Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the recently confirmed Health and Human Services secretary, will lead an all-new commission to help treat chronic diseases. President Donald Trump launched the commission on Thursday, just hours after the Senate confirmed Kennedy.
The Make America Healthy Again Commission will include several high-ranking federal officials, including the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and the directors of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health experts are concerned about Kennedy’s ascension from a marginal player in the alternative health industry who has supported several disproved theories to one of the most prominent and influential positions in American health care. He said he would support the CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule, but this has done little to allay fears that he may promote an anti-vaccine agenda.
Doctors and researchers around the country were also concerned about funding cuts when the National Institute of Health abruptly tried to curtail indirect funding, which helps pay for expenses such as equipment, maintenance, and labor. The National Institute of Health handles 60,000 grants annually, which provide funds for over 300,000 researchers.
Many of Kennedy’s priorities were expressed during his confirmation hearings last month, and the executive order which led to the creation of The Make America Healthy Again Commission confirms these. He has proposed putting infectious disease research on hold in favor of studying the causes of chronic diseases. Although experts say the two subjects are inextricably linked. He has also advocated for stricter regulations when it comes to artificial ingredients to better match European standards.
The executive order also calls for a national focus on reducing chronic disease rates in the United States. The order cites rising rates of cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and autism.
In addition, Kennedy Jr is also looking to slash Medicaid funding. “Medicaid is not working for Americans,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said last week at his confirmation hearing. “We’re spending $900 billion and our people are getting sicker every single year” he continued. In other areas of the hearings, Kennedy demonstrated a limited understanding of the fundamentals of Medicaid.
As a person with cerebral palsy, Medicaid impacts me every single day. Medicaid allows me to live in my apartment where I receive around-the-clock care. In September of this year, at the age of 26, Medicaid will be my only source of health insurance.
Medicaid provides coverage for home and community-based services. There are many different types of home and community-based services available under Medicaid. Examples of covered home and community-based services include physical, occupational, and speech therapies, durable medical equipment, home healthcare, home-delivered meals, and dietary management. These services are intended to help people remain in their communities.
In my case, Massachusetts Medicaid provides the funding for my PCAs (Personal Care Assistants). My PCA helps me with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, and toileting. Without Medicaid, I wouldn’t be able to pay for PCA services, which cost more than $50,000 annually.
The Make America Healthy Again Commission may seem well-intentioned. Unfortunately, the goals outlined in the executive order may hurt more people than they help. Cutting funding for research and programs like Medicaid means people could die.
Sources:
Bendix, Aria, and Brandy Zadrozny. “Kennedy’s Confirmation Will Breed More Harm than Good, Public Health Experts Say.” NBCNews, NBCUniversal News Group, 13 Feb. 2025, http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/kennedys-confirmation-will-breed-harm-good-public-health-experts-say-rcna192124.
Bendix, Aria. “After Kennedy’s Confirmation, Trump Establishes ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Commission.” NBCNews, NBCUniversal News Group, 13 Feb. 2025, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna192136.
Levi, Ryan. “Why Many Republicans Think Shrinking Medicaid Will Make It Better.” Tradeoffs, Tradeoffs, 23 Jan. 2025, tradeoffs.org/2025/01/23/gop-medicaid-cuts-trump/.
Olsen, Emily. “RFK Jr. Appears Confused about Medicaid, Medicare during Confirmation Hearing.” Healthcare Dive, Informa TechTarget, 29 Jan. 2025, http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-confused-medicaid-hhs-secretary-confirmation-hearing/738690/.
Ollstein, Alice Miranda. “‘Ridiculously High’: Experts Slam Republicans’ Questionable Math on Medicaid Cuts.” PoliticoPro, Politico , 13 Jan. 2025, subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/01/ridiculously-high-experts-slam-republicans-questionable-math-on-medicaid-cuts-00197932.
Stone, Will, et al. “Staff at CDC and NIH Are Reeling as Trump Administration Cuts Workforce.” NPR, NPR, 14 Feb. 2025, http://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5297913/cdc-layoffs-hhs-trump-doge.