Benton Hails $72 Million In Medical Debt Relief for Illinoisans

PLAINFIELD, Ill. — More than 52,000 Illinoisans—including over 20,000 in Will County alone—have had medical debt paid under a law backed by state Rep. Harry Benton, D- Plainfield, clearing a backlog of $72 million facing working families and seniors.

“Helping hardworking Illinois families to make ends meet so they can keep their focus on the things that really matter has been my main priority while serving in Springfield,” Benton said. “Today’s announcement of relief for those struggling with medical debt is one of those things that makes the long hours and late nights spent pursuing the people’s agenda worth it.”

Benton voted to pass House Bill 5290, which creates the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Act, directing the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to work to eliminate up to $1 billion in medical debt by purchasing old bills from debt collectors and hospitals for just pennies on the dollar. The department recently announced relief for 52,745 residents, with more relief forthcoming; the largest number of debts relieved were in Will County, where 20,832 residents received debt relief.

To be eligible, Illinois residents must be at or below 400% of the federal poverty level with medical debt equal to 5% or more of the household income. Residents do not need to apply for assistance; impacted households receive notification letters after their debts have been eliminated.

“This is a significant milestone for thousands of Illinois families who’ve struggled with crushing medical debts,” Benton said. “Freeing families from this type of burden allows them to be more stable and productive, which benefits not only their communities, but also the economy as a whole. That’s why I’m not nearly done working to keep Illinois moving forward.