The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health launched the Los Angeles County Medical Debt Relief Program, an initiative designed by the Medical Debt Coalition, which is working together to address the growing crisis of medical debt that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities across the county.
The Medical Debt Relief Program will initially eliminate $500 million in debt by leveraging a $5 million investment from a motion introduced by Supervisors Janice Hahn, 4th District, and Holly Mitchell, 2nd District, approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, to purchase medical debt for pennies on the dollar for low-income residents.
The Medical Debt Coalition, a multi-sector group, seeks to reach the goal of eliminating $2 billion in medical debt for Los Angeles County residents with continued contributions from philanthropic partners, hospitals and health plans. L.A. Care Health Plan is supporting this effort with a $2 million contribution for debt relief and critically, its prevention, by expanding the availability of tools to improve financial assistance programs. The Los Angeles County Medical Association has also contributed funds to relieve another $1 million of medical debt…