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 11/14/2024: $2,437.20

Campaign Support Recipients

Orange County, California

Fundraise for This Campaign

Start a fundraiser to help those in need. Set a personal fundraising goal and track online donations easily.

Fundraise Now

How Undue Works

Over a hundred million Americans, one in three, struggles with the weight of medical debt.

Who We Help

Debt Resources

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.
Undue 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my donation tax deductible?

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

Who qualifies for medical debt relief?

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

Earn 4x or below the federal poverty level
Have medical debt that is 5 percent or more of their annual income.

We only buy debt that meets at least one of these criteria.

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

Do recipients of debt relief have any adverse consequences?

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

Medical debt relief is a gift from a detached and disinterested third party (Undue) 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.

Can donors see whose debt is relieved by their donation?

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

Can I apply for debt relief?

Undue Medical Debt cannot relieve debt by individual request.

While we would love to help everyone who needs assistance, Undue cannot abolish medical debt for specific individuals. We acquire large, bundled portfolios of debt to help thousands of people at once and we can only erase debts that providers like hospitals and physicians are willing to sell to us.

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.

About Undue

Undue Medical Debt is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit which leverages donations to buy large, bundled medical debts at steep discounts, providing immediate, no strings attached relief to financially vulnerable families. On average one dollar donated erases $100 of medical debt. We also help people with medical debt share their stories, which informs our approach to fixing the healthcare system, whether by policy solutions or collaborating with likeminded partners.

More Campaigns

48% raised of $10,000 goal
Empower Nebraskans: Help Eliminate Medical Debt
Supporting
Nebraska
Created By Creighton University’s Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP)
Help us reach our $2,500,000 goal
New York City Medical Debt Relief Campaign
Supporting
New York
Created By Undue Medical Debt
$53.20 raised of $20,000 goal
THE SECOND ANNUAL “HELP PUT MEDICAL DEBT ON LIFE SUPPORT” CAMPAIGN
Supporting
Virginia
Created By Kara Pitek
16% raised of $500,000 goal
Help Abolish Ohio Medical Debt Today
Supporting
Ohio
Created By Undue Medical Debt