Nonprofit Eliminates $133 Million in Medical Debt for 128,000 Nevadans

A new program called Seeds of Relief, launched by Somos Votantes and the Somos Votantes Education Fund, has wiped out medical debt for thousands of Nevadans, including a Las Vegas resident who had more than $4,500 in bills dating back to 2017 and 2019, which have been forgiven. The initiative partnered with Undue Medical Debt to negotiate directly with hospitals and collection agencies, allowing debt to be purchased and eliminated rather than collected.

In its first wave, Seeds of Relief eliminated more than $133 million in medical debt for over 128,000 people in Clark and Washoe counties through this network of hospitals and collectors. The relief covered older debts tied to hospital stays, surgeries, and ambulance services, and was framed as a response to rising costs of living, including health care, fuel, and groceries.

Recipients were notified by letter that their debt had been forgiven, an approach many initially misunderstood. “When I received this letter, the first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, more bills,'” said Yañez, who spoke Spanish through a translator. “So I didn't pay attention to it.”

Yañez, who lost her job and faced the possibility of bankruptcy, described the emotional toll of carrying medical debt for years. “I feel very blessed that I was selected for this blessing,” she said. “Because it is very, very stressful to have all these bills hanging over your head, and all you can think is like, paying the bills.”

Organizers said the program reflects broader financial pressures across the state. “The No. 1 issue that is affecting not only Latinos but everyone in our community is the cost of living,” he said. “People are really struggling to make ends meet. ... They're struggling with the high cost of health care, of gas, of groceries.”

Leal-Santillan emphasized that, because of privacy laws, the program does not collect personal data on the tens of thousands of people whose debt was erased. “They just couldn't believe that they no longer had to worry about that medical debt,” Leal-Santillan said. “There are other instances of people who were ... struggling to pay for groceries ... to pay for gas — who were either recently laid off, or whose hours had been cut — and so these medical debt bills were just piling up. ... They were just really, really happy.”

A second wave of Seeds of Relief is planned, with organizers exploring whether future phases could expand additional medical-debt relief or potentially address other forms of consumer debt, including credit card balances.