Doctor And His Wife Erases Former Cancer Patients’ $650K Debt

An Arkansas oncologist who closed his clinic after almost forty years has erased nearly half a million in medical expenses for his cancer patients.

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Dr. Omar Atiq said after closing his clinic that he has been working with a billing company for months to set up payment plans for his former patients but changed his mind at the last minute. He says he realized some patients were unable to pay off their debt so Dr. Atiq and his wife decided to forgive the debt. During the week of Christmas, he sent the following greeting card to 200 former patients:

“I hope this note finds you well. The Arkansas Cancer Clinic was proud to serve you as a patient. Although various health insurances pay most of the bills for the majority of patients, even the deductibles and co-pays can be burdensome. Unfortunately, that is the way our health care system currently works. Arkansas Cancer Clinic is closing its practice after over 29 years of dedicated service to the community. The clinic has decided to forego all balances owed to the clinic by its patients. Happy Holidays.”

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“Over time I realized that there are people who just are unable to pay. So my wife and I, as a family, we thought about it and looked at forgiving all the debt. We saw that we could do it and then just went ahead and did it,” he told Good Morning America.

Dr. Atiq said the coronavirus pandemic was also a factor in helping out his patients with their debt and hopes the new year will make things easier for them.

“I just hope that it made it a little bit easier for them. That’s it. I just hope that it gave them a little sigh of relief and made it easier for them so they could face other challenges they may be facing in their lives.”

SOURCE: Yahoo! News