A $100 gift can now clear $30,000 for Texas families, making a dent in Texas’s medical debt burden — one of the highest in the nation
Queens, NY – May 18, 2026 – Today, national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt announced that the organization is erasing over $1.3 billion in medical debt for more than 1 million residents of Texas at a time when families need it most. The affordability of healthcare is a top concern for Americans, even above the economy. And Gallup finds that fear of medical debt is a top personal finance concern, just under being able to retire.
More than 1 in 10 people have medical debt in Texas, which ranks first in the nation for the number of residents with medical debt. Nationwide, medical debt impacts 100 million people in the United States, totaling over $220 billion, according to KFF. Per Gallup, 30 million U.S. families borrowed an estimated $74 billion to pay for medical bills in 2024 alone.
Recipients of previous rounds of debt relief in Texas shared the impact this relief had:
“I had just gotten home from chemotherapy, [following] a 2-hour drive back from Dallas, when I received this letter. Thinking it was another bill I couldn’t afford to pay, I dreaded opening it. […] Imagine my surprise and relief after reading that kind strangers had paid my debt which has been hanging over me like a dark cloud since 2016. […] I have been doing my best not to leave behind debt for my family to have to deal with. I cried receiving this unexpected gift from caring people.” — C.R., Mineral Wells, Texas | Stage 4 breast cancer | $13,833 erased
“Due to having such a high bill unpaid, it’s been an ongoing issue of calls, harassment, affecting my credit score and so much more. Getting this letter, I cried. My son just turned 4 the day prior to getting the letter and talk about a happy birthday present to celebrate with. Giving my family some breathing room in a constant medical bill battle is amazing. I’m fighting a cancer diagnosis now, which comes with so many other battles but now I have one less to worry about.” — Jaime, Sulphur Springs, Texas | Debt from birth of son, lost insurance during pandemic | $9,507 erased
“My husband and I work six days a week to provide for our family. […] Our future goal is to build our credit so we can possibly buy our own home. Like many people, we have struggled so much throughout the years while raising our children and paying rent and other bills. This blessing is short of a miracle for our family.” — T.H., Leander, Texas | Mother of two | $1,221.30 erased
The medical debt crisis is only getting worse, with healthcare costs rising and insurance gaps widening — in Texas, the uninsured rate is the highest in the nation. That’s why Undue is launching a spring fundraising campaign, with every donation supporting medical debt relief in Texas triple-matched for the month of May.
“The scale of medical debt in Texas is staggering — and it’s impacting the lives of Texas families every day,” shared Undue Medical Debt President and CEO, Allison Sesso. “This spring appeal, with donations tripled for Texas, is a chance for people to join us and make an enormous difference for their neighbors. One dollar donated becomes $300 of medical debt erased — and we want to reach as many Texans as possible.”
Undue Medical Debt uses an innovative model to address this crisis, leveraging donated dollars to eliminate medical debt entirely. By working directly with hospitals, health systems and the secondary debt market (like collection agencies) to acquire medical debt in bulk, Undue is able to turn one donated dollar into $100 of medical debt relieved on average. To learn more, watch this video explainer of the model.
Throughout May, that impact triples for Texas, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous family foundation. A $100 gift, which usually abolishes $10,000 in debt, now equals $300 and can clear an incredible $30,000 for families in these priority zones. Donate at: UndueMedicalDebt.org/campaign/eliminate-medical-debt-for-texas-families/
Debt relief is source-based and cannot be requested. A mix of donors, including individuals and grass roots organizations, provided the unrestricted funding for this debt relief. The sources of debt are a mix of hospital/health system, physicians’ groups and collection agencies (the secondary market). Once acquired, the debt is simply erased out of the blue via an envelope in the mail.
To qualify, Texans must either have an annual income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (around $100,000 a year for a family of three) or medical debt that exceeds 5% of their annual income.
Qualifying Texas residents will receive a letter with Undue Medical Debt’s logo on the envelope. The letter will indicate which debts have been erased. FAQ here: UndueMedicalDebt.org/faq
Top 10 Counties Receiving Debt Relief
| COUNTIES | MEDICAL DEBT RELIEVED | NUMBER OF PEOPLE IMPACTED |
| Harris County | Over $225 million | Nearly 144,700 |
| Dallas County | Nearly $95.9 million | Over 76,800 |
| Bexar County | Nearly $75.1 million | Over 72,200 |
| Tarrant County | Over $74.2 million | Over 51,700 |
| Hidalgo County | Over $60.2 million | Nearly 42,900 |
| Jefferson County | Over $36.1 million | Over 23,500 |
| Nueces County | Over $31.4 million | Nearly 24,400 |
| Galveston County | Over $30.4 million | Over 20,000 |
| Brazoria County | Over $28.8 million | Nearly 18,500 |
| Webb County | Nearly $28.5 million | Nearly 21,100 |
Note: The table above reflects the counties that received the most debt relief, but every county in Texas received relief through this announcement. Numbers for other counties available upon request.