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The North Carolina House will hear and likely vote on a Medicaid expansion measure next week, a key legislator said. The bill’s introduction this week, along with comments Thursday from Senate leader Phil Berger, reaffirms that a deal on expansion and perhaps other health care access reforms hasn’t yet been reached between the two chambers. But it also means that accepting expansion remains a priority for Republicans during this year’s chief General Assembly work session. (Robertson, 2/9)

A bill seeking to expand Medicaid in Wyoming has died again, repeating what has become an annual event in recent years. This year's bill didn't even get a reading in the House of Representatives despite growing support in the state. (Victor, 2/9)

Most Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate voted to send a bill to the governor’s desk Wednesday that would limit how much money victims of medical malpractice could get for non-economic injuries like pain and suffering. The bill, a priority of Gov. Kim Reynolds, would cap non-economic damages awarded by juries at $2 million when a hospital is involved and $1 million for malpractice by an independent clinic. Starting in 2028, the caps would increase by 2.1% each year. (Sostaric, 2/9)

A Reno television station said it has found that the time it takes the Nevada State Medical Board to resolve complaints against doctors can hamper medical malpractice cases in court. KRNV-TV reported Wednesday that in response to a public records request, the board said it has 455 pending cases, including three on hold since 2016 because police also are investigating. Medical Board Executive Director Ed Cousineau told KRNV-TV that staffing issues can make it difficult to complete investigations in a timely manner. (2/9)

KHN: Montana Considers Allowing Physician Assistants To Practice Independently

Megan Zawacki started working at St. Peter’s Health in Helena, Montana, in 2020 as a physician assistant trained in treating addiction. She had gone through specialized training that allowed her to prescribe Suboxone, a medication to fight opioid addiction, but she couldn’t do so for six months. That’s because Zawacki was hired to work with a doctor who specialized in addiction medicine, but that doctor did not join St. Peter’s until three months after Zawacki was hired, and it was another three months before he became her supervisor. Under Montana law, physician assistants must be supervised by a licensed physician, with a supervision agreement filed with the state Board of Medical Examiners. (Larson, 2/10)

St. Louis health officials launched a website this week that will improve access to HIV testing and treatment. Information about services offered by the Health Stop Testing and Referral Center, located in the municipal building at 1520 Market St., is now compiled for easy reference on the web at HealthStopSTL.com. (Goodwin, 2/10)

The federal government is offering a funding lifeline to New Hampshire organizations looking to continue a sex education program defunded by the Executive Council last fall. But that money likely won’t be available until the end of August. New Hampshire organizations will be able to apply directly for federal grants to support sex education curriculum, rather than relying on approval from the Executive Council. (Gibson, 2/8)

Dr. Scott Tcheng was shocked to hear the number: People suffering from mental illness in San Francisco were brought to city hospitals on temporary, involuntary holds more than 13,600 times over a recent 12-month period. The emergency room doctor who works at several hospitals sees people struggling with mental illness or drug-induced psychosis return repeatedly, sometimes brought against their will. Tcheng knew the number for involuntary holds would be high – but not that high. (Moench, 2/9)

Senator John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who suffered a near-fatal stroke before winning his seat last year, spent a second night in the hospital on Thursday as doctors ruled out another stroke but monitored him for signs of seizure, his spokesman said. Mr. Fetterman, 53, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after feeling lightheaded while attending a Democratic Senate retreat in Washington. After an M.R.I. and other tests, doctors ruled out another stroke, the spokesman said. As of Thursday night, there had also been no signs of seizure. (Karni, 2/9)