RFK Jr.: ‘No cuts on Medicaid' in ‘big, beautiful' law
'First of all, there's no cuts on Medicaid. There is a — there's a diminishment of the growth rate of Medicaid, which is bankrupting our country. And by the way, the national debt is also a determinant, a social determinant, of health,' Kennedy told Fox Business Network's Larry Kudlow on his show.
'If we're leaving our kids with these giant debts, they can't afford health care. They can't afford good food,' he added.
The 'big, beautiful bill' law cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid, mostly through strict work requirements and reductions to how states can fund their Medicaid programs via provider taxes and state-directed payments.
The majority of the cuts will not happen soon, but rural hospitals in particular have said they likely will have to make difficult financial decisions on which services they can afford to hold onto and which may need to be cut.
Medicaid is also set to become a central issue in the fight over control of Congress during next year's midterm elections now that the 'big, beautiful bill' is law. Republicans have stated that the Medicaid cuts are required to address waste and fraud in the program, making sure 'able-bodied' adults are not taking advantage of the system.
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Apple just spent $500 million to source a material that's critical for iPhones from the US
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Axios
12 minutes ago
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Iowa reports 7th measles case as U.S. outbreak grows
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week confirmed the state's seventh case of measles this year, raising concerns about a disease that was once nearly eradicated in the U.S. Why it matters: The return of measles — mostly caused by unvaccinated travelers and falling immunization rates — raises concerns as families travel or go on international vacations during peak summer season. Catch up quick: Measles spreads easily through the air, can stay in indoor spaces for hours, and causes serious illness in children and immunocompromised people. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing the disease, which causes high fever, rash, cough and red eyes and can lead to severe complications like brain inflammation. State of play: Before this year, the last confirmed cases of measles in Iowa were in 2019, when there were two, per the HHS. Although the MMR shot is safe and effective, vaccination rates among Iowa kindergartners fell below the herd immunity target of 95% in the 2024-25 school year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The big picture: The U.S. is currently experiencing a multistate measles outbreak with nearly 1,300 cases confirmed in at least 39 states so far this year, according to the CDC. There have been three confirmed deaths, and 13% of cases led to hospitalization.
