Living In The South In 2019 Meant A Shorter Life Expectancy

NBC News: Mississippi Had Lowest Life Expectancy In U.S. In 2019, While Hawaii's Was Highest
The majority of U.S. states with the lowest life expectancies in 2019 were in the South, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published Thursday. The report, from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in order of residents' life expectancies in the year before the pandemic took hold. The results showed that Mississippi had the country's lowest life expectancy, at 74.4 years, which was significantly below the national average of 78.8. Hawaii, meanwhile, had the highest: 80.9 years. (Fieldstadt, 2/10)

In abortion news from Georgia —

AP: Georgia Bill Banning Abortion Pills By Mail Advances 
Georgia Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban the delivery of abortion pills by mail and require women to be examined by a physician in person before the pills are dispensed. The state Senate’s health and human services committee voted 7-5 in favor of the legislation after an expedited hearing that drew abortion opponents and supporters. The bill would still need approval from the state Senate and House before it could become law. (Thanawala, 2/9)

In other news from across the U.S. —

Modern Healthcare: UCLA Settles Physician Sexual Abuse Lawsuits For $243.6M
The University of California, Los Angeles, has agreed to a $243.6 million settlement covering 50 cases involving alleged sexual abuse by a gynecologist the academic institution employed for decades. According accusations by 203 women who sued the university in state court, Dr. James Heaps committed numerous acts of sexual abuse and misconduct during his time at UCLA Health and the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center from the 1980s through 2018. UCLA announced the settlement Tuesday. (Devereaux, 2/9)

Health News Florida: House Panel Advances Measure That Would Modify Staffing Standards For Nursing Homes 
As nursing homes grapple with a worker shortage, Florida lawmakers began moving forward Tuesday with revamping staffing standards for the facilities. The House Finance & Facilities Subcommittee approved a bill (HB 1239) that supporters say would provide more flexibility to nursing homes in meeting changing needs of residents. The Senate Health Policy Committee will take up the Senate version of the bill (SB 804) on Thursday. “It gives the flexibility needed to provide person-centered care,” House sponsor Lauren Melo, R-Naples, said. “Direct care staffing would expand to include a broad mix of highly skilled, licensed and certified staff members.” (Saunders, 2/9)

WUSF Public Media: A Senate Committee Advances Ladapo's Confirmation As Florida's Surgeon General 
State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo drew more heat Tuesday from Democrats over his views on COVID-19, while landing support from Republicans as his confirmation heads to the Senate floor. After Democrats peppered him with questions for nearly two hours and said he was part of the politicization of the pandemic, the Republican-controlled Senate Ethics and Elections Committee voted 5-4 along party lines to back Ladapo’s confirmation. Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, called the Democrats’ questioning “hazing and badgering” and praised Ladapo for maintaining his composure. (Turner, 2/9)

The CT Mirror: Gov. Lamont Proposes $160 Million For New Mental Health Services
New psychiatric beds and other services for children spearheaded a list of mental health investments in the $24.2 billion budget Gov. Ned Lamont unveiled Wednesday. The administration, which recommended $160 million in new behavioral health funding, did not propose any major increase for the community-based nonprofits that provide the bulk of Connecticut’s social services. And while key leaders on the legislature’s budget, health and insurance committees ranged from cautious to hopeful in their assessments of Lamont’s plan, the state’s largest health care workers’ union charged that the governor failed to respond to a growing crisis. (Phaneuf and Carlesso, 2/9)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wausau Water Wells Test Above Wisconsin Standards For PFAS Levels
All of the municipal drinking water wells in Wausau have tested above recommended state standards for "forever chemicals," officials announced Wednesday. According to a news release from the Wausau Water Works, all six of the city's drinking water wells tested between 23 parts per trillion and 48 parts per trillion. The state's recommended standards are 20 parts per trillion. The Water Works serves 16,000 customers in the Wausau area, which is home to just under 40,000 residents. (Schulte, 2/9)

KHN: Skirmish Between Biden And Red States Over Medicaid Leaves Enrollees In The Balance 
When Republican-led states balked at expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s administration tossed them a carrot — allowing several to charge monthly premiums to newly eligible enrollees. Republicans pushed for the fees to give Medicaid recipients “skin in the game” — the idea they would value their coverage more — and to make the government program resemble employer-based insurance. But with studies showing that the fees led to fewer low-income adults signing up for coverage and fewer reenrolling, the Biden administration is moving to eliminate them. (Galewitz and Miller, 2/10)

In news about marijuana laws —

AP: SC Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill, House Up Next 
South Carolina senators Wednesday approved the use of medical marijuana in the state on a 28-15 vote that finished a Republican senator’s seven-year quest to pass the proposal, but the legislation still has some hurdles to pass to become law. The proposal had both bipartisan support and opposition in the Republican-dominated Senate. Seventeen Republicans voted for the bill and 10 opposed it. It faces one more routine vote before going to the House where it has never been taken up on the floor. (Collins, 2/10)

Columbus Dispatch: Odds Of Legalizing Marijuana In Ohio Through Legislature Even Slimmer
The slim chances of legalizing marijuana through the GOP-controlled Ohio Legislature just got even slimmer. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he doesn't support the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol's effort to legalize marijuana and won't bring it to a vote in his chamber. "I don't want anybody to misunderstand my position," Huffman said. "I'm not going to bring it to the Senate floor. And if that means people want to go put it on the ballot, have at it." (Balmert, 2/9)