The Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program launched on July 1 – the start of the state’s 2025 fiscal year. Since then, it has erased debt for 52,745 residents. Residents whose debt has been forgiven so far will receive letters in the mail next week notifying them they no longer carry the debt.

Illinois will erase $72 million in medical debt for over 52,000 residents, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday. Funding from the state’s Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program is the first part of an effort to erase $1 billion in medical debt across Illinois.

More than 52,000 Illinois residents have been relieved of $72 million of medical debt under a state pilot program that debuted earlier this year. A state pilot program designed to erase medical debt for 300,000 Illinois residents has already helped thousands eliminate $72 million of debt, the governor’s office announced Thursday.

The State of Illinois’ Medical Debt Relief Pilot Program has relieved more than $72 million worth of medical debt for 52,745 Illinois residents, Governor JB Pritzker's office announced.

More than 52,000 Illinoisans will hear that some or all of their medical debt has been cleared by the state soon. Letters will be sent out next week telling individuals in nearly every county throughout the state that their debts have been eliminated.