Name is Jordan Roberts, and I am a health policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, NC. I am partnering with the non-profit organization RIP Medical Debt to help eliminate medical debt in North and South Carolina. 

RIP Medical Debt uses fundraised money to purchase portfolios of medical debt from the secondary debt market. The model used by RIP Medical Debt allows each donated dollar to be stretched as far as possible, purchasing debt for pennies on the dollar. Every $1 of money raised will wipe out $100 in debt. For the debt to qualify, the individuals who owe the debt have to: 

• Earn less than 2x the federal poverty level 

• Owe debts that are 5% or more of annual income 

• Owe total debts are greater than total assets 

RIP Medical Debt purchases debt and permanently eliminates it without any adverse tax consequences, obligations, or strings attached. 

I am doing this fundraiser for two reasons. First, I research and write about state and federal health care policy at my organization. This position has provided me with a unique perspective of just how convoluted and expensive America’s health care system is. The result of such dysfunction is many people fall victim to enormous hospital bills or other medical debt, leaving them hopeless as they try to grapple with the reality of getting out of the red. 

Second, I am participating in the E.A. Morris Fellowship for 2019. The E.A. Morris Fellowship is a yearlong program which focuses on teaching emerging leaders skills and knowledge to bring together public and private institutions to solve societal problems. Part of that program is that each member of the Fellowship must complete a service project. When I became familiar with RIP Medical Debt, I decided I wanted to use my service project to help eliminate medical debt for our communities in the Carolinas. 

In addition to an online campaign, I will be hosting a fundraising event at the HQ Capital Club in downtown Raleigh on February 7th, 2020. There will be drinks, light hors d'oeuvres, and a silent auction. If you would like to join us for the event, you can purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rip-medical-debt-fundraiser-tickets-76114992993. All of the proceeds from your ticket will go towards the goal of $30,000.

This money would go to individuals who probably feel like there are no other options to move on from a lingering medical bill. I am setting a goal of $30,000 to wipe out as much debt in the area as possible. Please donate as much or as little as you would like. Remember that whatever amount you donate – add two zeros to that amount, and that is how much total medical debt your donation will forgive. 

Thank you for considering this cause. 

Best regards,

Jordan Roberts 

Jordanmroberts1@gmail.com

RIP's Solution:

RIP Medical Debt's Solution: RIP Medical Debt uses donations to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios that have gone through collection agencies for months or years. Using third-party credit data providers, it targets debt incurred by people facing financial hardship, and then forgives it. On average, $1 is leveraged to abolish $100 in medical debt.

Please see the full RIP FAQ below and visit www.ripmedicaldebt.org for more information. 

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 $450 million in medical debt for individuals across the U.S., impacting over 250,000 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 has an adverse impact on 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 to negatively impact 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 with financial hardship - a debt that that is 5% or more of their annual income
• Individuals who are insolvent (debts greater to their assets)

Why Donate to RIP Medical Debt?

• Your dollar goes a long way! On average, $1 abolishes $100 of debt.
• 100 percent of your donation goes towards abolishing medical 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) is an act of generosity, so forgiveness of the debt does not count as being income to the gift recipient.

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