An Iowa church bought and forgave $5 million of medical debt for state residents, according to The Des Moines Register.
The church, Capitol Hill Lutheran Church in Des Moines, partnered with nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to pay off unpaid medical bills. The church raised about $8,000, which RIP Medical Debt used to forgive the debt for pennies on the dollar.
Capital Hill Lutheran Church said the success of its first fundraiser inspired it to expand its reach to Missouri.
The church had a goal of raising $15,000 before Christmas to buy and forgive as much medical debt as possible in Missouri. As of Dec. 14, the fund has raised more than $21,000.
RIP Medical Debt works with several organizations to help wipe out unpaid medical debt, and the company can now buy debt directly from hospitals, the HHS Office of Inspector General said in July.