The Secular Society pays off medical debt for thousands in SWVA

More than 35,000 residents across Southwest Virginia will be seeing their medical debt erased. The Secular Society, announced it has abolished more than $51 million dollars in medical debt affecting 35 thousand plus people across 18 counties. The organization partnered with Undue Medical Debt to acquire and eliminate the qualifying debt. According to the organization’s data, the largest number of recipients was in Washington County, Virginia, where 7,479 residents had nearly $11.8 million in debt erased. Other counties impacted include Smyth, Wise, Montgomery, Russell, Carroll Tazewell, Pulaski, Lee, Scott, Patrick, Dickenson, Wythe, Giles, Franklin, Floyd and Craig. Recipients of the medical debt relief will receive a letter in the mail within the next few weeks. To qualify, individuals must earn less than four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt equal to at least 5% of their annual income.