LA County To Eliminate $500 Million In Dedical Debt For Thousands Of Residents
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Due to a new pilot program, an estimated 150,000 residents across Los Angeles County will soon have their medical debt cleared, and thousands more will be notified in the coming month of similar news, officials announced Monday. The L.A. County Department of Public Health launched its Medical Debt Relief Program, an initiative aimed to eliminate such debt that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities. County officials said the program will initially eliminate $500 million in debt by using a $5 million investment to purchase medical debt for pennies on the dollar for low-income residents. The Board of County Supervisors approved the program earlier this year, which was spearheaded by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell. "No one should have to go into poverty to get the health care they need, and yet that's exactly what's happening,'' Hahn said. Medical debt is crushing families across our communities.'' She added that on...
