Cook County erases $665M in medical debt for over half a million residents
Cook County erases $665M in medical debt for over half a million residents
Getting sick is hard enough — but the medical bills that follow can be just as painful. Which is why years ago, Cook County created a program to help people tackle medical debt.
COOK COUNTY - Getting sick is hard enough — but the medical bills that follow can be just as painful. Which is why years ago, Cook County created a program to help people tackle medical debt.
What we know:
On Thursday, Cook County board President Toni Preckwinkle touted its success.
"We’re stepping in where the system has failed and where families would otherwise be left to shoulder these costs alone," Preckwinkle said.
Cook County leaders provided an update on the Medical Debt Relief Initiative, which was launched by the county in 2022 using $9 million in COVID funds.
The county partners with a company called Undue Medical Debt, which buys up old and uncollectible bills from hospitals and health centers for a fraction of the price--then forgives that debt.
Preckwinkle said since the program started, the county has erased $665 million in medical debt carried by more than 550,000 Cook County residents.
To qualify for debt relief, you must have an income no more than four times the poverty level, or have medical debt that’s 5% or more of your annual income.
Nationwide, more than 20 million Americans carry some amount of medical debt, making it one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States.
The company that buys up the uncollected debt for Cook County said they’ve heard from hundreds of people who have been surprised to get a letter in the mail saying they’re debt-free.
"It’s a mental weight that’s been lifted from them. That the burden of owing that medical bill is no longer there," said Undue Medical Debt Vice President Courtney Werpy Story. "We’ve also heard both from our constituents as well as hospitals that those whose medical debt is forgiven tend to return to care. They’re less afraid of going back to the doctor or hospital system to receive either preventative or emergency care as well."
What's next:
Preckwinkle said when the federal money runs out next year, Cook County will consider funding the debt relief initiative on its own.