Once a taboo subject, the permanent legalization of hemp production, distribution and sales in North Carolina passed the Senate on Tuesday without a single “no” vote.

The Senate’s Medicaid Expansion and More Omnibus (my term, not theirs) cleared its first committee hurdle Thursday with quick passage in the Senate Health Care Committee.

The N.C. Dental Society wants dentists exempted from required participation in the state’s N.C. HealthConnex data-sharing initiative for health care providers. The exemption is part of a fast-moving bill rolled out Wednesday morning in a House committee.

As expected, the Senate’s proposal for Medicaid expansion includes four other health care policy changes long favored by key Republicans: Drastically reducing Certificate of Need health care regulations, requiring insurance coverage for some telehealth services, expanding the practice authority of advanced practice nurses, and a “surprise billing” transparency proposal.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell has teamed up with a bipartisan group of House legislators on a new consumer protection bill addressing medical debts and bill collections.

Senate leaders have for months signaled their willingness to expand Medicaid, a key goal of Gov. Roy Cooper. What’s surprising about Monday’s news is that senators appear willing to debate a bill before a House and Senate study committee on the issue makes its recommendations.

The Department of State Treasurer, which administers health insurance benefits for state employees and retirees, recently tallied up the State Health Plan’s costs for COVID-19-related treatment and testing.

Meredith College released its spring poll on Tuesday, covering a wide range of policy topics from Medicaid expansion and medical marijuana to abortion and distracted driving.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced a new program Wednesday to help state employees with autism spectrum disorder advance in their careers.

Most everyone agrees that telehealth is a fantastic improvement in how we access medical professionals. But the question is: How much should it cost, and how much should insurance be required to pay?

In addition to telehealth, legislators heard Tuesday about the potential for North Carolina to set up its own health care marketplace under the Affordable Care Act instead of using healthcare.gov.

Speaking of committees charting the future of education, the House Select Committee on An Education System for North Carolina's Future wrapped up a four-stop series of public hearings across the state on Monday evening in Morehead County.

One of the state’s most powerful senators quietly got a new job in the UNC System recently. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, is one of two “experts in residence” hired in January at UNC Asheville for a new grant-funded “Health Policy Project” at its Center for Health and Wellness.