All Week Long
Originally published by Sean Keenehan via WTTW | June 10, 2025
For many American families, medical debt can be devastating.
According to recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 41% of adults in the U.S. have medical debt. That equates to more than 100 million Americans who owe upwards of $220 billion in health care costs.
“I believe in universal health care,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “This is the richest country in the world, and the idea that folks can’t get good medical care because they can’t pay insurance rates, you know, it’s ridiculous.”
To help residents cope with the financial and emotional strains of paying off medical bills, Cook County partnered with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt in 2022 and launched the Medical Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).
“The return on investment and the impact to the communities is just so great,” said Courtney Werpy Story, vice president of government initiatives at Undue Medical Debt, which purchases medical debt for “pennies on the dollar” from hospitals and other entities, then forgives it. “We know that medical debt causes folks to delay seeking care, so if they have a problem, they will not go to the doctor when that problem is more easily treatable. … We know that medical debt is not a debt of choice; it’s a debt of necessity. And we need to make sure that folks feel comfortable and safe accessing care, and that the way that we finance health care in this country isn’t causing them unnecessary mental stress.”
MDRI was funded with $9 million in COVID-19 funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. To date, the program has erased $665 million in medical debt for nearly 557,000 Cook County residents.
“One of the main reasons people declare bankruptcy is they can’t pay their medical debt, and it disproportionately impacts communities of color: Black and Brown communities,” Preckwinkle said. “And as a result of these efforts, that burden, that stress, has been relieved for people, eliminated. And I am grateful to Undue Medical Debt.”
Paid for by Preckwinkle for President. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website, http://elections.il.gov/, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. All contributions are reported to the State Board of Elections. Contributions are not accepted from employees of Cook County. Companies holding contracts with the Cook County are limited to $750.
Political contributions are not deductible for income tax purposes.