The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon aims at eliminating $2.7 million in medical debt
Fundraiser to help people in 20 southwest Missouri counties, including Barry

December 11, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
A charismatic host. A popular television show. $2.7 million in medical debt. But what do those things have in common, and what does it have to do with Barry County? A lot, ends up.
A fundraiser running through the end of the year ties all of the above together. Springfield's Jeff Houghton, host and creator of The Mystery Hour, a live audience featuring comedy, music and big-name guests, created The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon to try to help those struggling with medical debt, including families in Barry County.
By the end of December, Houghton hopes, through his show's notoriety and reach, to give families struggling under oppressive medical debt a late Christmas gift: debt forgiveness. Through a partnership with non-profit RIP Medical Debt, all funds raised will go to satisfy medical debt owed.
In all, Houghton is hoping to raise $27,000, which will go to eliminate debt owed in 20 different Ozarks counties, including Barry. RIP Medical Debt will then use those funds to purchase qualifying medical debt from collection agencies. The actual debt that will be satisfied through the fundraiser will total $2.7 million. In Barry County, the qualifying debt to be forgiven is $119,144.36.
Houghton said this is the first fundraiser The Mystery Hour has done. He said, "I first saw it on John Oliver, and it was a few years. I thought it was cool, but I didn't think much of it. I saw someone posted on Facebook that a church in Columbia also did it. I didn't realize you could designate it in specific counties in your area."
So, Houghton reached out to RIP Medical Debt to make a plan and improve the lives those living in poverty across the Ozarks. He said, "I reached out to them, and in order to get the price of a penny on the dollar to purchase [the debt], they have to forgive at least $1.5 million to get volume pricing. They got back to me and said, 'this is what the need looks like in your area. We can do 20 counties and reach $2.7 million'."
The Mystery Hour is aired on FOX, ABC, NBC and CW stations in 17 markets throughout the US. It features famous guests and musical talent, as well as provides a great avenue for a live audience show experience locally. It is through The Mystery Hour's presence Houghton is circulating the fundraiser.
Houghton shared, "There is a poverty problem in the Ozarks and I've done next to nothing about it, and I thought this is my chance to do something about it.
"The Mystery Hour doesn't have a ton of money, but we have a voice to let people know."
As of time of press, The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon has raised over - $17,000 of the - $27,000 goal. The giving period began November 30 and goes until December 31.
The counties that will be included in The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon and the respective debts are: Greene - $121,817.77, Polk - $61,779.91, Dallas - $105,105.30, Webster - $60,897.42, Christian - $139,094.45, Dade - $949.95, Lawrence - $76,806.30, Barry - $119,144.36, McDonald - $733,869.54, Newton - $124,237.69, Jasper - $606,251.12, Barton - $40,558.78, Vernon - $56,340.37, Stone - $53,763.51, Taney - $192,793.37, Cedar - $29,099.86, Wright - $28,870.71, Douglas - $11,342.39, Ozark - $25,653.39, and Laclede - $181,290.34.
Houghton hopes the fundraiser will help those struggling, but he also said he wants to give people an avenue to help, even if it isn't a large donation. He said, "We may be able to reach the goal by a handful of big donations, but that's not the idea.
"First off, we want to reach the goal to be able to help a lot of people. Second, we want people to engage in it. We have poverty here, and we want them to engage people to do something about it. If someone can donate $10, we welcome that with open arms. Our goal is to help."
RIP Medical Debt is a 501(c)3 non-profit that purchases medical debt from collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. The individuals who qualify to have debt forgiven must: earn less than two times the federal poverty level, debts are five percent or more of annual income and is facing insolvency (debts are greater than assets).
Once debt is satisfied, RIP Medical Debt sends forgiveness letters to benefiting families. To date, they have satisfied $1,007,537,878 million in medical debts for over 480,000 individuals and families.
To donate to The Great Ozarks Foregive-a-thon, go to: www.themysteryhour.com/forgiveathon. For more information about RIP Medical Debt, go to: ripmedicaldebt.org. For more information about Jeff Houghton and The Mystery Hour, go to themysteryhour.com.
Charlea Estes-Jones
A charismatic host. A popular television show. $2.7 million in medical debt. But what do those things have in common, and what does it have to do with Barry County? A lot, ends up.
A fundraiser running through the end of the year ties all of the above together. Springfield's Jeff Houghton, host and creator of The Mystery Hour, a live audience featuring comedy, music and big-name guests, created The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon to try to help those struggling with medical debt, including families in Barry County.
By the end of December, Houghton hopes, through his show's notoriety and reach, to give families struggling under oppressive medical debt a late Christmas gift: debt forgiveness. Through a partnership with non-profit RIP Medical Debt, all funds raised will go to satisfy medical debt owed.
In all, Houghton is hoping to raise $27,000, which will go to eliminate debt owed in 20 different Ozarks counties, including Barry. RIP Medical Debt will then use those funds to purchase qualifying medical debt from collection agencies. The actual debt that will be satisfied through the fundraiser will total $2.7 million. In Barry County, the qualifying debt to be forgiven is $119,144.36.
Houghton said this is the first fundraiser The Mystery Hour has done. He said, "I first saw it on John Oliver, and it was a few years. I thought it was cool, but I didn't think much of it. I saw someone posted on Facebook that a church in Columbia also did it. I didn't realize you could designate it in specific counties in your area."
So, Houghton reached out to RIP Medical Debt to make a plan and improve the lives those living in poverty across the Ozarks. He said, "I reached out to them, and in order to get the price of a penny on the dollar to purchase [the debt], they have to forgive at least $1.5 million to get volume pricing. They got back to me and said, 'this is what the need looks like in your area. We can do 20 counties and reach $2.7 million'."
The Mystery Hour is aired on FOX, ABC, NBC and CW stations in 17 markets throughout the US. It features famous guests and musical talent, as well as provides a great avenue for a live audience show experience locally. It is through The Mystery Hour's presence Houghton is circulating the fundraiser.
Houghton shared, "There is a poverty problem in the Ozarks and I've done next to nothing about it, and I thought this is my chance to do something about it.
"The Mystery Hour doesn't have a ton of money, but we have a voice to let people know."
As of time of press, The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon has raised over - $17,000 of the - $27,000 goal. The giving period began November 30 and goes until December 31.
The counties that will be included in The Great Ozarks Forgive-a-thon and the respective debts are: Greene - $121,817.77, Polk - $61,779.91, Dallas - $105,105.30, Webster - $60,897.42, Christian - $139,094.45, Dade - $949.95, Lawrence - $76,806.30, Barry - $119,144.36, McDonald - $733,869.54, Newton - $124,237.69, Jasper - $606,251.12, Barton - $40,558.78, Vernon - $56,340.37, Stone - $53,763.51, Taney - $192,793.37, Cedar - $29,099.86, Wright - $28,870.71, Douglas - $11,342.39, Ozark - $25,653.39, and Laclede - $181,290.34.
Houghton hopes the fundraiser will help those struggling, but he also said he wants to give people an avenue to help, even if it isn't a large donation. He said, "We may be able to reach the goal by a handful of big donations, but that's not the idea.
"First off, we want to reach the goal to be able to help a lot of people. Second, we want people to engage in it. We have poverty here, and we want them to engage people to do something about it. If someone can donate $10, we welcome that with open arms. Our goal is to help."
RIP Medical Debt is a 501(c)3 non-profit that purchases medical debt from collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. The individuals who qualify to have debt forgiven must: earn less than two times the federal poverty level, debts are five percent or more of annual income and is facing insolvency (debts are greater than assets).
Once debt is satisfied, RIP Medical Debt sends forgiveness letters to benefiting families. To date, they have satisfied $1,007,537,878 million in medical debts for over 480,000 individuals and families.
To donate to The Great Ozarks Foregive-a-thon, go to: www.themysteryhour.com/forgiveathon. For more information about RIP Medical Debt, go to: ripmedicaldebt.org. For more information about Jeff Houghton and The Mystery Hour, go to themysteryhour.com.