Imagine a world where every person in America receives needed medical care without regard to cost … Where families do not have to choose between paying for their medical needs and buying groceries … Where everyone’s well-being is assured.

This is our goal.

Samaritans Offering Support (SOS) is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping alleviate catastrophic medical expenses for all Americans. Recognizing that many families fall through the healthcare & financial aid cracks, we strive not only to create awareness of this growing issue but also to help those families who desperately need it. Founded in 2007, the mission of Samaritans Offering Support is to assist families by alleviating the cost of their current health care needs, and to identify other resources available through effective organizational partners and programs.        

Having “good” health insurance is no guarantee that a family will be protected from unaffordable medical expenses.  Confusing medical bills combined with redundant billing practices are just the tip of the iceberg. Inflexible provider practices such as upfront cash (i.e. co-payments) and refusing care make it far more difficult for some families to access healthcare with any regularity. A typical response is for one family member not to seek healthcare or to stop filling needed prescriptions so that a child can get care.

More and more, healthcare systems are becoming increasingly aggressive with collection procedures, often turning a delinquent account over for collection within 30 to 60 days of a missed payment. This happens without regard to the patients’ ability to pay the bill. Most want to pay off their medical expenses but find it nearly impossible given the hospital’s inflexible collection practice and their own limited incomes. Many families experience additional adverse affects of catastrophic healthcare expenses such as:

• Health consequences:

  Many must delay or forgo care because of costs. Some providers refuse care because of bills owed.

• Financial consequences:

  Many do without necessities such as food, heat and rent because of medical expenses.

• Employment consequences:

  Many parents are forced to reduce their hours or lose their jobs entirely because of having to care for a child with an illness. Those with children who have special health care needs frequently must alter their own employment situation to care for their children.

• Emotional consequences:

  For those on tight budgets, medical expenses add stress & reduce quality of life, which may itself cause additional health issues.

• Access to credit:

  Many families are denied bank loans and forced to take on credit card debt to pay for their medical bills.