November 2, 2023
Bi-Weekly Executive Newsletter
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter speaks about RIP Medical Debt at Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit Oct. 19.
Dear Friends,
We just announced a new initiative last month that I’m really proud of to help up to 80,000 Oakland County residents who are struggling with crippling medical debt.
No matter what a person’s circumstances are, a medical crisis can be devastating for them and their families, physically, emotionally and financially. In fact, medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States, which is why we are so enthusiastic about the county’s partnership with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that will work with local health systems to identify eligible Oakland County residents who have unpaid medical bills.
RIP Medical Debt acquires medical debt for pennies on the dollar for people experiencing financial hardship and eliminates it. Its qualifications for relief are:
- Debts belonging to people who earn less than four times the federal poverty level.
- Or a person whose debt is five percent or more of their annual income.
The $2 million investment of federal funds we received through the American Rescue Plan that we announced last week will eliminate approximately $200 million in medical debt, which will be truly transformational -- people will have their debt erased, their credit scores improved and their compounded stress relieved that comes from worrying not only about their physical health, but their financial well-being too.
We will continue to work to provide affordable and accessible health care for people throughout Oakland County but as we do that, we can also help those who find themselves burdened with unsustainable medical debt. People in a health crisis shouldn’t have to depend on GoFundMe pages, like 250,000 people in the United States did last year, to pay their medical bills.
This project, which we’re launching in collaboration with the county Board of Commissioners, will have a major positive impact on the lives of so many people.
People like Kyra, a Michigan resident, who joined us when we announced the program and told us that when she got the notification earlier this year that her $3,500 medical debt was erased, she thought it was a mistake. Thankfully, it was no mistake and now she has the welcome peace of mind to regain her health while she cares for her family – which we look forward to doing for tens of thousands of Oakland County families in the months ahead.
For more information on how the medical debt relief program works, go to www.RIPMedicalDebt.org.
With gratitude,
Dave Coulter
Oakland County Executive
“Our small business is celebrating its 18th anniversary this month, and we were proud to be one of the top businesses favored by Oakland County’s local gems campaign last year,” said Danielle Williams, owner of Irresistible Boutique in Southfield.
Oakland County Launches “Local Gems” Sweepstakes to Help Support Small Businesses During the Holiday Shopping Season
Oakland County launched its “Local Gems” Sweepstakes, giving residents an opportunity to promote the small businesses in Oakland County that they consider to be local gems by submitting a selfie at the business. Sponsored by Genisys Credit Union, each eligible entry increases a participant’s odds of winning $1,000 for first prize, $500 for second prize, or $250 for third prize.
”The holiday season is the perfect time to patronize and champion the amazing array of small businesses in Oakland County,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. “These businesses are what make our communities the unique and vibrant places that people want to call home and attract visitors to stop, walk and shop.”
The sweepstakes, which runs Nov. 1-25, is part of the Oakland County Department of Economic Development’s annual Small Business Saturday Campaign to help build visibility, foot traffic and sales for small businesses in Oakland County during the holiday shopping season.
Participants can find the sweepstake entry form and more info at www.OakGov.com/ShopSmall.
Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center Expands Hours for Public to Adopt Pets
Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center is now open on Saturdays and expanding its hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make it more accessible and convenient for people to adopt a pet or purchase a dog license.
The shelter has an unprecedented number of dogs and cats that need loving homes. In response, County Executive Dave Coulter’s administration worked with the Board of Commissioners to hire four additional employees to support the additional hours that the pet adoption center is open.
“There’s no better time to get a friend for life than right now,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. “We want to make it as convenient and accessible as possible for residents to head to the Pet Adoption Center and check out all the great dogs and cats, who are patiently awaiting their forever home.”
Beginning Nov. 4, Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. In addition, the pet adoption center will be open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Nov. 7
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