Medical debt can shadow families for years, dragging down credit, limiting housing options, and making everyday bills even harder to manage.
In Santa Barbara County, though, a group of local churches has helped lift that burden for thousands of residents in one sweeping act of generosity.
Here’s what to know
Across Santa Barbara County, 7,532 people are set to have a combined $13.1 million in medical bills wiped away after a dozen churches pooled resources and teamed up with nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to erase the debt, Noozhawk reported.
The campaign raised $54,131, which was enough to erase $13,105,578 in medical debt among residents across Santa Barbara County, per Noozhawk. As Undue Medical Debt’s website explains, “Every $10 donated relieves $1,000 on average of undue medical debt for families in financial need.”…