J. Patrick Rooney facts for kids

John Patrick Rooney (December 13, 1927 – September 15, 2008) was an important American businessman and activist. He founded the Fairness Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping people with lower incomes get better education and healthcare. He is also known for creating the idea of Health Savings Accounts. These accounts help people save money for their medical costs. Rooney was also the chairman of Golden Rule Insurance Company.

J. Patrick Rooney: A Champion for Fairness

Fighting for Equal Opportunities

In 1976, Rooney led a big effort to stop unfair practices in insurance agent testing. He filed a lawsuit against the State of Illinois and the Educational Testing Service. This lawsuit lasted eight years. It claimed that the tests were unfair to minority applicants.

The case ended with an important agreement. This agreement required a new way to create exams. The goal was to make sure the tests were fair and did not cause unnecessary differences based on race.

Supporting School Choice

Rooney strongly supported school vouchers. These vouchers help students from lower-income families pay for private school tuition. In 1991, he started the Educational Choice Charitable Trust in Indianapolis. This trust provided money for students whose parents wanted them to attend a private school.

Rooney's actions in Indianapolis inspired similar programs across the country. Today, there are over 60 such programs. More than 53,000 students benefit from these privately-funded educational choice programs. They are all based on Rooney's original idea.

Helping with Healthcare Bills

J. Patrick Rooney also focused on helping people who did not have health insurance. He found that hospitals often charged uninsured people much more than what Medicare would pay for the same services. Medicare is a government health program for older adults.

Rooney believed that hospitals should charge a fair amount. He said that charging very high prices often hurt minority groups the most, as they are more likely to be uninsured. He called this a form of discrimination.

Rooney wanted people to have the tools to defend themselves against unfair hospital bills. He believed that if people knew how to talk to hospitals, their bills could often be reduced or even forgiven. He said that hospitals are only allowed to collect a reasonable fee.

The Fairness Foundation, which Rooney founded, helps people with these issues. They work with lawyers who can represent people in hospital bill disputes. They also set up a toll-free number for people to call for help. Rooney knew that sick people might not be able to defend themselves. So, the Fairness Foundation was there to give them information and guide them through the process.

Death

Rooney passed away at his home in Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 15, 2008. He was 80 years old.