Chung Announces More than $400 Million in Medical Debt Erased Since Launch of Medical Debt Relief Program

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Medical Debt Relief Program that state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, helped pass has erased nearly $430 million in medical debt for working-class Illinoisans for pennies on the dollar.

“The burden of substantial medical debt can stay with working families for years, forcing them to spend hard-earned dollars on old medical bills instead of groceries or rent. The high cost of health care punishes people for getting sick and after just getting over a major illness or operation, they are faced with overwhelming bills they sometimes can’t pay,” Chung said. “I’m committed to preventing that. This program wipes out old medical debt for those who need it most, and it’s just starting. I will fight to make sure essential relief for medical costs continues in our community.”

The Medical Debt Relief Program that Chung put her support behind earlier this year is a fiscally responsible assistance initiative for low-income Illinoisans with lingering medical debt they cannot pay. The low-quality of the debt results in a more than 150-to-1 return for every dollar spent, and this program has now relieved $430 million for 358,000 residents across Illinois in just one year.

This year, Chung helped pass a range of affordable healthcare measures including:

• The Prescription Drug Affordability Act, which banned a range of practices that drive up the cost of vital prescription drugs;
• Mental health legislation to help ensure mental and behavioral healthcare is on the same footing as physical healthcare; and
• A budget that funded the construction of new hospitals in underserved areas throughout Illinois.

“Lower prescription drug costs, expanded coverage for behavioral and mental health care, new hospitals in underserved areas and medical debt relief are all part of my ongoing effort to make healthcare accessible and affordable for every Illinoisan,” Chung said. “Every step toward that goal is a step in the right direction.”