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SNaHP member Joel Dumonsau writes about the challenges posed by the recent One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which caps federal student loans for medical degrees at $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. While intended to control tuition costs, the bill creates a significant gap between the loan cap and the actual cost of medical education—up to $390,000 in some schools—forcing students to turn to riskier private loans or family wealth. These loans lack key protections, such as income-driven repayment plans or Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and increase pressure to pursue higher-paying specialties, exacerbating the shortage of primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas. Dumonsau warns that this policy could worsen the public health crisis, leaving communities with fewer doctors and increasing reliance on costly emergency room care. 

Among the other Nebraska groups who have relieved debt through the organization is a Creighton University student group called Students for a National Health Program. 

The group raised a little more than $10,000 during the last school year, which alleviated nearly $2.2 million in debt, said Marshall Biven, a Creighton medical student and the student group’s vice president. The amount Undue can erase varies based on the rates they can negotiate.

As a first-year student, Allison Benjamin, now-senior Spanish and sociology double major on the pre-med track and music minor, co-founded the Creighton chapter of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) with medical student India Claflin. In the chapter, which has grown to over 150 members, she has spent the past three years championing equitable healthcare access both on campus and nationally. The chapter recently raised $10k to abolish $1 million of medical debt in Nebraska.

Throughout the 2024–2025 school year, Creighton’s SNaHP chapter raised over $10,000 for Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that erases medical debt for those in need. The group, which advocates for single-payer universal healthcare, hosted events like bake sales and a Dance Off Debt fundraiser. Leaders Allison Benjamin and Autumn Woolpert emphasized the real-life impact of medical debt and the importance of student-led efforts to bring relief and raise awareness about healthcare injustice. Despite reaching their goal, the group continues to fundraise, with another event planned for April 28, 2025.

Inspired by the 2024 Jubilee Year and Pope Francis’ call for debt forgiveness, Catholic groups and students are partnering with Undue Medical Debt to relieve Americans of crushing medical bills. The nonprofit buys and forgives debt at a discount, having cleared over $14.8 billion so far. These efforts reflect Christian values of mercy and justice, addressing a major cause of bankruptcy and financial hardship in the U.S.

Healthcare workers and associations gathered at the Nebraska State Capitol to oppose potential Medicaid cuts, emphasizing the program's vital role in the state—especially in rural areas. Medicaid supports 33% of births, 43% of behavioral health services, and 44% of children's care in rural hospitals. Leaders warned that cuts would reduce access to care, raise costs, and threaten hospital services across Nebraska, particularly in rural communities where nearly half of Medicaid recipients live. They stressed that once rural healthcare services are lost, they may never return.

Caregivers rally, urge Nebraskans in Congress to protect Medicaid

Nebraska Examiner

March 17, 2025

Creighton Students for a National Health Program, alongside Creighton Students for Life and the Catholic Medical Student Association, co-hosted an educational event to inform students about key issues on Nebraska’s 2024 ballot. The event featured five speakers who covered abortion rights (Thomas More Society and Protect Our Rights Initiative), paid sick leave (Nebraska Appleseed), and medical cannabis (Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana).

Creighton’s Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) took a major step toward local advocacy by planning to introduce a resolution in support of single-payer healthcare to the Douglas County Board of Health. Inspired by connections made at a national SNaHP convention, where the resolution idea originated, the students—including co-founder India Claflin and Allison Benjamin and member Katie Rooney—emphasized the importance of gaining local support as a foundation for national change. This marks the chapter’s first direct attempt to influence policy, with future plans to collaborate with Creighton’s American Medical Association chapter.