medical debt

Americans owe medical debt adding up to a staggering $220 billion, according to an analysis of recent census data.

The United Neighborhood Centers of Indianapolis and United Way of Central Indiana contributed more than $1.7 million to purchase and erase the debt of Hoosiers across seven counties in central Indiana.

Preventative screenings – like colonoscopies – are supposed to be free for patients. But a regulatory loophole leaves some patients on the hook for hundreds of dollars or more.

The city said in a press release that SCCAP will launch its debt relief program in the first quarter of 2024.