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Missouri children who receive government health insurance will soon be able to keep their coverage for a year without worrying about being kicked off the state rolls. A provision in the federal spending bill approved last year ensures all people 18 and under who receive insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program will be covered continuously starting Jan. 1. Missouri is among the states that do not offer yearlong coverage. (Fentem, 11/17)

Medicaid expansion, a decade-in-the-making measure that is expected to provide health insurance to more than 600,000 low-income North Carolinians, will take effect in less than two weeks. But the coverage created by expansion is only useful if eligible residents have access to health care providers that accept Medicaid. That’s particularly true for people looking for mental health care, which has been in even higher demand since the COVID-19 pandemic. (Baxley, 11/17)

A Florida Senate Republican has filed a proposal that would allow “remote-site” pharmacies, where pharmacy technicians could dispense medications while being supervised by pharmacists elsewhere. Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, filed the bill (SB 444) Tuesday for consideration during the 2024 legislative session, which will start in January. (11/16)

The Minnesota Department of Health is hiring for a new state advisory council focusing on African American health outcomes. The MDH on Thursday said it would welcome applications from community members to serve on the council, but added they would accept applications only through the end of Friday. They're looking for anywhere from 12 to 20 people to represent or serve. They're seeking health care providers, college students, patients or those who receive services, elders or older people, health and human services professionals, health equity researchers and others who may be qualified. (Henderson, 11/16)

Medical debt is pervasive: Some 41% of Americans reportedly have at least one unpaid medical bill and roughly half say they’d be unable to pay an unexpected $500 bill. A new survey shows many Pennsylvanians are unable to afford health care. Just over half of Pennsylvania residents who responded to a survey by nonprofit research and consulting firm Altarum said they had skipped a medical appointment or rationed medications because of cost. (Gantz, 11/17)

Two transgender boys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to reverse the University of Missouri’s decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to minors. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleges halting transgender minors’ prescriptions unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of sex and disability status. (Hanshaw, 11/16)

Roughly 450 Salem Hospital patients were alerted that they may have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV – a problem that lasted for two years before it was corrected. Endoscopy patients were getting intravenous medication "in a manner not consistent with our best practice," a spokesperson for Salem Hospital said. "It's very surprising to see this scope of falling below what would be considered the standard of care," said Michael Walsh, a trial attorney for Altman Nussbaum Shunnarah. ... If you do test positive, Walsh suggests calling an attorney. (Chan, 11/16)

Two of Colorado’s community mental health centers will merge in July, creating the largest behavioral health center in the state. WellPower, which provides mental health services and homeless outreach in Denver, is combining with Jefferson Center, the safety-net mental health organization for Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties. (Brown, 11/16)

The deep colors and gray shadows illuminate the pain that teens like Reina Kushihashi often suffer in silence with shape and imagery. And with beauty, even. Art, Reina said, helps “give form to things like feelings which are really vague sometimes and difficult to process.” The 17-year-old Denver student is one of 35 young artists from across Colorado who have put paint, ink, watercolor, pen and other materials to canvas to bring the outside world into the mental health challenges that often cast streaks of self-doubt, depression, anxiety and loneliness over them. (Breunlin, 11/17)