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Q&A
Medical Debt Relief Program partnership with Undue Medical Debt
2:20:24
ยท
3 min
Council Member Lynn Schulman inquires about the Medical Debt Relief Program partnership between DOHMH and Undue Medical Debt. The program aims to clear $2 billion in medical debt for New Yorkers, with $18 million funded for fiscal years 2025-2027.
- As of January 17, 2025, 35,000 New Yorkers had $80 million in medical debt relieved
- DOHMH has a $6 million per year contract with Undue Medical Debt for three years
- Eligibility criteria includes debt at partner hospitals and income up to 400% of the poverty line
Lynn Schulman
2:20:24
Right, so I'm gonna ask some questions and then we're gonna do a second round with folks.
2:20:30
So DOHMH partnered with Undue Medical Debt, formerly known as rest in peace medical debt to clear New Yorkers of $2,000,000,000 in medical debt.
2:20:40
The program was first announced last year in January and was first funded in the fiscal twenty twenty five executive plan for $18,000,000 dispersed between fiscal years 2025 through 2027.
2:20:51
As of 01/17/2025, '30 '5 thousand New Yorkers were relieved of a total of $80,000,000 in medical debt.
2:20:58
How many people were addressed by this program and how much medical debt was relieved since then?
Michelle Morse
2:21:05
Thank you for the question.
2:21:07
We are excited that we've been able to launch this program considering the extensive amount of medical debt that many New Yorkers hold and the fact that it impacts on levels of poverty and healthcare seeking behavior extensively.
2:21:20
We have a contract with undue medical debt that's $6,000,000 per year for three years.
2:21:28
And that contract allows us to partner with them to relieve large amounts of debt to the number that you described.
2:21:35
We can follow-up with you with the specific number of how much debt has already been relieved since the contract just started this year.
Lynn Schulman
2:21:43
Okay.
2:21:44
That would that would be really good.
2:21:45
Are DOHMH and undue medical debt working on target goals for how many people will be addressed as well as how much medical debt has been cleared throughout the time frame of the program?
Michelle Morse
2:21:55
Yes.
2:21:56
We do work very closely with them on both the number of impacted and the amount of debt relieved, but we're happy to follow-up with specific numbers.
Lynn Schulman
2:22:04
Okay.
2:22:04
And you're monitoring the work that Undue Medical Debt is conducting?
Michelle Morse
2:22:10
Yes.
2:22:10
That is correct.
Lynn Schulman
2:22:11
How many staff are assigned to monitor this program and how is the work monitored?
Michelle Morse
2:22:16
I'll have to pass to my Chief Financial Officer.
Aaron Anderson
2:22:20
Yeah.
2:22:21
I mean there are a variety of staff throughout the agency that work on this.
2:22:25
We can get back to you specifics if needed.
Lynn Schulman
2:22:26
Right, please.
2:22:27
We have a number of things for you guys to get back to us on.
2:22:31
So let's make sure that we get that.
2:22:34
What criteria what's the eligibility for someone to be qualified for their medical debt to be cleared?
2:22:39
Do you know?
Michelle Morse
2:22:40
Yep.
2:22:41
The eligibility criteria is is outlined.
2:22:43
It's been shared publicly.
2:22:45
This is for people with debt at the hospitals that we have that undue medical debt has a partnership with and it's for people who have up to 400% of the poverty line in income as well.
Lynn Schulman
2:22:58
Okay, is this service being advertised and if yes what methods are being used to advertise it?
Michelle Morse
2:23:04
Undue medical debt works specifically with the hospitals directly to reach out to individuals who meet the criteria that I just described and then sends those individuals letters specifically outlining the amount of debt that is gonna be relieved.
2:23:21
So it's not broadly advertised, but it really is in partnership, undue medical debt partners with the hospitals to move that work forward.
Lynn Schulman
2:23:30
So do you know if those hospitals go to the patients and advertise it that way or tell them about it?
Michelle Morse
2:23:37
My understanding is that the communications come from undue medical debt.
Lynn Schulman
2:23:40
Undue, okay.