focus -WSS

focus

author：knowledge 2025-09-29 18:18:32 - browse：473

Five people put coins in a box containing coins and cash on stage — coverage from STAT — Adobe

In the United States, health care costs are so out of control that medical crowdfunding has become commonplace. The idea is simple: turn your social network into a financial safety net to cover the cost of expensive treatments or long illnesses. Millions of Americans have started crowdfunding campaigns for medical bills, and tens of millions have donated to them, mostly through the undisputed sector leader, GoFundMe.

Nora Kenworthy, a nursing and health studies professor at the University of Washington, Bothell, has spent years studying the world of crowdfunding for health care — along with the way it ends up amplifying the inequities that already dictate who goes into medical debt.

In her new book, “Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare,” which will be released on Tuesday, she looks at what she calls the “toxicities” that drive medical crowdfunding campaigns. STAT spoke with Kenworthy about those issues, as well as the difficult moral decisions potential donors face when deciding whether to contribute. The following interview is condensed and edited for clarity.

STAT+ Exclusive Story

Already have an account? Log in

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and networking platform access.

Already have an account? Log in

Monthly

$39

Totals $468 per year

$39/month Get Started

Totals $468 per year

Starter

$30

for 3 months, then $39/month

$30 for 3 months Get Started

Then $39/month

Annual

$399

Save 15%

$399/year Get Started

Save 15%

11+ Users

Custom

Savings start at 25%!

Request A Quote Request A Quote

Savings start at 25%!

2-10 Users

$300

Annually per user

$300/year Get Started

$300 Annually per user

View All Plans

Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.

Subscribe Log In

Previous article： Hepatitis C has a cure — but many Americans still lack access to it
Next article： Fetal cell organoids grown from amniotic fluid, study finds

entertainment

hotspot

WSS

NYU Langone launches private ChatGPT for its health care data

Drug firms test therapies to halt Alzheimer’s before symptoms arise

$1 billion proposal to grow Boston, Massachusetts biotech

How Long Island became the ‘eugenics capital of the world’

Complete sequence of Y chromosome published for first time

Psilocybin's anti

leisure time

focus

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and networking platform access.

hotspot

Drug repurposing or repositioning? The language matters

Feds fine Medicare Advantage plans for overcharging members

Wildfire smoke exposes gaps in outdoor worker protections

Immune cells and nerve overgrowth may explain recurring UTI pain

BioMarin wins approval for gene therapy to treat hemophilia A

Australia’s approach to dialysis celebrates life

George Santos makes 1st court appearance after pleading not guilty to 13 counts

Harvard's David Sinclair gets blowback over aging

Biden outlines 'new path' to provide student loan relief after Supreme Court rejection

Streamlined flu vaccines recommended by FDA advisory panel

focus

Immune cells and nerve overgrowth may explain recurring UTI pain

NYU Langone launches private ChatGPT for its health care data

State of the Union pitch: Bigger Medicare drug price negotiations

State of the Union pitch: Bigger Medicare drug price negotiations

How to make AI work for medicine

Biden's 'march

entertainment

hotspot

leisure time

entertainment