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The state legislature approved funding Wednesday to meet higher costs for NC Medicaid in the current fiscal year. But their number came in below what state health officials had been asking for — by about $81 million. (Vitaglione, 9/12)

New Yorkers could soon get questionnaires from their health insurers asking for their race, ethnicity, gender, preferred language and sexual orientation as part of a state initiative that seeks to address disparities in health care. State officials are proposing a new rule Tuesday that would require health insurance plans to collect demographic details as they sign people up for insurance or renew their coverage, although the information would be optional for New Yorkers. (Lewis, 9/10)

A potentially deadly fungal infection known as valley fever has dramatically risen in California, with the number of reported cases nearly quadrupling in the last decade, from around 2,300 cases in 2014 to over 9,000 in 2023. A new scientific study describes where and when valley fever took off across the state over the past two decades. Swings between wet and dry conditions, expected to intensify with global warming, were associated with the highest case counts. (Lee, 9/11)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: In Montana, 911 Calls Reveal Impact Of Heat Waves On Rural Seniors

Missoula is one of Montana’s largest cities but is surrounded by rural mountain communities where cattle ranching is king. Despite the latitude and altitude, in recent years this region has experienced punishing summer heat waves. It has been difficult for residents to adapt to the warming climate and new seasonal swings. Many don’t have air conditioning and are unprepared for the new pattern of daytime temperatures hovering in the 90s — for days or even weeks on end. (Bolton, 9/12)