elbows instead of hugging — we got that. But with more than 200 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York and more than 1,110 nationwide, some people are asking if they can do more to help. “It’s been so internally focused,” Chris Principe, 40, said of the advice he has heard from public officials. Mr. Principe, who lives in Brooklyn and is a video director at the publishing […]

Medical debt is not just a burden for countless Americans; it’s also the No. 1 source of personal bankruptcy filings in the country. But for some lucky folks, relief may be around the corner.  RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that raises money to wipe out unpayable health-related debts, recently announced that it has successfully eliminated $1 billion (yes, you read that correctly) in medical debt for more than 500,000 people in all 50 states. Included in that figure is $65 million of medical debt carried by veterans.  Read more on The Ascent

When Sara Cook got a letter in the mail informing her that a group of strangers at a church she’d never heard of had relieved $5,000 of her medical debt, she thought it was a scam.  She had already had enough misfortune to last a lifetime. The 43-year-old registered nurse’s problems had begun years earlier, when her back pain turned out to be a herniated disc. One surgery resulted in an infection, another surgery—after the disc re-herniated—led to meningitis and a long hospital stay, during which doctors removed a vertebrae. All these complications led to […]

For many people who feel crushed under the weight of their medical bills, trips to the mailbox can be anxiety-inducing. A reminder of that you’re in a hole that feels impossible to get out of. A reminder that someone is still after you for money that you don’t have. In the coming weeks, opening up the mailbox for some people might yield a welcome surprise instead: a yellow envelope with the words “RIP Medical Debt.” At first, it might look like a scam, perhaps a scheme that might ultimately leave the recipient worse off than […]

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – An unexpected gift was given to thousands of people across Ohio overwhelmed by medical debt.  “It just sort of snowballed into something amazing,” said Pastor Andy Reider, Community Pastor at Crossroads Dayton. He said it was November when the senior pastor at Crossroads brought up the idea of helping the community in a special and unique way. That idea formed into a partnership with RIP Medical Debt. The national non-profit bundles unpaid debt that can then be bought by entities like Crossroads Church. Read More on WDTN 2 News

If you’ve ever had an insanely high medical bill arrive in the mail, you’ve probably contemplated your options: Pay the bill and dine on ramen noodles for the next few years? Take out a loan? Ignore the bill and risk it going to collections? There is a better alternative: Learn how to negotiate your medical bills.  Read More on MSN

Cincinnati church wipes out $46.5 million in medical debt for 45,000 families

A megachurch in Cincinnati announced Sunday that it is paying off $46.5 million in medical debt for more than 45,000 families. Crossroads Church partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a medical debt relief nonprofit, to wipe out debts for people in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. They will receive bright yellow envelopes this week letting them know the good news. Read More on Fox News

Although physical debtors’ prisons were outlawed in the United States in the 1830’s, figurative debtors’ prisons in which people are trapped under piles of student loan, medical or other debt are very much alive in this country today.

This is so much the case that a growing number of companies, nonprofits and individuals are paying off debt as a way of helping people out of hardship – and a way of bringing attention to this problem.

An anonymous donation to relieve millions

An anonymous donation of a quarter billion dollars by an organization will help pay off medical debt. Lynda Baquero has the details on this big announcement.

A campaign to relieve $250,000,000 in medical debt

RIP Medical Debt is launching a campaign to forgive a quarter billion dollars in medical debt across the country. Randy Mac reports for the NBC4 News on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018.