WASHINGTONย โ Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trumpโs nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, stumbled multiple times during his first Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday when lawmakers pressed him about potential changes to Medicaid.
The government-based health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million people with low incomes has drawn increased attention as Republicans in Congress look for ways to reduce federal spending, with Medicaid among the possible sweeping cuts.ย
If he is confirmed as health and human services secretary, Kennedy would oversee the implementation of Medicaid, in addition to Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.
At the end of the hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Finance Committee, said Kennedy was โunprepared,โ suggesting that he didnโt seem to know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
๏ปฟโMy colleagues have been seeing back-and-forth between Medicare and Medicaid, and itโs not clear which program youโre using when,โ Wyden said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., repeatedly pressed Kennedy about proposed changes to the program and for his thoughts about Medicaid reform.
โRepublicans, again, are looking at ways to potentially reform Medicaid to help pay for President Trumpโs priorities,โ Cassidy said. โWhat thoughts do you have regarding Medicaid reform?โ
โMost people who are on Medicaid are not happy,โ Kennedy responded. โThe premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow.โ
A 2023 poll from KFF, a nonprofit group that researches health policy issues, found that a majority of Americans have โvery favorableโ or โsomewhat favorableโ views of the program. He made similar comments about the Affordable Care Act.
People on Medicaid generally arenโt charged premiums or deductibles at all.
When Cassidy, a physician, asked for specifics about how he would improve Medicaid, Kennedy said there are โmany optionsโ with telemedicine and artificial intelligence, although he didnโt go into detail about them.
โWell, I donโt have a proposal for dismantling the program,โ Kennedy said. โI think what we need to do is we need to experiment with pilot programs in each state. We need to keep our eye on the ultimate goal, which is value-based care, which is transparency, accountability, access.โ
Kennedy also claimed that Medicaid isnโt producing โpositive health outcomesโ for people.
โWeโre spending $900 billion, and our people are getting sicker every single year,โ he said. Trump, he added, wants people to have high-quality health insurance.ย
A 2022 study published in The Lancet found that Medicaid expansion from the ACA led to a reduction in deaths from all causes. An earlier study found Medicaid expansion improved physical health for older adults.
Wyden remained skeptical of Kennedy’s answers.
โYou havenโt told me anything this morning that would suggest that you have a good argument that indicates you believe Medicaid is inefficient,โ he said.
The hearing also gave insights into Kennedyโs thoughts about other health programs, such as Medicare.
He said, โI think more people would rather be on Medicare Advantage, because it offers very good services,โ possibly signaling support for privatizing Medicare.
Medicare Advantage is coverage offered by private insurers, rather than traditional Medicare.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor whom Trump has nominated to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,ย has argued for privatizing the program.
