Some respite from the extremism of absurd medical bills - Cook County Erases $665M in Medical Debt for More Than

Cook County Erases $665M in Medical Debt for More Than Half a Million Residents

To help residents cope with the financial and emotional strains of paying off medical bills, Cook County partnered with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt in 2022 and launched the Medical Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).

“The return on investment and the impact to the communities is just so great,” said Courtney Werpy Story, vice president of government initiatives at Undue Medical Debt, which purchases medical debt for “pennies on the dollar” from hospitals and other entities, then forgives it. “We know that medical debt causes folks to delay seeking care, so if they have a problem, they will not go to the doctor when that problem is more easily treatable. … We know that medical debt is not a debt of choice; it’s a debt of necessity. And we need to make sure that folks feel comfortable and safe accessing care, and that the way that we finance health care in this country isn’t causing them unnecessary mental stress.”

MDRI was funded with $9 million in COVID-19 funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. To date, the program has erased $665 million in medical debt for nearly 557,000 Cook County residents.

“One of the main reasons people declare bankruptcy is they can’t pay their medical debt, and it disproportionately impacts communities of color: Black and Brown communities,” Preckwinkle said. “And as a result of these efforts, that burden, that stress, has been relieved for people, eliminated. And I am grateful to Undue Medical Debt.

https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/10/cook-county-erases-665m-medical-debt-more-half-million-residents

Time to fight back against the extremism of absurd medical bills.