EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — According to the National Institutes of Health, 36% of households had medical debt in 2024, while 21% had a past-due medical bill and 23% were paying a medical bill over time to a provider.
Now imagine you get a letter in the mail saying your medical debt has been cleared.
That’s what’s happened for more than 9,000 Rhode Islanders since the state’s Medical Debt Relief Program was launched two years ago.
General Treasurer James Diossa’s office says the program has relieved more than $16.3 million in medical debt since 2024.
Diossa joined 12 News Anchor Shannon Hegy on the latest edition of 12 Health to talk about the program and how it works.
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