The Story of Bageshwori, Watsi's First Patient
In case anyone is wondering, if I am reading their FAQ correctly, they don't actually wait until the crowdsourced treatment is 100% funded before they provide medical care -- per <a href="https://watsi.org/faq#am-i-really-funding-medical-care-for-the-patient" rel="nofollow">https://watsi.org/faq#am-i-really-funding-medical-care-for-t...</a> .<p>"Am I really funding medical care for the patient?
Yes. Your donation directly covers the cost of care for the patient you choose. Medical Partners provide care to patients accepted by Watsi operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors. In this sense, Watsi operates much like a traditional health insurance company. When you go to the doctor, your doctor calls your health insurance provider to ensure they’ll cover the cost of care. Your doctor then provides care operating under the guarantee that it will be paid for by the insurance company."<p>(And thank goodness they don't wait! That would be pretty scary.)<p>This is a bit different, I think, from the thing people found confusing about Kiva ( <a href="http://blogs.cgdev.org/open_book/2009/10/kiva-is-not-quite-what-it-seems.php" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.cgdev.org/open_book/2009/10/kiva-is-not-quite-w...</a> ) which was that they were inviting investments in microloans which had already been disbursed. But it may be similar enough that you find it interesting if you like to "follow the money".