Consumers in Toledo, Ohio to Have Medical Debt Eliminated 

By Consumers for Quality Care, on May 1, 2024

Residents in Toledo, Ohio are the latest to have their medical debt wiped away, according to WTOL, the CBS affiliate in Toledo.  

To provide this debt relief, the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt was contracted to negotiate with ProMedica, a local health care system, to buy Toledo residents’ medical debt for pennies on the dollar. To maximize the value of impact, all debt is bought in bulk, and debt relief is provided en masse, so that consumers need not submit individual applications. 

An agreement between RIP Medical Debt and ProMedica led to the elimination of $222 million of medical debt for over 108,000 Toledo-area consumers. The collaboration was made possible by the Toledo City Council and the Lucas County Commission, which together appropriated $1.6 million to allow RIP Medical Debt to provide this relief.  

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said that this targeted relief will improve residents’ lives and help build a better community. “This is a reinvestment of real money, into real people, into their real lives,” Gerken said. “I think those are the best investments.” 

CQC applauds these efforts but urges the nation’s elected leaders to address the root causes of medical debt and put protections in place for consumers.