Is chronic illness making it difficult to stay financially stable?
When chronic illness leads to rising medical costs and financial pressure, we step in early. Our programs are designed to reduce medical debt, support financial stability, and help individuals maintain income while managing their health.
What Is the Medical Debt Bridge Program?
The Medical Debt Bridge Program is a financial support initiative designed to help individuals with chronic illness reduce medical debt and regain financial stability.
Living with chronic illness often means ongoing medical expenses, from appointments and treatments to medications and specialized care. These costs can accumulate quickly, creating financial pressure even for individuals who are still working or trying to maintain income.
This program is designed to step in before that pressure becomes overwhelming. Funds are applied toward eligible medical debt, helping individuals reduce financial burden while continuing to manage their health and maintain stability.
The goal is to provide early financial relief so that medical debt does not escalate into long-term financial hardship.
Currently, the pilot program is available to applicants living in East Tennessee as we launch and refine the program before expanding nationwide.
How to Apply
Applicants must complete a short application and provide proof of current medical debt. This pilot program is currently available to residents of East Tennessee only.
Personal Information
Applicants will provide basic contact information, location, and a brief description of their current financial situation.
Medical Debt Verification
Applicants must provide documentation showing an active, unpaid medical balance. The preferred form of verification is a screenshot of an online billing portal displaying the current balance, provider name, and date.
Alternative Documentation (If Needed)
If a billing portal is not available, applicants may submit a recent medical statement or collections notice dated within the last 90 days that clearly shows an outstanding balance.
Financial Need
Applicants will answer a few short questions about their current financial situation to help determine level of need. This helps ensure support is directed where it is most impactful.
Review Process
Applications are reviewed to confirm eligibility and verify documentation. When possible, funds are applied directly toward medical expenses to ensure support is used as intended.
How the Program Works
Bridging Illness to Income provides financial assistance to help reduce medical debt caused by chronic illness. These funds are grants and do not need to be repaid.
Submit Your Application
Applicants complete a short application and provide documentation showing an active, unpaid medical balance.
Documentation Review
Each application is reviewed to verify that the medical debt is current, valid, and related to healthcare expenses.
Approval Process
Applications are evaluated based on financial need and available funding to ensure support is directed where it is most impactful.
How Funds Are Used
When possible, funds are applied directly toward medical expenses or outstanding balances to ensure they are used as intended.
Grant Distribution
Approved applicants receive financial assistance to help reduce their medical debt. These funds are grants and do not need to be repaid.
Funding Limits
Grant amounts may vary based on individual need and program funding availability. Priority may be given to applicants with higher levels of financial strain.
FAQ
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Yes. Individuals receiving disability benefits may still apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements and can provide the required documentation for missed workdays due to illness.
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Yes. Self-employed applicants are eligible to apply. However, they must provide documentation supporting their income and confirming the missed workdays. Examples may include invoices, client work schedules, payment records, or other documentation showing lost income.
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Grant amounts are based on the applicant’s level of financial need, the amount of verified medical debt, and available program funding. Our goal is to provide meaningful support that helps reduce financial strain while assisting as many individuals as possible.
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No. Assistance is provided based on program funding availability and eligibility verification. Applicants who qualify may be placed on an eligibility list if funding is not immediately available.