For state and local governments.
Use public or philanthropic funds to cancel residents' medical debt, with the relief reported in public.
We will buy medical debt and cancel it. We will never collect it, report it or sue.
Where we are today
Gifts to The Medical Bill, Inc. may not qualify for a federal income tax deduction. Our tax-exempt status is not confirmed yet.
Tax deductibility outside the United States depends on your local law.
Steps done: 1 of 8.
What governments have done so far
Program designs differ, so these totals are not a promise of what a new program would do.
$116.10 million
Public funds dedicated to medical debt relief
Source: The New School Budget Equity Project, Medical Debt Elimination Policy Tracker, published April 29, 2026.
29
State and local governments with a dedicated program
Source: The New School Budget Equity Project, Medical Debt Elimination Policy Tracker, published April 29, 2026.
$13.50 billion
Medical debt cancelled through these programs
Source: The New School Budget Equity Project, Medical Debt Elimination Policy Tracker, published April 29, 2026.
$6.50 billion
Medical debt relieved in North Carolina's first program year
Source: NC Department of Health and Human Services, NC Medical Debt, published October 13, 2025.
Totals mix programs of very different design.
North Carolina worked through a Medicaid incentive for its hospitals, a design other states may not be able to copy.
Many programs used federal recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which must be spent by December 31, 2026. We make no promise of new government matches.Source 3
- Set the budget and who it is forWho is involved Your agency
- Agree terms and reportingWho is involved Both sides, with counsel
- Buy medical debt in bulkWho is involved Our team
- Cancel it and mail a letter to each personWho is involved Our team
- Publish a reportWho is involved Our team, in public
What we report
- A line in our public ledger each time we cancel debt: the date, the debt cancelled and how many people it reached.
- State-level totals, with a region shown only where enough people share it to keep each of them private.
- Your program named as a partner in our work, if you want it named.
Procurement documents
None exist yet. We will list each one here when it does: our W-9, a certificate of insurance and audited financial statements.
Questions from governments
No one applies. Debt is bought in bulk, and people get a letter when theirs is cancelled.
Your program sets the rules, such as residence or household income. We apply them when we screen each portfolio.
If you want, yes: we can name your agency as a partner in our work, never on a single purchase.
Not yet. We are still completing the steps before our first purchase, including setting up our data handling with counsel. Talk to us now, and we will tell you plainly which steps are done.
Talk to us
Tell us about your organization and what you have in mind. The form asks only for what we need to understand it.
Sources
Note 1 The New School Budget Equity Project, Medical Debt Elimination Policy Tracker. Published April 29, 2026. Totals mix programs of very different design. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Note 2 NC Department of Health and Human Services, NC Medical Debt. Published October 13, 2025. Totals mix programs of very different design. Last checked November 2, 2026.
Note 3 The New School Budget Equity Project, "The State of Government-Led Medical Debt Cancellation Efforts". Published December 17, 2024. Totals mix programs of very different design. Last checked November 2, 2026.