RALEIGH, N.C. — RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More than 2.5 million North Carolina residents are getting over $6.5 billion in medical debt eliminated through a state government effort that offered hospitals extra Medicaid funds from Washington if they gave patients the financial relief and implemented policies to discourage future liabilities.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, the state health department secretary and other officials announced Monday results so far from what then-Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled 15 months ago as a first-of-its-kind initiative.

While helping almost one-quarter of North Carolina residents, Stein said the effort has exceeded expectations in giving individuals and families a second chance to succeed financially after medical…

RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced Monday that the state’s medical debt relief program has exceeded all expectations, erasing $6.5 billion in medical debt for 2.5 million residents since its launch last year.

WBTV Investigates has reported on the cost of medical debt to North Carolina families for years.

The program, which initially aimed to eliminate $4 billion in medical debt, has surpassed projections considerably, highlighting the widespread impact of medical debt on North Carolina families.

The medical debt relief program allows hospitals to collect additional federal healthcare funding when they forgive medical debt for patients earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. For a household of…

Monday, October 13, 2025

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Ardgour Valley Fruit near Tarras, Central Otago, New Zealand, has been placed on the market by liquidators, with a deadline sale set for October 20. The 48.03-hectare orchard, co-founded in 2020 by Ross and Sharon Kirk alongside farmers Bruce and Linda Jolly, was planted with a mix of apricots and cherries.

The orchard was managed by the Kirks’ company, Hortinvest Holdings, on behalf of 16 shareholders and featured some of New Zealand’s first NZ Summer apricot varieties. In 2022, Ardgour Valley Fruit completed construction of a new packhouse at Tarras. During the 2025 summer season, approximately 150 tons of apricots were exported under the Temptation Valley brand.

The trees, now in their fourth growing season, were…

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, accounts that were 90 days past due hit a 12-year high in the fourth quarter of 2024. Many consumers and even small business owners in Texas are saddled with many tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars of credit card debt or personal loans. Fortunately, there are solutions available.

Affordable Debt Consolidation is a 100% veteran-owned company headquartered in Texas that specializes in helping upper-middle and high-income Texans struggling with large debt amounts. The firm has been serving Texans for over 23 years and has a longstanding reputation for serving Texans with income and assets to protect, as well as offering debt settlement services with up to 40% lower fees…

Grays Online has entered administration after being acquired by Slattery Auctions for $2 million. The transaction brings the century-old platform under the ownership of the family-run auction business.

Advisory and restructuring firm McGrathNicol has been appointed to oversee Grays’ operations during administration. Despite entering voluntary administration on October 3, 2025, Grays has assured customers that daily operations remain unaffected. A Help Centre notice recently published on its website states: “We’re trading as normal – orders, deliveries, returns and support are unaffected. If you need help, contact us via the Help Centre.”

Since its establishment in 1922, Grays Online has evolved from a traditional auction house…

Poor returns for the specialty apple have been partly to blame for the insolvency action.

(WLOS) — North Carolina’s Medical Debt Relief Program has erased over $6.5 billion in medical debt in the past year, state officials say.

The state program has relieved more than 2.5 million residents of their medical debt, according to an announcement from Gov. Josh Stein and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Dev Sangvai.

“Medical debt is a tremendous weight keeping so many families from financial security, and, unlike most other forms of debt, it’s not a choice,” Gov. Stein said via a press release. “Today’s announcement will free people from financial stress so they can focus on getting healthy.”

NCDHHS REPORTS FIRST FLU-RELATED DEATH OF 2025-2026 SEASON IN WNC

According to Stein and Sangvai,…