41,000 people are about to get $240 million in medical debt cancelled thanks to an infusion of cash from Biden's pandemic aid

Tue, 09/19/2023 - 09:32

A man holding a sign with Medical debt is unjust written on it, gathers near the Capitol as he takes part in the March for Medicare for All in Washington D.C. — A man holding a sign saying "Medical debt is unjust" as he takes part in the March for Medicare for All in Washington, DC.
Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images

Local governments received billions of dollars under Biden's 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.
Some are putting that money toward buying up people's medical debt and canceling it.
In Toledo, Ohio, 41,000 residents will see around $240 million in medical debt relieved.

Americans owe about $195 billion in medical debt, a 2022 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found, with almost one in 10 owing "significant debt."