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EXCLUSIVE: A former Navy SEAL is on a mission to erase up to $35 million in medical debt for thousands of American veterans and first responders this Veterans Day, revealing the financial struggles some face long after putting their lives on the line.
Bear Handlon, co-founder of veteran-owned apparel company Born Primitive, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that his company’s third annual Operation Debt of Gratitude campaign is about reminding American heroes they haven’t been forgotten.
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“We feel that if people serve their country and put on the uniform and make those sacrifices, that they should be taken care of,” Handlon said.
Born Primitive and Black Rifle Coffee Company are pledging 100% of their online profits from Nov. 6 through Veterans Day toward medical debt relief for an estimated 20,000 veterans and first responders.
The initiative has already erased more than $50 million in medical bills for over 25,000 veterans since 2024, according to Handlon.
But one recent encounter left the former SEAL stunned.
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Handlon said a friend who previously served as a Navy SEAL and now works as a U.S. marshal was nearly killed after being shot while serving a high-risk warrant and was subsequently left facing an $8,000 medical bill.
“I’m talking to a friend right now who was a former Navy SEAL and is now a U.S. marshal serving high-risk warrants, and he was shot serving a warrant, almost killed,” Handlon said. “And I just spoke to him yesterday, he’s got an $8,000 bill that they will not cover.”
Handlon said the bill was directly related to the marshal’s injuries sustained in the line of duty. Fox News Digital has not independently verified the billing dispute.
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“I’m like, this is absolutely insane,” Handlon said. “I mean, never in a million years did I think someone who was shot in the line of duty would ever have a bill ever again.”
Handlon said he was contacting an Ohio lawmaker about the case and would pay the bill himself if necessary.
He acknowledged that he is not an expert on healthcare coverage but said conversations with debt-relief recipients have revealed cases involving denied insurance claims and gaps in coverage.
“I think people have the misconception that if you’re in the military you have free healthcare for life, that’s not the case,” he said.
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Some veterans, Handlon explained, face collection calls and damaged credit while attempting to resolve medical bills.
“You know, a lot of times their wages are getting garnished. Their credit score goes in the tank,” he said. “You know, they’re getting phone calls from all kinds of unknown numbers trying to collect it. They’re getting scary letters in the mail.”
Another recent encounter, however, revealed just how timely the emotional impact of debt relief can be.
Handlon recalled speaking with a Salt Lake City veteran who told him he had been contemplating suicide shortly before receiving an unexpected letter informing him that his medical debt had been forgiven.
“We had a gentleman out of Salt Lake City that told us that he was getting ready to take his own life,” Handlon said.
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According to Handlon, the veteran had prayed for a sign to keep living just minutes before opening the letter. Initially believing the notification was a hoax, he called to confirm the debt had been erased.
“And, of course, that was a very emotional moment for him,” Handlon recalled.
The two subsequently became friends, and Handlon said the veteran was invited to a Tony Robbins event, where organizers surprised him with a video presentation before a packed arena.
“I don’t think there was a dry eye in the whole stadium,” he said.
The campaign works with debt relief partner ForgiveCo, which purchases qualifying medical debt and cancels it. Recipients do not need to apply for assistance and are instead notified by letter, according to campaign materials.
This year’s effort also includes first responders for the first time, a decision Handlon tied to America’s 250th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“I personally don’t think we give them enough recognition,” Handlon said, describing the traumatic situations firefighters and other emergency personnel encounter.
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The campaign’s ambitions could expand substantially through a matching commitment from motivational speaker Tony Robbins.
Handlon said Robbins plans to match debt relief generated by the initiative, potentially bringing the total to $70 million if the companies meet their initial $35 million goal.
Looking beyond Veterans Day, Handlon said he hopes the initiative will eventually eliminate more than $1 billion in medical debt and prompt a broader conversation about the financial challenges facing those who have served.
“Maybe there’s a world where two veteran-owned brands could pay off every penny of medical debt for veterans,” Handlon said. “And what a story that would be.”