3 minSociety
Former Navy SEAL’s campaign aims to erase $35 million in veterans’ medical debt
Bear Handlon’s Born Primitive is running its third annual Operation Debt of Gratitude, targeting about $35 million in medical debt for roughly 20,000 veterans and first responders ahead of Veterans Day.
Bear Handlon, a former Navy SEAL and co-founder of the veteran-owned apparel company Born Primitive, is leading the third annual Operation Debt of Gratitude campaign, which aims to erase about $35 million in medical debt for roughly 20,000 veterans and first responders. The effort is timed to Veterans Day and runs from November 6 through the holiday, during which participating companies pledge 100 percent of their online profits to the cause.
The campaign works with the debt relief partner ForgiveCo, which buys qualifying medical debt and cancels it. Recipients are notified by letter, and no application is required. This is the first year the initiative includes first responders, and it is linked to America’s 250th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of September 11. Organizers say the campaign has already erased more than $50 million in debt for more than 25,000 veterans since 2024.
Tony Robbins has reportedly planned to match the relief, which could bring the total to about $70 million. Handlon has set a longer-term goal of eliminating more than $1 billion in veteran medical debt, a target that would reach far beyond the current campaign’s scope.
Handlon has pointed to the financial strain many former service members face after leaving the military. He cited the case of a U.S. Marshal and former SEAL who was shot while serving a warrant and was reportedly facing an $8,000 bill tied to injuries sustained in the line of duty. That account has not been independently verified, and Handlon has said he would personally pay the bill if necessary. He has used such examples to illustrate how service-related injuries can translate into personal financial burdens long after a veteran’s active duty has ended.
Veterans frequently describe insurance denials and coverage gaps despite their service, and the consequences of unpaid bills can be severe. Unresolved medical debt can lead to collections calls, wage garnishment and damage to credit, compounding the stress that many former service members already carry as they adjust to civilian life.
The campaign’s recipients have described the personal weight that such debt can carry. One veteran in Salt Lake City reportedly considered suicide before a debt-forgiveness letter arrived. He initially believed the letter was a hoax and confirmed its legitimacy by phone. He was later invited to a Tony Robbins event, where he was surprised with a video.
Source: foxnews.com
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