We want to relieve crippling medical debt in North Carolina!!
Over half the personal bankruptcies in the US are caused by medical debt.1 An unexpected medical problem, a short stay in the ICU, an accident, can all result in massive medical bills – even after insurance or Medicare. More than 20% of North Carolina residents have significant unpaid medical bills, making NC the #6 worst state in the nation for medical debt.2 For families that work paycheck to paycheck, a significant medical bill can send them into poverty.
Trinity Moravian Church, which for over a century has actively ministered to the needy of our area continues their campaign to eliminate medical debts in our area. Working with Undue Medical Debt (formerly known as RIP Medical Debt), a highly-rated nonprofit that works to erase medical debt, we hope to raise $15,000 to relieve — and erase – over $1,000,000 of medical debt in central North Carolina. The primary targets for this campaign are:
Davidson, Yadkin, Davie, Surry, Stokes, Rockingham, Randolph, Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe, Rowan, Iredell, Catawba, and Alexander counties. Overflow will be used state-wide.
When medical debts go unpaid for a period of time, they are often sold off at a steep discount to collection agencies, which then have the right to continue collecting the entire debt. It is at that stage that Undue Medical Debt is able to step in and buy the debt for literally a penny on the dollar.
Imagine a struggling family receiving a completely unexpected letter saying that their crippling medical debt has been forgiven. We can bring that kind of grace to many families in our area through this campaign – a practical demonstration of the grace that God has given each of us!
The name of the campaign comes from Leviticus 25, which commanded that every fiftieth year (seven round of seven year periods) a special Day of Atonement would be held, all debts would be forgiven, and slaves freed. We want to proclaim Jubilee for the people in Forsyth County who are enslaved by medical debt.
This first campaign will start on June 1, 2024 and extend through July 31. Sometime in August, we plan to announce the exact results of this campaign and the expected impact of approximately over one million dollars in medical debt owed by residents of central North Carolina. Any overage will be used to erase debts in other parts of the state. Every dollar you donate will be used directly to erase someone’s medical debt.
YOU can make a huge difference in someone’s life right now. 100% of your donation will go directly to relieve the burden of medical debt – and every dollar you donate will literally erase $100 of debt.
For more information visit https://debtjubileeproject.org/
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- David U. Himmelstein, et al. “Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study,” Page 741. Elsevier Inc, 2009.
- Lending Tree report, June 27, 2022
https://www.lendingtree.com/personal/medical-debt-survey/
