January 19, 2026: ACA Subsidies Update, 2025 National Health Rankings and the Future of Lung Transplantation

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

News sources for this episode:

Jared Ortaliza, “ACA Signups are Down, But Still an Incomplete Picture,” January 12, 2026, https://www.kff.org/quick-take/aca-signups-are-down-but-still-an-incomplete-picture/, KFF.

Sam Gringlas, “House votes to renew ACA subsidies, as Senate Republicans rebuke Trump on Venezuela,” January 8, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5662625/house-vote-affordable-care-act-subsidies, National Public Radio.

America’s Health Rankings, “2025 Annual Report,” 2025, https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/ahr_2025annual_comprehensivereport_final-web.pdf. 

Elizabeth Gregerson, “Northwestern takes on its biggest rival in transplants: Time,” January 9, 2026, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety-outcomes/northwestern-takes-on-its-biggest-rival-in-transplants-time/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Mackenzie Bean, “Nation’s 1st double lung-liver transplant performed at Northwestern,” March 28, 2024, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety-outcomes/nations-1st-double-lung-liver-transplant-performed-at-northwestern/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

American Lunch Association, “Lung Transplant,” December 10, 2025, https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-procedures-and-tests/lung-transplant.

Tanmay S. Panchabhai et al., “Historical perspectives of lung transplantation: connecting the dots,” July 31, 2018, https://jtd.amegroups.org/article/view/22674/html, Journal of Thoracic Disease.

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.