Cook County weighs limitations of its medical debt relief initiative

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Cook County program designed to relieve patient medical debt may not be working for everyone.

For many struggling to pay their hospital bills, the financial relief may come a little too late.

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Since 2022, Cook County has spent more than $4 million to forgive nearly $500 million worth of medical debt for some 278,000 residents, becoming a pioneer among local governments and garnering waves of positive publicity for their efforts.

However, data shows the majority of debt was relieved for people who likely should have qualified for free care - a sign that hospitals are failing to screen for some of the region's poorest patients.

An Illinois Answers Project analysis shows some of Cook County's largest hospitals use harmful tactics to force payment out of patients.

You can read their full report at illinoisanswers.org