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US sues NY state officials over immigration enforcement; NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump; NC community colleges get 'boost' to bring more students to high-demand jobs; Trump's resignation plan for federal workers can move forward; Advocates push for program to decrease wildlife collisions in VA.

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Deregulation raises environmental and public health concerns, national monuments face potential risks, political neutrality in education sparks protests, and Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation fuels controversy.

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Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Nonprofits urge hospitals to eliminate medical debt

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Friday, August 9, 2024   

Nonprofits across North Carolina are urging hospitals to help tackle the state's $4 billion in medical debt.

A group of Black nonprofit leaders signed a letter calling on hospital CEOs to support a medical debt relief program spearheaded by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Nicole Dozier, director of the Health Advocacy Project at the North Carolina Justice Center, said relieving medical debt can help improve the health outcomes of people throughout the state.

"People will stop getting care if they cannot keep up with paying their existing debt," she said, "and the way things are now, medical debt does impact people's credit scores, so that impacts people's ability to get housing, vehicles, and to really afford their basic needs."

The program would incentivize hospitals to eliminate all uncollectible medical debt dating back to January 2014 for people with low incomes. It would also implement discounts on bills, automatically enroll patients in financial assistance programs, and prevent hospitals from reporting debts to credit bureaus.

The latest data show that in 2022, 20% of North Carolinians had medical debt in collections; that figure was 25% among communities of color.

Dozier said this initiative is key in creating a level playing field for communities who have faced systematic racism and economic inequality resulting in poor health outcomes.

"The Black community has significantly higher rates of chronic health conditions like heart disease, like HIV, like diabetes, and certain cancers," she said. "We know that attacking health equity will be a direct impact for the whole community, but also the Black community. "

The state health department is partnering with Undue Medical Debt to help hospitals join the medical debt-relief program.


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