Abolish Utah Medical Debt

Every dollar you donate forgives $100 in Medical Debt

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Campaign Created ByRIP Medical Debt
The Problem

In the past forty years, medical costs have doubled, insurance copays and deductibles have spiked, and bankruptcy rates have quadrupled, creating an avalanche of destructive medical debt. Over 60% of bankruptcies in America have medical debt as a root cause.

The situation is especially dire in Utah. U.S. court data shows Utah has the highest bankruptcy rate in the Western U.S.

One unexpected trip to the hospital can leave someone thousand’s of dollars in debt, even if they have insurance. People from Utah are used to working hard—there’s a reason it’s called the Beehive State— but medical debt can lead to a lifetime of working nights and weekends just to keep up with interest payments. Instead of enjoying life in Utah by relaxing in Flaming Gorge or exploring surreal Arches National Park, debtors will spend all their time trying to escape debt. Bad credit can deny someone a loan, an apartment, or even a job, often making the debt cycle nearly inescapable. 

How You Can Help

RIP Medical Debt uses your donations to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios on the secondary debt market and then forgives that debt at pennies on the dollar. On average, $1 is leveraged to abolish $100 in medical debt, and every donation through this page will be spent directly on abolishing medical debt in Utah.

There’s another reason Utah is the Beehive State: the spirit of cooperation that ties Utahns together. The people of Utah have always supported each other, and RIP Medical Debt can multiply the power of that support 100x. 

When debt relief recipients open the yellow envelope from RIP, they are told that their debt has been bought by a third party and erased with no strings attached. They owe nothing on the debt and face no tax penalty. A recent beneficiary wrote to us, saying:


“I read my letter over a few times to make sure it was the real thing. Receiving this debt relief renewed my faith that I can get back on track. It jump-started it – that we can do this – I can get back in the game! It’s unheard of what RIP does, and it’s a game changer in the medical world. It’s a game changer for me.” 

— Reagan, RIP Medical Debt Recipient of Debt Relief


Every dollar you contribute is a $100 investment in Utahn towns and cities. Money will stay in the community instead of being taken by out-of-state debt collectors. On average, $20.86 can abolish the medical debt of an entire family in Utah, allowing them to invest in a home, schooling, or retirement.

Campaign Support Recipients
Utah
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Donate by Check
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $58.50
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Melyn H. just donated $63.70
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $26.80
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    Michael O. just donated $26.80
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    Rochelle M. just donated $100

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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

Yes. We are a 501(c)(3) charity and your donation is 100% tax deductible.


Relevant Documents:

When we purchase a portfolio of medical debt, we abolish debt for individuals who:

  • Earn less than 4x the federal poverty level (varies by state, family size).
  • Debts are 5 percent or more of annual income.

We only buy debt that has been pre-qualified by our partners to meet at least one of these criteria. 

We never collect on debt we purchase, only relieve it.

No. With your help, we abolish medical debt permanently. Recipients have no adverse tax consequences, obligations, or strings attached.

For those whose medical debts are relieved, the relief is a gift from a detached and disinterested third party (RIP) as an act of generosity, so relief of the debt does not count as income to the debtor. We will not file a Form 1099-C with the IRS.

Due to HIPAA laws, RIP Medical Debt cannot disclose the names, contact information or any other specific details of the debt relief beneficiaries.

RIP Medical Debt cannot relieve debt by individual request.

While we would love to help everyone who needs assistance, RIP Medical Debt cannot abolish medical debt for specific individuals. We approach the problem of medical debt by acquiring large portfolios of debt to help thousands of people at once.

Because medical debt affects so many people who may not have debt accounts in the portfolios we purchase, we have compiled a list of resources that may be able to help in ways RIP Medical Debt cannot.

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Ready to Launch Your Own Debt Relief Campaign?