Illinois has eliminated $72 million in medical debt for over 52,000 residents through the Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program, which is part of a larger initiative to eliminate approximately $1 billion in medical debt statewide.

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 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.

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?

"It's a win for everyone," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Cater said. "And it's just the beginning." 32,000 people will receive a surprise notice in the mail from St. Paul and Undue Medica

The city of St. Paul has announced that it will eliminate $100 million in unpaid medical debt for its residents, and those being offered relief will soon receive notices, as they don’t have to apply.