If you were seriously hurt in a car crash, slip and fall, or another type of accident in Illinois, you may be worried not only about your physical recovery but also about how to afford it. Medical bills, even for short hospital stays or ambulance rides, add up quickly.
The Illinois Medical Debt Relief Act, which took effect in January 2024, is a targeted law that forgives certain medical debt for qualifying low-income residents. It applies mostly to old debt that is purchased and forgiven through a state program, rather than changing how all hospitals and providers handle billing. If you are facing mounting medical bills after an accident, speak with a Naperville, IL personal injury lawyer to understand whether this law could apply to your case.
How Can the Medical Debt Relief Act Affect Your Personal Injury Case?
Many protections for patients, such as requiring nonprofit hospitals to screen for financial assistance before sending bills to collections, have been in place for a while already under federal law. The Illinois Medical Debt Relief Act goes further by establishing a state-run program that automatically forgives certain medical debts for eligible low- and moderate-income residents, often without requiring the patient to apply.