Regardless of opposition from Democrats, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Well being and Human Companies secretary by the Senate on Thursday.
RFK Jr. has drawn some criticism over his skepticism of vaccines, although he tried to take away himself from this in the course of the affirmation course of. He gained the Senate vote 52 to 48, with no Democrats voting in his favor. The one Republican to vote towards RFK Jr. was Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, largely resulting from RFK Jr.’s views on vaccines.
“In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save thousands and thousands of lives from devastating ailments throughout America and all over the world,” McConnell mentioned in a assertion. “I cannot condone the re-litigation of confirmed cures, and neither will thousands and thousands of People who credit score their survival and high quality of life to scientific miracles. … Mr. Kennedy did not show he’s the absolute best individual to guide America’s largest well being company.”
Since RFK Jr.’s affirmation, a flood of healthcare leaders have come out to share what well being points they need him to sort out. Here’s what they needed to say.
Well being protection
Maintain People Lined is looking on RFK Jr. to make well being protection tax credit a prime precedence. The group is a coalition representing sufferers, customers, medical doctors, hospitals, insurers and employers.
Congress has till the top of the 12 months to increase the improved premium tax credit launched in 2021, which lowered medical health insurance premiums for thousands and thousands of individuals buying protection on {the marketplace}. Advocating for an extension of those credit ought to be on the prime of RFK Jr.’s to-do listing, as “thousands and thousands of People will see their well being protection develop into unaffordable,” and as much as 5 million folks may lose protection if the credit expire, in keeping with Maintain People Lined.
One other healthcare advocacy group hopes RFK Jr. will assist Medicare Benefit.
“Two years of Medicare Benefit cuts have damage seniors, leading to plan closures, greater prices, and fewer advantages,” mentioned Mary Beth Donahue, president and CEO of the Higher Medicare Alliance, in a press release. “Our seniors want stability of their well being care, and corrective motion can not wait. Secretary Kennedy and this administration can hold President Trump’s promise to guard Medicare for seniors by supporting Medicare Benefit with sufficient funding and a steady regulatory method.”
Drug prices
A difficulty prime of thoughts for a lot of healthcare leaders is rising drug prices. Affected person advocacy group Sufferers for Inexpensive Medicine hopes to see RFK Jr. crack down on Huge Pharma.
“Secretary Kennedy has a important alternative – and duty – to construct on present measures to rein in Huge Pharma’s price-gouging and decrease drug prices for sufferers,” mentioned Merith Basey, govt director of the group, in a press release. “We’re able to work with him to make sure Medicare drug worth negotiations proceed, out-of-pocket prices are lowered, and competitors within the market is elevated by way of reforms to finish abusive pharmaceutical monopolies that hurt sufferers.”
The Pharmaceutical Care Administration Affiliation (PCMA), which represents pharmacy profit managers, needs RFK Jr. to deal with “the costs set by drug corporations and misuse of the patent system that blocks market-based competitors for extra inexpensive options like generics and biosimilars,” mentioned JC Scott, president and CEO of PCMA. Nevertheless, it’s value noting that PBMs have additionally come below fireplace for his or her function in prescription drug costs.
Meals and diet
RFK Jr. has beforehand expressed an curiosity in tackling meals high quality within the U.S., and one healthcare govt hopes he follows by way of on that whereas additionally taking a bigger method.
“Recognizing the excessive degree of carcinogens and preservatives in meals filling our grocery shops is a step in the proper route and the primary of many needed adjustments that must be made. Nevertheless, that’s not the one plan of action — we nonetheless want to deal with the dearth of accessibility to scientific diet care,” mentioned Vanessa Rissetto, CEO and co-founder of diet startup Culina Well being. “Hundreds of thousands of People stay with diet-related ailments, and but solely 0.2% of the U.S. inhabitants has seen a dietitian.”
The function of sleep in power illness
As RFK Jr. addresses the power illness epidemic, Laurent Martinot, co-founder and CEO at Dawn, wish to see him acknowledge the function of sleep in stopping and managing ailments. The corporate affords at-home analysis and therapy for sleep circumstances. Well being points like diabetes, coronary heart illness and psychological well being have lengthy been related to poor sleep.
Martinot additionally needs RFK Jr. to sort out the overprescription of sleep drugs within the U.S.
“Too many People rely on these drugs, however the healthcare system ought to prioritize figuring out and addressing the foundation causes of sleep points slightly than simply masking the issue with medication,” Martinot mentioned in an e-mail.
Picture: Bulat Silvia, Getty Photographs
