Man finds random $189 bill in letterbox, decides to pay off struggling stranger's medical bill

No one ever wants to be in a position where health becomes a luxury they can’t afford. Yet, with skyrocketing medical bills, many people find themselves helpless. For many, debt becomes a burden that comes with the reward of health. A man who goes by u/stofiski-san on Reddit revealed that he accidentally opened a stranger’s letter and found a $189 medical bill inside. Seeing that there was a final notice attached to it, something stirred in his heart, and he was moved to clear the debt. On November 20, along with the kind gesture, he also decided to share a public message with the woman to whom the bill belonged. 

The man revealed that the mail was accidentally sent to his house. He was going through his own bills at the time and was caught up in the moment. Without realizing it, he opened the letter, which didn’t belong to him. “I moved money from my savings to check to cover the bills I thought I had, and was all ready to pay the bill when I looked at the name on the bill,” he wrote. That’s when it struck him that the name on the medical bill was not his. Sharing a picture of it, the letter revealed that the person has $189 to pay and that this was the “final notice.” The next step would be the collection, as mentioned on the bill.

This stranger is not the only person dealing with medical debt. According to an analysis revealed by Peterson KKF, around 20 million people in the United States owe medical debt. The States owe $220 billion in medical debt. Around 14 million people owe over $1,000 each. From the statistics, around 20% of people drowning in debt have poor health. It’s heartbreaking to imagine how hard it might be for them to get by. The man saw a struggling stranger and likely pondered the scenario. “My bills are more past due because I've been sitting on them thanks to depression and avoidance, not because I couldn't necessarily afford them,” the man remarked. 

Since he had accidentally kept aside money for this bill and could afford it, he decided he might as well pay it off for the person. “I’ll call it a Christmas present for this person,” he remarked. He contacted the authorities, and though it took a while since he had no details of the patient, he was able to clear the amount. “Now I have to find the envelope the bill came in so I can return it to the sender so the hospital can figure out where this person actually lives,” he wrote. Sharing a message to the original bill’s recipient, the man wrote, “Anyway, Donna in Ohio, if you're reading this, Merry Christmas, a little early.” 

The man, dealing with his own issues and having a rough day, was instantly cheered up by strangers. u/dustycomb wrote, “As a chronically ill person drowning in medical debt, thank you for your service.” u/MothChasingFlame added, “You clawed your way out of a depressive slump just to do right by a total stranger.” 

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