Crowdfunding for medical care: Creative financial solution or ethical quagmire?

Abstract: This panel examines the practice and ethics of crowdfunding, an increasingly popular approach to raising money for medical care. One-third of campaigns on major sites such as GoFundMe are for medical expenses. Newer sites (e.g., Hope Help Live, Crowdhealth) have been developed specifically to raise money for health care expenses.

The first speaker (health policy researcher, primary care physician) will describe the extent of patient crowdfunding for chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, obstructive lung disease, and dementia. The expenses that patients describe in their campaigns highlight the consequences of underinsurance in the US as well as the extent of “indirect” medical expenses such as transportation and informal caregiving. The second speaker (qualitative researcher) will present an analysis of living kidney donor crowdfunding campaigns and will highlight the unique ethical and legal considerations that arise for this population. They will discuss whether crowdfunding violates the federal law prohibiting the receipt of “valuable consideration” for an organ. The third and fourth speakers will debate the ethics of using crowdfunding for medical expenses. The third speaker (social worker, bioethicist) will argue against crowdfunding, presenting concerns about the legitimate use of funds raised via crowdfunding, as well as implications for equity. The fourth speaker (surgeon, bioethicist) will present ethical and logistical arguments supporting crowdfunding and will offer guidance that clinicians can share with patients to help them navigate the implications of crowdfunding for taxes and eligibility for means-tested benefit programs.

Each speaker will give a 10-minute-long presentation, reserving 20 minutes for audience Q&A.

Keywords: Ethics of social media use, Socioeconomic disparities, Lived experiences with chronic disease