Church, Nonprofit Pay Off over $46 Million of Community’s Medical Debt

Families in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area are breathing a huge sigh of relief thanks to a church’s recent partnership with a nonprofit based in New York.

Sunday, leaders at Crossroads Church announced they had paid off $46.5 million in medical bills for tens of thousands of families living in and outside of the Tri-state area, according to Fox 19.

“In Ohio, church official say, they have abolished $42. 8 million in debts across 41,233 households in 103 zip codes,” the report noted, adding the church had also eliminated “$1.9 million in debt across 2,974 Kentucky households, $1.5 million across 503 Tennessee households and $200,000 across 136 Indiana households.”

Pastor Brian Tome told his congregation about their accomplishment during a service over the weekend:

You know how much medical debt we retired? We eliminated 46-and-a-half million dollars in medical debt. Forty-six-and-a-half million dollars in medical debt. The partner we work with said in a one time shot, one time act, that’s the largest amount of medical debt that has ever been retired in one shot. Come on! Who’s excited about that? That is amazing. It’s amazing.

Church leaders worked with RIP Medical Debt to accomplish their goal and offer their neighbors a helping hand.

“RIP Medical Debt empowers donors to forgive billions in oppressive medical debt. We are dedicated to removing the burden of medical debt for individuals and families and veterans across America,” the nonprofit’s mission statement read.

Community members received bright yellow envelopes informing them they were chosen by the church to receive the financial help.

For every $100 donated to RIP, the organization eliminates $10,000 of debt, according to its website.

“The message of Jesus is he has come to rescue us, and so it was really an honor of ours to help you in a time of need,” Tome said.

“Something just happened to you and you’ve been having to pay the price and live with the crushing burden of that and so we hope you feel release, we hope you feel free,” he concluded.