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Children who have high blood pressure or are obese perform worse academically than others. Children with asthma miss far more school. Students who have healthy diets, who are physically active, who abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs, get better grades. With that in mind, more than a dozen states are finally taking advantage of a five-year-old federal policy change that would make it easier for schools to provide health care to millions of children across the country. (Ollove, 11/27)

More than 46,000 people lost their Medicaid coverage this month, because they didn't respond to letters warning they didn't appear eligible for the government-financed insurance. The removals came as the state health department resumed a process that automatically kicks people off Medicaid if they don't respond to annual renewal information requests. Enrollees had until Oct. 31 to maintain coverage if they could prove eligibility. (11/26)

State health officials say they are planning to apply for a waiver from the federal government that would loosen restrictions on how Medicaid dollars could be spent on mental health treatment in New Hampshire. Federal law currently prohibits the use of Medicaid dollars to pay for mental health care at facilities with more than 16 beds, to prevent the so-called “warehousing” of mental health patients with public funds. (Moon, 11/26)

Brigham Young University-Idaho’s decision to accept Medicaid as acceptable insurance to waive to student health plan came as a relief to the students who had been pushing their university to do just that. “I’m excited, and ... I’m super grateful,” said Amanda Emerson, a senior who helped to organize her fellow students’ push back against BYU-Idaho’s decision earlier this month to no longer accept Medicaid. “A lot of other students are still upset and still want to know the truth, but I think for me, I’m just glad they made the right decision. It took a lot of pride to swallow.” (Brown, 11/26)