In Raleigh, Governor Josh Stein held a roundtable in Greensboro to discuss medical debt in North Carolina. The meeting noted that over 2.5 million residents have received relief through the state’s medical debt programs, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor.
Governor Stein highlighted the program’s success, which has eliminated $6.5 billion in medical debt since it began. Last month, he reported even higher-than-expected relief figures, aimed at supporting residents’ financial stability. North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai noted that medical debt can accumulate quickly and restrict access to essential resources such as housing, employment, and healthcare. "Medical debt often arises unexpectedly and can exceed a person’s ability to pay, damaging credit, limiting access to housing and jobs, and cause people to delay needed care," Sangvai said in a press release.
Furthering these efforts, Governor Stein sent a letter to the three major credit reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—urging them to exclude certain types of medical debt from credit reports. Stein shared the letter publicly, advocating for the full removal of medical debt from credit reports to provide additional financial relief for millions.
The strategy not only addressed existing medical debt but also included measures to prevent future accumulation through updated hospital policies. Hospitals are continuing to work with Undue Medical Debt to ensure the plan’s full implementation over the next year. The Governor’s office announced that those who qualify for debt relief do not need to take any action, removing the usual bureaucratic hurdles. Details on eligibility and frequently asked questions are available on the organization’s website.
The relief program, launched under former Governor Roy Cooper and NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley, is recognized as the first in the nation to effectively use the state’s Medicaid system. Governor Stein and NCDHHS continue to focus on long-term health initiatives that address social determinants of health.
