Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks about the county's medical debt forgiveness program on June 6, 2025. [Office of the Board President Facebook page]

While Cook County budget officials are currently forecasting a manageable budget gap for the upcoming fiscal year, they also stress that the estimate doesn’t really tell the whole story.

Federal budget legislation currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate could change things for the county’s finances and its health system by the time budget season kicks off in October.