Elections matter! Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced this week that nearly 23,000 Connecticut residents who have medical debt will have some or all of it wiped away under the first round of a major initiative through a partnership with the national nonprofit organization Undue Medical Debt. The nonprofit contracts with state and local governments and leverages public investments to negotiate with hospitals and other providers on the elimination of large, bundled portfolios of qualifying medical debt owed by patients whose income is at or below four times (400%) the federal poverty level or who have medical debt that is 5% or more of their income.