Rep. Krishnamoorthi Introduces Congressional Record Entry Commemorating the Cook County Board’s “Medical Debt Relief Initiative”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced a congressional record entry to recognize the “Medical Debt Relief Initiative” in Cook County, Illinois, a program that has successfully abolished $281,338,840 of medical debt for Cook County residents. The initiative, spearheaded by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, successfully reallocated $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide crucial relief to Cook County families.

“The transformative Medical Debt Relief Initiative led by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board should serve as a national example for localities to replicate across the country,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “Every day, 1 in 2 Americans must choose between paying medical bills or covering their basic needs, a grim reminder of the work that needs to be done to solve the medical debt crisis in our country. While I am encouraged to see more Americans having access to health care coverage now thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, medical costs remain a barrier to accessing high-quality healthcare and lead to low- and moderate-income American households piling up debt. Innovative programs like the Medical Debt Relief Initiative provide potential for economic mobility to working families and ultimately boost our economy. I will continue to do everything I can to support this important work, and I applaud the Cook County Board for their tremendous leadership to improve the economic and social well-being of my constituents.”

The full text of the congressional record is below:

Mr. Speaker,

I rise to recognize the transformative "Medical Debt Relief Initiative" in Cook County, Illinois which has successfully abolished $281,338,840 of medical debt for Cook County residents. I applaud the tireless efforts of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the County County Board to provide much needed relief to 158,541 residents. This innovative program, in partnership with the national nonprofit "RIP Medical Debt," reallocated $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide invaluable relief to Cook County families, many of who are living paycheck to paycheck.

Medical debt continues to be a crisis in our country. According to “RIP Medical Debt,” every day, 1 in 2 Americans must choose between paying medical bills and covering their basic needs. This is unacceptable. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more Americans have health insurance coverage now than ever before, despite these historic strides, costs remain a barrier to accessing high-quality healthcare. Low- and moderate-income American households continue to accrue medical debt and continue to be harmed by its financial and mental effects.

During a time of rising costs, Congress must do its part to assist working families. We must seek bipartisan solutions to reform our healthcare system because no one should be punished for becoming sick or receiving medical care. While we seek bipartisan policy solutions, partnerships across all levels of government should continue to facilitate medical debt relief. This relief, such as the “Medical Debt Relief Initiative” in Cook County, Illinois, has the power to give economic mobility to working families and boost our economy. Mr. Speaker, I extend immense gratitude to the Cook County Board, under the direction of Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, for being a model for other jurisdictions across the country. I continue to seek opportunities to advance commonsense models like this one to address the medical debt crisis.