Orange County is helping people plan their wills and get out of medical debt

For the first time, Orange County government is offering free estate planning for residents who don’t have wills. Meanwhile, 49,000 more residents in the county will discover their combined $49 million in medical debt is cleared.

Orange County gave an update on how it is spending grant funding and federal COVID stimulus money to help people.

“Orange County takes pride in being the first local government in Florida to establish a Financial Empowerment Center, endeavoring in new and exciting ways to aid local residents grow, prosper and find financial stability,” said Lavon Williams, deputy director for Orange County Community and Family Services.

“The addition of the new legacy planning service shows our county’s ongoing and dedicated commitment to helping area residents, and future generations to come, realize the American dream.”

Since launching last year, the Financial Empowerment Center already helped people create budgets and get out of debt. But now professional financial counselors will take in-person and virtual appointments for one-on-one sessions to plan wills, which most Americans don’t have. The services  are paid for by an existing grant of $300,000 from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, according to the county.

“With the addition of legacy planning services, counselors also can help Orange County residents protect and preserve those assets for future generations,” said Jonathan Mintz, President and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.

“We are thrilled to partner with Orange County to provide these crucial services and ensure that legacy planning is available for everyone.”

Meanwhile, Orange County has spent federal COVID stimulus funds to wipe away medical debt for residents already living in poverty.

In 2024, the county gave a $4.5 million contract to Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that analyzes and buys medical debt at a fraction of the cost from both local hospital systems and third-party debt collection agencies.

“To date, the County has eliminated over $515 million of medical debt for more than 302,000 residents. Approximately $3.94 million has been used from the program’s budget,” the county said in an update this week, announcing that a new round of $49 million in medical debt had been paid.

One Orange County resident whose $7,000 bill was paid this year was grateful for the help.

“Medical debt is more than a financial burden, it is an emotional weight,” Sheila Santiago said in a statement.

Orange County residents who are being helped meet the economic guidelines by either living in households with an income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, or their medical debt equaled or exceeded 5% of their total household income, according to the county.