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Hello and happy Tuesday, D.C. Diagnosis readers! We are one week from Election Day; I probably don’t need to remind you. Send news, tips, and feedback on all this election coverage to [email protected]. And watch your inbox tomorrow for a special DCD edition from my colleague John Wilkerson.
Trump talks RFK Jr., vaccines, and a ‘wild’ future for health agencies
Former President Trump was busy this weekend. He sat for a nearly three-hour interview Friday with podcaster Joe Rogan, and took the stage Sunday at Madison Square Garden to talk about his political priorities — including health care.
He’s doubling down on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the face of the Make America Healthy Again movement. Trump said RFK Jr. would have a role in a second administration. “I’m gonna let him go wild on health. I’m gonna let him go wild on the food. I’m gonna let him go wild on medicines,” he told NYC rallygoers.
That’s exactly what a lot of people, including former GOP officials and industry execs, are scared of.
But Trump was careful when Rogan asked him about vaccine safety, indicating he’s not fully bought into RFK Jr.’s rhetoric. “They’ve come up with some amazing things,” he said when Rogan asked about the pharmaceutical industry. “I know you’re against certain vaccines, but like the polio vaccine, people had polio. It was like a disaster.”
Trump’s embrace of RFK Jr. is one indication of potential policy in a future Trump administration. On Monday, I broke down some of the other actions Trump might take if reelected, from ACA reform to Medicaid and high drug prices.
Why ‘bad genes’ are back
When Trump talks about undocumented immigrants, he often brings up genetics. The former president’s language underscores a larger trend, experts tell STAT’s Anil Oza.
The eugenics movement is once again taking center stage in the U.S. — in both the immigration policies and rhetoric promoted by Trump, and through a rise in race science in academic literature.
Even well-intentioned scientists have fed into this shift by promoting genetic determinism — the idea that genes are the primary driver of traits and behaviors — and by platforming problematic work in the name of academic freedom, Anil writes. The rise of popular genetic sequencing companies has also propelled a public interest in understanding our genetic backgrounds, with marketing hype that this information would unlock health secrets and family histories. More from Anil.
Medicare director: Here’s how price negotiation happened
There’s been a lot of questions — and a lot of political debate — about how Medicare set about negotiating its first round of drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act. In a piece for STAT, Medicare director Meena Seshamani tries to shed some light on the process.
Seshamani points to her private sector experience, meetings with patients, and countless phone calls with ‘stakeholders’ (industry) as the program shaped what would eventually be the new prices for 10 of the top-selling drugs in America.
She also talks about how CMS is approaching the second round of negotiations, including more patient discussions. The agency will announce up to 15 drugs for the next negotiation cycle by Feb. 1.
What to know about the dietary guidelines debate
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, reviewed and issued by the federal government every five years, are back up for discussion. Last week, an advisory panel met for two days on what the next set should include. It’s something many of us may ignore, but it could have major implications for many Americans, experts tell STAT’s Elizabeth Cooney.
For instance: why are we delaying the ultra-processed food debate? Where are we on alcohol, added sugar, and saturated fat?
Check what experts had to say about where the dietary guidelines go from here and what we still don’t know.
The op-ed no one is writing
Here’s a confession from STAT’s First Opinion editor, Torie Bosch: Every day, her inbox is bursting with potential opinion pieces from medical innovations to climate change policy. But there’s one topic she can’t get people to write about.
It’s the health of the major presidential candidates. Almost no one wants to touch it, Torie wrote this week. “I thought STAT readers would want to hear from an expert on health and aging, so I reached out to probably dozens of gerontologists and geriatricians.” They demurred, or didn’t respond. Read more on why, and what Torie learned.
What we’re reading
- In the era of GLP-1 drugs, demand for bariatric surgery plunges, STAT
- Black Americans still suffer worse health. Here’s why there’s so little progress, KFF Health News
- For the behemoth UnitedHealth, a new threat to Medicare profits, STAT
- Despite uncertain risks, many turn to AI like ChatGPT for mental health, The Washington Post
- Opinion: Louisiana’s creative new ways to fight maternal mortality, STAT