As patients struggle to afford healthcare, they are using crowdsourcing to help foot their medical bills, according to a report published by National Public Radio.
Four things to know:
1. Crowdsourcing website GoFundMe said its community of donors has helped people raise more than $5 billion over eight years.
2. The site has become a go-to source for medical fundraising campaigns. According to GoFundMe, it helps raise more than $650 million representing 250,000-plus medical campaigns annually. GoFundMe's CEO Rob Solomon said medical fundraisers now represent 1 in 3 of the site's campaigns.
3. An example of a GoFundMe campaign in the report published by NPR is one set up by Tammy Fox, a Minnesota woman who set up a campaign for a friend who became ill with a rare autoimmune disorder and had been diagnosed with kidney disease. Ms. Fox asked for donations to help cover medical costs, food, hotel stays and gas, as her friend's illness required numerous visits to Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. She was able to raise $2,405 over eight months.
4. According to the report, GoFundMe previously collected 5 percent of fundraising proceeds, as well as a credit card processing fee. It has since eliminated the 5 percent surcharge.
Morgan Haefner contributed to this report.
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