Cook County leaders said Tuesday they will continue to support their program that helps pay off medical debt for residents. [Health News Illinois] 

The program launched in 2022 through the use of $7 million from federal relief funding coming out of the pandemic.

As that funding is set to expire at the end of the year, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said they will use county funds to keep the program going.

“This work has proven that targeted public investment can produce immediate, life-changing results, and we're not walking away from that success,” she said.

The program is separate from a state-based medical debt relief program launched in fall 2024. Combined, officials said the programs have erased about $1.5 billion in debt across Cook County, the most medical debt forgiven at the county-level anywhere in the United States.

Over 770,000 Cook County residents have received debt forgiveness between the two programs, representing about 15 percent of the total population.

Gov. JB Pritzker joined officials at the event, noting his budget proposal unveiled last month would continue to support the state program.

“Countless people across the state are living proof that this program is more than clearing numbers on a ledger,” he said. “It is about giving people the freedom and the opportunity to build and live their lives.”

###