PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 10, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:

$30 MILLION IN MEDICAL DEBT ABOLISHED FOR RESIDENTS OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

Purchase funded by the Atrius Health Equity Foundation relieves medical debt for an estimated 17,000 people

BOSTON – Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt, announced that the nonprofit has acquired an estimated $30M in medical debt owed by qualifying residents of Eastern Massachusetts, thanks to funding from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation. This acquisition is expected to abolish medical debts owed by an estimated 17,000 people with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, primarily.

This debt is sourced from a mix of physician, hospital and secondary market sources (i.e. collection agencies). The average amount of debt abolished per individual is $1,800. This is the largest single abolishment by Undue Medical Debt in Massachusetts to date. Individuals whose debts have been abolished through this purchase will receive a notification letter in the mail from Undue Medical Debt beginning later this month. This debt abolishment is automatic and consumers do not need to take any action to benefit from it. Debt relief is source-based, meaning only qualifying debts from partnering entities (like physicians’ groups and collection agencies) can be erased; debt relief cannot be requested. To learn more: https://unduemedicaldebt.org/

Undue’s criteria for relief are income-based and include those individuals whose income is no more than four times (400%) the federal poverty level or individuals who have medical debt that is 5% or more of their annual income. As more qualifying medical debt is located in Eastern Massachusetts, there will be future announcements to notify the public.

“I’m very pleased that Undue is part of this collaboration, spearheaded by the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, to provide a holistic response to the medical debt crisis that is burdening over 100 million people in the U.S.,” shares Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt. “Medical debt abolishment is one piece of the puzzle and while it’s by no means a silver bullet, it provides timely relief to counteract the financial and emotional weight of these debts of necessity. I’m overjoyed to be announcing this first round of debt erasure and look forward to the future of this program.”

Ann Hwang, president of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, says, “Medical debt can harm individuals’ and families’ financial stability and deter people from seeking the care they need. The Foundation is glad to support this effort as part of our work to improve health and well-being across Eastern Massachusetts.”

“This significant debt abolishment will make a meaningful impact on the many Massachusetts residents struggling with medical debt and make needed strides towards improving health inequities and economic instability in the Commonwealth,” said Amy Rosenthal, executive director of Health Care For All.

The acquisition announced today is the first resulting from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation’s comprehensive, cross-sectoral initiative to alleviate medical debt in Eastern Massachusetts. This initiative supports community outreach, policy and legal advocacy, and large-scale debt abolishment.

About Undue Medical Debt:

Founded in 2014, Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) is a national nonprofit that has acquired and abolished $15 billion in medical debt for over 9.8 million individuals to date across the country. It acquires medical debts in bulk for a fraction of their face value, one dollar donated erases $100 of medical debt on average. Undue partners with individuals, faith-based organizations, local and state governments, foundations and corporations to empower donors.

Learn more about Undue at https://unduemedicaldebt.org/.

About Atrius Health Equity Foundation:

The Atrius Health Equity Foundation was established in 2022 and funded by the conversion of Atrius Health into a for-profit corporation, operating and governed independently of Atrius Health. Learn more about the Foundation at www.atriusfoundation.org.

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