Press Release: 3/18/2026
Nearly 30,000 in Massachusetts Receive $42 Million in Medical Debt Relief Through Non-Profit Partnership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ellen Fleming
617-640-2101
Atrius Health Equity Foundation, Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, Undue Medical Debt Hail Collaborative Effort Benefiting Patients
BOSTON – Nearly 30,000 Massachusetts residents, including thousands on Cape Cod and the Islands, are receiving $42.3 million in direct medical debt relief under a partnership created by the Atrius Health Equity Foundation.
Qualifying families in the state will receive Undue Medical Debt branded letters this week notifying them that some or all of their medical debt is being erased as part of Atrius Health Equity Foundation’s cross- sectoral initiative to acquire and relieve nearly half a billion dollars in medical debt for low- and middle-income residents in Eastern Massachusetts.
“Medical debt hurts people, hurts families, hurts our state’s financial and economic stability, and makes people sicker because they don’t get the care they need,” said Dr. Ann Hwang, president of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation. “Today’s announcement is a powerful step toward improving the health and well-being of people in Eastern Massachusetts.”
The debt relief was made possible by a partnership including the Foundation, the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, and a blend of health providers and secondary market partners in Massachusetts.
“At a time when more patients are facing impossible choices between receiving essential care or putting food on the table, I’m so grateful for our partnership with Atrius Health Equity Foundation to ease patient anxieties around accessing care,” shares Undue Medical Debt CEO and President, Allison Sesso. “Debt relief for tens of thousands of burdened families is a powerful respite, and we’re eager to continue working with partners in Massachusetts and beyond to lift this barrier to care and center patient needs.”
“Massachusetts healthcare providers are proud to be a part of the solution when it comes to the growing challenge of medical debt,” said Steve Walsh, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. “This is exactly the type of partnership and investment that can help alleviate the pressures on patients. We are grateful for the leadership of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation and Undue Medical Debt and look forward to seeing efforts continue across the Commonwealth.”
A total of 27,129 low- and middle-income residents will receive letters in the mail this week from Undue Medical Debt. They will include 19,897 residents of Barnstable County, 1,856 residents of Plymouth County, and 1,394 residents of Middlesex County. Additional recipients are from Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Suffolk County. The average debt per recipient is $1,560.28, and individual debt amounts range from $50 to $100,000.
This relief follows the abolishment of $42 million in debt for Eastern Massachusetts residents announced by Atrius Health Equity Foundation last April, which benefited over 25,000 people, and is part of the Foundation’s larger strategy to address the burden of medical debt through policy solutions as well as legal and advocacy representation for consumers facing medical debt.
There is no application process for debt relief, and it cannot be requested. Patients must meet certain income criteria and are automatically selected. Patients receiving the letters do not need to take any action, as the eligible medical debt will automatically be eliminated for those who qualify, no strings attached. There is no guarantee of future debt relief, and only the debts acknowledged in the letter are erased.
Undue Medical Debt works with partners like hospitals, health systems, and physicians’ groups to purchase past due medical debts in large portfolios for pennies on the dollar and then erases the debt belonging to those least able to pay. Medical debt is acquired after providers make good faith efforts to collect. Debt is also sourced from debt buyers and collection agencies.
The debt relief is available for those who have medical debt that is 5% or more of their annual income or earn at or below four times the federal poverty level ($63,840 per year for an individual person and $132,000 per year for a family of four).
The announcement comes as the Commonwealth and its healthcare providers respond to a series of mounting pressures facing local patients and hospitals.
● Recent state data reveal that Massachusetts is not immune to national trends when it comes to the burdens of medical debt. One in eight Massachusetts residents hold medical debt, placing significant strains on people’s financial health and overall wellbeing. Medical debt is experienced disproportionately within lower-income households and communities of color.
● Massachusetts’ #1-ranked healthcare system (including for access and cost) is preparing for as many as 300,000 patients to have their insurance coverage impacted due to recent federal policy changes.
● Recent polling from Undue finds that voters say healthcare providers (85%) and hospitals (78%) are who they trust most to look after their best interests. Respondents share that the hardest part of having medical debt is the mental stress and anxiety (57%).
About Atrius Health Equity Foundation:
The Atrius Health Equity Foundation was established in 2022 and aims to close the gap in life expectancy in Eastern Massachusetts. Learn more about the Foundation at www.atriusfoundation.org.
About Undue Medical Debt:
Undue Medical Debt was founded in 2014 and has since erased over $25 billion of medical debt for over 14 million families across the U.S. Learn more about Undue at www.unduemedicaldebt.org/.