Helton partners with charity to eliminate $10 million in medical debt

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Former Rockies star and current Hall-of-Fame hopeful Todd Helton has found a new and even more important way of bringing smiles to faces in Colorado.

Helton and RIP Medical Debt on Monday announced an agreement that will erase $10 million in medical debt for residents of the state. Later this month, some Colorado residents who are struggling will receive RIP-branded letters informing them their medical bills are “paid in full,” according to the announcement. The debts are being abolished as a charitable act, which means there are no tax ramifications for recipients.

Helton had a lasting impact throughout his 17-season playing career from 1997-2013. The partnership with RIP Medical Debt allows his impact to extend well beyond the field.

“As you get older, your purpose more and more becomes helping other people and making the world a better place in any way you can,” said Helton, 50. “It’s not only gifting money, but it’s how you treat people and how you interact in society.

“Obviously, medical expenses are sky high these days. For just a regular family to be able to afford it is almost preposterous. We found a way we can help, and I said count me in.”

RIP Medical Debt is a national nonprofit charity that raises funds from donors and “uses those funds to abolish medical debt for individuals in need,” the company noted. The press release noted that medical expenses are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. RIP Medical Debt says it has eliminated more than $10 billion in debt for more than 6.5 million people since its inception in 2014.

Helton heard the call to use his fortune long ago. When Helton played baseball at the University of Tennessee in the early-to-mid 1990s, his best friend was Ryan “Jume” Jumonville, a javelin athlete on the Volunteers’ track and field team. Jumonville is a longtime philanthropist whose primary focus has been children’s healthcare, but he also has helped families of fallen military members and used his fortune to help food banks, make life better in third-world countries and provide homes for single mothers and their families.

In 2004, Helton and Jumonville donated millions to healthcare program costs for UT system employees.

“He just brings me different deals, and when I feel they’re good enough and he feels they’re good enough, we just do them,” Helton said.

Helton, who rejoined the Rockies system as a special assistant to general manager Bill Schmidt with a focus on helping Minor League players, added, “I’ve been fortunate enough in my business dealings off the baseball diamond to be put in a position where I still can help.”