Illinois will erase $72 million in medical debt for over 52,000 residents, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday. Funding from the state’s Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program is the first part of an effort to erase $1 billion in medical debt across Illinois.

The State of Illinois’ Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program has relieved more than $72 million worth of medical debt for 52,745 Illinois residents, Governor JB Pritzker's office announced.

When St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced last year that he would dedicate $1.1 million in federal COVID relief aid to knock out up to $110 million in medical debt citywide, some scoffed. Why spend American Rescue Plan Act dollars helping to eliminate hard-to-collect funds that hospitals could just write off themselves?

CMS’s debt relief approach, devoid of accountability to taxpayers and riddled with harmful incentives, will worsen medical debt. It’s time to focus on fixing root causes.

In all, St. Paul will spend $1.1 million, funded by the American Rescue Plan, to erase $110 million of medical debt city wide. But it's stories like Myers that motivate St. Paul and state leaders to do more. "There's no reason why this should stop at St. Paul," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said.

By using federal American Rescue Plan funds, the city paired with the nonprofit, Undue Medical Debt, and M Health Fairview to wipe out $40 million in medical obligations. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says the plan is aimed at giving support to debt-strapped residents.

More than 32,000 St. Paul residents will soon receive letters telling them their unpaid doctor's bills are no longer due. Why it matters: It's not a scam. It's the first round of a city-backed effort to eliminate $100 million in medical debt for unsuspecting community members — no application or action required.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced on Tuesday that thousands of city residents are getting nearly $40 million of medical debt wiped out.

The city of Saint Paul is using funds from the American Rescue Plan to cancel roughly $110 million in medical debt for residents.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter says the goal is to help 43,000 St. Paul residents who are struggling to pay for expenses to become medical debt-free within the year. These people are either considered to be low-income or have very high bills.