KALAMAZOO, MI — Nearly $2.5 million of medical debt has been erased for qualifying residents in Kalamazoo County, government officials said.
In just the first quarter of this year, 7,231 Kalamazoo County residents had $2.49 million in medical debt erased through a new government initiative, Kalamazoo County said in a news release.
That averages to about $344 erased per person.
With an ARPA allocation of $100,000 from the Board of Commissioners, Kalamazoo County partnered with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) to carry out the effort, turning the local investment into debt relief for residents.
Residents were included in the program based on income or the burden of their medical debt.
“Medical debt…