Princeton Alliance Church (PAC) partnered with RIP Medical Debt to pay off $1.75 million in medical debt throughout Mercer and Middlesex counties.
Because of PAC’s donation of $15,000, letters will be mailed to 1,127 recipients this week informing them that their medical debt is paid in full: 253 in Middlesex County ($417,995 million) and 874 in Mercer County ($1,338,390 million).
“We have a robust assistance program and often see medical debt connected to an inability to sustain basic needs of food and shelter in our communities. I believe that abolishing this medical debt will help lift people out of the vicious cycle of economic poverty. Our mission is to help people live life to the fullest in Jesus and we believe that happens by knowing God, developing community, and bringing hope to the world. This is one of many ways we can do so,” Lead Pastor Boyd Hannold said in a prepared statement from the Plainsboro church.
Medical debt is the No. 1 source of personal bankruptcy filings in the country, affecting both the uninsured and around 20% of Americans with insurance under the age of 65 who also have trouble covering their costs, according to the statement. More than 11 million Americans took on added credit card debt in 2013 to cover medical expenses.
RIP Medical Debt is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose sole purpose is to locate, purchase and then forgive medical debt for those in greatest need through the contributions of donors, according to the statement.
For more information, visit www.princetonalliance.org.
