Rockies icon Todd Helton helping relieve $10 million in medical debt for Coloradans

Retired Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton is helping eliminate millions of dollars in medical debt for Colorado residents.

Starting this month, Helton and the organization RIP Medical Debt will send letters to Colorado residents notifying them their medical bills will be covered. A total of $10 million in medical debt will be eliminated, per the Colorado Rockies newsletter. Medical expenses are one of the top causes of bankruptcy in the United States.

The five-time All-Star said Monday that he came up with the idea after seeing friend and fellow University of Tennessee alum Ryan Jumonville do something similar in Florida.

“My good friend (Jumonville) recently took care of $100M in medical debt for the people in his home state of Florida," Helton said in a release on MLB.com. "I was inspired and wanted to do something similar for the people of Colorado.”

What is RIP Medical Debt?

The Long Island, N.Y.-based not-for-profit started in 2014. The national charity states it raises funds from donors and then uses those funds to pay off medical debt for people in need.

RIP Medical Debt says the organization's paid off more than $10 billion in medical debt for more than 6.7 million families. Requirements for assistance are individuals who are four times or below the federal poverty level or individuals whose medical debt is 5% or more of their gross annual income.

“Medical debt prevents people from seeking further care and is a social determinant of health meaning having debt undermines one’s wellness," RIP Medical Debt president & CEO Allison Sesso said in the release Monday. "We’re grateful to Todd and Ryan for lifting up this critical issue and directly helping Coloradans who need it most.”

Jumonville and Helton donated millions to cover healthcare program costs for University of Tennessee system employees. Jumonville currently works with the United Networks of America where he primarily works to help with children's healthcare costs.

RIP Medical Debt and Jumonville worked together to eliminate $100 million in medical debt in Florida in April this year. Jumonville said the gift was inspired by his niece Claire who spent much of her life battling Cystic Fibrosis.

Helton's push for the Hall of Fame

The Rockies drafted Helton out of the University of Tennessee in 1997 and he played first baseman for the team through his retirement in 2013. He leads the team in most statistical categories, including games played, runs scored, hits, home runs, and offensive WAR. The Rockies made Helton's number 17 the first retired number in franchise history during a ceremony on Aug. 17, 2014.

Helton returned to Coors Field Aug. 19 to throw out the first pitch of the Rockies' game against the Chicago White Sox.

That pitch came weeks after the 2023 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame was inducted in Cooperstown. Only two players were inducted: Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff. Helton missed out by 11 votes on becoming the third member of the Class of 2023.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it because I do, but it’s also something I can’t control,” Helton said after throwing out the first pitch in August. “I’ll be blessed and grateful and every other adjective you can think of but until then I just go about my life.”

Though he didn't meet the 75% requirement for the Class of 2023, the voting results were a significant step closer to that threshold. He earned 281 this year compared to 205 in 2022. Just a dozen more votes and one of the best Rockies of all time will secure his spot in Cooperstown.