The City Council of Columbus, Ohio, has struck a historic deal to eliminate $335 million in medical debt, bringing relief to over 340-thousand moderate-income residents in the city. The agreement, which took seven months to finalize, was made in collaboration with four major area hospitals: OhioHealth, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Mount Carmel Health System, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Columbus residents who have medical debt from the four hospitals for treatment they received between 2015 and 2020 and meet specific earning requirements qualify for the debt relief and will automatically receive notification, with no application required. The $500,000 the city estimates they’ll spend to pay off the $335 million in debt was allocated to the city through the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9-trillion economic stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021.
The Central Ohio Hospital Council is handling the debt relief directly with the hospitals, cutting out any third-party administrators and maximizing the number of people that will ultimately be helped. Columbus's initiative is part of a trend in the state, with other major cities also taking steps to pay off medical debts for their residents.
Source: DISPATCH