RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based nonprofit that uses donated funds to pay off the nongovernmental-payer medical debts of financially burdened individuals, has announced a commitment from the Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation to erase debts totaling roughly $264 million.

The commitment will erase debts for 125,611 patients in Miami-Dade County, who will receive letters from RIP Medical Debt over the next few weeks notifying them that some or all of their medical debt has been paid off and that they will have no tax liability for the canceled debt. Medical debt relief cannot be requested, and those who qualify for debt relief have household incomes less than four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt that is 5 percent or more of their gross annual income.

Founded in 2014 by two former debt collectors, RIP Medical Debt has acquired and abolished more than $9 billion in burdensome medical debt to help more than six million families. The organization purchases debts for a fraction of their face value in bundled portfolios and partners with faith-based organizations, government, foundations, and corporations to convert every contributed dollar to $100 of medical debt relief on average.

“The financial burden of medical bills is an unimaginable strain placed on so many patients and families in Miami,” said Jane and Daniel Och. “We are thankful to be part of this impactful partnership with RIP that will erase $264 million in medical debt and positively change the lives of thousands of Miami-Dade community members.”

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