About our Name

From the late 1300s to 1842 the Marshalsea in Southwark London functioned as a debtors prison.  It was made famous in writings by Charles Dickens whose father served there in the early 1800s for failing to pay a debt to a baker (not a banker, a baker!). Over the centuries that the Marshalsea operated usually at least half of those imprisoned were there for debts, often relatively modest.

The structure of medical benefits for workers and the excessive costs of the healthcare system are creating a new debtor class in our country. Today in America our medical care system has become the top contributing reason for personal bankruptcy with about 58% of cases linked to medical bills.  One third of workers have past due medical debt and half of that is in default.  This is exacerbated by estimates that only 39% of Americans can cover an unexpected bill of $1,000 without borrowing or selling something.  

 We think we can do better. 

We have worked with many digital health companies that are tackling avoidable medical costs and addressing health inequities for consumers and the companies that supply their health and medical benefits.