Hospital support for the medical debt relief incentive program is an exciting step toward health equity for millions of North Carolinians

RALEIGH (August 12, 2024) – The North Carolina Justice Center is thrilled that 99 N.C. hospitals have agreed to participate in the innovative medical debt relief incentive program from Governor Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Now, millions of low- and middle-income North Carolinians can have the peace of mind they need to focus on healing without the financial distress of medical debt.

“This is an exciting step forward in alleviating the burden of medical debt for North Carolina families,” says Reggie Shuford, Executive Director of the NC Justice Center. “Hospital support for medical debt protections is crucial to making health care more affordable in North Carolina, particularly for communities of color, who we know experience an inequitable share of medical debt and poor health outcomes.”

We are looking forward to the speedy and smooth implementation of the medical debt relief incentive program and the continued commitment from hospitals to ensure the health, prosperity, and wellbeing of patients in the future.

###