September 1, 2025 News Update: New Projections on Upcoming Uninsured Rates, Lack of Leadership at the CDC & a New Breakthrough in Prosthetics

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

Watch the prosthetic knee in action here: https://youtu.be/ZQCVmuirYSI?si=kFp0VCUwyVvEt1jq

News sources for this episode:

Madeline Ashley, Erica Cerutti, “CDC names acting director: 7 notes,” August 28, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/cdc-names-acting-director-7-notes/, Becker’s Hospital Review.

Lauren Dubinsky, “Alphabet’s Verily shuts down medical devices program, cuts staff,” August 28, 2025, https://www.modernhealthcare.com/medical-devices/mh-alphabet-verily-layoffs-medical-devices-ai/, Modern Healthcare.

Kirsti Marohn, “Health care provider CentraCare to lay off 535 employees,” August 12, 2025, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/08/12/health-care-provider-centracare-to-lay-off-535-employees, MPR News. 

Jakob Emerson, “27 payers cutting jobs | 2025,” August 20, 2025, https://www.beckerspayer.com/workforce/5-payers-cutting-jobs-2025/, Becker’s Payer Issues.

Tom Murphy, “Expect health insurance prices to rise next year, brokers and experts say,” https://apnews.com/article/health-insurance-drug-costs-2026-rates-c4d865ec09c7088ecc6b55dc520f3566, Associated Press. 

Becker’s Hospital Review, Commerce Bank, “Progress amid uncertainty: A mid-year update on 2025 healthcare finance trends.,” August 18, 2025, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/progress-amid-uncertainty-a-mid-year-update-on-2025-healthcare-finance-trends/?origin=CFOE&utm_source=CFOE&utm_medium=email&utm_content=newsletter&oly_enc_id=8018I7467278H7C. 

Alice Burns et. al, “How Will the 2025 Reconciliation Law Affect the Uninsured Rate in Each State?,” August 20, 2025, https://www.kff.org/uninsured/how-will-the-2025-reconciliation-law-affect-the-uninsured-rate-in-each-state/, Kaiser Family Foundation.

NIH Medline Plus Magazine, “Prosthetics through the ages,” May 11, 2023, https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/prosthetics-through-the-ages. 

Andy Corbley, “This New Bionic Knee Is Changing the Game for Lower Leg Amputees,” August 21, 2025, https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-new-bionic-knee-is-changing-the-game-for-lower-leg-amputees/, Good News Network.

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.