Blacksburg nonprofit clears $51M in medical debt for 35,000 southwest Virginia households

The Secular Society, a nonprofit based in Blacksburg, has announced a $51.3 million medical debt relief initiative benefiting 35,007 households across 18 counties in Southwest Virginia. In collaboration with Undue Medical Debt, New York-based nonprofit, Secular Society purchased and retired the medical debt, which will also be removed from the debt-relief recipients’ credit reports. The debt-forgiveness effort targeted low-income households whose medical debt exceeds 5% of annual income. With millions in medical debt effectively erased, financially at risk families will see immediate household budget relief in a region with high chronic illness rates, economic fragility, and limited healthcare access.