Cary Harrison interviews Jerry Ashton about how our military veterans are burdened by medical debt.
Jerry discusses the problem with how Veterans Affairs processes claims, veteran homelessness, and veteran suicide.
Hear the solutions to the VA's discretionary authority and how veteran medical debt could be forgiven. #EndVetMedDebt
What do you do in the 21st century when war breaks out and you are not a soldier? If you “rethink your role as a citizen” as did Mark Nezvisky, you go to the virtual front-line.
“Not everyone can carry a gun,” explained Mark. “We didn’t want to simply head for shelter when the alarms started – we decided to use our connections in the cypto and NFT world. At least we could raise money for the war, for hospitals or other humanitarian needs.” He continues:
“It’s our way of contributing to the future of our country. It’s our digital front. We want to live in a free, independent country called Ukraine. We want to make our own decisions on what our country would be like. It’s our fight for democracy.”
Mark’s “team” initially comprised himself, his wife, a sister and her husband to create a beautiful NFT collection available for purchase by people wanting to materially contribute to the Ukrainian army, their hospitals and much-needed help with essentials such as food and health goods.
At the moment, they have a telegram group with more than ten designers, some who have already contributed their artwork for the NFT collection while others have just started and are deep in that process.
“We also have a marketing specialist, Nazar Stepanyuk who joined us recently and we need many more with his skills to help us promote the collection. Although we did consult with 2 more marketing specialists on the best marketing strategies,” Mark explained, adding:
Everyone who’s contributing, whether designer, marketer or those spreading the word throughout the cyber community are highly motivated individuals and are true patriots of Ukraine.” He added for emphasis:
“We are all doing this on a pro bono basis.”
The group has raised over $911 USD so far by selling 9 NFTs from our CloseTheSky OpenSea account. Anyone with a cryptowallet such as Metamask can go to the activity tab of our collection on OpenSea and filter out by sales to see exactly which NFTs were sold.
That entire amount has been donated to comebackalive.in.ua which is a foundation datikng back to 2014 in response to that earlier Russian invasion started.
“It’s a reputable organization that receives donations not only from Ukrainians but people all over the world, including celebrities and business people in the U.S.,” Mark says. “You can visit their website to learn more how they distribute the funds that are being donated. We plan to expand the list of organizations we contribute to as our sales from the NFTs grow.”
Whether you are a crypto enthusiast or someone who wants to step up to answer this humanitarian need, you will be purchasing artwork created by a group of nine designers who have donated their efforts for the sake of Ukraine. The designers adding their skill to the CloseTheSkyUA NFT collection are Den Matliak, Vlad Kornyuk, Artem Koliadynskyj, Roman Mamchur, Karina Kuts, Asya Pyatnychko, Anna Fedora, Lena Afanasieva, and Julia Lipa.
Forward this Valentine’s Day Greeting to the VA! #EndVetMedDebt
The VA will most certainly become your valentine – once they see to it that all of your unpaid and unpayable hospital bills are made available for legitimate and final debt forgiveness. Every. Single. Dollar. Forgiven.
Although differing in form, this wouldn’t be the first “modest proposal” made publicly for a cause that would benefit society. Jonathan Swift, in an essay by that title published in England in 1729. He made a strong argument that – since there the Irish at that time were painfully impoverished – that they should sell their youth to the English as food.
Our not-so-modest Valentine proposal is that a similar societal ill be addressed, the medical debt on the backs of current and former service members (our veterans). It is not so modest in that this debt has been estimated to be as high as $6 billion.
You weren’t aware that America’s warriors, who on joining the military, basically agreed to do whatever necessary to protect our country – up to and including loss of limb and life – would not be cared for by a grateful populace once that service is completed? Time to fetch the Smelling Salts.
To quote from my article in Physician Outlook that appeared on 2/10/22, “Whether you have a role in the VA delivery system or a civilian (physician) serving veterans at a public hospital, you are unwitting (unaware?) accomplices in bringing about the $6 billion in unpaid medical bills that the VA has refused to pay…or forgive…up to this point.”
You see, if someone has an injury or disability caused by military service, they are eligible to be treated by the VA for free. That same promise does not include treatment for a service-related disability outside of the system.
That’s not a typo, although it is difficult to know at this point how much debt is being and has been disallowed for payment by the VA for emergency services provided outside of their hospital system. As said earlier, at one point it was over $6 billion, but an appeals court ruling in 2019 contested that policy and is requiring the VA to reimburse vets. Is that happening? Has it happened? I don’t know. If you do, please let me know.
Being in debt is not even the worst part.
I can tell you that – whatever and however it is owed – the IRS would envy the collections apparatus for recovering those monies. Such as, reporting your past-due account to credit bureaus after exhausting months of their phone calls and dunning letters.
Public blowback on this practice got so bad that, earlier this month, new rules were issued by the VA sharply to limit its credit reporting activities. As reported by Jim Rice of the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this month, the VA is instituting “additional protections to the most financially vulnerable veterans” which will result in a 99% reduction in reporting. (Italics mine)
That doesn’t mean they will stop attempting to recover on a past-due balance. A veteran owing as little as $25 will still be pursued. Not even a commercial collection agency (and I come from that world) would go after a bill that small. Forget the morality, it just doesn’t make business sense. Spending $100 to collect $25…and failing?
Beginning with this Valentine’s Day announcement and continuing through Veterans Day which will take place on November 11, 2022, a coalition of military and civilian organizations and individuals are forming to devote themselves to the task of seeing that VA unpayable medical bills be forgiven. Legally, and in full.
There’s precedent.
How forgiveness can be done while ensuring that there are no tax consequences to the recipient is a process that has been pioneered and perfected by the 501(c)(3) charity that I helped to co-found in 2014, RIP Medical Debt. It was a great ride, and after achieving all the goals I had set for myself and RIP I retired to its board in October 2020 to invent other channels by which to create positive social and economic impact. Out of this has come my present venture, Let’s Rethink This (LRT).
LRT will serve as a temporary platform until a formal #EndVetMedDebt website is revealed on March 1 – a scant two weeks from now.
To date, RIP has abolished over $5.5 billion in medical debt, positively affecting the lives of over 3 million Americans. It has published a seminal book on the need and reasons behind its work, put on first-ever summits on medical debt, enabled a major study of the costly impact of medical debt on our citizens and is now involving itself more deeply in influencing policy.
To be clear, this is not a fundraising campaign for RIP. This is a campaign that intends first to see that public awareness, federal legislation, VA policy changes – whatever works best – comes about so that this debt can be accessed and made available to organizations, such as RIP, which can step forward with their solutions.
Let’s Rethink This is only the originator of this campaign. Over the next eight-plus months we will be working shoulder-to-shoulder with scores of other organizations and individuals that share in this mission and its purpose. Are you one of them?
Please write us for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is what needs to be done if you want to bring about medical debt justice for our veterans. Now, THAT would be the best way to bring in – and end – 2022. You (yes, you) can help bring that about. We at Let’s Rethink This (LRT) are honored that Physician Outlook is making available its platform – and its audience – to learn more about America’s shame in allowing hundreds of thousands of active duty and veteran users of the VA system to be both financially and emotionally crippled and what to do about it.
And what better, singular group could better relate to the need for this broken system to be rethought than physicians, nurses, and concerned members of the healthcare community? Whether you have a role in the VA delivery system or a civilian serving veterans at a public hospital, you are unwitting (unaware?) accomplices in bringing about the $6 billion in unpaid medical bills that the VA has refused to pay…or forgive…up to this point.
Sorry, kid. You fixed ‘em. The VA broke ‘em. Who is responsible for the “do no harm” part?
Currently, there are fewer than 4,500 active-duty physicians tasked with overseeing the healthcare needs of America’s 1.4 million active-duty, 330,000 members in the reserves, and/or retired, along with a veteran population of approximately 18 million. This takes place at 1,293 healthcare facilities, including 171 VA Medical Centers and 1,112 outpatient sites. The annual budget is $50 billion.
According to USA Today, of those 18 million veterans, more than 5 million veterans have at least one disability, 1.2 million live in poverty, and 77% of veterans aged 18 to 64 are employed or looking for work. At the end of 2018, an estimated 37,878 veterans were homeless.
Military veterans, contrary to popular misconception, do not get free healthcare from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. If a health issue isn’t related to military service or is not the result of their being more than 50 percent disabled – the vet can be held responsible for co-pays.
If the veteran has the misfortune of requiring the services of a civilian hospital emergency ward for a non-service-related injury or illness, they are also on the hook as they might need to meet a deductible or pay co-insurance – or did not get a pre-authorization to get service in a non-VA setting. If as a civilian, you feel you are dealing with uncaring insurers – try jumping through military hoops!
For example, in 2019, a federal appeals court in Virginia ruled that the VA would be required to reimburse veterans for $6.5 billion in unpaid emergency medical bills. Good luck on that happening anytime soon. If ever.
Lots, starting now. This is just the first shot across your consciousness prow. Visit Let’s Rethink This where in February we will have a revamped Our Newspaper to head to for the latest news, articles, and interviews. Want a free copy of my chapter titled “No Thank You for Your Service” in the recently released End Medical Debt: COVID Recovery Edition to deep dive into the problem? Write me personally: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We at LRT are getting a reputation for practicing the “Go Big or Go Home” approach to life and business, but we may well have shattered that ceiling. We’re not featuring one impact artist – we’re featuring 200 million of them!
Almost unbelievably, that’s in India alone. But then, India is the globe’s seventh largest country by area, second-most in population (1.38 billion people in 2020) and the most populous democracy. In retrospect, what better and more impactful way to begin the year 2022?
Few people realize the size of the artisan sector within their country’s borders. Even though this unique body of people is the world’s – yes, the world’s – second largest global employer, the public at large has scant awareness of its importance.
200 Million Artisans (200M) is about to change that, beginning with its home country.
Founded in 2020, 200M set out to rethink and reimagine the potential of India’s vibrant artisan economy. What is breathtaking about this organization is its growth, trajectory and the urgency of its mission.
“Briefly, 200 Million Artisans is an India-based ecosystem enabler,” states the organization, “committed to reimagining the potential of the artisan economy. We bridge gaps in knowledge, resources and partnerships for artisan-producers and impact enterprises with the goal of driving greater inclusion and self-reliance in (that) sector.”
According to 200M, “Crafts aren’t just India’s heritage, they are her global competitive advantage. They have the potential to ensure the overall well-being of the country’s youth, its women and its diverse communities.”
Their team has been busy driving research-based advocacy starting with unveiling Business of Handmade, a beautifully illustrated website that focuses on the relationship between the cultural economy and informality.
The Catalytic Capital Consortium(C3) recently awarded their enterprise $148,000 to further their mission and build on their existing work. 200M was one of only 14 organizations, and the only one in India, to receive the New Venture Fund’s Grant. 200M will be required to study, document and make recommendations for the role of catalytic capital in India’s artisan sector while mapping investment needs.
This is the kind of left-of-center thinking (dare we say rethinking) that is needed when an organization wants to attract the attention of global actors like the Consortium which has its own grand plans: to create research projects that will help build an evidence base that will fuel additional risk-tolerant investments necessary to address critical global challenges.
This confirms LRT’s view and experience that impactful organizations and movers can change the world for good – if only people will become aware of them! Hats off to the New Venture Fund for recognizing and supporting enterprises such as 200M. NVF plays an important role in searching out these hidden heroes and heroines and providing the evidence that will encourage risk-tolerant investments.
It won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.
What are the particular challenges unique to this sort of enterprise? We will be following up this article with a personal interview with the organization’s leaders – Priya Krishnamoorthy and Aparna Subramanyam – to find those answers.
