Wayne County announced Wednesday that $27 million in outstanding medical debt will be erased for more than 46,000 residents.
The county’s Department of Health, Human & Veteran Services said that the debt came from a local hospital, which “wishes to remain anonymous but is committed to community benefit and making health care accessible,” according to a news release.
Related:
- Contract aims to erase $700 million in medical debt for 300K Wayne County residents
- Wayne County signs off on contract to erase medical debt for up to 300K
“Since we first announced this new program in March of this year, a program designed to wipe out more than $700 million in medical debt, I am extremely pleased to see the program’s success thus far in helping so many of our residents in need,” Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans said in a news release. “These resources will help to eliminate the stress they have been under as they juggle how to pay for crushing hospital bills while keeping the lights on and putting food on the table at the same time.”
Wayne County is working with Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that acquires medical debts from those who are unable to pay. Patients who qualify must live in Wayne County and must have income no more than four times the federal poverty level, or have medical debt that equals 5% or more of their annual income, according to the county. The nonprofit can only acquire qualifying medical debts from providers who agree to be partners, such as hospitals and physicians’ groups.
“With this program, we are doing our part to address the way our national health care affordability crisis affects Wayne County residents. Medical debt is a financial anchor on too many families, often forcing them to choose basic everyday needs or being forced to pay medical bills. We are proud to work with Undue Medical Debt to help bring a measure of relief to vulnerable families throughout Wayne County,” said Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Wayne County health director and director of Health, Human & Veterans Services.
Those receiving debt relief will receive an informational letter in the mail from Undue Medical Debt this week, signed by Evans, detailing which debts have been erased. No action is required by recipients.
The county invested $5 million in this initiative with the goal of eliminating $700 million in medical debt. An additional $2 million could be added in the future if needed, according to the county.
More information is available online or anyone can email Medicaldebtrelief@waynecountymi.gov.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.