10 Million dollars in Medical Debt owed by almost 5000 families was just Erased by a Texas Church.
42 million Americans have medical debt and medical bills are the number one reason people file for bankruptcy.
A church in Carrollton, Texas sees those staggering facts as an opportunity for ministry.
On Easter Sunday, Covenant Church donated $100,000 to the charity RIP Medical Debt. A debt collector turned debt forgiver, RIP Medical Debt buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar and then forgives it.
That $100,000 gift paid off a total of more than 10 million dollars in medical debt for nearly 5,000 families in Texas.
It wasn’t a problem for the church to raise the money. Hayes said they typically spend that amount promoting their Easter services but felt this was a much better use of their offerings.
Pastor Mike Hayes knows firsthand what it’s like to be riddled with medical debt. Hayes was hit by a car when he was 17, and spent 12 days in intensive care. His family was aided in paying off their medical bills by his church family.
Hayes said he thinks about the kindness he received from the church but also wonders how people who don’t have the support of a church family cope with the pressure medical bills create.
But now, thanks to the christian love of Covenant Church, nearly 5,000 families won’t have to.