I remain fascinated by this political story

...and let's redefine "political story" a little?

My close friend Peter, who has known me extremely well for [coughing fit] decades, sent along this piece. If you used to read my newsletter at The Washington Post, you know I’m somewhat obsessed with the policy and political implications of what RIP Medical Debt does. Peter is feeding that obsession. Thank you, Peter.

• What it does is buy outstanding medical debt at pennies on the dollar, then forgives the debt, wiping out a major burden on millions of Americans.

• The non-profit generally estimates that a $1 donation will wipe out as much as $100 dollars in medical debt.

• You don’t apply for this relief, RIP Medical Debt decides the recipients. And they have criteria to ensure it goes to the neediest folks. (In the past, you had to be paying at least 5% of your income to medical debt, and not make more than $55,000 annually.)

This has created a really interesting incentive for cities, counties, and states to partner up with RIPMD, spending public funds to help their constituents. You could build that highway overpass or that stadium, or you could put a relatively modest amount of dollars into retiring a relatively big quantity of medical debt.

Here’s the latest installment, via Jacqueline Neber at Crain’s: New York City will drop $18 million to wipe out $2 billion of medical debt for New Yorkers over three years.

“The program, run in partnership with city-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, aims to wipe out debt for up to 500,000 people. Individuals must have a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty line or have medical debt that equals 5% or more of their annual household income to qualify for the initiative.”

• “To relieve patients, RIP Medical Debt will purchase bundled medical debt portfolios from providers such as hospitals and commercial buyers and then erase it. Allison Sesso, the president and chief executive of RIP Medical Debt, said at the Monday press conference that the process will be application-free to ensure fewer barriers to relief. RIP Medical Debt will work with providers and hospitals around the city, purchase portfolios and run data through a debt engine to identify patients who qualify, she said, and individuals will receive letters informing them that what they owe has been erased.”

(One question I have is whether announcing this plan will make it less effective. Debt that goes for pennies on the dollar might jump to nickels or dimes on the dollar with the prospect of being paid off. If I recall correctly, that happened with some Latin American countries’ debt in the 1980s.)

• This is a *political* story.

I underline that because we’ve become accustomed to A Political Person Said A Political Thing coverage of politics. And that’s fine, that can be newsworthy! A poll can be newsworthy! A messaging bill (legislation that has no chance of passing but signals someone’s priorities or aims to embarrass its opponents) can be newsworthy!

I’m just frustrated that political coverage sometimes doesn’t extend to stories like this one. Some not-inconsequential number of people’s lives will be markedly improved by this partnership. It’s not as eye-catching, perhaps, as the latest incendiary hot mic’ moment or the most recent behind-the-scenes vignette. And I know that “eat-your-vegetables” journalism isn’t exactly a traffic-driver. But this is the sort of thing that bears noting. And I am here to note it. You’re reading a dork’s perspective here at Briefing Room, for sure. What do *you* think of this kind of policy/politics?