Over 62,000 DC residents will have medical debt canceled [Video]

WASHINGTON — Thousands of low-income D.C. residents will start receiving letters on Friday informing them that their medical debt has been wiped out. 

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office says nearly $42 million in debt from local hospitals will be canceled through an initiative funded by an anticipated year-end surplus from the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The debt relief is expected to benefit over 62,500 Washingtonians, according to the Bowser administration. 

“This creative use of funds allows us to help tens of thousands of people at once. We know the burden of medical debt can be a barrier from going to the doctor, buying a home or going to college to have a fair shot in their health and overall wellbeing,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.

The D.C. government will be paying off the debt, …