Stories Archive — Undue Medical Debt
We have a new name — RIP Medical Debt is now Undue Medical Debt.
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100,000,000+ adults nationwide are struggling with medical debt It weighs people down — and even makes them sick.

Positive Results

  • Provide social, emotional and physical relief.
  • Repair credit scores and improve economic security, allowing people to financially rebuild their lives.
  • Alleviate the need for financial sacrifices.

Storytelling gives debt relief recipients an opportunity to reflect on how medical debt has affected their lives—and that it’s the fault of the system, not an individual.

Policy Prioritization

These perspectives inform our policy priorities and the structural changes for which we advocate.

Testimonials illuminate the value of our work, center it on the people most impacted by medical debt and keep us accountable to them.


  • Amber

    Amber is a recipient of our debt relief program living in Toledo, Ohio. The debt relief provided to her was made possible through funding from the City of Toledo, one of numerous debt relief partnerships we are leading…

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  • John V.

    “Since I turned 26, I’ve been without health insurance and accruing a lot of medical debt. I’m a stay-at-home dad and only work a couple part-time jobs. I have a lovely family of four; my wife, our 9-year-old…

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  • Alex

    “After receiving the letter and finding out my debt was abolished; it was such a sign of relief. The weight on my shoulders just lifted off. It felt like it was an opportunity to move forward.”

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  • Rochelle

    Rochelle is a single parent that has done everything possible stay out of debt. She doesn’t have a credit card has has never taken out a loan. However, one day she had to make the hard choice between…

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  • Justin

    Seven years ago, Justin and his wife moved from Tennessee to Springfield, Missouri in an attempt to start a new life. Justin had spent the last two years of their time in Tennessee disputing a denial for workers…

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  • Thomas

    Thomas is a cancer survivor. Here he describes his commitment to long-term care in order to remain cancer free. “It’s a matter of life and death that I have to stay ahead of”, he says.

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  • Tonya

    “When cancer strikes, you use your life savings just to maintain your home and food on the table for your three children. As a single mom, my goal was to stay alive and see them graduate. I am…

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  • Kay

    “Firstly, I felt a sense of relief. I’m happy to have one less burden to worry about and to put an end to the collection calls and this debt showing up on my credit. I had gone in…

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  • Pura

    Pura, 49, is uninsured and lives in North Carolina where Medicaid has not yet been expanded. She has a large amount of medical debt, and shared that her income is limited because she is her husband’s primary caretaker.

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  • JeSeta

    JeSeta lives in Alabama with her husband and their son who has sickle cell disease (SCD). When we spoke with JeSeta, she shared that overdue bills and the financial repercussions were not the priority as they tried to…

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  • Betty

    Betty Holland has lived in Georgia all her life. She incurred the debt that we abolished in 2017, when she was back and forth between working in a plant making gas tanks for cars and seeing her heart…

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  • Brandon & Felix

    After being priced out of Lynwood a city of Seattle where Brandon spent the majority of his life, he moved to Ellensburg, WA with his son, Felix. There the cost of living is more affordable and in the…

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