January 30, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Imagine opening a letter to find that a hospital bill you cannot pay has been forgiven. Gone, never again to appear on your credit report. No more collection calls!
A unique gift of kindness was inspired by Don Siegelman, Alabama’s Governor 1999-2003, Pastor Gary Furr, and entrepreneur Bart McCorquodale, CEO of McCorquodale Transfer to retire $4,193,799.11 in medical debt for 5,411 recipients in Alabama. They did it this month by employing RIP Medical Debt, the respected national charity that to date has abolished over $10B in such debt for seven million Americans since its inception in 2014.
The donation from Mr. McCorquodale not only cleared medical debt for people living in Alabama’s “Black Belt” region, but also for those in Alabama who live in areas demographically identical to Alabama’s Black Belt, including Jefferson, Madison, Montgomery, and Mobile counties.
“After a meeting last summer in which we discussed the moral concern of the plight of people without healthcare coverage,”
Gary Furr said, “Governor Siegelman emphasized the importance of finding a way to free and unstress people whose medical bills hurt their credit and limit their lives.” Bart McCorquodale said, “We had the resources, and we were willing to make that investment.”
“This gift is given in the hope that by paying off this burden it will lead to expanded Medicaid, and better medical emergency facilities and to solutions to keep this cycle of debt from repeating,” the former Alabama Governor Siegelman added. “Much of this debt could’ve been avoided if Alabama had expanded Medicaid. We have hospitals and clinics closing, and women who need OBGYN care without many options.” Rev. Furr added, “Healthcare in Alabama has reached a crisis that creates a burden for seniors, the most vulnerable and the working poor. It also cripples our smaller hospitals and rural communities struggling to stay afloat.”
The facts are clear. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, in 2019 this state had a higher percentage of the uninsured population (17.5%) than the rest of the U.S. (13.6 percent). The trio hope to join other leaders in the state who have been in conversation about expanding Medicaid through the use of existing federal funding. In this fashion, Alabamians could follow the lead of states like North Carolina, Louisiana, Iowa and Arkansas to create a public/private partnership to close the coverage gap.
“The support for this expansion is very strong in our state, both from the business and healthcare communities. It is one of the hindrances to people struggling to make it on limited incomes. But we need initiative from our state leaders to push it forward,” Rev. Furr said.
Siegelman added, “It’s long past time for this state to expand Medicaid, to work in partnership with Alabama Hospitals, and insurance providers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and use existing federal funds to close the coverage gap.”
Governor Siegelman thanked Jerry Ashton, Co-Founder of RIP Medical Debt, for his guidance that made this happen.
The RIP factor that makes medical debt forgiveness possible
Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico, both collection industry executives, co-founded RIP Medical Debt after an experience in Occupy Wall Street that upended their lives. Ashton said, “We were approached by members of the Occupy charity called The Rolling Jubilee to help them locate and buy medical debt so that they could forgive it as a way to bring public awareness to America’s trillion-dollar medical debt crisis. How could we say ‘no?’ As debt collectors, Craig and I were more than familiar with the pain caused by our country’s broken healthcare system.”
Although the campaign was successful, by late 2013 the Occupy movement and its charity faded away. Unwilling to let this important work end, in January 2014 the two launched RIP and put their experience and heart to work. To date, the charity has abolished over $10 billion in medical bills for over seven million Americans.
“This bold move by Governor Siegelman is a perfect way to positively impact the lives of Alabamans afflicted by unpayable healthcare bills while also framing a strong argument that the status quo has got to go,” Jerry said in a phone interview.
“Based on the size of the donation, he, Pastor Furr, and Bart McCorquodale have eliminated over $4 million in medical debt for over 5,000 Alabama residents,” Jerry computed. “A wonderful way in which to bring attention to Alabama’s healthcare needs.”
Contact
Jerry Ashton,
Co-Founder of RIP Medical Debt 347-802-7492
jerry@letsrethink-this.com
Gov. Don Siegelman
Paige Horace, Asst.
+1 334-498-0382
Dr. Gary Furr
alachmc@gmail.com
Want to help?
For More Information
Speak up for expanding health coverage in Alabama.
Go to Cover Alabama to find ways to speak out and has stories of how workers are affected.
Video
Faith leaders talk about health care access as a moral and spiritual issue.
“Faith and the Coverage Gap”
Contact your state representatives and speak for the uninsured
American Cancer Society Alabama Cancer Action Center
Get Involved–volunteer, participate, give to those working in the Black Belt to improve the lives of neighbors in areas of persistent poverty.
Together for Hope https://tfhope.org/black-belt
Alabama Rural Health Association
Resources to help families and children
get the HELP ALABAMA app or go to https://achmc.comhe Alabama Coalition for Healthy Mothers and Children
Get the HELP ALABAMA app for 2000 resources with a tap of the phone or go to https://achmc.com
The Flatpickin' Pilgrim's Progress 
Thank you Gary. You were part of such important work. Blessings Nancy
Check out the organizations where I do the work of my heart Be Present https://bepresent.org/ Wisdom & Money https://wisdomandmoney.org/ My journey with both organizations: Big Topics at Midnight https://nancymthurston.com/