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When they talk about the impact of ballot Question 1, Massachusetts hospital executives keep repeating one big number: $1 billion. That’s how they’ve described the approximate cost — annually — of the question that seeks to regulate nurse staffing. (Dayal McCluskey, 9/17)

Democrat Tony Evers challenged GOP Gov. Scott Walker to drop his Obamacare lawsuit Monday as Walker and his running mate insisted they would make sure those with pre-existing conditions are covered if they win in court. ...Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch have pledged to call a special legislative session to require coverage of pre-existing conditions if they succeed with their lawsuit against Obamacare, which is formally known as the Affordable Care Act. (Marley and Spicuzza, 9/17)

Minnesota has confirmed a third case of measles in the last six weeks. It's a worrisome trend for state health officials, who are urging people to get vaccines in order to prevent an outbreak like the one that happened last year. (Cox, 9/17)

A Johnson County teenager has been charged with raping a 13-year-old at an Olathe child welfare office where children have been kept overnight because of a shortage of foster care beds. Michael Anthony Hamer, 18, was charged last week with rape and aggravated indecent liberties of a child under 14. (Bauer and Rizzo, 9/17)

An Eagan man who ran a network of personal care assistant services fraudulently obtained more than $4 million in Medicaid funds, according to charges unsealed against him Monday. Victor Nenghimobo Clement, 53, was barred from participating as a Medicaid provider due to a previous conviction in Ramsey County for Medicaid fraud. In the current case, an investigation by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit named Clement as the leader and found he arranged for other people to open PCA agencies, which he managed, according to the criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court by the Attorney General’s office. (Gottfried, 9/17)

The number of people with sexually transmitted diseases in Maryland is growing rapidly and many might not even know they are infected, fueling the spread. The rise in STDs is happening across the state and not just in trouble spots such as Baltimore, which has a history of high rates. The spread of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are of particular concern to public health officials and doctors, who say they are treating many more cases. (McDaniels, 9/18)

Thanks in part to her experiences and research, the American Osteopathic Association discussed recommending that every state legalize “expedited partner therapy,” so both STD patients and their sexual partners can get prescriptions, even if the doctors or nurses haven’t personally examined the partners. (Marso, 9/18)

In his native Syria, Mahmoud spent months in captivity in a crowded room three floors underground, never seeing the sun. Disease spread quickly among the prisoners, he said. Food was scarce, often spoiled. Mahmoud said his captors, foot soldiers of Syrian President Bashar Assad, tortured him and shot him in the leg.“I was in jail for seven months. They let me go, but I was physically sick, and tired,” the 29-year-old refugee said, speaking inside a cheerful, modern medical clinic here with signs posted in English and Arabic. “I had infections, inflammation. I’m still trying to get treated for it all.” (Brown, 9/17)

Cultural practices, resettlement struggles and the challenge of finding dentists willing to take Medicaid make good oral hygiene extremely hard for many refugees. Medical experts say tooth and gum decay is a serious issue that can lead to future health problems, from digestive struggles to diabetes and heart disease. (Choi, 9/18)

In California, the state with the highest poverty rate, tooth decay in children outpaces the national average. Hoping to save both teeth and money, the state is addressing the problem with an overhaul of Denti-Cal, part of the Medi-Cal health system for low-income Californians. (Gorn, 9/17)

State regulators on Monday (Sept. 17) got rid of a rule that limited the number of patients Louisiana doctors can recommend medical marijuana to. The Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners met Monday to consider changing several rules that currently place restrictions on patient access to medical marijuana. That included a patient limit rule that prevented Louisiana doctors licensed under the state's medical marijuana program from recommending the drug to more than 100 people at a time. (Clark, 9/17)

Kaiser Health News: Day-Tripping To The Dispensary: Seniors In Pain Hop Aboard The Canna-Bus

Shirley Avedon, 90,­­ had never been a cannabis user. But carpal tunnel syndrome that sends shooting pains into both of her hands and an aversion to conventional steroid and surgical treatments is prompting her to consider some new options. “It’s very painful, sometimes I can’t even open my hand,” Avedon said. (O'Neill, 9/18)