RFK Jr. doesn’t come across as the person who should be offering health advice to us, especially since his credentials are not what we would expect. Part of the credibility issue has to do with the ideas behind why there is so much more autism, and he is thought to be a vaccine denier, and often says things, but offers little proof when he is asked to back up his ideas. On the other hand, we in the USA are exposed to industrial farming, pesticides, processed foods, and most Americans have a weight problem, partially caused by too much sugar in the foods we eat and in what we drink. Recently, RFK has been discussing how the COVID-19 vaccine boosters are no longer recommended for children or pregnant women, as reported by The NY Times. The vaccines are not without problems for some, and the group that benefited was primarily seniors. Americans need to eat healthier, reducing their intake of unhealthy chemicals, as this would reduce the need for drugs and doctors who administer them regularly to their patients. RFK Jr is advocating looking at the safety of all the vaccines we are being told to take, often by law, in places like NJ. As their chiropractor, I have always advised patients to understand what is being injected into them and to become informed patients. While it has often become regular wisdom that preventative is better, it is also true that for some, vaccines can cause harm too. When it comes to most medical care, less is often better than more, and more can adversely affect your well-being or cause great harm in some cases. The chiropractic profession has helped so many people get pain relief and stay off many pain medications naturally. In the realm of Medicare, the profession is looked at favorably by RFK Jr. since the profession is holistic and based on keeping people healthy, and preventing further damage to joints years later, something many pain medications contribute to, including NSAID’s which reduce inflammation but will also affect how we heal. The Chiropractic Medicare Modernization Act has been a legislative goal for chiropractors who are only paid for manipulation under Medicare, even though every state has insurance plans paying for all of their services. Passage of the bill will affect Medicare patients, making chiropractors more affordable for those on a fixed income, and they will be able to take X-rays, refer patients for MRIs and other tests without having to refer patients back to their primary doctor, which is currently how things work. Expanding chiropractic access, which must be done legislatively, will level the playing field for both patients of chiropractors and for chiropractors. You can expect better results, safely and effectively, while avoiding drugs that may have harmful side effects.. The Senate and congressional bills are bipartisan and will expand access for seniors, will likely improve medicaid access too, and force large insurers to improve their reimbursements to chiropractors as well, which will also increase access. Rethinking how we use the science behind healthcare requires that we rethink how it is practiced. Our office takes a primary care approach to the musculoskeletal system. Unfortunately, doctors are incentivised to increase the volume of care and test more rather than perform great exams and test less. The quality of care suffers, which is where our system is today, and costs rise. UnitedHealthcare saw its stock get slammed last April because of more doctor visits and higher costs. Unfortunately for them and other large systems, their activities on volume and one-size-fits-all care are unhealthy for all of us, requiring more visits, but the quality of care has suffered greatly. Also, fewer doctors are practicing outside of systems that thrive on conveyor belt medicine rather than primary care models, which keep people healthier. When patients visit our office, they are often surprised at how thorough our evaluation and treatment is and also how well we explain things as they are evaluated. We do not get paid or rewarded for a job well done, but they will audit our notes and play games with old, settled claims, wanting their money back without just cause. In other words, they game instead of incentivizing great care. At a seminar I attended last week, they mentioned that Medicare Advantage plans, which offer inferior care to regular Medicare in most cases, have risen to 50% of those who are enrolled. In other words, those who left our current dysfunctional system and were in Medicare decided to go to a Medicare Advantage plan that offered a free gym membership and a low copay. They then find out that doctors do not recommend these plans because of all the roadblocks to care they create. Patients are being bait and switched into these plans at an alarming rate, and returning to regular Medicare with a secondary costs them more when they leave and return. Often, care under these plans is denied, or does not cover outside the state, whereas Medicare offers coverage both in and out of network in all 50 states at a very affordable price. Why wouldn’t everyone want that? You can help chiropractors get these important bills passed for just a few minutes of your time using this website. Also, if you know your legislator, talk to them about being a co-sponsor. Making America Healthy Again is a noble goal. Improving Medicare access for seniors wishing to visit chiropractors will help us get off many drugs and contribute to healthier lifestyles. Better access to healthier types of care for pain and movement helps achieve RFK’s Goals of healtheir Americans.