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If you’re imagining what a state would create a government-run health insurance plan, deep red Mississippi might not be your first guess. Yet the Mississippi Insurance Department is preparing to launch the “Mississippi Option” next year, which proponents claim will help thousands of middle-class residents who can’t afford the premiums for health insurance exchange policies. But don’t confuse the Mississippi Option with the “public option” many Democrats supported when Congress wrote the Affordable Care Act of 2010. (Tepper, 8/26)

On the first of September, Davie County will join the list of North Carolina community drinking water systems no longer adding fluoride to their supplies. Unlike the handful of other counties that considered ending system fluoridation, the decision in Davie County had a new twist. (Blythe, 8/27)

Ashli Watts’ gaze drifted between her children, attention split between her toddler in the chair in front of her and the 3-month-old in her arms. They were part of the reason she sat in an academic building in Englewood Tuesday morning, listening intently, then smiling at the announcement she hopes will help her change the lives of mothers across the city in a few short months: the new midwifery program at Kennedy-King College. (Perez, 8/26)

Scott Knutson, 61, is terminally ill and incarcerated at a state prison in Faribault for a nonviolent crime. He uses a wheelchair, rarely leaves his cell and suffers from multiple serious medical conditions affecting his breathing and kidneys. Knutson has been hospitalized repeatedly. His anticipated prison release date is March 2029, but Machelle Frisbie, an advocate for Knutson, said she does not believe he will live that long. (Zurek, 8/27)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: $50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say

One year into its creation, a $50 billion federal program aimed at improving rural healthcare lacks transparency, which could make it difficult to protect against fraud, identify successful projects, and ensure the program delivers on its promise to transform the system. Transparency “is really important to help protect the integrity of the program, ensure funds are reaching the communities they’re meant to serve,” said Maya Sandalow, director of health policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank. (Zionts, 8/27)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: A State Gave Sheriffs 20% Of Its Opioid Settlement Cash. We Followed The Money

Every state is receiving opioid settlement payouts from companies accused of flooding the nation with prescription painkillers and fueling overdose deaths. But only one state is directing 20% of those payouts to sheriffs — the largest carve-out for law enforcement nationwide. In Louisiana, sheriffs are elected, do not serve at the pleasure of another local official, and have independent budgets. They’re also not required to proactively report to the public or another authority how they spend billions in opioid settlement cash. (Pattani, 8/27)