TV Station in Utah Buys — and Forgives — $1.4 Million of Medical Debts

A television station in Utah has joined a growing chorus of other stations in organizing drives to raise money as a means of buying, and forgiving, medical debts.

This time, KUTV purchased $1.4 million of medical debt by spending $12,500, and sent those individuals notices that the debts have been forgiven.

In one case, a 54-year-old man who had “tens of thousands” of dollars in medical debts after suffering seven strokes was bought and paid off.

Other stations, in Seattle, and St. Louis, have made similar moves using RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit organization that works to raise money so it can purchase medical debts and forgive them. RIP Medical Debt burst onto the scene two years ago, when John Oliver from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” used the organization to buy and forgive $15 million of 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.

The TV station is seeking to hear from those whose debts are being forgiven.