[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 175 (Tuesday, October 24, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1007-E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING COOK COUNTY BOARD'S ``MEDICAL DEBT RELIEF INITIATIVE''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2023

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I wish to recognize the 
transformative ``Medical Debt Relief Initiative'' in Cook County, 
Illinois which has successfully abolished $281,338,840 of medical debt 
for Cook County residents. I applaud the tireless efforts of Cook 
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board to 
provide much needed relief to 158,541 residents. This innovative 
program, in partnership with the national nonprofit ``RIP Medical 
Debt,'' reallocated $12 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to 
provide invaluable relief to Cook County families, many of whom are 
living paycheck to paycheck.
  Medical debt continues to be a crisis in our country. According to 
``RIP Medical Debt,'' every day, 1 in 2 Americans must choose between 
paying medical bills and covering their basic needs. This is 
unacceptable. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, more Americans 
have health insurance coverage now than ever before, but despite these 
historic strides, costs remain a barrier to accessing high-quality 
healthcare. Low and moderate-income American households continue to 
accrue medical debt and continue to be harmed by its financial and 
mental effects.
  During a time of rising costs, Congress must do its part to assist 
working families. We must seek bipartisan solutions to reform our 
healthcare system because no one should be punished for becoming sick 
or receiving medical care. While we seek bipartisan policy solutions, 
partnerships across all levels of government should continue to 
facilitate medical debt relief. This relief, such as the ``Medical Debt 
Relief Initiative'' in Cook County, Illinois, has the power to give 
economic mobility to working families and boost our economy. Mr. 
Speaker Pro Tempore, I extend immense gratitude to the Cook County 
Board, under the direction of Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, 
for being a model for other jurisdictions across the country. I 
continue to seek opportunities to advance commonsense models like this 
one to address the medical debt crisis.

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