Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Omaha has launched a campaign to purchase and forgive medical debt for Nebraskans. The church is partnering with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, and aims to raise $25,000, which would help to erase $2.5 million in medical debt.
Rector Keith Winton said the process is designed to be simple.
“We raise the money, they take the money, they buy the debt and then send the people a forgiveness letter. And then suddenly the people find that, with no strings attached, their debt is forgiven,” he said.
The initiative comes from a time of immense debt for Nebraskans. In 2022, the Nebraska Hospital Association reported more than $124 million in bad debt. This includes unpaid bills that patients receiving care cannot afford.
Winton said the effort does not solve the overall problem, but it offers some immediate relief to Nebraska patients.
“It's not fixing the whole nationwide problem we have with insurance and medical costs and all of that,” he said. “But it's a Band-Aid. If you're bleeding, you need a Band-Aid.”
According to Undue Medical Debt, each penny donated is equal to one dollar of medical debt paid. The $25,000 donation goal would amount to $2.5 million in erased debt.