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Strike Debt Announces #LifeorDebt Week of Action with Purchase & Abolition of $1.1 Million Dollars of Medical Debt

[NEW YORK, NY]  Actions in multiple cities are planned to mark the abolition of 1.1 million dollars of medical debt belonging to 1,064 people by the Rolling Jubilee. This is the second of a series of major purchases by the group, which abolished over $100,000 of debt before the holidays.

OVER 1,000 PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE NOTICE THAT THEIR DEBT IS HISTORY!

March 16-23 Week of Action Highlights that our Nation’s Healthcare Emergencies are a Matter of #LifeorDebt

The Rolling Jubilee is a campaign that buys debt for pennies on the dollar, but instead of collecting it, abolishes it. The Rolling Jubilee launched in November 2012 and went viral, raising almost $600,000 and garnering attention in major media news outlets.

Doctors, nurses, patients, and citizens are coming together to declare a medical emergency:

• Our privatized healthcare system buries ordinary people in debt all to enrich the 1%.

• 62% of personal bankruptcies are linked to medical bills. ¾ of people who declare bankruptcy due to medical bills had health insurance when they incurred those bills.

• 86% of doctors begin their professional lives with medical school debt, a financial burden that pushes them away from serving those who need their help most.

• Community hospitals deemed “unprofitable” are being closed left and right because they have fallen too deeply into debt.

Events will take place other cities. See http://strikedebt.org/#get-involved for updates.

A full update on the campaign is available here: http://strikedebt.org/rjupdate-2/

In New York City there will be two events, on March 21st & March 23rd

March 21st:
RALLY & PROTEST ACTION AGAINST PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES
Meet at Bryant Park at 4pm,
41 West 40th Street

March 23rd:
FREE HEALTH FAIR & MARCH TO HIGHLIGHT HOSPITAL CLOSINGS
Education, legal advice, primary care, referrals & more

9:30am – 1:30pm
Legal Advice & Healthcare
Judson Church,
55 Washington Square South

Online: On March 23rd we will have practitioners on call to answer medical questions live on the internet all day! http://strikedebt.org/lifeordebt/

2pm – 5pm
AWARENESS MARCH TO HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITY HOSPITAL CLOSINGS
Meet: Washington Square South

Hosts: Strike Debt, Healthcare for 99%, Physicians for a National Health Program, Occupy Town Square, and others.

5:30pm – 7pm
HEALTH FAIR WITH ART & MUSIC
Judson Church

Strike Debt emerged out of Occupy Wall Street and is dedicated to raising public awareness about predatory debt practices, debt resistance and mutual aid. Initiatives include publishing The Debt Resistors’ Operations Manual, supporting the Occupy Student Debt Campaign, and The Rolling Jubilee, www.strikedebt.org and www.rollingjubilee.org

To schedule an interview with the StrikeDebt organizers, please contact Andy Stepanian at andy@sparrowmedia.net or 631.291.3010.  To view a roundup of media coverage of Strike Debt’s Rolling Jubilee visit our case study HERE.