KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A proposal that would wipe out the medical debt held by thousands of Kalamazoo’s poorer residents is moving forward.
County Administrator Kevin Catlin says the state of Michigan has now agreed to chip in some funding for several counties working on this remarkable project.
Locally it would be combined $480,000 from the county and $330,000 from the city to buy unpaid medical debt from local hospitals for pennies on the dollar.
He says there are five counties at work on it.
Catlin says it’s all made possible by a national nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt.
Catlin says there is still a lot of work to do to get it all in place, but its moving forward.
The organization works with the hospitals to identify those who qualify for the relief.
Sometime later this year, residents who have seen their credit ratings soured by unpaid medical bills could be notified that the debt is gone.
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