Every month across Arizona, thousands of people face a tough choice: Pay their medical bills or pay down their medical debt or use that money to buy groceries or other essentials needed to get by.
Now, more than 12,000 people have less to worry about – thanks to the AZ Blue Foundation.
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In the last two years, the Foundation has donated to Undue Medical Debt, which helped erase over $17 million in medical debt in Arizona. The AZ Blue Foundation plans to make another donation later this year to expand its impact in 2025. This is part of AZ Blue’s continued effort to make healthcare easier and support health equity for all Arizonans.
“Provider bills can be a heavy burden,” said Paul Penzone, Chief Community Relations Officer at AZ Blue. “Our gift helped ease some of that strain so people can focus on their health.”
How AZ Blue made an impact
Each year, millions of Americans—more than 460,000 people across the state—find themselves needing unexpected surgeries or other critical care.
When the bills for these treatments arrive, people often feel they have nowhere to turn. In fact, they are three times more likely to struggle with depression or anxiety, the non-profit’s research shows.
Here’s how the program worked to help those who need it most:
| Who provided the support? | The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement (AZ Blue Foundation) in partnership with Undue Medical Debt |
| Debt Wiped Out: | The program wiped out medical debt across the state: Yavapai County: all available debt for purchase in 2024Maricopa County: $7.6 millionPima County: $2.2 millionAll 15 counties across Arizona benefited |
| Who qualified? | Families who earn 4X or below the poverty level.Those with medical debt equal to 5% or more of their annual income. |
| On average, more than $1,600 in medical debt was forgiven per person in 2024. Learn more here about this effort. | |
ABOUT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA
Blue Cross ® Blue Shield ® of Arizona (AZ Blue) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a mission to inspire health and make it easy, AZ Blue offers health insurance and related services to more than 2 million customers. AZ Blue, a non-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 3,200 people in its Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com or connect with AZ Blue on social media: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
