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ORLANDO, Fla. – More Orange County residents have had their medical debt eliminated, thanks to a county program that has wiped out more than half a billion in medical debt so far.
The county announced Tuesday that it completed another round of medical debt elimination through its partnership with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt.
The county said this latest round eliminated $49.2 million in medical debt for over 49,000 residents. The debt included accounts acquired from local hospital systems and third-party debt collection agencies.
In August 2024, Orange County commissioners agreed to set up the debt relief program, using $4.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
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The program identifies eligible debt through partnerships with hospitals, health care providers, and debt collectors. Qualified residents must live in a household with income at or below 400% of Federal Poverty Guidelines, or have medical debt that equals or exceeds 5% of their total household income.
Undue Medical Debt purchases the debt from these groups in bulk, at a fraction of their face value.
Undue Medical Debt says that, on average, $100 of medical debt is erased for every $1 it spends.
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As a result, the county has so far eliminated over $515 million in medical debt for more than 302,000 residents.
The county says it has spent $3.94 million of the original $4.5 million.
If you have been helped by the program, you will get an official letter in the mail from Undue Medical Debt. No action is required.
If you have any questions about the program, go to the Orange County government’s website.
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