Over $4M in medical debt to be wiped away due to donations from nonprofits

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Several area nonprofits have come together to eliminate several million dollars worth of medical debt from thousands of people in nine South Carolina counties.

Over $4 million in medical debt in the Palmetto State is being eliminated through donations from four local nonprofit organizations.

The Coastal Community Foundation, Waccamaw Community Foundation, Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of South Carolina donated over $33,000 to RIP Medical Debt. This is a national nonprofit that buys medical debt in bulk at a steep discount.

Coastal Community Foundation President and CEO Darrin Goss said over 2,000 people will have their debt erased with the donation.

“For individuals and families below the poverty line already struggling to make ends meet, medical debt can be devastating,” Goss said. “Families have to choose between food and medical care, between keeping a roof over their heads or paying a debt collector. This overwhelming amount of debt can sometimes seem insurmountable, and that’s one of the reasons we’re here today.”

To qualify, people must be living four times below the federal poverty level or with debts that are 5% or more of their annual income.

Officials said people must be living in the following counties to have their debt wiped clean:

• Charleston County
• Berkeley County
• Dorchester County
• Colleton County
• Beaufort County
• Jasper County
• Hampton County
• Georgetown County
• Horry County

Officials said there were no formal applications to erase their medical debt, which, they said, affects 100 million Americans.

Leaders said people whose debt has been eliminated will be notified through the mail.

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