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Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Barbara Feder Ostrov writes: " Thousands of California adults are signing up for dental insurance offered for the first time by California’s health insurance exchange, Covered California, officials said Wednesday. About 33,000 adults have signed up for the dental plans, including about 6,000 who also are signing up for health insurance on the exchange for the first time, said Peter Lee, Covered California’s executive director." (Feder Ostrov, 11/19)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says South Dakota is getting more than $1.8 million in loans and grants to help boost health and public safety in rural areas. The funding announced this week is through USDA Rural Development's Community Facilities program. South Dakota has three projects receiving funding, including a $48,700 grant to the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety to purchase two police vehicles and a $40,800 grant to the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Brule to replace windows, doors and floor covering. Meanwhile, Wilmot Care Center Inc. in the northeast South Dakota community of Wilmot was awarded a $1.77 million loan for the construction of an assisted living facility that will include eight bedrooms and three efficiency units. (11/18)

In the United States, a baby is born dependent on opiates every 30 minutes. In Tennessee, the rate is three times the national average. The drug withdrawal in newborns is called neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS, which can occur when women take opiates during their pregnancies. In the spring of 2014, Tennessee passed a controversial law that would allow the mothers of NAS babies to be charged with a crime the state calls "fetal assault." Alabama and Wisconsin have prosecuted new mothers under similar laws, and now other states are also considering legislation. (Shapiro, 11/18)

As part of a massive coverage expansion under the Affordable Care Act, millions of people have been allowed to sign up for California's health insurance plan for the poor for nearly two years. The program, known as Medi-Cal, now serves more than 12.5 million people, nearly 1 out of every 3 Californians. But there have been persistent concerns about the quality of care, with questions about whether patients can find doctors and get the help they need. (Karlamangla, 11/19)

A year after voters here overwhelmingly approved a tax on the distribution of sodas and other sugary drinks, several academic studies have noted a hike in retail prices, indicating that the tax, or at least part of it, is being passed along to consumers. (Lochner, 11/19)

The medical students sat around a conference table, some in white coats, some with stethoscopes around their necks, as Laura Wenzel explained the goals of her work. The students quietly bit into their burritos and salads, as Wenzel, the manager of Medical Advocates for Healthy Air, launched into it: a whirlwind presentation on particulate matter, smog, climate change, federal law, tailpipe pollution and ozone, not to mention a smattering of health research about air pollutants. (Rivin, 11/19)

A Long Island doctor has been sentenced to prison for his role in a bribery scheme involving a New Jersey lab. A federal judge in Newark sentenced Brett Halper of Glen Head, New York, to 46 months in prison Wednesday. The 41-year-old, who practiced in Rockville Centre, had pleaded guilty to accepting bribes. (11/18)

Dr. Edwin DeJesus said he felt bad for Charlie Sheen when the well-known actor sat in front of television cameras Tuesday and told the world that he was HIV-positive. But he also saw the upside. "Assuming that this is just the end and there's not more to the story, I think that having a public figure that more young people can relate to in some ways is helpful in a way to bring HIV again to the front line," said DeJesus, medical director of Orlando Immunology Center. (Miller, 11/18)

A potentially deadly bacteria that occurs naturally in bodies of water and raw shellfish has infected more than 40 residents of Florida in 2015 — the highest number of cases in the state in recent years, Florida Department of Health records show. Vibrio vulnificus, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, blistering skin and in extreme cases, gangrene and death, peaked at 42 confirmed cases statewide so far this year. Of those cases, 13 people have died — the first death was reported in May. (Pesantes, 11/18)

DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. disclosed to investors Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating two of its Florida clinics regarding the medical necessity of certain procedures. The Denver-based operator of a kidney care centers said that this involves RMS Lifeline, its wholly owned subsidiary that operates as Lifeline Vascular Access. The Justice Department notified RMS on Nov. 10 that it is investigating services provided at the two clinics since Jan. 1, 2008. The department has asked for documents and medical records for 10 patients. (Chuang, 11/18)