What Can Trump and RFK Jr. Actually Do on Health Care?

Healthcare policy attorney Robert Bradner was quoted in a STAT article analyzing how the incoming Trump Administration will approach a variety of healthcare-related issues. The article covered matters including television drug advertisements, vaccine regulation and distribution, water fluoridation and addiction treatment. Mr. Bradner commented on what Trump's win could bode for public health agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some House Republicans have called for restructuring the NIH and eliminating duplicative programs at the CDC. Mr. Bradner noted that the legislative branch is the body that set up many of these entities, so focusing solely on the agencies might not lead to the reforms sought.

"I think you need to not get carried away," he said. "It is Congress that has imposed numerous programs and mandates on the CDC; it is Congress that created many if not all of the institutes and centers at the NIH. It's a little unfair to point the finger at these agencies."

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