Memphis City Council Member Jerri Green, a Democratic candidate for Tennessee governor in 2026, announced in an Instagram post her plan to erase medical debt for thousands of Tennessee families.
Green proposes using some of the state’s $700 million in surplus TANF funds to buy medical debt for pennies on the dollar.
Similar approaches have provided relief for families in Lexington, KY; Toledo, OH; Arizona, and North Carolina.
Medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy, and Tennessee is among the states with a high percentage of residents carrying medical debt in collections.
Green’s plan would provide immediate relief to families, while her proposal to expand the state’s Medicaid program would aid in making healthcare more affordable in the long term.