Episode 151: Jared Walker, Founder of Dollar For

Uninvisible Pod with Lauren Freedman

Overview

Jared Walker founded Dollar For in 2012 in Portland, Oregon. Now a national non-profit crushing medical bills and making charity care known, easy, and fair, the organization was born out of a desire to help folks in medical crisis after Jared witnessed his own family's experience with — you guessed it — crushing medical debt. Dollar For eliminates said medical debt by empowering patients and advocating on their behalf, because, as they believe: a medical crisis should not lead to a financial crisis. The organization helps patients check if they are eligible for financial assistance at their hospital, prepares and submits applications, and eliminates those medical bills — for free, no strings attached. Jared is on a mission to pulverize as many medical bills as he can while educating patients and empowering patient advocates.

Key Links

Key links mentioned in this episode:

Dollar For

Instagram

TikTok

Twitter

Takeaway

Tune in as Jared shares:

* why he founded Dollar For in 2012, after his own family underwent crushing medical debt

* why he thinks it’s truly ridiculous that medical crises in America usually also bring financial crises along with them — and how this doesn’t serve patients at all

* how he learned about charity care programs (enforceable as a result of the adoption of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)

* what charity care is — and why enforcing this program can save patients MILLIONS

* how medical debt can negatively impact our credit and force many into bankruptcy

* why he took to social media to spread the message about charity care

* why he thinks charity care flew under the radar for so long — and why it continues to do so

* why federal minimum income thresholds are different from state-to-state, and how this can affect access to charity care

* what the federal threshold limit is on the use of charity care (how much time patients have to utilize this bill payment option — 240 days!)

* what accountability looks like between state and federal agencies and hospitals — and how Dollar For often stands in as an intermediary

* that putting hospitals on blast on social media has often been a more effective tool to enforce charity care than letters from legal sources

* why social media patient activism makes Jared hopeful for the future

* his estimate that 30% of Americans would qualify for charity care based on income alone

* where Dollar For’s bill forgiveness tally was at in April of 2022: $16 million (as of this episode release, they’ve surpassed $28 million!)

* how he works to match his volunteers’ strengths with patient needs

* the demographics of the patients Dollar For works with: largely the elderly, and individuals who speak English as a second language

* how so many hospitals game the system to hide charity care from patients in need

* Jared’s take on medical PTSD — and how medical debt contributes to the experience

* how Jared sees the future of healthcare costs in America — and that the solution is to empower patients

* practical tips for asking hospitals to consider your bill for forgiveness under charity care: write a letter!

* Jared’s advice on NOT becoming complacent about large medical bills as they arrive

* why NOT to put your hospital bill on a credit card

* that if you’ve paid bills on a payment plan and later find out your bill was eligible for charity care — you are eligible for a FULL REFUND

* how Dollar For was first invited to the White House by Vice President Kamala Harris (they continue to be invited to this day, and are working with stakeholders to enforce and create awareness of charity care programs on a broader level)

Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by Gena Chieco Coaching. Get 10% off Executive & Life Coaching using code INVISIBLE! With a background in psychology and law, Gena inspires clients to step into their best lives by helping them access their inner strengths, clear the cobwebs holding them back, and cultivate a dream-big, growth mindset.

Transcript

Coming soon!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uninvisiblepod.substack.com