Temple Sinai DC Medical Debt Relief Campaign

$20,731.90
raised of $21,000 goal
98%
Donate by Check
Campaign Created ByTemple Sinai DC

Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve surpassed our initial goal of $10,000! Our new goal will be $21,000 to eliminate debt in DC and Montgomery County, Maryland!

Join Temple Sinai, its Multiracial Sinai Committee, and The Davis Center, in eradicating medical debt that burdens our fellow residents in the District and Maryland. Medical debt is an overwhelming concern for more than 90,000 people in DC and over 600,000 individuals in Maryland. This is not just a financial issue; it’s a matter of racial justice and disability justice. Our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) neighbors are disproportionately affected, being three times more likely to bear the weight of medical debt compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, those with chronic illnesses face an even heavier burden.  

With the collaboration of Tzedek DC, Temple Sinai is working with RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit organization providing debt relief to underserved communities.  Here’s how it works: for every $10,000 we raise, RIP Medical Debt can eliminate a staggering $1 million in medical debt.  And the impact doesn’t stop there. RIP goes a step further by completely erasing medical debt from patients’ credit reports, offering them a fresh start.  The debt that will be erased will be targeted exclusively to residents in the District and Montgomery County.  

Your generous donation can make a tangible impact on the lives of our local neighbors and contribute to the ongoing efforts to address historical injustices and support reparations for communities that have been systematically disadvantaged. Stand with us in this crucial effort to provide relief and hope to those burdened by medical debt. Together, we can create a healthier, more equitable future. 

For more background, please watch the recording of the October 19, 2023 Temple Sinai Program:  Equity Reimagined: Medical Debt Overhaul, Reparations and Policy Transformation in the DMV


If you would like to donate using a Donor Advised Fund, please: 

  • Include Temple Sinai DC Campaign in your instructions for the payment 
  • Ask the Fund Manager to send your gift to: Medical Debt Resolution Inc. (DBA: RIP Medical Debt)  28-07 Jackson Ave.,5th Fl, Long Island City, NY 11101
  • Federal Tax ID number: 47-1442997
Campaign Support Recipients
District of Colombia
Montgomery County, Maryland
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$20,731.90
raised of $21,000 goal
98%
Donate by Check
  • Recent Donations
  • Donor Avatar
    Temple Sinai DC campaign just donated $1,000
  • Donor Avatar
    Liz B. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Ken S. just donated $1,000
  • Donor Avatar
    Rod C. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Paulis W. just donated $26.80
  • Donor Avatar
    Sarah B. just donated $53.20
  • Donor Avatar
    Anonymous just donated $1,000
  • Donor Avatar
    Nancy G. just donated $128

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.

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?