ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Board of Commissioners have voted to move ahead with a plan to set aside $4.5 million in medical debt relief.
Funding is provided through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, set aside for COVID-19.
Tara Felton spoke at today’s meeting to talk about her medical debt.
She told News 6, “Cancer is an expensive illness.”
Her father died of cancer and left her mother with thousands of dollars of medical bills. She hoped by sharing her story, it would help the county understand how important this funding is.
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The motion passed 5-2. Around $4.5 million in medical debt relief money is being set aside.
Funding is provided through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, set aside for COVID-19.
The unique part of this medical debt relief program is that you don’t have to apply for it. They are going to go directly to the hospitals and research their data to see who meets the criteria.
Nonprofit company Undo Medical Debt will manage the program.
“We find everyone that is 400% of poverty or below or if they have a debt that is 5% or more of their income and then we send all those people, which could be up to 150,000 people, letters letting them know that they are free and clear of those medical debts... For a family of three, it’s a $101,000, I think. It’s people that are low-to-middle income,” CEO Allison Sesso said.
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