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ProMedica will forgive $222 million in medical debt

Sarah Edwards | May 31, 2024

Sarah Edwards
Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Edwards is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Healthcare debt can feel insurmountable, and relief programs are few and far between. But for some residents of northwestern Ohio and southeast Michigan, there’s a new program erasing millions of dollars of debt. SoloSuit brings you the good news (and offers some tips if you have your own medical debt).

Medical debt is a problem for millions of Americans. According to current estimates, American citizens owe at least $220 billion in medical debt. With the rising cost of health care services, that number will likely increase.

If you have medical debt yourself, you know how discouraging it can be. But every so often, there’s a ray of hope through the bleakness. And if you’re in northwest Ohio or southeast Michigan, you might find that ray is shining right on you.

ProMedica, a major healthcare provider in the region, is partnering with local governments and a major nonprofit organization to erase $222 million in medical debts. Here’s what you need to know.

If you have medical debt you want to settle, follow these three steps to settle.

How is ProMedica forgiving debt?

Press releases say that ProMedica is the organization forgiving debt, but it’s a team effort between ProMedica, the City of Toledo, Lucas County, and Undue Medical Debt (formerly known as RIP Medical Debt), a nonprofit organization.

The plan eliminates $222 million in medical debt for a total of 108,737 patients. Lucas County (in Ohio), Toledo, and Undue Medical Debt are each purchasing a portion of debt from ProMedica at a very steep discount and then forgiving it.

The City of Toledo will purchase a total of $69 million in debt by paying ProMedica $800,000. Lucas County is purchasing $14 million with another $800,000 payment. Undue Medical Debt will be buying the lion’s share of the total amount — $139 million in medical debt — with private funding (the amount paid hasn’t been disclosed).

As you might have guessed, Toledo’s contribution is wiping out debt for city residents, and Lucas County’s payment will eliminate debt for county residents. Undue Medical Debt’s portion will help people living in 27 different counties — some in northwest Ohio and some in southeast Michigan.

If you’re one of the fortunate people whose debt will be forgiven, you won’t be notified ahead of time. Instead, you’ll receive a letter in the mail. While this partnership impacts people in a relatively small geographic area, there’s hope that other states and localities will be inspired and follow suit.

Of course, this is a one-time initiative, so there will still be ProMedica debt collection in the future. However, Ohio State Representative Michele Grim is sponsoring Ohio’s House Bill 174, a bill that would implement a universal healthcare plan for Ohio residents.

It’s important to note that there isn’t a ProMedica debt collection company — ProMedica is a healthcare provider. Handling medical debt that’s gone to collections is different from handling debt that has not, but you still have options to reduce or eliminate what you owe.

Is a collection agency trying to get you to pay medical debt? Make them prove you owe it with SoloSuit’s Debt Validation Letter!

What if you live outside of these areas and have medical debt?

Erasing medical debt for more than 100,000 people is nothing to sneeze at. However, if you’re among the millions of Americans who still have medical debt, it’s understandable to be disappointed.

Fortunately, you have some options. Some erase your debt, some reduce it, and some just make it easier to pay over time. Here are some suggestions:

  • See if Your Provider Has an Assistance Program: Check the website or call the billing office to find out whether you qualify.
  • Hire a Medical Bill Advocate: A medical bill advocate can negotiate your debt for you — this option isn’t free, but it can save you thousands on a large debt.
  • Check With Outside Organizations: The Healthwell Foundation, UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCF), and the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation might be able to help you find grants to apply for.
  • Negotiate on Your Own: In some cases, you might be able to negotiate to reduce the amount you owe without an advocate.
  • Ask for a Payment Plan: Most hospitals and providers will let you pay larger balances over time without interest.

To see how you might be able to use some of these options to erase or reduce your own medical debt, let’s consider an example.

Example: Jose owes $100,000 to a hospital for a surgery he had when he didn’t have health insurance. He makes just above minimum wage, and he knows paying it off will be next to impossible. He knows some hospitals will forgive debt for people on limited incomes, so he goes to the hospital’s website. After clicking around, he finds its “Charity Care” program. He prints and fills out a form that asks him about his income, monthly expenses, and any assets (like a car, a house, or a retirement account) he has. He scans and emails the form. In a couple of weeks, he gets a letter that says his debt is completely forgiven. He can finally breathe a sigh of relief.


Of course, the options above only apply if your debt has not gone to collections. If it has, you might consider trying to negotiate a settlement with the collection agency.

With a settlement, you can often pay considerably less than the amount you initially owed. Debt collectors buy debt for pennies on the dollar, so they still make a profit if you pay less than the original amount.

Settling can also help you avoid a lawsuit. Some states ban the reporting of medical debt to credit bureaus, but collectors can still sue you for medical debt.

Don’t negotiate with debt collectors alone — use SoloSettle by SoloSuit!

Got medical debt? Don’t give up!

Having medical debt can feel crushing, and it’s tempting to just hope it will go away. Don’t do this! When you take a proactive stance toward your debt, you’ll find that everything instantly feels a little less stressful. Paying it off might take time, but it’s always easier when you have a plan.

Settle with SoloSettle

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