$4.5M in medical debt wiped away in 6 counties

A campaign by St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and other area churches has used $17,738 in donations to abolish $4.5 million in medical debt in six counties.

This is the second year Father Paul Castelli has led the effort to abolish crippling medical debt. In 2023, the Easter Medical Debt Jubilee raised enough donations to erase $5.6 million in medical debt, with Wilson County erasing $4.6 million for 2,469 residents.

This year, Castelli broadened the campaign to six counties.

The Rocky Mount Convocation Campaign for Medical Debt Fulfillment included Wilson, Warren, Northampton, Nash, Halifax and Edgecombe counties, which are all part of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. The drive was held during Lent.

“Wow. That is awesome,” Castelli said after viewing the fulfillment report. “I am just really moved by people’s generosity. I was really thrilled with that.”

The campaign is run through Undue Medical Debt, formerly named RIP Medical Debt.

People whose debt shows up as greater than 5% of their annual income or people with an annual income less than four times above the poverty line are eligible to have their medical debt abolished.

Kayla Andresino of Undue Medical Debt detailed how much debt was eliminated in each county.

Wilson County had 49 recipients with an average of about $682 abolished for a total of about $33,423. Much of Wilson County’s debt was cleared in last year’s campaign.

Nash County had 1,283 recipients with average of about $3,163 in debt abolished for a total of roughly $4,059,155.

Northampton County had 57 recipients with an average of about $4,075 abolished for a total of around $232,223.

Edgecombe County had 46 recipients with an average of about $1,902 forgiven for a total of around $87,501.

Halifax County had 44 recipients with an average of about $1,573 abolished for a total of about $69,215.

Warren County had nine recipients with an average of about $1,688 forgiven for a total of about $15,188.

For each dollar donated during the campaign, some $100 in medical debt could be abolished.

“I think that once they realize that something like this is possible and they realize how much of an impact their donation can make on such a big thing for people financially, they are ready to open their checkbooks and make the donation because it makes a tremendous difference,” Castelli said. “It makes a huge impact, and it liberates people.”

Castelli was excited to see the effort gain broader interest this year.

“I was really glad to see that our bishop has taken an interest in this and that the other priests in the diocese have taken an interest in this and this other campaign going on in Johnston County, so that’s great,” Castelli said.

Castelli said he hopes the effort expands across the Episcopal Church’s entire Diocese of North Carolina, which has 39 counties in seven convocations roughly in the center portion of the state.

“My hope is that in the ensuing years that every convocation, every little subregion of the diocese will do a campaign canceling the medical debt in their counties,” Castelli said. “It will be a game-changer for I don’t know how many families. It was a few thousands households last year for our campaign and however many thousand households this year with our campaign. If it is a good chunk of the state, I can’t even imagine how many lives that’s going to touch.”

Castelli, who pastored at St. Timothy’s since 2021, has recently taken a position as the campus missioner at West Virginia University and vocations director for the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia.

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