Dissolving debt: Indy organizations announce medical debt relief 

United Way of Central Indiana and United Neighborhood Centers of Indianapolis announced major medical debt relief to Indianapolis residents at a press conference Monday.& & For more than 112,000 Indiana residents in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties, a combined total of $239.6 million in medical debt will be paid by $1.7 million in combined donations. United Way of Central Indiana and the United Neighborhood Centers of Indianapolis partnered with an anonymous donor to collect the funds to purchase the medical debt to relieve Indiana residents.& “Today’s announcement is not just about a crisis intervention. At United Way, we’re fighting for the long-term health and economic well-being of every person in our community,” said Fred Payne, president and CEO of United Way of Central Indiana.& The funds were donated to a national nonprofit, Undue Medical Debt. The organization will use the funds to erase medical debt for people who are at or below 400% of the federal poverty line or people with a medical debt burden of 5% or more of their annual income. The organization says that for every $1 donated, an average of $100 in medical debt is eliminated.& & The funds will be broken...