Toledo is the first city to approve a community-scale medical debt relief initiative

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Michele Grim

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Nov 11, 2022
@michelegrim
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Americans are drowning in medical debt. It’s a burden for more than 100 million people and harms the physical, mental, and financial health of our families. Washington doesn’t have a plan for medical debt relief. Toledo, Ohio does.

toledoblade.com
Editorial: Debt program a model
Toledo and Lucas County have combined to turn $1.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds into as much as $200 million of medical debt relief. ...

Michele Grim

@michelegrim
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Toledo is the first city to approve a community-scale medical debt relief initiative, partnering w/@RIPMedicalDebt. Our joint commitment w/@LucasCountyCmsn uses $1.6 million to relieve $190 million-$240 million in debt held by an estimated 41,000 people.
5:24 AM · Nov 11, 2022

https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2022/11/11/editorial-debt-program-a-model/stories/20221111016/

Toledo and Lucas County have combined to turn $1.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds into as much as $200 million of medical debt relief. In the process, our community has created a best practice that other cities and counties will be able to emulate for their own citizens.

Toledo City Council voted Wednesday 7-5 to approve $800,000 in ARPA funds for the program with RIP Medical Debt, creators of the charity that buys bad debt from hospitals and discharges the liability.

In doing so, council secures a matching allocation by the Lucas County Board of Commissioners, while reducing the initial proposed allocation of $1.4 million.

Heretofore, New York-based RIP has been funded by private donations. With the Toledo program approved, RIP has created a method for people to add to the fund with private donations. That the city, county, and public are devoting resources is both a first for RIP and an ideal for future success.

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[Diamond_Dog]

1. Good for Toledo!