Medical Debt Elimination Policy Tracker

With two in every five adults behind on medical bills that total more than $220 billion, soaring medical debt is a national crisis that disproportionately burdens low-income people and communities of color. Recognizing the negative impacts of medical debt on health and financial security, Cook County, Illinois allocated $12 million of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recovery funds in July of 2022 to eliminate up to $1 billion in medical debt. Toledo, Ohio quickly followed suit, launching a policy trend that now spans the country from California to Florida.

As part of our research examining whether and how ARPA funds are advancing racial and economic equity, we’ve been tracking the efforts that local and state governments are taking to address medical debt through debt cancellation and additional strategies. To understand these trends, we built a comprehensive database that compiles key information about each effort including the status of the effort, amount of public funding, anticipated impacts, date funds were approved, and outcomes to date. 

Our review of these efforts finds that:

• As of December 2024, 26 state and local governments across 11 states have dedicated public funds to medical debt relief programs. 
• Collectively, these initiatives promise to deliver $15.6 billion in debt relief to more than 6 million low- and moderate-income residents by the end of 2026. 
• Already, programs in Cleveland, Columbus, Cook County, Washington DC, New Orleans, Illinois, New Jersey, and Toledo/Lucas County have abolished more than $1.5 billion worth of medical debt for more than a million residents.

Explore the map below to learn about each effort, and read our full analysis here. You can also read our policy brief and case studies of medical debt cancellation efforts in Toledo and Columbus.