2014: all about the Ebola outbreak, the ALS ice bucket trend, and Taylor Swift’s “1989”. This year– only 11 years ago –held many positive and negative memories for the globe. But, one impact sticks out the most: the creation of Undue Medical debt. Founded in 2014, Undue Medical Debt has made its mission to “abolish billions of dollars in medical debt.”
Undue Medical Debt, originally known as RIP Medical Debt, was founded by two former debt collection executives named Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico. Alongside Ashton and Antico, healthcare industry expert Robert Goff aided in the beginning of the organization. Since its start, Undue Medical Debt has raised over $15 billion for families and individuals across the country. To donate and check out the website, click the link here.
Lincoln East’s Student Council has begun funding Undue Medical Debt, the change coming as of spring in 2024. Previous to this adjustment, the student council funded (and continues to fund) Make-A-Wish. The change was introduced and thoroughly discussed by council members and former advisor, Dylan Kitchen.
The idea was presented during a Friday meeting– a time when the whole council gets together and discusses upcoming events. Kitchen knew that it would be hard to adjust to the change, as most students in the council had been fundraising for Make-A-Wish since they joined the Student Council.
“I do remember that after [the decision] students collectively understood the difference in the impact that their fundraising can have,” Kitchen said. “Undue seemed like the best choice to pivot towards for the 2024-25 school year, while still fulfilling our obligation to Make-A-Wish for 2023-24.”
As the focus shifted towards Undue Medical Debt, several of the Student Council’s events have raised money for the cause with a website that has been set up in accordance with the donations received. In previous years, Student Council has funded and raised donations for many different organizations. Former member, Evan Heller, who was a member of the East Student Council from 2017-2019, recalls what the Student Council used to raise donations for.
“We did a lot with Make-A-Wish,” Heller said. “When I was here, that was our main thing, and in the state of Nebraska, it was very big.”
This year, Student Council decided to change its fundraising destination to Undue Medical Debt. Not only has this changed the trajectory of each event the council puts on, but it also forces a large change within the council– an objectively good thing to welcome amongst the council.
