MAHA's Social Darwinists: Chronic Disease or the Chronically Diseased? (Do Not Resuscitate #390)

RFK Jr & MAHA are a bundle of contradictions. They dismantle  our healthcare administrative and regulatory apparatus while claiming to care about chronic disease. But is there a logic to their illogic? What if they're not so concerned with chronic disease but with the chronically diseased themselves? It's an eerie thought as they systematically undo protections for the disabled, the vulnerable, and the sick. 

Here are links to all the articles mentioned: 

Julia Doubleday, “RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ movement doesn’t want to eliminate chronic illness. They want to eliminate the chronically ill,” The Gauntlet, Apr 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Y3YDEy?

Alexander Tin, “CDC faces backlash for cutting sickle cell, adult disability programs,” CBS News, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Y4kpI5

Lauren Weber, “RFK Jr: If you eat doughnuts or smoke, should society pay for your health care?” Washington Post, Apr 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/43UxCHi

Kristina Fiore, “CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health eliminated,” MedPage Today, Apr 4, 2025 https://bit.ly/4cE1XMz

Adam Cancryn & Lauren Gardner, “The FDA fired its tobacco enforcers. Now it wants them back, Politico, Apr 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/3GaXgO9

Ian Ingram, “Groups demand RFK Jr ‘immediately’ restore CDC’s axed blood division,” MedPage Today, Apr 8, 2025 https://bit.ly/4lwMlOU

Alexander Tin, “RFK Jr aides accused of censoring NIH's top ultra-processed food scientist,” CBS News, Apr 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jfm7PB

Helen Branswell, “Closure of CDC hepatitis lab imperils U.S. outbreak response, prevention,” STAT, Apr 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/3RYwfjm

Yuki Noguchi, “Coal miners' health care hit hard in job cuts to CDC,” NPR, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/3RYkbP7

John Ketwig, “Veterans VA healthcare is threatened,” Counterpunch, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/4cFbjHU

Rachana Pradhan, “RFK Jr’s purge of FOIA staff at FDA spares people working on COVID vaccine lawsuits,” KFF Health News, Apr 11, 2025 https://bit.ly/4iiEodi

“Marks says he was forced out of FDA for trying to protect vaccine safety data,” Associated Press, Apr 7, 2025 https://bit.ly/3RQ8Kce

Henry Culvyhouse, “West Virginia’s Republicans said they wouldn’t cut Medicaid. Then they voted to cut Medicaid,” Mountain State Spotlight, Apr 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Gca0nw

Evan Bush, “One of the country’s leading Alzheimer's projects is in jeopardy,” NBC News, Apr 13, 2025 https://bit.ly/3EqLrCS

Adam Cancryn, “RFK Jr. vowed to upend American health care. It’s happening faster than expected,” Politico, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/4jwtQZ1

Georges C. Benjamin, “Secretary Kennedy and his policies are a danger to the public’s health,” American Public Health Association, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/3Y5kKKG

Jonaki Mehta, “Trump administration freezes more than $2.2 billion after Harvard rejects its demands,” NPR, Apr 14, 2025 https://bit.ly/3G8rscA

Autism Self Advocacy Network, “ASAN appalled by hiring of quack David Geier for HHS study,” Mar 26, 2025 https://bit.ly/42gmwes

Kelly Hooper & Daniel Payne, “The surprising pair fighting Medicaid cuts,” Politico, Apr 10, 2025 https://bit.ly/42hF2mP

Ed Silverman, “Arkansas adopts first-in-the-nation law forcing companies to choose between running a PBM or pharmacies,” STAT, Apr 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/4cGWWCW

Erik Gunn, “Bill to make Medicaid eligibility harder paused after flurry of opposition,” Wisconsin Examiner, Apr 16, 2025 https://bit.ly/3RRUPT3

Arek Sarkissian, “Hope Florida’s mysterious $10M came from settlement with state’s largest Medicaid operator,” Politico, Apr 9, 2025 https://bit.ly/44rxsY0

Read my full digest at www.timfrasca.substack.com

The archive of 390 issues dating back to 2017 is housed at www.nypan.org/single-payer-news