- Latest round of Oakland County’s partnership with Undue Medical Debt brings total relief to more than $15 million for 20,000-plus residents.
- Letters notifying residents that their medical debt has been abolished began arriving in mailboxes on March 9, 2026.
- The county’s initiative aims to erase tens of millions of dollars in medical debt for tens of thousands of Oakland County residents.
Pontiac, Mich. – Oakland County’s medical debt relief initiative continues to deliver life-changing results. In the latest round of relief, the county’s partnership with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt has abolished more than $6 million in medical debt, benefiting approximately 6,300 Oakland County residents.
“This initiative is about giving people a second chance,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. “By eliminating this burden for thousands more residents, we’re helping people regain their financial footing.”
Notification letters from Undue Medical Debt were scheduled to arrive in residents’ mailboxes beginning March 9, 2026, informing them that their qualifying medical debt has been permanently eliminated. With this latest round, Oakland County has now abolished more than $15 million in medical debt for over 20,000 residents since launching the program.
The program is funded through $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which Oakland County is using to abolish tens of millions of dollars in medical debt for tens of thousands of residents across the county.
Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States and affects an estimated 114,000 Oakland County residents.
Undue Medical Debt works with hospitals, health systems and debt holders to identify qualifying medical debt. Debts are then purchased for pennies on the dollar and permanently abolished. Eligible residents must either earn at or below four times the federal poverty level or have medical debt that exceeds 5 percent of their annual income.
The program operates on a source-based model, meaning qualifying debts can only be abolished if the provider or debt holder agrees to participate. Residents cannot apply for the program; instead, eligible debts are identified through partnerships with providers and debt holders.
Oakland County will continue working with Undue Medical Debt and participating providers to identify additional eligible debt for future rounds of relief.
For more information about the medical debt abolition program or to learn more about Undue Medical Debt, visit UndueMedicalDebt.org.
