Church Pays Off $5 Million of Iowans' Medical Debt For Christmas

December 13, 2020

A church in Des Moines has paid off the medical debt of all Iowans this holiday season.

Rev. Minna Bothwell / Capitol Hill Lutheran Church

Reverend Minna Bothwell of Capitol Hill Lutheran Church told the Des Moines Register that the idea to pay off medical debt in their community came from members of her congregation. RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit organization, abolishes large amounts of medical debt after purchasing it at a discount from collection agencies.

"We asked them how much money it would take to forgive all the medical debt in Polk County," Bothwell said. "They responded, 'With what you have, you could forgive debt in all of Iowa'."

In a video posted to Facebook, Bothwell said that Capitol Hill Lutheran Church "purchased all of Iowa's medical debt that RIP had access to, a total of $5 million. And we are going to forgive every cent of it."

"2020 has been a rough year for everyone," Bothwell told the Register. "Hopefully, when people receive this news, they start the year off better with a significant weight off their shoulders."