Midwest primary care providers donate money to erase $1.4M in medical debt

The Midwest Direct Primary Care Alliance, a group of primary care clinics in Kansas and Missouri, donated more than $10,000 to buy $1.4 million in unpaid medical bills.

By partnering with RIP Medical Debt, which buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar, the alliance helped erase medical expenses of 784 people in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

"When I worked within the large hospital systems, I couldn't tell you how much an MRI was, or what a lab would cost the patient. As doctors, we had been blinded to the cost of care, and — whether we like it or not — we bore some responsibility for patients' bills," said care alliance member Ryan Neuhofel, DO, of Lawrence, Kan. 

"But now it's our job, as direct primary care providers, to prioritize thinking about healthcare costs in the context of care and prevent debt like this from piling up in the first place."

The care alliance plans to erase more debt for local residents through a crowdfunding campaign. More information on the campaign is available here.

 

More articles on healthcare finance:

How financial distress forecasting can help hospitals avoid closure
Medicare office visit payments standardized in new proposal
Pennsylvania long-term care facility to shutter, lay off 122 employees

 

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Articles We Think You'll Like

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars