NC Medical Debt
Toolkit for Other States on Medical Debt Initiative
North Carolina Medical Debt
On July 1, 2024, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and the Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced new actions leveraging the state’s Medicaid program to encourage hospitals to relieve existing medical debt and ease the burden of medical debt on North Carolinians in the future.
On July 26, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved using medical debt policies as a condition of eligibility for North Carolina hospitals to receive an enhanced level of payment under the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP), a program that began at the same time as Medicaid expansion. Every eligible hospital in the state has signed on to participate in the medical debt mitigation program.
On Oct. 13, 2025, Gov. Josh Stein and NCDHHS announced that more than $6.5 billion in debt had been relieved for more than 2.5 million North Carolinians.
Unlike most other debt, medical debt is rarely voluntary – people don’t choose to get sick or injured. It often arises unexpectedly and can exceed a person’s ability to pay, damaging credit, limiting access to housing and jobs, and causing people to delay needed care. By relieving this burden, North Carolina is helping families regain financial stability and access essential health services without fear of long-term consequences.
Amount of Debt Relieved by Hospital
NCDHHS has created a list of participating hospitals and the amount of medical debt relieved/donated under this policy. See the policies for each facility associated with the Medical Debt program.
Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs below describe important details of the new program and how it will impact North Carolina consumers.