Orange County leaders delay vote on plan to take on millions in medical debt WFTV [Video]

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Commissioners tabled approval of a contract on Tuesday that would have cleared medical debt for more than 150,000 residents.

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Commissioners were considering whether to approve the contract for a third-party facilitator to oversee the debt relief program.

In February, the Board of Commissioners authorized the use of $4.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to clear more than $400 million worth of medical debt held at Orlando Health and AdventHealth for eligible Orange County residents.

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Eligible residents would include those who have experienced negative economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected low-income residents.

At Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners said they weren’t opposed to the program but had additional questions for the non-profit organization that would oversee the initiative, “Medical Debt Resolution, Inc.”

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