Illinois has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debt for almost 700,000 residents, surpassing the program's original goal two years after it launched, Capitol News Illinois reports.
At its launch, the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program aimed to eliminate $1 billion in debt. The state has topped that goal by $400 million while spending less than $10 million in state dollars, according to Capitol News Illinois. That means every state dollar invested wiped out more than $100 in debt.
The results were made possible through the state's partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that works with local governments and health care providers to purchase and eliminate qualifying medical debt owed by low-income residents, the report said.
Who qualifies
Illinois residents whose household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, or who have medical debt equal to 5% or more of their household income, are eligible, according to Capitol News Illinois.
Residents do not apply to the program. Affected households receive letters in the mail after their debts have already been erased.
Background
The statewide initiative was modeled after Cook County's program, which launched in 2022, according to Capitol News Illinois.
According to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services website, the state committed $10 million to the Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program, which the department administers.
Source: the original release