This week, New York City pledged to pay down $2 billion worth of residents' medical debt. In doing so, it has come around to an innovation that started in with local governments in the Midwest, and is ridding millions of Americans of health care debt.
The idea emerged a couple of years ago in Cook County, Ill., home to Chicago and surrounding towns. Toni Preckwinkle, president of the county board of commissioners, says two staffers came to her with a bold proposal: The county could spend a portion of its federal pandemic rescue funds to relieve residents' medical debt.
