Russian Roulette Healthcare
Jumping right in today…
If you are not aware, RFK jr. has been in a bunch of hearings this week for the HHS budget. And as the quote above states, I am always looking for even the slightest bit of change. An apology, even a “oops, I didn’t mean to phrase that comment that way,” something! I have watched half of today’s hearing and I am sad to report, nothing of the likes have occurred yet.
Although, as an information and facts junkie, I was curious to find out how the administration was defining two phrases that they use repeatedly, and seemingly to deflect giving real answers.
- “Gold Standard Science” Executive Order 14303 states the following nine tenets of Gold Standard Science: Reproducible, Transparent, Communicative or error/uncertainty, Collaborative and interdisciplinary, Skeptical, Structured for falsifiability, Subject to unbiased peer review, Accepting of negative results, and Without conflicts of interest. Instead of me trying to explain why these seem to be contradicting one another, I suggest you to read this short article: https://www.science.org/content/article/what-does-trump-s-call-gold-standard-science-really-mean
- “Follow the Science” this phrase came about during the COVID pandemic and controversy. Meaning following the science and it will lead you straight to the answer. But one answer for you, may not be the answer for me. This is a dangerous strategy. Again, I will let the pros do the explaining: https://publichealthpost.org/health-equity/follow-the-science/
Allow me to give you a few more facts before I spill my words…
- 170 hospital/medical clinics in 34 states have closed in the last year
- 7500 jobs have been lost across 24 states
- Confidence in the CDC: February 2024- 76%; February 2025- 67%; February 2026- 60%
- Last year was the largest year in flu related deaths in modern history
- In some states, the medicaid cuts mean a max limit of 24 hour covered hospital stay.
- Seventeen members of the CDC vaccine committee were fired without the Presidents approval (and yes, his approval is necessary)
And a few remarks…
“Psychiatric drugs, which every Black kid is now just standard put on—Adderall, SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence—and those kids are gonna have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented, to live in a community where there’ll be no cell phones, no screens, you’ll actually have to talk to people”
“Autism destroys families and more importantly destroys our greatest resource, which are our children. These kids will never pay taxes. They’ll never hold a job. They’ll never play baseball. They’ll never write a poem. They’ll never go on a date. Many of them will never use the toilet unassisted.”
“The only people losing their ACA, medicaid, or medicare healthcare are people who were never entitled to coverage. They are undocumented immigrants and dead people. All others are paying less than $94.00 premium.”
Before I spill my words and thoughts, I have hope for people to change. I pray for hearts to see, ears to hear, eyes to be opened to others stories. I pray this for myself, because I am as guilty as the next person.
However, it is quite puzzling to me, that RFK Jr grew up in the Kennedy household and has so little empathy for the developmental health and chronic health community. So let me address these things first:
- Psychiatric drugs. I hate this comment. I take the medications that he is talking about. I friends and family that do also. And indeed they need to be monitored closely by a Psychiatrist!!!! As with all medications there are side effects and some risks, know them, tell those around you what you are taking- this is critical and crucial! But the “violence” he is speaking of, isn’t just black and brown kids, this is a risk for all kids and adults that may need this type of medication- that is why it is so important to get the right medication for you. It is not a one size fits all, by any means!!! Especially with psychiatric medication. And the suggestion that children on these medications need to be re-parented, and go to “wellness farms,” what the world?!?!?! Have you met these kids? They are the highlights of my days! Oh yes, and I am one of them. And I have heard all my life ADD/ADHD is because of food, soft drinks, candy, too much tv, smoking while pregnant, I call bull! If our world would spend the same amount of time they spend ripping these kids and their parents apart, and take a moment to observe and listen, we would have a whole lot more insight and whole lot less negativity, I guarantee you! And we are the best talkers, most of us tend to talk ourselves into trouble.
- Race. Have you noticed how they are “color blind” when confronted with true medical differences and disparities in race. But when they want to create a fact they are not so color blind anymore. (FYI my opinion: Jesus saw red, yellow, black, and white- He wasn’t color blind, nor should we be. We need to be knowledgeable about our friends and neighbors health, culture, heritage, etc.)
- Autism. I despise what is coming from this administration. The research on autism has been extraordinary in my lifetime. I have been blessed to know people with autism. I have kept children with autism. All of which were on different parts of the spectrum. Now, more than ever in my lifetime, is there more opportunities for not only anyone with autism, but anyone with developmental disabilities! Coffee shops, Ice Cream shops, I follow many artists. This population is thriving. And those who are on the higher functioning end of autism, they matter just as much as you and I do. This is what rattles me the most! Just because someone had a diagnosis on their medical chart, doesn’t make them less human, less worthy of oxygen, less worthy of a seat at the table. If that were so, a lot of us would not be even considered half human!
- Not only are the two above statements atrocious, but to remark that the people who were loosing coverage through the ACA, medicaid and medicare, were either undocumented immigrants or dead! Last time I checked I had a pulse and oxygen was pumping through my veins, and my payment was no where near $94.00 a month. To think that someone would go through the amount of paper work that is required for qualifying for these healthcare options just for fraud is bizarre. I know it happens, but to the numbers that are being claimed, I highly doubt it. These remarks also tell me that there is no real connection with anyone having to navigate these healthcare options.
My summary: Just because someone had a diagnosis on their medical chart, or citizen status/social status/financial status, or different color doesn’t make them less human, less worthy of oxygen, less worthy of a seat at the table. Be the one to offer that seat.
Opening Remarks today from Senator Wyden, source of today’s title: https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-finance-committee-hearing-statement-slamming-trump-and-rfk-jrs-disastrous-health-care-agenda
Life Book of the Week: The Boo-Boos That Changed the World: A True Story about an Accidental Invention, by Barry Wittenstein
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