Sunrise Movement Santa Barbara
Supporting Medical Debt Relief in Santa Barbara and California
To donate to this campaign by mail, please send a check:
Payable To:
RIP Medical Debt
Address:
RIP Medical Debt
P. O. Box 411675
Boston, MA 02241-1675
Memo Line:
Sunrise SB — 47282
Help Sunrise Movement SB Support Medical Debt Relief in SB County and California
We’re the Santa Barbara Hub of the Sunrise Movement, a self-organized, youth-based movement fighting for climate justice. We were inspired to raise funds to abolish medical debt by other youth groups who helped eradicate local medical debt. We believe all social issues—from climate change to medical debt—are interconnected and affect everyone.
As firm believers in mutual aid, we fight to reform our healthcare system and raise money to provide immediate relief to thousands of people in California. In collaboration with RIP Medical Debt, we aim to raise $10,000 to eliminate $1 million in medical debt and relieve this burden for thousands.
How it works:
- You donate, and RIP Medical Debt uses data, processes, and systems to locate Santa Barbarans and Californians who are most in need: Those who earn less than 4x the poverty level or whose debt is 5% or more of their income.
- RIP Medical Debt buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar from secondary markets, averaging $0.50-$1.00 for every $100. This means $1 could buy $100 or more of medical debt.
- Once we fundraise $10,000 together, RIP Medical Debt buys off and eliminates over $1 million of medical debt, and beneficiaries receive letters that their debt is gone, with no strings attached.
Campaign Support Recipients
- Recent Donations
- Eric B. just donated $529
- Anonymous just donated $106
- Daniel L. just donated $300
- Marilyn M. just donated $265
- Melissa M. just donated $529
- Linn M. just donated $250
- Anonymous just donated $5.60
- Joanna K. just donated $26.80
To donate to this campaign by mail, please send a check:
Payable To:
RIP Medical Debt
Address:
RIP Medical Debt
P. O. Box 411675
Boston, MA 02241-1675
Memo Line:
Sunrise SB — 47282
- Recent Donations
- Eric B. just donated $529
- Anonymous just donated $106
- Daniel L. just donated $300
- Marilyn M. just donated $265
- Melissa M. just donated $529
- Linn M. just donated $250
- Anonymous just donated $5.60
- Joanna K. just donated $26.80
New research on the impacts of medical debt
A new survey published by PerryUndem in 2023 shows that medical debt is a shared experience for patients across the country.
Key Findings
Patients are making tradeoffs that affect their daily lives.
- Nearly 7 in 10 Nearly 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they receive medical bills they cannot afford. Many are forced to delay paying the bill, put it on a credit card, or challenge the bill.
- 6 in 10 Six in ten patients report they have self-treated, delayed, or skipped dental and medical appointments. Thirty-four percent report changing the foods they eat or eating less food to afford health care.
People and patients feel trapped in debt and see no way out. They see medical debt as different from other forms of debt - entirely the fault of institutions and systems, and not something consumers have any control over.
- Nearly 50% Nearly half feel trapped and believe they will never be able to pay off their debt, while a third of respondents reported feeling heightened depression and anxiety.
- Nearly 9 in 10 Nearly 9 in 10 blame the health care industry for fueling the medical debt crisis - not patients themselves. They say the problem stems from the system putting profit over patients.
Fundraise for This Campaign
Start a fundraiser to help those in need. Set a personal fundraising goal and track online donations easily with RIP.
How RIP Works
Over a hundred million Americans, one in three, struggles with the weight of medical debt.
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You make a donation
We use data analytics to pinpoint the debt of those most in need: households that earn less than 4x the federal poverty level (varies by state, family size) or whose debts are 5% or more of annual income.
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RIP buys medical debt at a steep discount
We buy debt in bundles, millions of dollars at a time at a fraction of the original cost. This means your donation relieves about 100x its value in medical debt.
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Together we wipe out medical debt
People across the country receive letters that their debt has been erased. They have no tax consequences or penalties to consider. Just like that, they’re free of medical debt.
Frequent Questions
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