NC Medical Protection Act

Help Us Pass the "NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL PROTECTION ACT"

States like Florida, Iowa, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, Arizona, California, and many others have already passed legislation to comprehensively protect their citizens from hospitals and medical providers who would otherwise be able to seize a patient's primary residence by means of settling medical debt.

Approximately 70% of the residents of North Carolina own a home (2000 U.S. Census Report). The current North Carolina Homestead Exemption Bill only protects the first $20,000.00 of the primary residence of married homeowners and the first $10,000.00 of the primary residence of unmarried homeowners against seizure by hospitals and medical creditors--even if the patient files bankruptcy.

The "Medical Protection Act" is not tied to North Carolina's Homestead Exemption or current tax structure. It simply protects our citizens' primary residence from lien placement or seizure in the event of a catastrophic illness during which unpayable medical debt is accrued. It does not alleviate the patient of his or her property tax liability.

The residents of North Carolina are not only NOT protected by legislation that exempts their primary residence as a seizable asset in the event of catastrophic illness or injury where unpayable medical bills accrue, but our state legislature has very unique laws in place that specifically entitle our state hospital to seize a patient's home by means of settling the debt. We believe that our legislators need to enact a law that would protect our citizens' primary residence from such seizure. Further, we believe that current North Carolina law violates our citizens' basic housing rights.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL PROTECTION ACT?

The MEDICAL PROTECTION ACT is exclusively intended to protect a citizen's primary residence against liens or seizures by hospitals or medical providers as a result of medical bills that are not covered by insurance companies and for which the citizen has no other means to pay.

Most of us who are covered by health insurance policies have a cap on our insurance coverage. Normally, that cap is $1,000,000 or less.

This means that if you are uninsured, between jobs, underinsured, or even well-insured--in the event of a catastrophic injury or illness in the state of North Carolina--you, too, could lose your home!!!

WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE WE PROPOSING?

We are proposing that the North Carolina General Assembly pass a Comprehensive "Medical Protection Act" specifically to protect each citizen's primary residence against lien placement or seizure by hospitals or medical providers by means of settling medical debt.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

We believe that someone entering a North Carolina hospital should have the comfort of knowing that, regardless of the outcome, they will still have their home to return to. We believe that a person who has survived a catastrophic illness or injury should spend their time and efforts on rehab and recovery. We believe that widows and widowers who lose a spouse following a catastrophic illness or injury should be able to keep their home if the death of their loved one left them with medical bills they are unable to pay.

People who have endured such physical and emotional hardship should not have to endure the continued emotional torture of litigation, liens, and the loss of the one thing most of us have worked our entire lives to pay for--our HOME.