The per capita consumption of margarine in the U.S. is associated with the divorce rate in Maine. The number of degrees awarded in psychology is associated with the popularity of the first name Benny. Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with autism. Clearly, failure to buy margarine is the reason you’re still single, majoring in psychology results in a strong urge to name your child after Selena Gomez’s husband and Tylenol causes autism.
Correlation does not equal causation. I’m sure you’ve learned this crucial lesson in every math class you’ve ever taken, yet our current federal administration has forgotten it. Their bold and faulty claim that Tylenol causes autism and learning disabilities is just one way their healthcare policies are rooted in misinformation and dishonesty. Let’s go over a few changes the administration has made so far and ways you can stay informed in a sea of misinformation.
We have no reason to believe the Trump administration understands healthcare, health or even science to begin with. They hired Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaxxer to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who then proceeded to fire the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the entire vaccine advisory panel because they refused to back claims that weren’t rooted in science.
The administration claims that health insurance companies have too much money, yet they’ve handed out $8.8 billion to big pharma in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Trump wants to lower drug prices for Americans, yet makes it impossible to negotiate prices on some of the most expensive drugs on the market, like the cancer-fighting drugs Keytruda and Opdivo. The government claims they are working towards making healthcare more accessible to Americans, yet refused Democrats’ pleas to prevent enhanced tax credits for Obamacare from expiring.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, provides health insurance coverage to 44 million Americans. That’s about one in six people under the age of 65. Premium tax credits have helped make healthcare more affordable since the introduction of the ACA in 2014 and were enhanced by the Biden administration in 2021 to expand eligibility and improve support for lower-income individuals. These enhanced credits are set to expire at the end of this year, raising the price of health insurance for millions of Americans.
Rather than expanding the enhanced credits, the Trump administration aims to put money directly into the pockets of Americans, and let them decide for themselves how to spend it. This sounds beneficial in theory, but will likely prove lethal in practice. Writing a check for citizens to spend on anything they choose rather than subsidizing healthcare definitely broadens how citizens can invest these funds, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Such a policy will likely lead to decreased spending on health insurance and increased spending elsewhere, driving up inflation and reducing healthcare enrollment. To make matters worse, the “how” and “when” details for these direct deposits are unclear, while the Dec. 31 expiration date for enhanced tax credits is very real and fast-approaching.
There have been some beneficial acts signed into law, such as Trump’s price-transparency executive order, requiring hospitals and insurance companies to publish negotiated drug prices. It allows Americans to compare prices at different institutions and go where treatment is most affordable. This was his way of making good on his numerous promises to direct money away from insurance companies and towards American people, but it doesn’t come without downsides.
In 2022, hospitals admitted nearly 137 million patients for emergency treatment. If you’re fading in and out of consciousness on the side of the road and need to be rushed to the nearest hospital, there isn’t exactly time to shop around for the best prices. We need more than just transparency to inspire real change.
As university students, it’s our duty to question our surroundings and forge our own opinions on the world around us. I urge you to form your own opinions on healthcare and best health practices, even when they differ from those of our government. Don’t blindly believe the White House when they say Tylenol causes autism. Instead, consult your doctor about any symptoms of illness and necessary vaccinations — they have decades of experience in healthcare and Donald Trump has none.
If you don’t have a regular physician, go to health services right here on campus and consult the professionals there. If a claim seems a little bit off or outrageous to you, like vaccines are harmful or injecting bleach into your veins is a good idea, consult the literature and find hard evidence for the truth. Do your research and protect your health — the government won’t do it for you.
