DonnaMarie Woodson describes herself as a healthy person — she eats right, exercises, goes for regular screenings.

What You Need To Know

  • Nearly two million North Carolinians will soon see medical debt erased

  • Ninety-nine hospitals opted into a medical debt relief program with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to forgive $4 billion in medical debt

  • DonnaMarie Woodson was diagnosed with two unrelated cancers in 2015 and knows what it feels like to have the weight of medical debt lifted

  • She says health care subsidies cut a significant amount of her $100,000 debt

But she lost the luxury of those screenings when her husband lost his job. They went without insurance for a year and a half. Then, in 2015 Woodson had an unpleasant surprise at her colonoscopy.

“Before I could even leave the building, my doctor said that he was 99.9% sure that I had cancer. And I was floored,” Woodson said.

She was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

A few days after her diagnosis, she was prepped for surgery, and doctors discovered she also had stage 1 breast cancer, unrelated to the colon cancer. Between both illnesses, she had numerous hospital visits, chemotherapy and radiation, racking up $100,000 in medical debt.

“I didn’t know how we were going to pay for it, because we didn’t have that kind of money laying around," she said. "I don’t think the average person has that kind of money laying around.”

It's a familiar problem for many North Carolinians. But, starting next year, nearly two million people across the state will see medical debt erased.

This month 99 hospitals across the state opted into a medical debt relief program with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt to forgive $4 billion of debt. 

Individuals enrolled in Medicaid or whose debt exceeds 5% of their annual income qualify. Debt dating as far back as 10 years ago will be forgiven.

Woodson knows the feeling of having debt relieved. After health care subsidies, she was only responsible for a quarter of that original debt.

“Whew! Talk about a load off,” she said. “That’s what concerned me more, because again, I didn’t want to leave a financial burden for my husband if I did pass.”

She split up the rest into manageable payments, and that debt is now paid in full.

Woodson’s been in remission for nine years and now volunteers with the American Cancer Society — Cancer Action Network.

Starting Oct. 1, participating hospitals across the state will start the process of forgiving past debt. According to the program, by July 1 those hospitals will forgive past debt for all North Carolinians enrolled in Medicaid.

They say those patients should also notice that debt fall off their credit report.

In addition to Medicaid recipients, NCDHHS plans also call for recipients of WIC and SNAP benefits and those experiencing homelessness to automatically qualify for free or discounted health care. Learn more here.