Article Summary
- Illinois and Cook County have erased more than $2 billion in medical debt combined for over a million residents through a partnership with a nonprofit that buys medical debt for pennies on the dollar.
- The partnership allows debt to be written off for pennies on the dollar.
- Residents across Illinois say the relief has lifted long-standing financial burdens that had been sent to collections and, in some cases, affected their credit ratings.
- Lawmakers are divided on funding for the state program, with supporters pushing to expand it and critics raising concerns about spending.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
SPRINGFIELD — When Kayleigh White opened a plain white…