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Mississippi could allow Medicaid coverage earlier in pregnancy in an effort to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies in a poor state with the nation’s worst rate of infant mortality. With wide bipartisan support, the state House passed a bill Wednesday to allow up to 60 days of “presumptive eligibility” for Medicaid, starting July 1. This means a pregnant woman’s outpatient medical care would be paid by Medicaid as her application for coverage by the government insurance program is being considered. (Pettus, 1/31)

A group of privacy, technology and health care advocates on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission urging an investigation into Deloitte Consulting LLP, claiming that hundreds of thousands of Texans were wrongfully denied Medicaid coverage due to errors in the consulting firm’s eligibility software. (Rubin, 1/31)

California state lawmakers introduced a slate of reparations bills on Wednesday, including a proposal to restore property taken by “race-based” cases of eminent domain and a potentially unconstitutional measure to provide state funding for “specific groups.” The package marks a first-in-the-nation effort to give restitution to Black Americans who have been harmed by centuries of racist policies and practices. California’s legislative push is the culmination of years of research and debate, including 111-pages of recommendations issued last year by a task force. (Korte, 1/31)

The Department of Veterans Affairs placed 46,552 veterans in permanent housing in 2023, exceeding its goal to house 38,000 individuals in 2023 by nearly 23%.VA officials said Tuesday the department was able to ensure that nearly 96% of those who were housed in 2023 remained in their homes, exceeding its goal for the year by nearly 1%. The VA also rehoused -- or is in the process of helping -- nearly all the 1,919 veterans who returned to homelessness after receiving housing. (Kime, 1/31)

Republican lawmakers declined to advance a bill Wednesday that would have reduced legal protections for transgender Iowans. The bill proposed removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act and adding gender dysphoria and “any condition related to a gender identity disorder” to the disability category. (Sostaric, 1/31)

Someone who suffers a stroke in South Elgin has access to prompter treatment thanks to access to mobile unit operated by Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital now available in the South Elgin & Countryside Fire Protection District. (Danahey, 1/31)

Learn how to perform CPR in minutes is a new technology aimed at helping the 350,000 people who have cardiac arrest each year. The North10 Lenfest Center in Hunting Park now has a new mobile hands-only CPR kiosk that trains people how to help someone in cardiac arrest. The kiosk has a touchscreen with a video program that instructs users to first call 911 and then explains how to press hard and fast on the chest to the music of the Bee Gees "Staying Alive" 100 to 120 beats a minute. (Stahl and Nau, 1/31)