RFK Jr wants to cut Alzheimers research
As the American population ages, the burden of dementia care is increasing. While the GOP congress hopes to ease that burden by cutting Medicaid funding and letting those folks die*, RFK Jr is tackling the prevention side to make sure more Americans and their loved ones suffer from this awful condition:
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr., newly confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, is famous for critiquing what many consider settled science and promoting conspiracy theories.
“He could soon make himself known for something new: becoming the first HHS secretary to torpedo Alzheimer’s research.
“Kennedy and the Trump administration are turning the clock back on decades of Alzheimer’s research by eliminating diversity in clinical trials, slashing funding for cutting-edge projects, and firing employees who conduct some of the most rigorous research in the world.
“At his January confirmation hearings before the US Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy attacked the National Institutes of Health’s research record on Alzheimer’s disease, rarely a hot-button topic in Congress. Kennedy accused the NIH of funding fraudulent Alzheimer’s research in the early 2000s and wasting two decades of time and money.”
He found one example of fraud and smears the entire field because of it. He uses this smear to justify cutting back on research for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Since these cuts will justify massive tax cuts for the 1% and corporations, I guess the math pencils out for the Trump/Musk administration. Of course, Trump’s dad died of Alzheimers and Trump will be 82 at the end of his term. Some say he’s already dementing.
*full disclosure: my dad had Alzheimers and lived his last two years in a nursing home, paid for by Medicaid
Joel:
My mom was in the same way and died in a nursing home. All you could hear was her breathing in the end. When we visited, she no longer recognized us. A sad ending.
Typically Medicare does not cover nursing home care. Medicaid does cover various forms of long term care, including nursing homes. The patient must qualify both medically and financially.
Usually a patient cannot exceed around $2900 per month in income and only have $2000 or less in assets, with some exemptions. Once the nursing home is paid, the patient is allowed to keep about $150 per month for personal expenses.
@Jim,
I guess you didn’t read my post. If you had, you would have seen that my dad was in a nursing home and supported by Medicaid. So I have a pretty good idea of how it works.
Jim:
That is good information for those who may not know how Medicaid works.
At the bottom of your post you say he was in a nursing home paid by Medicare.
OK, that was a typo. Fixed it. I’m on Medicare myself, so I have a pretty good idea how that works, too.
He wants to cut it – because nothing could ever happen to HIS brain s/
My husband has dementia, probably Alzheimer’s. He will be 92 on Saturday, so it will take a small miracle for any current research to benefit him. I have to wonder if the Trump voters really would just drop mom or dad off on the streetcorner, or if they will become caregivers. If they run true to form, I would expect they want all the assistance they can get but without meeting all the requirements for assistance they expect others to meet.
@Jane,
My sympathies. I’m sure it’s hard to watch.
As for Trump voters, I expect most will try to be caregivers to their family but have no problem seeing others kicked to the curb. It’s just like abortion–they want them for their wives and daughters, but not for “those people.”
Jane:
Sorry to hear this. I watched my mom degenerate over time. Hard to watch knowing you can do nothing and it is a matter of time.