COOK COUNTY — A sweeping initiative by Cook County to tackle medical debt has now erased over $665 million in unpaid bills, offering relief to more than half a million residents across the area.
At a press conference Thursday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle highlighted the success of the Medical Debt Relief Initiative, originally launched in 2022 with $9 million from federal COVID relief funds.
“We’re stepping in where the system has failed and where families would otherwise be left to shoulder these costs alone,” Preckwinkle said.
Program Overview: Buying And Forgiving Old Debt
The debt relief effort is powered by a partnership with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that purchases old and uncollectible medical bills from hospitals and health systems for pennies on the dollar — and then completely forgives them.
Cook County has used the model to its full potential. Since launching:
- $665 million in medical debt has been erased.
- More than 550,000 residents have benefited.
- Debts forgiven are often from low-income patients or those carrying burdensome hospital bills exceeding 5% of their annual income.
To qualify for the program, individuals must either:
- Have an income below four times the federal poverty level, or
- Hold medical debt that accounts for 5% or more of their annual earnings.
Relief Comes As A Welcome Surprise To Thousands
Many Cook County residents have received surprise letters in the mail informing them that their medical debt has been wiped clean. According to Courtney Werpy, vice president at Undue Medical Debt, the reactions have been emotional and immediate.
“It’s a mental weight that’s been lifted from them,” Werpy said. “The burden of owing that medical bill is no longer there.”
Hospitals are also seeing a change in patient behavior. People whose debt has been cleared are now more likely to return for preventive and emergency care, no longer fearful of unaffordable costs.
What’s Next For The Program?
While the initiative has been funded with federal COVID dollars so far, Preckwinkle noted that those funds will run out in 2026. After that, Cook County leaders will need to determine whether the county will continue financing the program independently.
Nationally, more than 20 million Americans carry medical debt, making it one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy in the United States.
Have you or someone you know benefited from Cook County’s medical debt forgiveness? How do you feel programs like this change people’s lives? Share your story in the comments on ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com.
