MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Ahead of the crucial midterm elections in November, New Southern Majority is participating in a nationwide initiative to raise funds for local Democratic parties, while also buying back medical debt and providing immediate relief to families struggling to survive the affordability crisis. The effort is part of the Dems Work program, which aims to rebuild the Democratic brand across the country through direct service projects.
Approximately 1 in 12 Americans carries medical debt, with unpaid medical bills in the country totaling at least $220 billion. While President Trump ran on the promise to reduce healthcare costs for Americans, his administration, along with Republicans in Congress, have taken a starkly different approach by passing legislation that will make healthcare more expensive and cost millions of people their insurance coverage.
Leading up to Election Day, Democrats across the country have an opportunity to present a new vision for healthcare and to share how they plan to make life more affordable for voters. The Dems Work initiative provides an opportunity for local county Democratic parties to start building trust around the issue of healthcare with communities today.
“We want to make sure that voters know that Democrats aren’t just paying lip service by spotlighting the affordability crisis in their campaigns, but that they are actually going to use their power if elected to bring healthcare costs down,” said Brandon Jones, director of political campaigns, New Southern Majority. “And rather than waiting until after the elections to act, this program gives local Democrats an opportunity to show how lives can change when we support candidates and parties who actually care for the needs of everyday people and who see healthcare as a human right.”
When participants donate to the initiative, which is run through their county Democratic party, the majority of that donation will be used for the medical debt relief program, while a smaller portion will stay with the local party. However, New Southern Majority is helping to match that smaller portion to fully fund the program, which will focus on providing relief to people with medical debt that exceeds 5% of their income or who earn at or below the poverty level. Recipients of relief will be notified by mail that their medical bills have been paid by the county Democratic party.
“Experiencing a medical emergency or living with a health condition shouldn’t trap people in debt,” Jones said. “This initiative is designed to draw a clear contrast between Republicans, who are eliminating critical funds for healthcare, and Democrats, who are eliminating medical debt to lift at least one burden off of struggling families.”
To donate to the initiative, find a participating local county Democratic party. The Dems Work program is also encouraging people who have been saddled with medical debt to share their stories.
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New Southern Majority IE PAC is an independent expenditure committee that promotes candidates running for office in the South who stand for racial justice and work to advance human rights for all people. NSM makes independent expenditures primarily to support candidates running for local office.