For years, I have worked as a health researcher, analyzing the many factors that contribute both positively and negatively to well-being. Understanding a person’s health requires a comprehensive view of their life—interpersonal relationships, organizational influences, political structures, and cultural contexts all play a role.
Recently, while conducting research on healthy aging, I interviewed Martha, a woman in her seventies living in New York. Sitting in front of a rosary, she shared her story with me.
She escaped an abusive marriage. Struggled with addiction. Spent time in jail. Met her wife. Got clean. Became sober. Raised two children. Prays the rosary. When I asked about her health, she responded, "I'm so terrified to go that I just don't. I skip my preventive screenings. I skip my check-ins. I haven't seen my neurologist in seven years." When I probed further, she interrupted, "I actually have to take half a lorazepam just to leave the house."
Martha fears how she will be treated in the healthcare system—so much so that her fear outweighs her loneliness and isolation in her apartment.
Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is under scrutiny as he seeks confirmation as Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, a role in which he would oversee Medicaid, a program covering nearly 80 million people, and billions of dollars in health research funding. His leadership will have direct consequences for the well-being of millions.
Cuts to essential health programs will disproportionately affect those who need care the most—women, the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. Instead of ensuring a healthier America, such policies will exacerbate illness and suffering.
As part of my work, I listened to Mr. Kennedy’s confirmation hearings. He struggled to provide clear answers, contradicted his previous positions, and wavered on fundamental health issues like vaccines and reproductive rights. He lacked even a basic understanding of the healthcare system and the agencies he would be responsible for leading.
When asked if healthcare is a human right, he failed to provide a direct answer. Instead, he used the example of a 20-year-old smoker, suggesting that if they required medical care, they would be "taking from the pot."
"Taking from the pot"—as if healthcare is negotiable. This mindset should alarm everyone.
In the past two weeks alone, executive decisions have wiped out essential rights and access to lifesaving care for trans individuals, frozen critical health research, jeopardized clean drinking water, and restricted information about reproductive rights and Medicare payments—all with the stroke of a pen. And with a single tweet from Elon Musk.
During his hearings, Mr. Kennedy focused on chronic illness, telehealth, and diet choices. While chronic illness is a significant issue and telehealth can bridge gaps in access, these topics do not address the full scope of our health crisis.
For many older adults experiencing severe loneliness, a doctor’s visit is more than a medical appointment—it may be their only social interaction that day. If they are fortunate, it might also be an opportunity to see their child, grab lunch together, or run errands—acts that promote well-being.
What about the broader societal issues? Immigration policies affecting long-term care facilities and home aides? Workforce shortages closing rural assisted living centers? The stress of living in a chronically marginalized community, which has been shown to shorten lifespans for LGBTQ individuals?
Martha is gay and Latina. She is afraid to leave her home—even to seek medical care. And she is not alone. Millions share her fear.
The truth is simple: No one is truly healthy until we all are. The current discourse on chronic illness is incomplete. Health is influenced not only by biology, genetics, and diet but also by social determinants—factors that Mr. Kennedy seems unwilling to acknowledge. Ignoring these realities will only make America sicker.
Mr. Kennedy’s approach introduces instability and confusion. It may slow progress, forcing us to reorganize and push back. But history has shown that we have never lived in a world designed for us—resistance is nothing new. We will continue fighting for a healthier America.
As Virginia Woolf once wrote in her essay "The Humane Art": "A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living."
The question is: Will we allow America to change for the better—or will we let it become too sick in the process? These are real, precious lives, Mr. Kennedy. And we are all watching.
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