ANN ARBOR - Michigan’s rural hospitals are entering a more dangerous phase of financial stress—driven by rising healthcare costs, growing numbers of uninsured patients, and mounting federal budget pressure tied to global conflict. What was, just weeks ago, a policy concern is increasingly becoming a real-world risk. With the Iran war now stretching into its
As federal lawmakers weigh how to fund escalating military operations, healthcare programs that support Michigan’s most vulnerable communities—including rural hospitals—are emerging as potential targets. ANN ARBOR — Rising U.S. war costs tied to Iran are triggering a budget debate in Washington that could have immediate consequences in Michigan—where rural hospitals and patients are especially vulnerable
Program gaining traction among cannabis dispensaries, restaurants and small retailers facing high employee turnover. PINCKNEY - Discover how the new wellness benefit program can help small and mid-sized businesses retain workers, cut payroll taxes, and boost employee take-home pay. As businesses across Michigan continue to struggle with employee retention and rising healthcare costs, a new
DETROIT — Cannabis dispensaries across the United States are facing a growing workforce challenge: retaining employees in a rapidly expanding but still evolving industry. Many cannabis provisioning centers operate with large hourly workforces, including budtenders, retail managers and support staff. While the industry has created thousands of jobs, many smaller operators struggle to offer traditional
KALAMAZOO - A suspected Iranian cyberattack targeting Kalamazoo-based medical technology giant Stryker is raising alarms among cybersecurity experts who say global conflict is increasingly spilling into corporate computer networks. Stryker, one of Michigan’s largest healthcare companies, generates more than $25 billion in annual sales and employs roughly 56,000 people worldwide, producing orthopedic implants, surgical equipment,
DETROIT - A new scientific analysis warns that humanity’s carbon emissions have already pushed far beyond what researchers consider a safe operating limit for the planet—raising new questions about the economic and industrial transition now underway in Michigan and across the Midwest. The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change and highlighted by Phys.org,
ANN ARBOR - Health care costs are climbing sharply in 2026, and Michigan households are feeling the impact from two directions at once: employers are budgeting for higher benefit costs, while many individuals buying their own insurance are seeing premiums spike after a key Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy program expired at the start of
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has called on Congress to enact what he calls the “Great Healthcare Plan,” a proposal aimed at lowering insurance premiums, reducing prescription drug prices, and forcing new transparency across the U.S. healthcare system. Outlined in a White House fact sheet, the plan does not repeal the Affordable Care Act,
ANN ARBOR - During 2025, MichBio focused not just on visibility, but on building the underlying conditions that allow companies to start, scale, and stay in Michigan. Convening the Ecosystem, Statewide Convening Michigan’s life sciences community remained a central pillar of MichBio’s work in 2025, with a renewed emphasis on geographic reach, inclusivity, and high-value
DETROIT — Health insurance costs are rising sharply for Michigan business owners, freelancers, and independent contractors in 2026 after enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits expired at the end of last year — and time is running out for those who rely on ACA marketplace plans. Michiganders who buy coverage through the ACA
