2,000 Families Rid Of Nearly $2 Million In Medical Debt Paid-Off By Michigan Church

Source: http://www.trbimg.com/

The Lord does work in mysterious ways…in this case, through a Michigan Church, Grand Rapids First, in Wyoming, Michigan. 2,000 Michigan families have benefited from paying medical debt by the Church worth a little over $1.8 million in total.

Pastor Sam Rijfkogel explained that this was possible through the non-profit organization RIP Medical Debt, which ironically is owned and run by two former debt collectors. “ There are people whose medical debt, they cannot pay. There is no way. It’s looming over their heads”, he told the congregation one Sunday’s service. “ Most of these folks are in poverty levels or below poverty levels, and there’s no way that it can be repaid, but they feel the creditor banging on their doors.”


Source: https://s.abcnews.com/

At first the congregation was shocked upon hearing the proposal of their pastor to help pay off medical debt of families who can’t pay…but soon realized that it was a way of giving back to their community, and were excited and thankful.

Grand Rapids First purchased more than $1.8 million worth of medical debt through RIP Medical Debt. They paid pennies to a dollar for defaulted debt through donations amounting to around $15,000. The New York based non-profit organization buys up medical debt on the secondary market and then abolishes it. Thanks to the donation made by the church around 2,000 families in the counties of Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, and Allegan, have had their medical debts forgiven…in full.


The church however, does not know the identities of the recipients of their gifts…the health insurance privacy law (HIPPA) makes sure of that. But sure enough these families know that they are free from their medical debt. “ They owe us nothing,” Rijfkogel explains. “ We can be peacemakers. Just as Jesus forgave and cancelled the debt of our sins, we also cancelled the debt of those in our community.” Bless you pastor Sam.

 

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