29 Oct FOX59 Donation To Pay Off Nearly $1.5 Million In Medical Debt For Hoosiers
WXIN and national nonprofit join forces to help individuals struggling with medical debt
October 29, 2018 — Nearly one in four Hoosiers currently faces the heartache and stress of medical debt now in collections. Tribune Broadcasting’s WXIN, FOX59 is about to change the lives of hundreds of Central Indiana families affected by medical debt.
For months FOX59 News has met families all over Central Indiana facing the burden of medical debt. Now, FOX59 is about to do something that’s never been done before in Indianapolis. The station has donated $15,000 to a national nonprofit, RIP Medical Debt. With that donation, RIP can purchase almost $1.5 million dollars in outstanding medical debt owed by viewers in Central Indiana. That debt, previously earmarked for recovery by collection agencies, will then be forgiven.
“Every day we tell the stories that affect our viewers and when we can find a way to change the lives of the people we serve, it is a privilege,” said FOX59 General Manager Jamie Aitken.
RIP Medical Debt was founded by former collections industry executives Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton, who now leverage the non-profit’s donations to buy and forgive unpaid and unpayable medical debt. Antico says every dollar donated can purchase – and forgive — up to $100 of medical debt. That debt is then removed from credit reports.
FOX59’s debt relief is under way. In the coming days, almost one thousand people will be receiving letters with a simple message: “LOOK INSIDE: FOX59 HELPED PAY YOUR DEBT.” The station will also keep the program alive by giving viewers a chance to pay it forward and donate to RIP, funding additional debt relief for even more Hoosiers.
“FOX59’s commitment to helping the most vulnerable in our communities is an inspiration,” said RIP co-founders Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton. “Our goal is to abolish $1 billion of medical debt in 2018, and we’re incredibly proud to have FOX59 in Indianapolis as partners in helping us make this happen for Central Indiana.”
Beginning on Tuesday, October 30th, viewers can log onto www.FOX59.com to donate to RIP in their effort to purchase more medical debt in Indiana.
Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching approximately 50 million households, national entertainment cable network WGN America, whose reach is more than 77 million households, and a variety of digital applications and websites commanding 54 million monthly unique visitors online. Tribune Media also includes Chicago’s WGN-AM, the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV, and Covers Media Group, an unrivaled source of online sports betting information. Additionally, the Company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds a variety of investments, including a 31% interest in Television Food Network, G.P., which operates Food Network and Cooking Channel.
RIP Medical Debt is a 501(c)(3) that allows generous donors to forgive unpaid and unpayable medical debt for fellow Americans. Founded in 2014 by two former collections industry executives, Craig Antico & Jerry Ashton, RIP has already abolished $50 million of medical debt. To learn more, make a donation, or get involved, visit www.ripmedicaldebt.org.
Jessica Bellucci
VP, Communications
Tribune Broadcasting
220 East 42nd Street, 10 Floor
New York, NY 10017
O: 212-210-2626
C: 917-463-7037
@BellucciPR
jessica@tribunemedia.com
