KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – We now have more specific numbers on how many Kalamazoo County residents have benefited from the state’s medical debt relief program.
Governor Whitmer announced the statewide results yesterday in Detroit, saying $144-million in medical debt is being forgiven for over 200,000 Michiganders.
Kalamazoo County says 7,231 local residents have had their debt wiped out by Undue Medical Debt, a non-profit that buys up medical debt from healthcare agencies and collection services for a penny, for every dollar owed.
County board chairwoman Jen Strebs says it’s taken a joint effort.
The city of Kalamazoo also partially funded the local portion of the program.
Recipients didn’t need to apply. They were identified by the non-profit using provider and credit data and are now being notified by mail that some or all of their overdue medical bills have been paid.
Most of the local recipients earn less than $50,000 annually, and more than half of them are under the age of 45, according to county officials.
Undue Medical Debt says the average recipient gets about $1,100 in debt erased by the program, some more, some less.
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