Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Illinois program

An automatic cancellation of selected debt (Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program)

Illinois cancels selected purchased medical debts and sends qualifying families a letter. There is no individual application.

What it is

Illinois cancels selected purchased medical debts and sends qualifying families a letter. There is no individual application.

The program screens debt portfolios rather than accepting family applications. A qualifying income or debt level does not guarantee that your account will be selected. A relief letter identifies the debt actually canceled.

Eligibility rules
  • The state screening uses income at or below 400% of poverty OR medical debt at least 5% of income.
  • The debt must be part of the portfolios selected for purchase and relief. Meeting the financial screen alone is insufficient.
What you get
  • Cancellation of a selected purchased medical debt when the program confirms your account.
What the help includes
  • Relief applies to the named purchased debt. It does not automatically cover future treatment or unrelated accounts.
If you decide to apply
  1. If a relief letter arrives, compare the named hospital and account with your records.
  2. Ask hospital billing to confirm the canceled balance and identify any other bills.
  3. Ask the financial counselor about assistance for balances outside the letter.

Hospital billing and Illinois Healthcare and Family Services · Official page ↗

What happens next
  • Selected families receive a letter. Hospital billing can confirm which balance was canceled.
Good to know

Other bills remain due until their cancellation or assistance is confirmed. This program does not replace a hospital assistance application.

Other details
  • Cook County runs a separate automatic debt-relief program.
  • Illinois and Cook County run separate automatic programs using selected debt portfolios. Their published funding commitments do not guarantee that a particular account or future treatment bill will be included. There is no family application, and a relief letter should identify the debt actually canceled; current bills and deadlines need their own review.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“If a debt-relief letter arrives, can you help us confirm exactly what it cancels? What balances remain, and would a separate financial-assistance request help with those?”

Why I’m asking: I want to know which bills are actually gone and which still need attention.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Check any relief letter against the named debt and hospital account. Ask hospital billing to confirm the balance.

Your social worker

The hospital social worker helps locate the right office and gather supporting records.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The agency or plan named in the first step
Ask your social worker
“Does this letter cancel our specific account, and which balances still need a financial-assistance application?”

How to apply

First step: Check any relief letter against the named debt and hospital account. Ask hospital billing to confirm the balance.

  1. Check any relief letter against the named debt and hospital account. Ask hospital billing to confirm the balance.

Where it starts: Check any relief letter against the named debt and hospital account. Ask hospital billing to confirm the balance.

What to gather

  • The relevant plan or benefit notice
  • Documents showing the need and relevant income

How long: Ask the deciding office for its current processing time.

What a yes looks like

Written confirmation of the benefit, its scope and any cost.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask for the reason in writing and the review route.

Watch out

  • The state screening is income at or below 400% of poverty OR medical debt at least 5% of income. Cook County’s separate program is also automatic; its last ARPA-funded round does not prove future funding.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 10, 2026.

What it is worth

Cancellation of selected purchased medical debt; other bills remain due until confirmed.

Covers: Cancellation of selected purchased medical debt; other bills remain due until confirmed.

What it costs the family: Ask the agency or plan to confirm any charge before committing.

The eligibility facts, as published

Review
The agency or plan must confirm the conditions described here.

The trap: The agency or plan checks the conditions; this guide does not decide the application.

Where I read this

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