KIRO bought $1,000,000 in medical debt for $12,000

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Seattle TV station KIRO 7 made its own news this year when it purchased and then forgave $1 million in medical debt. 

The kicker, though, is that the station only spent $12,000 to buy off that debt. Yes that's right: debt that is worth millions to poor folks struggling to access health care, is worth a fraction of that cost to the people who make money off debt. 

Washington CAN member Joelle spoke to KIRO's Jesse Jones about how medical debt was keeping her family in poverty, and forcing her to make a decision between life with lifelong debt, or death. 

Since KIRO first aired its story on medical debt, the news organization has started up a fundraising page to help pay off the medical debt of other struggling residents. 

Check out KIRO's original segment: