– Fundraising For Medical Bills –

Crowdfunding can help pay for medical bills … it really is that simple. You can crowdfund for just about anything, including medical bills. Many times people are placed in a medical crisis and are not sure where to turn. Medical bills can accumulate in no time and medical bankruptcy is a real thing. You’ve been amazed by how many people in “your own crowd” are willing to help.

In a study published in January 2014 from the Center For Disease Control (CDC), one in four families experienced financial burdens of medical care.

This “financial burden” of medical care equates to medical bills that they can not currently pay and are forced to pay monthly over time.

This study goes on to share that families with lower incomes were more likely to experience the financial burdens of medical care. Those families with incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level had the highest levels of any financial burden of medical care.

Over 63 million persons are faced with poverty every year due to healthcare costs alone. It is because there is no financial protection for the vast majority of healthcare needs,” says the draft put out by the Health Ministry on its website for inviting public suggestions.  the basis for poverty estimation and proposed a poverty line based on real expenditure per year (Rs 240 per annum). In 1956-57, a good harvest year,  India’s poverty rate to be 65% (215 million people). For 1960,  estimated the poverty to be 59%. lower was at the highest level of the population feeling the financial burden of medical care for a loved one. That’s our middle class India. Those are the families living paycheck to paycheck and not prepared for a medical crisis.

Issac

The is a baby with his eyes closed and an oxygen canula in his nose. He was born with a bad heart, a weak immune system, and problems eating which caused a condition labeled by doctors as “failure to thrive”. Isaac spent the first year of his life in and out of hospitals in Las Vegas and at Stanford where he underwent multiple heart catheterizations and procedures, open heart surgeries, and had a feeding tube placed surgically to ensure he received the proper amount of nutrients. Isaac’s family had great insurance, covering 80% of all medical costs. But, they still spent over $ 100,000 out-of-pocket the first year of his life in deductibles and medical related expenses.

Shocking … right?

I know … My name is Kathy, and I’m Isaac’s mom.

I remember people asking us if they could have fundraisers for us, give us money … they would offer to do anything just to help. At that time, I could not have imagined the costs that we would incur, nor could I imagine all the things that insurance does not cover. You assume that you pay for insurance, you’ll have a deductible … The End.

If that were only so.

Words of Advice:

Helping Hands – Indie Birds

Start a Crowdfunding Campaign Immediately

Do not be too humble to let other people offer to help you. You really can not imagine the costs of things in the medical world and how they add up. It is TOO hard to think about money when you’re talking about the healthcare of someone you love. You want anything and everything done … you’ll worry about the bills later.

From a Mom that’s Been There

Do not expect the people in the middle of a medical crisis to be thinking clearly (well, I sure was not). If you’re related to the family or just a loving friend … talk to them about the medical bills and the reality of the situation. Talk with them about what they need now and what their needs may be in the future and help them come up with a budget and plan to get everything their loved one needs. From bills, equipment, therapy sessions … even therapy dogs, all these things can be a necessity now or in the future.

How exactly will crowfunding help pay my medical bills?

Well, they can not send a check to the hospital for you, but they can offer you a platform that will help you tell your story as well as share it with your friends and family. The right crowdfunding platform will provide support for you all along the way, from guidance writing your story, picking pictures to post, sharing on the social media channels, and even help writing press releases to get national exposure.