NC Governor Josh Stein Announces $6.5 Billion Medical Debt Relief and Calls for ACA Subsidy Extension

North Carolina Medical Debt Relief Program

• 🥳 North Carolina's medical debt relief program has successfully erased over $6.5 billion in medical debt for more than 2.5 million North Carolinians in the past year.
• 🎯 This initiative, a partnership with 90 of the state's 99 hospitals, has provided an average debt erasure of approximately $2,600 per person.
• 🔑 Medical debt is highlighted as a significant burden that prevents families from achieving financial security, obtaining mortgages, or securing small business loans.
• 💡 The program leveraged federal healthcare funds to incentivize hospitals to forgive debt that was unlikely to be collected anyway, creating a win-win situation for patients, hospitals, and the state's economy.

Call for Bipartisan Healthcare Action

• 📢 Governor Josh Stein is urging federal lawmakers to put aside non-Medicaid disputes and fully fund Medicaid in North Carolina.
• ⚠️ He calls on leaders in Washington D.C. to extend ACA subsidies, warning that failure to do so could cause health insurance premiums to skyrocket by an average of 60%.
• 🤝 The announcement serves as a reminder of what can be achieved through collaboration and innovation to improve the health and economic well-being of citizens.

Impact on North Carolinians

• 💬 The debt relief is described as life-changing news, freeing individuals from financial stress and allowing them to focus on their health.
• 🌟 Stories of individuals like Michael and Deanna, who faced life-changing diagnoses and subsequent debt, illustrate the program's profound impact on getting lives back on track.
• 📈 The success of the medical debt relief program is presented as a model for future government initiatives aimed at putting money back into people's pockets and investing in their health.