March 26th, 2019
For Immediate Release<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact: Debbie Notkin, T: (510) 418-0627 E: kith@spicejar.org
Contact: JP Massar, T: (510) 883-0580 E: massar@alum.mit.edu
Strike Debt Bay Area: strike-debt-bay-area.tumblr.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oakland: Strike Debt Bay Area (SDBA), an organization devoted to working against unjust debt, in conjunction with national non-profit RIP Medical Debt (ripmedicaldebt.org), has begun its campaign to lift millions of
dollars of medical debt from the backs of East Bay residents.
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By buying up medical debt at pennies on the dollar, SDBA and RIP are in the process of turning millions of dollars of impossibly burdensome East Bay medical debt into\u2026 nothing. TV host John Oliver explained how this
works on Last Week Tonight in 2017 (tinyurl.com\/yy833k95). Debbie Notkin, one of SDBA\u2019s organizers, said:
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\u201cWe\u2019re buying it, and then we\u2019re going to rip it up. The only losers will be the bottom-feeding debt collectors who would otherwise be paid to harass poor people. Donors have already made it possible to eliminate some
$300,000 in debt; our immediate goal is to reach $1,500,000.\u201d
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Debtors will get a letter informing them that their obligation to pay has been terminated; they will no longer be receiving nasty letters and harassing phone calls from debt collectors; and they can concentrate on getting, or staying, healthy without the stress of unpayable debt.
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Kate Harrison, City of Berkeley Councilmember (for identification purposes only), an advocate for universal health care, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCompanies are raising insulin prices to the point where people are selling off their possessions, going into massive debt\u2026 or dying for lack of funds. This campaign is an excellent way to call attention to the absurdity of our medical services payment system, while helping out those seriously in need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just a $10 donation will unburden someone – who has to choose between paying medical debts and paying for life\u2019s necessities – of $1000 of debt.\u201d
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In similar campaigns, Michigan nurses erased $1 million in medical debt locally (www.ripmedicaldebt.org\/michigan-nurses\/), and high school students in Pensacola, Florida eradicated some $2.5 million (www.ripmedicaldebt.org\/pensacola-debt-sharks-whale\/).
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Donations can be made at the campaign website and a FAQ \u2013 with more information on the history of these campaigns and how this is all possible \u2013 is also available there: bit.ly\/2GVCtgT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
March 26th, 2019 For Immediate Release Contact: Debbie Notkin, T: (510) 418-0627 E: kith@spicejar.org Contact: JP Massar, T: (510) 883-0580 E: massar@alum.mit.edu Strike Debt Bay Area: strike-debt-bay-area.tumblr.com Oakland: Strike Debt Bay Area (SDBA), an organization devoted to working against unjust debt, in conjunction with national non-profit RIP Medical Debt (ripmedicaldebt.org),… Continue reading