$24,872.08

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$60,000.00

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RIP Medical Debt
80 Theodore Fremd Ave.
Rye, NY 10580

Earmark your donation for this campaign by including a note or by writing "Galveston Medical Debt Relief Campaign" in the memo line of a check.

Campaign Contacts

If you would like to participate as an organization please contact us at: galvestoncares@gmail.com

Participating Organizations

Galveston County Cares: the campaign to forgive medical debt in Galveston County

Did you know that there is currently over $6,000,000 of outstanding medical debt in Galveston County? 

Medical debt is the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in this country. Medical costs create serious financial problems for 26% percent of American adults each year and 40% of Americans have lingering medical bill problems or outstanding medical debt 

Hospitals will seek to sell that medical debt to collection agencies who will then attempt to recoup their purchase by collecting the outstanding debt. If the debt collection agencies are unable to collect, people’s credit scores are negatively affected, resulting in extraordinarily difficult pressures and obstacles towards recovering financially. This compounds the stress of those already coping with significant illnesses or disabilities, especially in this time of Covid-19 and economic disruption.

Studies have shown that chronic stress has been linked to or can exacerbate various medical conditions, including hypertension, ulcers, suppression of the immune system, and fluctuations in blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Stress, likewise can have a significant negative long-term impacts on the heart and vascular system. Chronic stress has also been linked to medical relapse, hospital readmissions, poorer outcomes and increased medical expenses adding strain to our hospitals and medical care systems. 

Because of these facts, “Galveston County Cares” has decided to partner with RIP Medical Debt, to help our neighbors struggling with medical debt.

Our campaign: “Galveston County Cares” plans to partner with area churches, civic organizations and individuals who wish to help our neighbors in distress. Working together we can make a big difference the lives of many who are struggling with illnesses and medical debt. While we may not be able to solve the entire problem, we firmly believe that it is “is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness”.

Who Is RIP Medical Debt?

RIP Medical Debt is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that locates, buys, and forgives medical debt. We empower donors to relieve oppressive medical debt in their community for individuals who are below twice the federal poverty line, have debts greater than their assets, or have debts greater than 5% of their annual income.

Please see the rest of the FAQ below and visit www.ripmedicaldebt.org for more information. 

RIP Medical Debt's Federal Tax ID is 47-1442997.

Supporters

  • Minnie Feinman April 2021 $100.00
  • Donna L Dees December 2020
  • Bill & Kathleen Schwertlich December 2020 $1,000.00
  • Maria Lurie December 2020 $52.00
  • Elizabeth Anderson December 2020 $1,000.00
  • Anonymous August 2020 $4,000.00
  • Anonymous August 2020 $1,248.00
  • Anonymous What a wonderful cause !!! August 2020 $1,040.00
  • Bill & Kathleen Schwertlich December 2020 $1,000.00
  • Elizabeth Anderson December 2020 $1,000.00

Recent Activity

Who is RIP Medical Debt? RIP Medical Debt (RIP) is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to empower donors to forgive the billions of dollars in oppressive medical debt at pennies on the dollar. RIP locates, buys, and abolishes destructive medical debt for individuals, veterans, and families. Since inception in 2014, RIP has relieved more than $1 billion in medical debt for individuals across the U.S., impacting over 500,000 individuals.

How does RIP Medical Debt work? RIP, working with third-party credit data providers, searches through large debt portfolios to locate accounts meeting their criteria for relief. RIP then negotiates to buy millions of dollars of this debt at a steep discount, usually a penny or less on the dollar.

Facts about medical debt

  • More than $100 billion in unpaid medical debt every year adversely impacts debtor patients, physicians, and hospitals.
  • 6 in 10 of both insured and uninsured people say they have difficulty in paying other bills as a result of medical debt. Over a third were unable to pay for food, heat, or housing because of medical bills.
  • Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults under age 65, or 116 million people, had medical bill problems or debt, went without needed care because of cost, were uninsured for a time, or were underinsured—insured but had high out-of-pocket medical expenses or deductibles relative to income.
  • Medical debt contributes to more than 60% of the bankruptcies in the US. Until satisfied, debt lingers on a person’s credit report, negatively impacting their ability to buy a home, get a loan, or even gain employment.

Whose unpayable medical bills does RIP forgive?

  • Individuals who make less than 2 times the federal poverty level.
  • Individuals who face financial hardship—owe debt that is 5% or more of their annual income.
  • Individuals who are insolvent—have debts greater than their assets.

Why donate to RIP Medical Debt?

  • Your dollar goes a long way! On average, $1 abolishes $100 of debt.
  • RIP Medical Debt is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and our EIN number is 47-1442997. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
  • There are no tax consequences for those whose medical debts are forgiven. The forgiveness is a gift from a detached and disinterested third party (RIP Medical Debt), so forgiveness of the debt does not count as income for the gift recipient.

RIP Medical Debt's Federal Tax ID: 47-1442997