Club Spotlight: Crushing Medical Debt at VCU
By Rana Ansari
As of February 2022, every 1 in 7 Virginians has medical debt, with the median amount sitting at $690. When narrowing down the figures to Virginians in communities of color, the median amount increases to $790.
This is a very large number that feels unsettling to anyone reading it. When it comes to medical care, a financial barrier feels almost inhumane, a violation of human rights. This is how VCU honors student, Rebecca Gunnin felt about “one of the largest issues in the country.”
As a junior currently pursuing a biology degree, and interested in pursuing an MD-PhD degree, Gunnin is interested in the human body, and diseases that can be inflicted upon it. 
After founding the Crushing Medical Debt at VCU (CMD) organization and “taking the step back to see the larger, post-care effects on patients within our healthcare system experience” she reports it has been a “deeply humbling and grounding experience.”
As of February 2022, every 1 in 7 Virginians has medical debt, with the median amount sitting at $690. When narrowing down the figures to Virginians in communities of color, the median amount increases to $790.
Established in March of 2022, Crushing Medical Debt at VCU is an organization dedicated to bringing together students passionate about assisting low-income Americans who have medical debt, particularly in applying for and receiving medical-debt forgiveness.
Before the organization was started, Gunnin discovered the organization Dollar For, a patient advocacy group for those in medical debt, and their search for more volunteers. She knew several VCU pre-medical students who would be able to fill this gap and was able to create a pipeline to the organization through CMD.
Volunteer work through Dollar For includes assisting patients in understanding and navigating charity clinics and hospitals so that they can request and be forgiven for medical debt costs. By partnering with the organization, Dollar For, they have, as of September 2022, aided in the submission of $80,000 of forgiveness for medical debt, with $13,000 forgiven.
Gunnin’s greatest and most rewarding moments as the president of CMD have been through direct contact with community members who have been positively impacted.
Conversations with those throughout Richmond, whether that be healthcare providers or patients, are those that will not be forgotten, and can not be found anywhere else.
They consist of stories of “enormous bills, insurance disputes, misleading pricing, and collections agencies,” which are usually a result of a sudden emergency room visit. Being a part of CMD allows the opportunity for one to learn to be a patient advocate, guiding those in need to useful resources.
By partnering with the organization, Dollar For, they have, as of September 2022, aided in the submission of $80,000 of forgiveness for medical debt, with $13,000 forgiven.
Through her experiences with Dollar For and CMD, Gunnin and the CMD co-founder recently established the Advocate Collective (AC), an organization dedicated to “creating a universal directory of health resources designed for patients, by advocates.”
A lot of the time, useful resources can get left out in a physician visit because of time limitations. The purpose of AC is to alleviate these burdens and show both patients and providers what’s available! If you are interested in learning more, please visit advocatecollective.org.
Gunnin’s experiences with Dollar For, Crushing Medical Debt, and expansion with Advocate Collective have strengthened her medical aspirations and hopes to do more for patients and patient advocacy in the future, beyond the medical level.
Regardless of your future goals, dreams, or aspirations, Americans are in need of assistance to tackle the growing problem of debt. As VCU students, we are filled with passion and always work together for the greater community, regardless of the personal return.
For the past month, Crushing Medical Debt has been contacting and interacting with various food banks in Virginia to make awareness of Dollar For’s services.
If you are interested in learning more or participating in their recent projects, click this link to join, and start crushing medical debt in America!
Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Gunnin