West Virginia health care advocacy groups join thousands of doctors and public health experts across the country to reject President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services. requested the U.S. Senate.
Former state representative Barbara Fleischauer will join representatives from the West Virginia Budget Policy Center and the West Virginia Citizens Action Group to support Protect, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect public health care. Our Care spoke out against President Kennedy’s confirmation at a press conference on Friday. All Americans.
Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family and founder of the anti-vaccination group Children’s Health Defense, repeated the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism, calling it the coronavirus vaccine.crimes against humanity. ”
He also says fluoride should be removed from the nation’s drinking water. Despite what experts say It is safe and effective in reducing tooth decay.
Lynette Maselli, state director of Protect Our Care, said Kennedy’s lack of public health or government leadership experience and his extremist views on vaccinations pose a threat to West Virginians. .
The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs and the federal health insurance market. Together, these programs provide health coverage to hundreds of thousands of more West Virginians.
Masseri said Congress is considering proposals to reduce the federal burden on Medicaid, including funding the program through block grants and imposing per-capita caps. .
“These proposals to cut billions of dollars in federal funding for Medicaid would blow a $235 million hole in West Virginia’s state budget and leave tens of thousands of friends and family members uninsured. “It will be,” she said.
Rhonda Rogombe, a health policy analyst with the West Virginia Budget and Policy Center, said it’s important to protect Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act because of the health insurance options they offer. Ta.
“Without them, hospitals would have to provide free care, provide jobs and economic activity for West Virginia, be one of our largest industries, and play a major role in keeping people healthy.” It will put a strain on our health care system…and support our local economy.”
Nationally, more than 15,000 physicians have signed the agreement. letter This week, we urged the U.S. Senate not to confirm RFK’s nomination as Secretary of Health; According to NBC News. The president of the American Public Health Association also opposes Kennedy’s nomination, saying the country deserves better.
“To effectively lead our nation’s top health agency, candidates must have the right training, management skills, temperament, and public trust.” Dr. Georges C. Benjamin said in a statement in November. “Unfortunately, Mr. Kennedy has failed on every front.”
Mindy Holcomb, a patient advocate with the Citizens Action Group, said Friday that Kennedy should not be leading the nation’s health care system. She said one of the organization’s legislative priorities is to protect Medicaid.
“We have a lot of immunocompromised people in West Virginia. We’re not the healthiest state,” she said. “So if vaccination rates drop in any way, a lot of people are going to be at risk, when it comes to Medicaid. [Affordable Care Act] And Medicare, hmm. I’m sorry, this is very worrying. Medicaid is what West Virginians rely on for health care. Eliminating or reducing these programs would nearly wipe out rural health centers. ”
Fleischauer, a Democrat who represented Monongalia County for more than 20 years and served on the House Health Committee, was initially open-minded about Kennedy’s nomination, but the more he looked into it, the more shocked he became about the impact of Kennedy’s comments. He said he received it. .
Kennedy is being held responsible for 2019 A measles outbreak on the island of Samoa has killed 83 people. He visited the island before the outbreak and met with activists urging islanders to stop getting measles vaccinations and use alternative vaccines.
Fleischauer said she is especially fearful of the spread of infection in Samoa.
“They let 83 children die,” she said. “This is a small island. 83 innocent children lost their lives because they didn’t have access to the vaccine.”
West Virginia has some of the best health policy laws in the country, she said, helping the state avoid a similar outbreak.
West Virginia is one of five states that does not allow religious or philosophical exceptions to school vaccination requirements. Sen. Jim Justice, who took over as governor last year, vetoed a bill that would have eased the state’s school vaccination requirements and allowed private schools to create their own regulations. Health experts said high vaccination rates are contributing to the state’s high vaccination rate. One case of measles has been reported in the past 15 years.
“Misinformation kills people, especially children and the elderly. I sincerely hope that Sen. Justice and Sen. Capito will vote against his nomination,” she said. “I think that would be very bad for West Virginia and very bad for our country.”
Justice had previously said he supported his friend’s permit. President-elect Donald Trump said, “I will definitely appoint a team that I believe in.”
Mr. Justice held his final virtual administration meeting as governor on Friday, but in a departure from his usual practice, he did not take questions from reporters.
Capito has not commented on the matter.
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