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Michigan erases $144 million in medical debt for more than 210,000 residents
Scripps News ^ | 10:47 AM, Jul 18, 2025 and last updated 11:51 AM, Jul 18, 2025 | Scripps News Group

Posted on 07/18/2025 12:32:55 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

State leaders partner with nonprofits to purchase and forgive medical debt.

Michigan has eliminated $144 million in medical debt for more than 210,000 residents as part of a state initiative announced by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The debt relief comes through a partnership with the nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt, which purchases medical debt for pennies on the dollar.

"We believe that getting sick or getting hurt shouldn't have to mean going broke," Whitmer said.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist noted the widespread impact of medical debt in the state, saying, "We estimate that there are more than 700,000 adults who carry medical debt. That's more than the combined populations of Grand Rapids, plus Lansing, plus Ann Arbor."

The initiative aims to address cases like that of Naqua Atkinson, a 23-year-old who died from a severe infection after avoiding dental treatment due to fears of accumulating more medical debt.

Jenn Strebs, chairperson of the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, shared Atkinson's story: "You know he had had serious diabetes most of his life, and he was suffering from a pretty severe toothache at work. And all of us were encouraging to go and get it checked out."

"It was enough debt to make him fear going for care, and that's reality for a lot of people," Strebs said.

Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt, explained how the organization operates: "We buy medical debt for pennies on the dollar. One dollar gets rid of at least 100 dollars of medical debt. That's not magic, that's math. There is a for-profit market for medical debt that we take advantage of."

Sesso also expressed concern about recent Medicaid cuts enacted by Congress, warning they could exacerbate the problem.

(Excerpt) Read more at scrippsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: crimecorruption; illegal; illegals
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I guarantee they paid pennies on the dollar.

Health insurance never pays list price, and neither will they.

Ordinary taxpaying US citizens without health insurance, however,...

1 posted on 07/18/2025 12:32:55 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder how many of those “residents” who got the money are illegal aliens!


2 posted on 07/18/2025 12:34:16 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I hope they didn’t discriminate against males and/or whites.


3 posted on 07/18/2025 12:34:34 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Residents.

Not citizens, but residents.


4 posted on 07/18/2025 12:37:09 PM PDT by Brookhaven (It's illogical to hate Fascism and not hate Communism.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

5 posted on 07/18/2025 12:38:42 PM PDT by llevrok (Keep buggering on!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

So does UMD just eat the expense, or do they go after people for repayment?


6 posted on 07/18/2025 12:47:04 PM PDT by scrabblehack
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Sounds like money laundering to me.


7 posted on 07/18/2025 12:49:05 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (If you have asylum in the U.S. and you go home to visit family, is it like violating a Protect Order)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

A bandaid not a solution.

Medical costs are an order of magnitude more than they should be.

That’s the problem to fix.


8 posted on 07/18/2025 12:54:00 PM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Comes to avg of 685.71 per person

Martha we are saved 😎


9 posted on 07/18/2025 12:59:20 PM PDT by blitz128
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To: TheDon
A bandaid not a solution. Medical costs are an order of magnitude more than they should be. That’s the problem to fix.

Might have something to do with this:


10 posted on 07/18/2025 1:03:46 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Write offs are income, come tax filing time. The debtor will receive a 1099 or similar of the amount discharged. That is if anyone besides responsible conservatives have to follow the law anymore?


11 posted on 07/18/2025 1:14:23 PM PDT by blackdog ((Z28.310) "Diggin the scene with a gangster lean" (Mayfield, Curtis) )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

And where’s the graph showing that nobody is ever admitted to the hospital anymore? With all that growth in physicians and administrators!!!


12 posted on 07/18/2025 1:16:48 PM PDT by blackdog ((Z28.310) "Diggin the scene with a gangster lean" (Mayfield, Curtis) )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Nobody “erases” debt, unless it’s debt to you and you can absorb the loss. Someone else is paying for it.


13 posted on 07/18/2025 1:17:58 PM PDT by fwdude (Why is there a "far/radical right," but damned if they'll admit that there is a far/radical left?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Is this a great country or what?


14 posted on 07/18/2025 1:24:34 PM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“”We believe that getting sick or getting hurt shouldn’t have to mean going broke,” Whitmer said.””

We believe that politicians shouldn’t become millionaires either.


15 posted on 07/18/2025 1:26:48 PM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: Thank You Rush

“Is this a great country or what?”

The greatest. Anyone that thinks otherwise should move.


16 posted on 07/18/2025 1:27:33 PM PDT by TexasGator (/i.. logo About Issues Projects Products Connect Subscribe Invest June 19, 2025 | Insight '1-1111 -)
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To: Thank You Rush

“We believe that politicians shouldn’t become millionaires either.”

My father died in 1987.

After building a new house in 1992 she had $100k in her bank account and less than $30 income from his retirement and SS.

I invested her into dividend stocks and she used that for extra income.

When she died in 2016, she was a millionaire.


17 posted on 07/18/2025 1:34:11 PM PDT by TexasGator (/i.. logo About Issues Projects Products Connect Subscribe Invest June 19, 2025 | Insight '1-1111 -)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If a non-profit is buying the debt and forgiving it, where do the State and Gretchen Whitmer come in? Is the State of Michigan funding the non-profit? How much do the charity’s officers and employees make? How does this help the medical service providers, left with “pennies on the dollar”? Or discourage others from running up bad debt?


18 posted on 07/18/2025 2:21:45 PM PDT by Chewbarkah
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

You mean the taxpaying vitizen fid that. Not some blood sucking politicians being irresponsible.


19 posted on 07/18/2025 2:34:19 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They didn’t erase anything. They merely shifted the debt over into the category, whatever they want to call it, that other taxpayers must fund.


20 posted on 07/18/2025 2:41:02 PM PDT by Lizavetta
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