Somos Votantes Education Fund Announces First Wave of Medical Debt Relief, Eliminates Over $133 Million for over 128,000 People in Nevada
Partners with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to bring relief to hardworking Nevadans
LAS VEGAS, NV — Today, as the cost of health care continues to skyrocket and health insurance premiums are expected to increase, Somos Votantes Education Fund announced its first wave of medical debt relief eliminating $128,933,215 million in medical debt for 124,916 hardworking Nevadans in Clark County, NV and an additional $4,898,948 million for 3,559 in Washoe County, NV.
Eligible community members do not need to apply, and there is no application process. Instead, community members who qualify for this one-time debt relief will receive a branded envelope from national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt the week of November 24th indicating which debt has been eliminated. Under Undue Medical Debt guidelines, those who qualify for this medical debt relief have medical debts that are 5% or more of their annual income or earn at or below four times the federal poverty level (just over $100,000 for a family of three). Undue acquires qualifying medical debts in bulk from providers like hospitals and also collection agencies for pennies or less on the dollar and then erases them out of the blue. One dollar donated erases $100 of medical debt, on average.
"When debt is eliminated, opportunity begins to grow, and that is good for everyone," said Melissa Morales, President and Founder of Somos Votantes Education Fund. "That's why we are proud to partner with Undue Medical Debt and eliminate over $133 million of medical debt for over 128,000 hardworking Nevadans. This much-needed economic relief will allow entire families to focus on building a good life instead of choosing between paying for care or covering rent and groceries. And we are not done yet. Today's announcement is only part of our ongoing commitment to fighting for real solutions that make life more affordable for real people."
"We're thrilled to partner with Somos Votantes Education Fund on this transformative medical debt relief initiative that will bring much-needed financial and emotional support to tens of thousands of Nevada families," said Undue Medical Debt President and CEO Allison Sesso. "Medical debt is a burden that no one chooses — people don't choose to get sick, injured or have a chronic condition. This partnership will help those least able to pay these burdensome debts of necessity, and we hope recipients feel encouraged to re-engage with the health care system without fear of the cost. We're grateful to work with community-focused leaders like the Somos Votantes Education Fund team who recognize that removing these unpayable debts helps families and communities thrive."
Recent national polling by Undue Medical Debt highlights the growing health care affordability crisis, with nearly half of respondents (45%) struggling to afford common medical expenses and more than one-third of (35%) carrying medical debt.
This medical debt relief is part of Seeds of Relief, a new program by Somos Votantes Education Fund aimed at providing direct economic relief for working people and will include future efforts to provide much-needed economic resources to those who need it the most. Community members can sign up to learn more about the program via Somos Votantes Education Fund’ ongoing work here.
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About Somos Votantes Education Fund
Somos Votantes Education Fund is a 501c3 nonpartisan civic engagement organization dedicated to educational and charitable programs that empower the Latino community.