Latest / The Rest of the World Podcast
GOOD NEWS SUNDAY October 25, 2026
ILLINOIS ERASES MEDICAL DEBT
Illinois has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debt, and no one had to apply.
Gov. JB Pritzker announced the figure Thursday, October 15, at a news conference in the Cook County Health building. His office says the state’s Medical Debt Relief Program, about two years old, has reached 694,000 residents. On average, about $1,200 in debt was erased for each person. One person had as much as $900,000 erased, according to the state.
The state allocated $10 million to the program. “Every penny that we put in relieves a dollar of debt,” Pritzker said. He said he…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.