knowledge -WSS

knowledge

author：explore 2025-10-01 15:29:55 - browse：3698

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： ChatGPT in medicine: STAT answers readers' burning questions
Next article： Intermittent fasting comes with a heart risk? Not so fast

focus

WSS

Hospital price transparency does save money, advocate argues

Baby aspirin cuts fat buildup in liver disease patients, in small study

Beam Therapeutics to lay off 20% of its staff, re

I was wrong about Geron's blood cancer drug. Now, is it a takeover target?

STAT Summit: How a Chicago ER doctor tackles gun violence

Creating egg and sperm cells from stem cells raises ethical issues

knowledge

knowledge

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

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

focus

State Dept. review finds Biden bears some blame for Afghanistan failures

UnitedHealth’s board chair also owns a personal investment firm

Psychedelics group wrestles with new pharma identity

UnitedHealth increases loan offers after Change Healthcare outage

Wildfire smoke exposes gaps in outdoor worker protections

Studies point to risks of excluding people with obesity from drug trials

Moonlake's readout produced a cash windfall. Risks remain

Senate committee scrutinizes Medicare Advantage brokers

Activists slam private health insurers over coverage restrictions

The explosion of genetic testing requires a new approach

focus

Leading voice in opioid treatment defends methadone clinic system

U.K. not yet recommending Vertex's CRISPR therapy for sickle cell

FDA warns J&J's Abiomed: We will regulate your software

Orchard's therapy for neuron disease in children wins FDA approval

Methadone treatment changes are coming. Do they go far enough?

2023 STAT Wunderkinds: get to know the winners

focus

knowledge

focus

leisure time