Orange County Medical Debt Relief 2024
Nearly one in ten Americans owe significant medical debt, a burden that can become crippling as living costs and interest rates rise.
Here are some stark facts:
- 66% of all bankruptcies are tied to medical debt
- 44% of Americans cannot afford their medical deductible and cost sharing expenses.
Over the past decade, a nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt (now renamed as Undue Medical Debt) has designed a novel approach to chip away at this problem. Undue Medical Debt solicits donations through crowdfunding campaigns to purchase portfolios of medical debt on the debt market, where the bundles of medical debt trade at steeply discounted prices. Then, instead of attempting to collect on it as a normal buyer would, they forgive the debt for those who qualify. To qualify, the debt needs to be 5% or more of a person’s annual income and the earning is at or less than 4x federal poverty level.
With Fr Duy and the Diocese of Orange County’s blessings, San Francisco Solano Catholic Church ministries led by the Knights of Columbus Council 16488 have decided to start a crowdfunding campaign this year to abolish ALL the available debt in Orange County which sits at $1.6 million dollars by raising $16,000 by June 2025. All benefactors will get a letter from Undue Medical Debt stating that their debt has been wiped out courtesy of the Knights of Columbus and ministries at SF Solano Catholic Church. This is our opportunity to be the Good Samaritan that God calls us out to be for the community at large.
You can make a direct donation by clicking the button above or by sending a check. Additionally, you can contribute through an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (if you are over age 70½) or a Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
To donate through your IRA or DAF, start by using the “Donate by Check” link above and then contact your IRA or DAF trustee to arrange the transfer. Please include the campaign name “Orange County Medical Debt Relief 2024” with your donation. Your contribution remains completely anonymous and will be tax deductible.
You can listen to a podcast on this subject: Click Here
Knights of Columbus Contributions:
- As of 12/2/2024: $2,437.20
