RIP Medical Debt

What RIP Medical Debt does

Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 that acquires and abolishes medical debt for financially vulnerable Americans. The organization uses donor contributions to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios at steep discounts from debt holders (primarily healthcare providers and collection agencies), with a stated leverage of approximately $10 donated relieving $1,000 of debt. Since inception, the organization reports abolishing over $6.7 billion in medical debt, including a 2023 initiative that eliminated $110 million for nearly 70,000 individuals across five states, funded by grants from SCAN Health Plan and CareOregon.

The organization operates without proprietary technology, relying instead on its debt purchasing expertise, relationships with healthcare providers, and a multi-channel donor engagement model. Revenue derives entirely from charitable contributions, including individual donations (one-time and recurring via the Medical Debt Relief Alliance), foundation grants, corporate giving partnerships, and alternative giving vehicles (stock, cryptocurrency, IRA distributions). The organization serves five primary stakeholder groups: financially vulnerable individuals burdened by medical debt, low-income communities targeted through regional campaigns, corporate partners, government entities (city, county, state), and healthcare providers seeking to address unpaid patient bills. It operates from Rye, New York with a mailing address in Boston, Massachusetts, and maintains a lean staff of 11-50 employees.

Beyond direct debt relief, the organization engages in policy advocacy, publishing research including bipartisan voter surveys on medical debt protections and a clinician-focused report ('First Do No Harm'). Strategic partnerships include official charity partnerships with the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon and 2027 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon. The organization holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR, lending brand credibility. In 2024, the organization rebranded from RIP Medical Debt to Undue Medical Debt while preserving its core mission.

Name

RIP Medical Debt

Legal name

Undue Medical Debt

Website

https://ripmedicaldebt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses donor contributions to purchase and abolish bundled medical debt at steep discounts, serving financially vulnerable Americans across the United States since 2014.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Debt Relief

NAICS

Collection Agencies (56144)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Debt Collection & Revenue Cycle Bad-Debt Recovery (FSAKAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Debt Buying & Portfolio Acquisition (Charged-Off Receivables) (FSAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Medical debt relief
• Charitable debt abolition
• Nonprofit healthcare fundraising
• Medical debt purchasing
• Financial assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rye

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute funds which are used to purchase bundled medical debt at steep discounts (approximately $10 donates $1,000 of debt relief on average). This is the primary revenue stream enabling the organization's operations.
2. Foundation Grants: Healthcare organizations and foundations provide grants to fund debt abolition initiatives. SCAN and CareOregon granted funds used to purchase and abolish $110 million in medical debt.
3. Corporate Giving Partnerships: Corporate partners engage in mission-aligned, hyper-local corporate giving opportunities to support medical debt relief campaigns.
4. Alternative Giving Methods: The organization accepts donations via stock, cryptocurrency, and IRA distributions, providing diverse avenues for supporters to contribute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RIP Medical Debt (operating as Undue Medical Debt) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses charitable donations to purchase bundled portfolios of delinquent medical debt at steep discounts on the secondary market, then abolishes that debt on behalf of financially vulnerable households. The organization offers one-time and campaign-based debt relief initiatives alongside a recurring monthly giving program (the Medical Debt Relief Alliance), pairing immediate debt abolition with systemic policy advocacy.

Product overview

Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single integrated platform for medical debt relief. The core offering is the Medical Debt Relief Campaigns program, which leverages donations to purchase and abolish medical debt at steep discounts (approximately $1,000 relieved per $10 donated). Supporting programs include the Medical Debt Relief Alliance (MDRA) for recurring monthly donations, Corporate Giving for business partnerships, and dedicated Healthcare Provider and Government Partnership modules that enable collaborative community-focused debt relief initiatives. Together, these products form a holistic approach combining immediate debt relief with systemic policy work to address the root causes of medical debt.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Debt Relief Campaigns Core service in which donations fund the purchase of bundled medical debt portfolios at steep discounts on the secondary market, with the debt then abolished on behalf of financially vulnerable households across the United States.
• Medical Debt Relief Alliance (MDRA) Subscription-style recurring giving program that lets individual supporters contribute on a monthly basis within their set budget, providing predictable funding for ongoing medical debt abolition.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.7 billion+ in medical debt abolished
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare providers to erase unpaid medical debts. The organization works with providers to supplement community and financial assistance programs.
• Government PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with city, county, and state governments around the country to relieve medical debt for residents and elevate the issue of medical debt while centering practical solutions.
• Medical Debt Relief Alliance (MDRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated group for monthly donors providing recurring support for medical debt relief. Members give on a monthly basis within their set budget.
• New York Road RunnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial charity partner of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, mobilizing runners and supporters to provide tangible relief to thousands of neighbors.
• ASICS / Los Angeles MarathonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial charity partner of the 2027 ASICS Los Angeles Marathon, mobilizing runners and supporters to provide tangible relief to thousands of Californians.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dollar For: Dollar For is a nonprofit that helps patients apply for hospital charity care to eliminate medical bills, directly competing for the same 'medical debt relief for vulnerable Americans' donor and beneficiary audience as Undue Medical Debt. Although its mechanism (charity-care enrollment) differs from Undue's portfolio-buying approach, both organizations sell the same outcome: forgiven medical debt.
• Patient Advocate Foundation: Patient Advocate Foundation provides case management and direct financial aid to patients with chronic, life-threatening, and debilitating illnesses, including help resolving medical debt. It competes with Undue for healthcare-focused donors and addresses the same beneficiary pain points around unpaid medical bills.

Emerging players

• PAN Foundation: PAN Foundation is a national nonprofit that provides financial assistance to underinsured patients to help cover out-of-pocket medical costs. It overlaps with Undue on the financial-relief-for-medical-debt mission and competes for similar donor dollars, though its mechanism is co-pay assistance rather than debt portfolio purchase.
• HealthWell Foundation: HealthWell Foundation is a leading independent nonprofit copay and premium assistance program that helps underinsured Americans afford medical care. Like Undue, it sits at the intersection of healthcare finance and philanthropy and addresses the same population burdened by medical costs.
• NeedyMeds: NeedyMeds is a national nonprofit that maintains a database of patient-assistance programs and runs a medical-debt relief program for diagnosed patients who cannot afford care. It is directly comparable as another nonprofit channel for medical-debt relief, with partial overlap on target beneficiaries.
• Good Days (formerly Chronic Disease Fund): Good Days provides financial assistance for patients who cannot afford the medications and treatment they need, including help with medical bills. It overlaps with Undue on the financial-relief-for-medical-expenses mission and on the underinsured patient segment.
• Patient Access Network Foundation: PAN Foundation (distinct entity reference) focuses on copay and travel assistance for patients with serious illnesses, operating in adjacent philanthropic medical-finance space. Comparable in mission and donor audience to Undue, though its aid mechanism (direct copay coverage) differs from debt-portfolio purchase.

Others

• Rolling Jubilee: Rolling Jubilee is a debt-buying and forgiveness initiative that buys and forgives distressed debt at steep discounts — the same core operational model Undue Medical Debt pioneered for medical debt. It is thematically and operationally comparable, though its scale and category focus (mixed consumer debt) are narrower.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unduemeddebt
• Facebookfacebook.com/unduemedicaldebt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/undue-medical-debt
• Instagraminstagram.com/unduemeddebt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RIP Medical Debt