A television station in Seattle has spent $12,000 to purchase $1 million in unpaid medical debts, with the purpose of having those debts forgiven. The purchase was facilitated by RIP Medical Debt.
The station originally aired a story about the growing problem of unpaid medical debts and the burdens that it can place on individuals. The original story featured a woman who has spent thousands of dollars of her own money but still remains in debt after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Another woman who gave birth prematurely while switching insurance carriers is facing a $15,000 medical bill.
After airing the story, the station said it wanted to try and do something about the problem. It is also working on a website that would accept donations from individuals to help purchase more medical debt.
The station doesn’t know who RIP Medical Debt will be helping, so it is asking anyone who has a debt forgiven by the station to contact it for a follow-up story.
RIP Medical Debt made the news back in June 2016 when it helped HBO’s John Oliver purchase and forgive $15 million of unpaid medical debt. The organization has also worked with nurses in Minnesota and a start-up healthcare company in California to purchase and forgive unpaid medical debts.
