• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Behavioral Health
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Patient Engagement
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
    • Social Determinants of Health
  • Digital Health
    • AI
    • Blockchain
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • M&A
  • Value-based Care
    • Accountable Care (ACOs)
    • Medicare Advantage
  • Life Sciences
  • Research

Cleveland Eliminates $33M in Medical Debt for 16,000 Residents

by Jasmine Pennic 11/22/2023 Leave a Comment

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
Cleveland Eliminates $33M in Medical Debt for 16,000 Residents

What You Should Know:

– In a significant step towards alleviating the financial burden of medical debt on its residents, Cleveland has partnered with RIP Medical Debt, a national non-profit organization, to eliminate $33M in medical debt owed by nearly 16,000 Clevelanders.

– This initiative, funded by $1.9M from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), demonstrates the city’s commitment to addressing the critical issue of medical debt and improving the lives of its residents.

The partnership with RIP Medical Debt targets individuals who either dedicate 5% or more of their annual household income to paying off medical debt or fall below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines. This criterion ensures that the program reaches those most in need, providing them with a lifeline out of debt and financial hardship.

RIP Medical Debt Background & Approach

The process of debt elimination is handled directly by RIP Medical Debt, which acquires the medical debt from healthcare providers and then erases it. The organization purchases bundles of medical debt at significantly discounted rates, typically around 1% of their original value, and then eliminates that debt, providing relief to individuals who may have been struggling to make payments.Affected residents are then notified through a branded letter from RIP Medical Debt, informing them of the positive change to their financial situation.

This initial phase of the program is expected to eliminate $181M in medical debt for approximately 50,000 Cleveland residents. The city council anticipates further announcements from other hospital systems over the next year, indicating a potential for even broader debt relief.

“I am proud to see this program up and running to help tens of thousands of Clevelanders stuck in the trap of medical debt and hounded by debt collectors,” remarked councilman Kris Harsh, expressing the city’s commitment to addressing the issue of medical debt and its impact on residents’ lives.

Eligibility and Notification

Residents who qualify for debt elimination based on income criteria will be notified directly by RIP Medical Debt through a branded letter. The single-person income limit is $54,360, and the six-person household income limit is $148,760.

Cleveland City Council’s Proactive Approach

Cleveland City Council’s decision to utilize ARPA funds for this purpose highlights its commitment to addressing the pressing needs of its residents. By partnering with RIP Medical Debt, the council has effectively channeled these federal funds to directly impact the lives of Clevelanders, providing tangible relief and demonstrating the power of community-based solutions.

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print

Tap Native

Get in-depth healthcare technology analysis and commentary delivered straight to your email weekly

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to HIT Consultant

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly.

Submit a Tip or Pitch

Featured Insights

2025 EMR Software Pricing Guide

2025 EMR Software Pricing Guide

Featured Interview

Virta Health CEO: GLP-1s Didn’t Kill Weight Watchers, Its Broken Model Did

Most-Read

AI Breakthrough Reveals 2025 AI Breakthrough Award Winners

AI Breakthrough Reveals 2025 AI Breakthrough Award Winners

Healthcare's Big Blind Spot: The Measurement Crisis in Inpatient Psychiatry

Healthcare’s Big Blind Spot: The Measurement Crisis in Inpatient Psychiatry

Lessons Learned from The Change Healthcare Cyberattack, One Year Later

Lessons Learned from The Change Healthcare Cyberattack, One Year Later

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Launches "CloseKnit" Virtual-First Primary Care Option

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Launches “CloseKnit” Virtual-First Primary Care Option

Omada Health Launches "Nutritional Intelligence" with AI Agent OmadaSpark

Omada Health Soars in NASDAQ Debut, Signaling Digital Health IPO Rebound

Medtronic to Separate Diabetes Business into New Standalone Company

Medtronic to Separate Diabetes Business into New Standalone Company

White House, IBM Partner to Fight COVID-19 Using Supercomputers

HHS Sets Pricing Targets for Trump’s EO on Most-Favored-Nation Drug Pricing

23andMe to Mine Genetic Data for Drug Discovery

Regeneron to Acquire Key 23andMe Assets for $256M, Pledges Continuity of Consumer Genome Services

CureIS Healthcare Sues Epic: Alleges Anti-Competitive Practices & Trade Secret Theft

The Evolving Role of Physician Advisors: Bridging the Gap Between Clinicians and Administrators

The Evolving Physician Advisor: From UM to Value-Based Care & AI

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Reprints and Permissions
  • Submit An Op-Ed
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Editorial Coverage

  • Opinion
  • Health IT
    • Care Coordination
    • EMR/EHR
    • Interoperability
    • Population Health Management
    • Revenue Cycle Management
  • Digital Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Blockchain Tech
    • Precision Medicine
    • Telehealth
    • Wearables
  • Startups
  • Value-Based Care
    • Accountable Care
    • Medicare Advantage

Connect

Subscribe to HIT Consultant Media

Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly

Copyright © 2025. HIT Consultant Media. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy |