JB Pritzker.

Illinois spends under $10 million to erase $1.4 billion in medical debt

Illinois says its medical-debt relief program has erased more than $1.4 billion owed by nearly 700,000 residents across all 102 counties, using less than $10 million in public funds to buy qualifying debt for pennies on the dollar. Supporters say the relief eases families’ financial burdens, though research cited by critics suggests debt cancellation may not improve recipients’ credit scores in many cases.