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After years of refusing to expand Medicaid, some of Mississippi’s Republican leaders now say they are open to the policy — if they can require new enrollees to have a job. That approach could hinge on presidential politics and an ongoing legal battle in Georgia. In a statement to The Associated Press, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Mississippi must consider all options to improve its labor force participation rate and poor health outcomes, both of which are among the worst in the country. (Goldberg, 2/21)

Following Cook County’s lead, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will propose investing $10 million of federal funds in his budget to erase more than $1 billion in medical debt for Illinois residents. It’s a formula being proposed in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut and other counties and cities across the country. But Cook County in 2022 became the first local government in the nation to enact the program. (Sfondeles, 2/21)

According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital in the United States — with 7,000 of them suffered by minors. Because of this, state Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, proposed legislation (SB 830) Thursday to bring more lifesaving policies to Florida's schools. (Andrews, 2/21)

At a time when many rural hospitals continue to make the tough choice to shutter their obstetrics units and stop delivering babies, Iowa Specialty Hospital’s OB unit is thriving. Jenn Mewes steps around construction equipment into Iowa Specialty’s brand new labor and delivery room in Clarion, Iowa. The new room is equipped with a bathtub, a refrigerator and a nursery to take care of the newborn. (Krebs, 2/21)

Kendra Sawyer spoke with her dad from the Deschutes County jail and told him she loved him. Six hours later, in the throes of opioid withdrawal, the 22-year-old took her own life. ... Oregon jails could soon see a rise in the number of inmates struggling with opioid addiction like Kendra, if efforts are successful during this legislative session to roll back Measure 110, the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law that legalized the possession of “personal use” amounts of illicit drugs such as heroin. In response, state lawmakers from both parties are pushing for more funding for medications used to treat opioid addiction in jails. (Rush, 2/22)

A 16-year-old student in a small Oklahoma town outside Tulsa died after what the police said was a “physical altercation” in a high school bathroom, drawing outrage from gay and transgender rights groups who said the student was attacked because of their gender identity.The student, Nex Benedict, who often used the pronouns they and them, told relatives that they did not see themselves as strictly male or female. Under an Oklahoma law passed in 2022, students must use the bathrooms that align with their birth gender. (Goodman and Sandoval, 2/21)

From her hospital bed, Alexis Ratcliff asks a question: "What 18-year-old gets sued?" ... When she refused to move to the distant nursing home, the hospital sued her for trespass. The standoff in North Carolina shows the failure of states across the country to adequately address the long-term-care needs of younger people with complex disabilities. This year marks the 25th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion that found states have an obligation to help people with disabilities — young and old — live, whenever possible, in their own homes and not in institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. (Shapiro, 2/22)

The death of a former hospital CEO could have been prevented, an Illinois lawsuit said. The family of Ruth Colby is suing the University of Chicago and her surgeon after complications from heart surgery led to Colby’s death, the lawsuit said. (Linderman, 2/21)