October 26, 2026: $1.6 Billion Revenue Loss for Rural Hospitals, Rural vs. Urban Breast Cancer Survival Rates, and Partnerships that Keep Hospitals Independent

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital. News sources for this episode: Andrew Cass, “Rural hospitals to see $1.6B revenue hit from ACA subsidy loss: Report,” October 22, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/rural-hospitals-to-see-1-6b-revenue-hit-from-aca-subsidy-loss-report/, Becker’s Hospital Review. American Hospital Association, “America’s Rural Hospitals at a Crossroads,” 2026, https://www.aha.org/americas-rural-hospitals-crossroads. The Commonwealth Fund, “Without Renewal of Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, Rural Hospital Revenues Will Drop by $1.6 Billion,” November 13, 2025, https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2025/without-renewal-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-rural-hospital-revenues-will-drop-16-billion. American Cancer Society, “ACS Studies Find Widening Rural-Urban Survival and Mortality Gaps for Women With Breast Cancer,” October 12, 2026, https://pressroom.cancer.org/rural-survival-rates-breast-cancer. Kristin Kuchno, “How rural hospitals are teaming up with big systems — without selling,” October 7, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/how-rural-hospitals-are-teaming-up-with-big-systems-without-selling/, Becker’s Hospital Review. Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.