Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Well being and Human Providers, testifies earlier than a Senate Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., Jan. 30, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump‘s choose to guide the Division of Well being and Human Providers, seemed to be unfamiliar with basic parts of the Medicare and Medicaid packages throughout his second Senate affirmation listening to on Thursday.
“You need us to substantiate you to be answerable for Medicare, however it seems that you do not know the fundamentals of this program,” mentioned Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, after Kennedy struggled to reply a sequence of questions on Medicare earlier than the Senate Committee on Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions.
If confirmed, Kennedy will lead a $1.7 trillion company that oversees a slew of federal well being businesses. That features the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Providers, which manages government-funded well being look after hundreds of thousands of People, together with seniors, disabled folks and lower-income sufferers who depend on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Inexpensive Care Act’s markets.
Kennedy, 71, stumbled when answering questions on Medicare and Medicaid throughout each of his affirmation hearings this week. He appeared earlier than the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday.
Oh Thursday, Hassan, who sits on each panels, requested Kennedy to clarify what every a part of Medicare is. However he struggled to determine and clarify the basic facets of this system, which supplies protection to older and disabled People.
When requested what Medicare Half A is for, Kennedy mentioned it’s “primarily for main care or physicians.” Hassan clarified that it’s protection for seniors who obtain inpatient care at hospitals.
Kennedy, when requested what Medicare Half B is, mentioned it’s “for physicians and medical doctors.” Half B is protection for a spread of medical companies corresponding to physician visits, outpatient care, house well being, sure medical provides and preventive companies.
When requested what Medicare Half C is for, Kennedy known as it “the total menu of all of the companies – A, B, C and D.” Hassan famous that Half C is also referred to as Medicare Benefit, that are privately run plans contracted by Medicare. These plans function a substitute for conventional Medicare plans.
Kennedy insisted that he “simply defined the fundamentals” of this system, however Hassan mentioned she needed to appropriate him on a number of issues.
The New Hampshire senator additionally grilled Kennedy on his feedback throughout the listening to on Wednesday, when he appeared to confuse Medicare with Medicaid.
That state-federal Medicaid program supplies protection to round 80 million People, together with many low-income folks. Republicans may goal Medicaid, which prices the federal authorities greater than $600 billion a yr, for funding reductions this yr to assist pay for tax cuts.
Kennedy on Wednesday described Medicaid as “totally paid for” by the federal authorities, though this system is funded by states as properly.
On Thursday, Kennedy acknowledged that this system is collectively funded by the federal authorities and states, including that he “misstated one thing” throughout the listening to on Wednesday.
On the finish of that Wednesday listening to, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the rating member of the Finance Committee, mentioned Kennedy was “unprepared” and urged he did not appear to know the distinction between Medicare and Medicaid.
”My colleagues have been seeing back-and-forth between Medicare and Medicaid, and it is not clear which program you are utilizing when,” Wyden mentioned.