The North Carolina Department of Health announced eligible hospitals in the state will begin receiving payments through the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). Nearly $2.6 billion in funds will be distributed to 102 hospitals across the state throughout the week. These funds are critical as they will not only help provide much needed support to our state’s healthcare safety net, they also enable hospitals to pay for the non-federal share costs of expansion. Earlier this year, state leaders authorized Medicaid Expansion and HASP as part of a broader strategy to support access to care for low-income North Carolinians.