30 most vicious John Oliver take downs
By Jeremy Dick
19. John Oliver forgives $15 million in medical debt
One of the very worst things harming millions of Americans is soul-crushing debt. Often times, this debt is incurred through no fault of these people, such as in the case of medical emergencies. Just imagine being treated for a life-threatening injury, just to receive a bill for $80,000. How could anyone be expected to reasonably pay that?
John Oliver got into the ugly side of debt by talking about debt buyers. By purchasing debt for pennies on the dollar, companies will aggressively pursue those who owe it to try and make a huge profit. Even when it comes to medical debt, there are those who are driven by greed as they try to milk every last dollar from the afflicted.
To prove a point, John Oliver started his own debt buying organization. He purchased nearly $15 million worth of medical debt for $60,000. But instead of making the debtors pay for these medical bills, Oliver simply forgave the debts. Just like that, $15 million in debt was gone, without those who owed being held accountable.
If Oliver can do this just for the sake of a segment on a television program, then why do we still have millions more people caught in the debt trap?
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