Columbia Bank and ForgiveCo eliminate $5M in medical debt for veterans in Southern California

Tacoma, Washington-based Columbia Bank has announced a $5 million commitment in collaboration with ForgiveCo to eliminate medical debt for more than 2,000 veterans and their families across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in Southern California. The initiative aims to reduce financial barriers facing veterans and their families. To that end ForgiveCo will purchase and forgive qualifying medical debt in collections for eligible households earning up to 80% of area median income, with recipients selected through a randomized process managed by ForgiveCo. Participants will also receive financial counseling and educational resources to support long-term financial stability.