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Nurses band together to rid $1M in medical debt for Michigan families

Posted at 9:19 AM, Nov 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-10 09:42:43-05

A team of nurses banded together to help vanquish $1 million in medical debt for 500 families across Michigan. 

The Michigan Nurses Association announced that the group was led by nurses at Sparrow Hospital. The group through MNA worked with RIP Medical Debt out of New York to help get the debt cleared for families in the state. The MNA reportedly paid $10,000 to get the $1 million debt cleared. 

“It’s heartbreaking to see medical debt driving so many families into financial ruin and preventing them from getting essential care for themselves and their kids,” said Jeff Breslin, RN and president of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital/Michigan Nurses Association, in a statement.  “We know that wiping out debt for 500 families won’t solve everything, but MNA members want to do whatever we can to help while also calling for hospitals to make changes that end this epidemic.”

One in five people have delinquent medical debt on their credit reports and it's the top reason for personal bankruptcy, the MNA reported citing RIP Medical Debt. 

The organization is asking hospitals that have a non-profit status to make changes that help alleviate crushing medical debt for patients.

Read the full press release here.