Populist Health Movement ‘Maha’ Redefines US Healthcare under Trump’s Second Term
TL/DR –
The Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement, backed by Donald Trump’s administration and led by US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, promotes a health-conscious conservative lifestyle and critiques the modern medical, food, and pharmaceutical industries for fueling a chronic disease epidemic. Despite this, the movement is viewed skeptically for its stance against vaccines, mainstream medical treatments, and for its ties to the $6.3tn global wellness sector. Calley Means, advisor to RFK Jr and co-founder of Truemed, a platform connecting health savings account (HSA) owners with wellness products, plans to divert all $4.5tn the US spends on healthcare to HSA accounts, a move that critics argue benefits the wellness sector at the taxpayers’ expense and exacerbates healthcare disparities.
The Make America Healthy Again Movement and Its Influence on Public Health Policy
In Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S health policy is driven by a populist movement named Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). The movement, led by US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, has made radical changes, including halting $500m in vaccine research, laying off thousands of health agency employees, and linking Tylenol to autism without concrete evidence.
Unpacking MAHA’s Health Agenda
MAHA claims that Americans suffer from a chronic illness epidemic fueled by corrupt incentives in the medical, food, and pharmaceutical sectors. However, their arguments, though compelling, often devolve into mistrust of vaccines, health institutions, and mainstream treatments. MAHA also differs from other health movements through its social and cultural critiques, associating modern ills such as vaccines, artificial foods, and environmental toxins with social and spiritual decay.
Key Players in the MAHA Movement
Calley Means, a special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services, is a key player in MAHA. Alongside his sister Casey Means, they’ve effectively spread the MAHA message to right-wing audiences, leveraging their positions within the Trump administration. However, reports from Vanity Fair question Calley’s lobbyist claims, while Casey’s former colleagues suggest her departure from medicine was more about stress than disillusionment.
MAHA’s Influence on Health Policies
While promoting a holistic approach to health, Calley founded Truemed, a platform connecting healthcare savings account holders to wellness products. The Trump administration’s support for policies like HSA expansion and cuts to Medicaid and Medicare are aligned with MAHA’s approach, redirecting public spending into the private wellness industry – a sector valued at $6.3tn globally.
The Contradictions of the MAHA Movement
MAHA portrays itself as tackling big pharmaceuticals, yet its actions contribute to the growth of the larger wellness industry. This contradiction is evident when MAHA figureheads support policies that seemingly conflict with their health ethos, including cuts to school lunch programs and subsidies for processed food crops. As such, Maha’s strategies may not only exacerbate healthcare disparities but also risk the future of American public health.
—
Read More Health & Wellness News ; US News