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“If you could prevent [children] from getting polio, which put kids in iron lungs or took away their ability to walk, which, by the way, happened to a US president and a sitting US senator right now. Right. You would do that. And … we seem to have forgotten that because the vaccines have been so effective.”
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
How to Fight RFK Jr.’s
Ambiguous Vaccine Agenda:
Insights from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
Featuring Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
Host, America Dissected podcast
Physician, epidemiologist, author, educator
Find us on Apple podcasts, our website or your favorite podcast platform.
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Breaking News in Healthcare Reform
“CDC and other federal health agencies are being targeted by the Trump administration for downsizing and budget cuts, reductions that could impact the amount of funding available for public health.”
CDC’s Funding for State and Local Public Health: How Much and Where Does It Go?
KFF | Josh Michaud, Jennifer Kates, Stephanie Oum, Anna Rouw | April 7, 2025
“The proposal would have significantly expanded access to those drugs to millions of Americans but would have cost the government billions.”
Trump Drops Biden’s Proposal for Medicare to Cover Obesity Drugs Like Wegovy and Zepbound
NBC Los Angeles | Annika Kim Constantino | April 4, 2025
“Democrats say [Oz] may have neglected to pay $403,739 in Medicare taxes on more than $10 million of income from his media company from 2021 to 2023, according to a review of his financial records by Senate Democratic staffers.”
US Senate Confirms Trump’s Medicare and Medicaid Nominee Oz
Reuters | Richard Cowan, Ahmed Aboulenein | April 3, 2025
“That means for the first quarter of the year, doctors will not get the promised rate increases and California will lose matching federal dollars that would have supported the Medi-Cal program.”
Newsom Administration Misses Deadline, Loses Out on Medi-Cal Dollars
CalMatters | Lynn La | April 2, 2025
“Today, the wealthiest middle-aged and older adults in the U.S. have roughly the same likelihood of dying over a 12-year period as the poorest adults in northern and western Europe….”
Not Even Wealth is Saving Americans from Dying at Rates Seen Among Some of the Poorest Europeans
NBC News | Aria Bendix | April 2, 2025
“Nonprofit hospitals are exempt from paying most federal, state, and local taxes in exchange for providing free or discounted medical care, along with other charitable acts like substance abuse treatment programs. But many of these medical centers are using only a fraction of their tax breaks on charitable care and are instead spending millions or billions on assets like real estate.”
Hospitals Are Cashing In on Real Estate
Jacobin | Helen Santoro, Luke Goldstein | April 2, 2025
“A coalition of states sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal funds that go toward COVID-19 initiatives and various public health projects across the country.”
States Sue Trump Administration for Rescinding Billions in Health Funding
Associated Press | Devna Bose, Lindsey Whitehurst | April 1, 2025
“A decision in favor of South Carolina could embolden more states to remove Planned Parenthood from their Medicaid networks. Texas, Arkansas and Missouri have already done so.”
Planned Parenthood Faces Key Supreme Court Test Over Medicaid Access
Axios | Maya Goldman | April 1, 2025
“The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the federal government without many of the key experts who have long guided U.S. decisions on medical research, drug approvals and other issues.”
Mass Layoffs are Underway at the Nation’s Public Health Agencies
Associated Press | Carla K. Johnson | April 1, 2025
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and the impact they have on vulnerable individuals and communities.
Our podcast Code WACK! brings to life the failures of America’s healthcare system with stories, commentary and analysis.
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