I want to share information about campaign to make a difference in Western North Carolina.  Every day I turn on the television or radio, open up my computer or phone and get more bad news or learn about another situation over which I have no control and try not to despair. In December, after reading this article,

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/nyregion/medical-debt-charity-ny.html. 

I discovered that these women in Ithaca found a way to make a difference in New York State, and I was able to join with some other Buncombe County residents to make this happen here in Western North Carolina. We contacted RIP Medical Debt, Inc. and  formed a steering committee to try to eradicate medical debt in Western North Carolina.  RIP did the research and determined that there was more than $1,500,000 of debt here in 34 western North Carolina counties.  We are determined to erase that debt.

Mountain Xpress Article

Please check out my commentary that appeared in the Mountain Xpress.  It explains even more about our campaign.

https://mountainx.com/opinion/debt-destroyers-locals-launch-campaign-to-relieve-wnc-medical-debt/

Facts about Medical Debt

Not a day goes by without distressing news concerning some aspect of healthcare in the United States.  Stories about unaffordable premiums, limits on payouts for procedures, and rules for preexisting conditions all make understanding and working within our system very challenging.  One of the most challenging issues of all is the resulting economic reality of medical debt and its unintended consequences on the lives of so many people who are caught in this nightmare. 

1 in 5 people living in the U.S.. are grappling with medical debt;

Nearly 50% of all credit card debt in the US is from medical debt;

Medical debt contributes to 60% of all bankruptcies in America, negatively impacting their ability to buy a home, get a loan or even gain employment;

More than 40% of Americans wouldn’t be able to cover an emergency expense of $400; and

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 are unable to pay for food, heat, or housing because of medical bills.

How can RIP Medical Debt make this debt go away for pennies on the dollar.  The best explanation of this was made by John Oliver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wSarEVgjM0

So here is how it works for our Western North Carolina group. Our steering committee has agreed to raise $15,000.  Once we have raised that amount RIP will finalize the purchase the debt and send forgiveness letters to all the persons owing that debt, over $1,500,000 of debt.  The debt will be gone, and RIP will contact credit rating agencies and assure that those debts get taken off the credit ratings of the people that owed those amounts.

Whose unpayable medical bills does RIP forgive?

• Individuals who earn less than 200% of 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 than their assets)

Why Donate to RIP Medical Debt?

Your dollar goes a long way:   $1 abolishes $100 of debt!  For every $25 you give, $2500 of debt is erased.  $100 takes away $10,000.

100% of your donation goes towards abolishing medical debt.  Its overhead and administrative costs are paid through other funds.

RIP Medical Debt is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and the 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) and is an act of generosity, so forgiveness of the debt is not considered income to the gift recipient.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Help me raise my share of our fund raising goal.  Make a donation by April 15, 2019 to our NC specific fundraising campaign. 

Click on the  red "Donate Now" button,  

or mail your check (designating the NC Campaign) to:

RIP Medical Debt

Western North Carolina account/Linda
80 Theodore Fremd Avenue

Rye, NY 10580

Please make all checks payable to “RIP Medical Debt”

We are hopeful that together our group will raise more that $15,000 and any funds in excess of that amount will go the RIP Medical Debt national campaign to pay down the medical debt of veterans all over the country.

Share this appeal with your friends and everybody you know.  Together we can make a tremendous difference in so many peoples’ lives.

Thank you,

Linda