Atrium Health Forgives Medical Debt Liens For Thousands in North Carolina

Atrium Health, one of North Carolina's largest healthcare providers, has taken a bold step to address the growing issue of medical debt in the state. In September 2024, the organization announced a significant initiative to forgive medical debts linked to real estate liens, affecting approximately 11,500 patients across multiple states, including North Carolina.

“When we expanded our charity care policy, we immediately began assessing all previous outstanding liens and determined that most of those patients would qualify under our new policy,” said Brad Clark, chief financial officer of Advocate Health. “As the next step in our roadmap to make care more affordable, we are accelerating this process and removing judgment liens that were placed on homes and property to cover unpaid medical bills."

This move is part of Atrium Health's multi-year effort to overhaul its approach to medical debt collection. The organization has committed to:

Some of these liens date back 20 years or more, highlighting the long-term impact of medical debt on patients and their families.

Atrium Health's debt forgiveness initiative is part of a larger set of policy changes aimed at making healthcare more affordable and accessible. These changes include:

In addition to its own initiatives, Atrium Health has signed onto a statewide plan in North Carolina aimed at forgiving medical debt incurred over the past ten years. This plan, expected to take effect in 2025, will set statewide standards for providing no cost and discounted care to eligible individual. The decision to forgive medical debts has been met with positive reactions from patients and advocacy groups. Terry Belk, a cancer patient who owed thousands in medical bills, expressed astonishment upon learning that his debt would be forgiven. “There’s no way this would have happened without national coverage by NBC News,” Belk said.

Rebecca Cerese, a health policy advocate with the North Carolina Justice Center, praised Atrium's decision and expressed hope that other healthcare institutions would follow suit. “I’m really thankful that folks like Terry have had the courage to speak out about something that is difficult to speak out on,” Cerese told NBC News. “Dealing with an illness or loss of a loved one is hard enough — we should not be compounding that with this additional stress of facing financial ruin.”

Atrium Health's actions reflect a growing recognition of the need to address medical debt in the United States. As Clark said, "We believe our financial assistance program is now among the most generous in the nation and Advocate Health is committed to being part of the solution to address the medical debt dilemma so many people are facing today."

This initiative represents a significant step towards making healthcare more affordable and accessible for North Carolina residents, potentially setting a precedent for other healthcare providers across the nation.

It's my birthday month and as Libra, I love a good deal. Honestly, it doesn't really matter what your zodiac sign is, everyone loves free stuff on their birthday! It's a day to celebrate you, so treat yourself to something lovely.

The key to getting most of these freebies is signing up for the restaurant or store's rewards program in advance, usually at least 30 days before your birthday month begins. A few, like the free cookie at Insomnia Cookies, don't require any advance signup. With a little planning, you can enjoy a variety of special birthday treats at many popular spots across North and South Carolina.

Many restaurants and retailers offer birthday freebies, but you usually need to be a member of their rewards program to qualify. Check the fine print - some freebies are only valid on your actual birthday.

In addition to national chains, check if any local spots offer birthday deals. A few places let you score freebies on your actual birthday without advance registration.

Many birthday rewards can be combined with other coupons and discounts for even bigger savings. You can treat a friend to coffee and get two free drinks at Starbucks. Or redeem a free dessert at a restaurant and use a gift card to cover the rest of your meal. The bottom line: with a little planning, you can eat, drink, and shop for free on your birthday. Sign up for rewards programs in advance, research local specials, and keep an eye out for no-strings-attached freebies. Make your special day even sweeter by stacking deals for maximum birthday benefits.

Free medium sub on your birthday when you sign up for Firehouse Rewards.
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Free doughnut on your birthday when you join the Friend of Krispy Kreme rewards program. Krispy Kreme was founded in Winston-Salem, NC.

Free entree on your birthday when you sign up for Moe's Rewards.

Free bagel with cream cheese on your birthday when you join the Bruegger's Inner Circle rewards program.

Free donut on your birthday when you download the Duck Donuts Rewards app. Duck Donuts was founded in Duck, NC.

Free Bo-Berry Biscuit on your birthday when you sign up for Bojangles' E-Club. Bojangles' was founded in Charlotte, NC.

Buy-one-get-one free creation coupon for your birthday when you join the My Cold Stone Club rewards program.

Free waffle cone on your birthday when you join the Sweet Rewards loyalty program.

Free cookie on your birthday, no purchase necessary, when you sign up for their rewards program. Several locations in NC.