Rural Advocacy Association Makes Donation to Alleviate $1 Million in Medical Debt

Communicating for America donation will help pay for medical bills of individuals who earn less than two times the federal poverty level and have debts that are 5% or more of annual income

FERGUS FALLS, Minn.--()--Communicating for America (CA), a rural advocacy association focused on health care access for the self-employed and the betterment of rural communities is pleased to announce it has donated $10,000 to RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit that forgives health care debt on behalf of individual donors, philanthropists and organizations. The donation allows RIP Medical Debt to negotiate medical bills with providers, granting $1 million in debt forgiveness to Americans across the country.

“Medical debt is stifling our nation, particularly in hard-hit rural communities who are typically an older population fielding higher bills for care while watching rural hospitals close at an alarming rate,” said Patty Strickland, President of CA. “When medical debt is greater than a person’s individual assets, it’s impossible to dig out. That is why CA has partnered with RIP Medical Debt - to help combat the rising cost of health care. As an organization focused on advocating for health care access and pricing fairness, it felt not only like a good thing to do but the right thing to do.”

Founded in 1972, CA is an organization that promotes the health, well-being and the advancement of all self-employed Americans and small business owners, particularly those residing in rural America. Currently, the association is promoting rural broadband expansion to aid health providers and residents get more access to telemedicine benefits and ensuring affordable health care for all. Other advocacy issues the organization focuses on are health care price transparency, tax policy and agricultural apprenticeship programs.

RIP Medical Debt was established in 2014, and 100% of donations to the organization go towards its debt abolishment program. The gift of medical debt forgiveness is considered an act of generosity, and the debt does not count as income to the debtor, allowing individuals to completely eliminate their medical bills. The program gained attention in 2016 when John Oliver, talk-show host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, set up his own debt reduction company and forgave $15 million of medical debt on the air.

“CA believes that Americans should be guaranteed a minimum standard of health care and insurance at a reasonable cost. When that standard is no longer attainable, something needs to change. We will continue to strive for pricing equity and the elimination of surprise billing so no one has to face near bankruptcy due to medical debt,” said Strickland.

About Communicating for America
Communicating for America, Inc. (CA) is a nationwide nonpartisan organization that represents about 100,000 small businesses, self-employed and agricultural members across America. Since 1972 CA has been working on small business, tax, healthcare and agricultural policy issues on behalf of its members. For more information visit www.communicatingforamerica.org.

Contacts

Media contact: Colleen McGuire | 651-338-8822 | colleen@colleenmcguire.com

 

Contacts

Media contact: Colleen McGuire | 651-338-8822 | colleen@colleenmcguire.com