Next round of Oberlin Medical Debt Relief Initiative underway

The city of Oberlin, in collaboration with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, continues to alleviate the burden of medical debt for eligible Oberlin residents through the Oberlin Medical Debt Relief Initiative, according to a news release.

Oberlin residents identified through this initiative for medical debt relief this quarter can expect to receive debt relief notification letters in the mail now, the release said.

These letters will explain the no-strings-attached gift they received and state they no longer owe the debt on the accounts listed in the letter, according to the release.

The Oberlin Medical Debt Relief Initiative was established in January 2024, with Oberlin City Council entering into an agreement with Undue Medical Debt and committing $24,000 in General Funds to support the program.

The program provides medical debt relief for eligible Oberlin residents, identified as having a household income between 0% and 400% of the federal poverty limit — just over $100,000 for a family of three — or having medical debt equal to or exceeding 5% of their household income.

There is no application process for this medical debt relief and it cannot be requested.

Medical debt relief is source-based, meaning Undue Medical Debt must work with providers like hospitals or collection agencies to purchase qualifying medical debts in bulk, according to the release.

Through the second Quarter of 2025, the Oberlin Medical Debt Relief Initiative has eliminated over $2 million of debt for over 1,900 Oberlin residents, according to the release.

“Undue Medical Debt acquires qualifying medical debts in bulk for a fraction of their face value, often pennies or less on the dollar,” the release said. “Therefore, one dollar donated to the nonprofit can, on average, erase $100 of medical debt.”

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For more information on the Oberlin Medical Debt Relief Initiative, contact Terri Richardson-Sanders, Oberlin Community liaison, at 440-776-4898 or tsanders@cityofoberlin.com.

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