26-02-2025
More than $220M in Illinois medical debt erased in latest round of relief
CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Nearly 170,000 Illinois residents will have their medical debt erased, part of the latest round of relief totaling $220 million.
In total, the Medical Debt Relief Program has abolished more than $345 million for nearly 270,000 since the program began.
'We started this program with a simple premise: in a healthy and functioning society, no one should be in financial ruin simply because they get sick,' said Gov. JB Pritzker. 'This program makes a major impact on the lives of the most vulnerable Illinoisans while also maintaining our commitment to fiscal responsibility with a fantastic return on investment—the gold standard for this kind of work.'
The Department of Healthcare and Family Services partners with Undue Medical Debt, a national charity, to administer the program.
The initiative was launched in 2024 with the goal of erasing $1 billion of medical debt over several years.
The program targets residents with a household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, or those whose medical debt is at or exceeds 5% of their household income.
For each dollar spent on medical debt buyback, the relief program erases approximately $170 in medical debt for patients.
So far, the state has spent $2 million on the program, with a $15 million appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
According to the Governor's Office, 'Medical debt disproportionately affects people of color—Black Illinoisans are 50% more likely to accrue medical debt than their white peers.'
The program has partnered with hospitals throughout the state to provide medical debt relief for their patience.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
