Despite opposition from Democrats, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary by the Senate on Thursday.
RFK Jr. has drawn some criticism over his skepticism of vaccines, though he attempted to remove himself from this during the confirmation process. He won the Senate vote 52 to 48, with no Democrats voting in his favor. The one Republican to vote against RFK Jr. was Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, largely due to RFK Jr.’s views on vaccines.
“In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world,” McConnell said in a statement. “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles. … Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead America’s largest health agency.”
Since RFK Jr.’s confirmation, a flood of healthcare leaders have come out to share what health issues they want him to tackle. Here is what they had to say.
Health coverage
Keep Americans Covered is calling on RFK Jr. to make health coverage tax credits a top priority. The organization is a coalition representing patients, consumers, doctors, hospitals, insurers and employers.
Congress has until the end of the year to extend the enhanced premium tax credits introduced in 2021, which lowered health insurance premiums for millions of people purchasing coverage on the marketplace. Advocating for an extension of these credits should be at the top of RFK Jr.’s to-do list, as “millions of Americans will see their health coverage become unaffordable,” and up to 5 million people could lose coverage if the credits expire, according to Keep Americans Covered.
Another healthcare advocacy organization hopes RFK Jr. will support Medicare Advantage.
“Two years of Medicare Advantage cuts have hurt seniors, resulting in plan closures, higher costs, and fewer benefits,” said Mary Beth Donahue, president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance, in a statement. “Our seniors need stability in their health care, and corrective action cannot wait. Secretary Kennedy and this administration can keep President Trump’s promise to protect Medicare for seniors by supporting Medicare Advantage with adequate funding and a stable regulatory approach.”
Drug costs
An issue top of mind for many healthcare leaders is rising drug costs. Patient advocacy organization Patients for Affordable Drugs hopes to see RFK Jr. crack down on Big Pharma.
“Secretary Kennedy has a critical opportunity – and responsibility – to build on existing measures to rein in Big Pharma’s price-gouging and lower drug costs for patients,” said Merith Basey, executive director of the organization, in a statement. “We are ready to work with him to ensure Medicare drug price negotiations continue, out-of-pocket costs are reduced, and competition in the marketplace is increased through reforms to end abusive pharmaceutical monopolies that harm patients.”
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), which represents pharmacy benefit managers, wants RFK Jr. to address “the prices set by drug companies and misuse of the patent system that blocks market-based competition for more affordable alternatives like generics and biosimilars,” said JC Scott, president and CEO of PCMA. However, it’s worth noting that PBMs have also come under fire for their role in prescription drug prices.
Food and nutrition
RFK Jr. has previously expressed an interest in tackling food quality in the U.S., and one healthcare executive hopes he follows through on that while also taking a larger approach.
“Recognizing the high level of carcinogens and preservatives in foods filling our grocery stores is a step in the right direction and the first of many necessary changes that need to be made. However, that is not the only course of action — we still need to address the lack of accessibility to clinical nutrition care,” said Vanessa Rissetto, CEO and co-founder of nutrition startup Culina Health. “Millions of Americans live with diet-related diseases, and yet only 0.2% of the U.S. population has seen a dietitian.”
The role of sleep in chronic disease
As RFK Jr. addresses the chronic disease epidemic, Laurent Martinot, co-founder and CEO at Sunrise, would like to see him recognize the role of sleep in preventing and managing diseases. The company offers at-home diagnosis and treatment for sleep conditions. Health issues like diabetes, heart disease and mental health have long been associated with poor sleep.
Martinot also wants RFK Jr. to tackle the overprescription of sleep medications in the U.S.
“Too many Americans depend on these medications, but the healthcare system should prioritize identifying and addressing the root causes of sleep issues rather than just masking the problem with drugs,” Martinot said in an email.
Photo: Bulat Silvia, Getty Images