A study found that despite the nonprofit group R.I.P. Medical Debt relieving Americans of $11 billion in hospital bills, the debt relief did not significantly improve the mental health or credit scores of the debtors, nor did it reduce their likelihood of forgoing medical care. The study, which followed 213,000 people in debt and randomly selected some to work with the nonprofit group, calls into question the impact of the high-profile charity's efforts.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates expressed concern about declining healthcare spending globally, particularly on child mortality, during an interview at the World Economic Forum. Despite this trend, the Gates Foundation announced its largest annual budget of $8.6 billion for 2024, with a commitment to increase spending to $9 billion by 2026. The foundation's focus remains on reducing health inequities and combating infectious diseases, with significant progress made in reducing child deaths, malaria, HIV, and polio cases. Gates emphasized the plateau in healthcare progress during the pandemic, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the sector.
