MacKenzie Scott's donations fuel $40 billion medical debt relief effort
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has funded Undue Medical Debt to erase more than $40 billion in medical obligations across the United States.
MacKenzie Scott, former spouse of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has become a leading charitable figure by backing large-scale medical debt forgiveness. Her gifts of more than $100 million to Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that buys unpaid medical bills at pennies-on-the-dollar rates, have enabled the organization to wipe out over $40 billion in debt in every state. The simple arithmetic of the scheme means each $10 donation eliminates about $1,000 of patient obligations.
Inspired by Scott’s model, other billionaires such as Snap co-founder Evan one outlet and hedge-funder Daniel Och have contributed millions, clearing $550 million in California and $264 million in Miami-Dade respectively. In April 2025 the nonprofit retired a $30 billion portfolio, freeing 20 million individuals from debt. Despite this philanthropic surge, federal efforts to address medical debt, including a vacated CFPB rule, have stalled, and the total relief still represents only a fraction of the nation’s overall medical debt burden.
Why it matters
The initiative shows how private giving can dramatically reduce medical debt, highlighting gaps in U.S. health-care policy.
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