October 5, 2026: Changes to Medicaid for Certain Non-citizens, Surgical Workforce Shortages & an Initiative for Heart Health Education

Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital.

News sources for this episode:

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, “Changes to Medicaid for Certain Non-citizens,” https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/medicaid/medicaid-changes/non-citizen.

Phil Galewitz Et al., “US Poised To Boot Legal Immigrants From Medicaid, Including Refugees and Sex-Trafficking Victims,” September 30, 2026, https://kffhealthnews.org/medicaid/immigrants-kicked-off-medicaid-refugees-asylum-seekers-trump-big-beautiful-bill-cbo-2/, KFF Health News.

Akash Pillai, “Implementation of Medicaid Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions Under the 2025 Reconciliation Law: Issues to Consider,” September 22, 2026, https://www.kff.org/immigrant-health/implementation-of-medicaid-immigrant-eligibility-restrictions-under-the-2025-reconciliation-law-issues-to-consider/#:~:text=The%20Congressional,2034, KFF Health News.

Paige Twenter, “In 12 years, US will be short nearly 28,000 surgeons: Study,” September 25, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/in-12-years-us-will-be-short-nearly-28000-surgeons-study/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Amelia Suermann, “Data Reveal the Details about the Surgeon Workforce Shortage,” February 4 2022, https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2022/02/data-reveal-the-details-about-the-surgeon-workforce-shortage/, American College of Surgeons.

HealthDay, “U.S. Could Face Major Surgeon Shortage,” September 29, 2026, https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2026-09-29/u-s-could-face-major-surgeon-shortage, US News and World Report.

National Rural Health Association, “How libraries are bringing heart-health resources to rural communities,” September 14, 2026, https://www.ruralhealth.us/blogs/2026/09-september/how-libraries-are-bringing-heart-health-resources-to-rural-communities.

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.