By Henri Migala
September 23, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – At a press conference held at the new Wellgreens dispensary at 6859 Federal Boulevard yesterday, Wellgreens executives announced their partnership with Pacific Stone to eliminate $250,000 worth of medical debt for Californians through a donation to RIP Medical Debt in New York.
Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez was present to help celebrate the announcement. “We have members of this community who are struggling with medical debt and I commend Wellgreens, RIP Medical Debt, and Pacific Stone, for not only recognizing this but also taking a bite out of the medical debt crisis right here in Lemon Grove,” said Vasquez.
She added, “Ever since Wellgreens has joined the community last year, they have been a welcomed addition to the responsible business practices and strict adherence to stay within local laws. Wellgreens has been a welcome partner for the City of Lemon Grove and a staple of our business community. This Wellgreens adds to the existing cultural vibrancy of our community and stimulates our economy by contributing critical tax dollars that fund critical municipal services.”
View video:
Mayor Racquel Vasquez praises Wellgreens for its generosity and thanks ECM for coverage of Lemon Grove issues: https://youtu.be/tFGiwqGAb6w
Members of RIP Medical Debt in New York were not able to attend the event, but CEO Allison Sessoo sent the following statement: “Medical debt is an American crisis that forces families to make difficult financial decisions and avoid needed medical care. California is no different. One in ten residents struggles to pay their medical bills. We’re extremely welcome to Wellgreens and Pacific Stone’s support and are looking forward to helping people in need across the Golden State.”
Helped by Debt-Relief
One of the Lemon Grove residents who had his medical debt cancelled by RIP Medical Debt was in attendance.
“A few years back I got into an accident at a red light which landed me into a significant amount of medical debt that I was not able to pay off all at once,” shared Landon Young. “I began to make payments on them. One day, when I went online to make a payment, I noticed that my balance was zero. I was a little bit confused at first, wondering how that could be the case. But I then received a letter in the mail informing me that my medical debt was paid. It was a massive relief off my shoulders. It’s hard to put into words the peace of mind I got as a result of RIP Medical Debt.”
Young continued, “I have a lot of independence and freedom for which bills I can now pay first and at what amounts. It’s nice to not have such a massive amount of debt weighing me down.”
Supporting the Community
“We are trying very hard to take away the stigma associated with dispensaries and letting them know that we are here to help the community any way we can and to help the community grow in all the cities we’re currently doing business in,” shared Sarmad Hallak, co-owner of Wellgreens in Lemon Grove.
“You can see all walks of life here, from 21- to 90-year-olds,” continued Hallak. “We have many people in wheelchairs, up to 15 in a day. Veterans, moms, soccer-moms, fathers, grandfathers. From all walks of life and for many different purposes. Some people come for pain, some for anxiety and for different ailments that are common among everyone. A lot of people come in looking for help with their sleep. We urge everyone to come in and give us a chance.”
Hallak said he’s proud of the company’s team for “finding ways to give back to our community, because that’s what we’re all about. We do a lot of things that go unsaid, not only here but we do things in Mexico as well. We’re involved with a group called Build a Miracle, to build a couple of homes for families in need across the border. We’ve provided both the labor and the funding.”
Louis Ituarte, Director of Compliance noted, “There were a lot of negative repercussions as a result of the war on drugs. We want to make some sort of small dent against that, so, we’re putting together a lot of programs to give back to the community that have propped us up to be where we are today. We want to make this a space that is accessible to everybody from all walks of life, and to take away the stigma and perception that only teenagers are smoking behind an alley somewhere just to get high and waste time.” She noted that cannabis, or marijuana, has medicinal benefits such as pain management, help with anxiety and sleep.
About RIP Medical Debt
RIP Medical Debt is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of wiping out medical debt, having already forgiven over $7 billion owed by struggling Americans across the country.
According to Daniel Lempert, Vice President of Communications for RIP Medical Debt, “RIP Medical Debt was started in 2014 by two former medical debt collectors who each spent decades in the industry. They realized that medical debt is traded as an asset, and that they could take that model, and buy the debt in bulk at a significant discount. You can use donated funds to eliminate that debt.
Lempert continued by shared that RIP Medical Debt receives most of its funds from grass-roots, individual donors, and is specifically interested in those most financially burdened by debt.
“RIP Medical Debt can take $1 and use it to abolish $100 in debt. So, a $10 donation will eliminate $1,000 in debt,” shared Lempert.
RIP Medical Debt purchase the bulk loans from providers, such as hospitals, providers, and physician groups, who, on occasion, will also donate the debt for a tax write benefit.
RIP Medical Debt is working with Trans Union, one of the top three credit reporting agencies, to match the data with debtor. Once the debt is paid, RIP will notify individuals that their debt is paid off.
People interested in supporting the campaign to eliminate medical debt in California can make a donation through the Pacific Stone Campaign on the RIP Medical Debt website:
https://ripmedicaldebt.org/campaign/pacific-stone/
Pacific Stone’s goal is to raise $30,000 to abolish $3 million of burdensome medical debt for Californians in need. The Wellgreens contribution is in support of the Pacific Stone campaign.
When RIP Medical Debt purchases a portfolio of medical debt, they abolish debt for individuals who:
- Earn less than four times the federal poverty level (varies by state, family size).
- Have debts that are five percent or more of annual income.
They only buy debt that has been pre-qualified by their partners to meet at least one of these criteria, and they never collect on debt they have purchased, only relieve it.
RIP Medical Debt cannot abolish medical debt for specific individuals. Their approach to the problem of medical debt is by acquiring large portfolios of debt to help thousands of people at once. Recognizing the massive burden of debt many people are struggling with, RIP Medical Debt has compiled a comprehensive resource page to help people find relief for their debts. The link is listed below.
Photo, left: Lemon Grove resident Landon who had his medical debt forgiven.
Links and Resources:
Wellgreens in Lemon Grove
https://www.wellgreens.store/shop-lemon-grove?
RIP Medical Debt
Debt relief resources:
https://ripmedicaldebt.org/community/#debt-resources
Kaiser Foundation: “Health Care Debt in the U.S.: The Broad Consequences of Medical and Dental Bills”
https://www.kff.org/report-section/kff-health-care-debt-survey-main-findings/
Mayor Racquel Vasquez praises Wellgreens for its generosity and thanks ECM for coverage of Lemon Grove issues: https://youtu.be/tFGiwqGAb6w