comprehensive -WSS

comprehensive

author：explore 2025-10-02 21:00:25 - browse：31851

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： Apple is now the first public company to be valued at $3 trillion
Next article： Do more moles mean more problems? Not so, says new study

focus

leisure time

WSS

How many hemophilia patients actually want gene therapy?

Readout Newsletter: Bristol, Sangamo, Gilead, and more

How many hemophilia patients actually want gene therapy?

Change Healthcare outage fallout shows need for new oversight

Bayer exec: U.S. is key in reviving beleaguered pharma’s drug pipeline

Health insurers say they are turning to AI to cut costs, improve care

focus

comprehensive

This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers

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

focus

Medical leaders decry Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

Boston's new lab space is opening empty

23andMe had bad news about my health. I wish a person had delivered it

Gene therapies for deafness raise the question: Do deaf people want a 'cure'?

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

Average age of first period drops to 11.9 years, study shows

23andMe had bad news about my health. I wish a person had delivered it

HHS secretary Becerra pressed on Change HealthCare cyberattack

Duchenne breakthrough therapy leaves behind pioneering families

Merus drug and Keytruda shrank tumors in patients with head and neck cancer

explore

iTeos Therapeutics debuts first data on TIGIT

First Opinion Podcast: What happens when kids become caregivers?

Heat waves linked to early deliveries, preterm births in new study

Readout LOUD podcast: ALS dilemma, first MASH drug, and more

HHS secretary Becerra pressed on Change HealthCare cyberattack

Readout Newsletter: Insmed, Asahi Kasei, Agios, Royalty Pharma

focus

leisure time

leisure time

hotspot