RFK Jr: We spent $0 on chronic disease when JFK was president.

[Eric J in MN]

RFK Jr: "When my uncle was president, we spent zero on chronic disease in this country. Now we spend $4.3T a year."

Chronic disease includes cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. JFK had Addison's, also a chronic disease.

RFK Jr thinks $0 was spent on these?


RFK Jr on Fox News;

Link to tweet

?s=46&t=clDf847w-ERLLjSX58xjDg

[sop]

1. Medicare and Medicaid became law on July 30, 1965.

President Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, the legislation that established both Medicare and Medicaid.

[Eric J in MN]

3. The $4.3T number includes private spending.

Also, there were military service members and veterans being treated for chronic disease with public money when JFK was president.

[JT45242]

4. Cause people didn't have chronic diseases ...they died quickly

Early screening, better treatment, etc. all are a part of that.

Duh.

[Eric J in MN]

7. JFK had Addison's disease from age 30 onward. NT

NT

[JT45242]

11. 10 year cancer survival rates hovered around 25 percent for decades

It wasn't until the 2000s we got to 50% ten year survival rates. Lots of other diseases as well but that is one of the obvious ones.


But let's just agree that RFK he is a whackadoodle cherry picking data instead of doing science.

[sop]

5. Prior to Medicare and Medicaid becoming law, public health's share of total health expenditures was 1.36% in 1960.

Perhaps when RFK Jr. said "we" he only meant the U.S. government.

[Lovie777]

2. Sick in the head.........

[Raven123]

6. We didn't spend $0 because there was no chronic disease.

JFK had Addison’s Disease,
Rosemary Kennedy had some form of mental illness / intellectual disability (sorry if I am not using the correct terms here)
RFK Jr. was (or still is for all I know ) addicted to heroin.
His uncle had brain cancer.
His cousin had osteosarcoma.

However, the Kennedy family has money. They have access to what others do not. They have options. It’s a shame, he does not recognize his own privileged life.

[Grins]

8. As a kid I remember collecting $$ for the March of Dines!

Every one did! Going back to 1938 when FDR was president and polio was a colossal threat to the entire nation. Nation? The world!

In 1954 testing began on the Salk vaccine with the approval of the federal government. A year later it was declared a success and - Vaccines for everyone!!!

And then THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - Bobby Brainworms Jr. - blocked it!!

Oveta Culp Hobby, the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, called efforts to distribute the vaccine for free: "socialized medicine by the back door".

Even Eisenhower had trouble with that one.

But, here we are today…

[Grins]

9. "When my uncle was president, we spent zero on chronic disease in this country."

And he thinks that was a good thing?????

He’s also wrong.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. From before 1960 until almost 1964, my father practiced medicine as an Internist

and Cardiologist.

Most doctors practiced their profession literally in their homes.

When my father began his practice, you'd go to the same doctor in your town. The doctor would birth you, make house calls to your bedside when you had a fever or a cold, treat an ingrown toenail, check for hernias in your scrotum when it was time to join a school sports team, advise you to lose weight, and about age 60, would advise you get your affairs in order because both sexes were ready to die around that age. And the doctor would pronounce you and speak to your surviving spouse.

And one reason why there was "Zero Dollars" spent on chronic disease was because medical schools and medical journals were noticeably silent about this new area of medicine. Almost everyone smoked, including my father, the doctor: cigarettes, cigars, pipes. To his credit, he did a full stop when the American Cancer Society made a definitive finding that smoking was linked to lung and other cancers (esophageal), heart disease, etc. He didn't want to be a hypocrite while pontificating about the dangers.

Having the federal government join his crusade was welcomed. More research into pharmaceuticals to prolong lives and to forestall potential surgery. Better x-ray technology. Better lab tests.

In closing, because new developments in chronic disease came out after JFK's Administration, my father was able to take a patient, aged 60 and whose previous doctor told him "it wouldn't be long," and extend his life past 90. In fact, a LOT OF patients were 90.

My father's dedication was to his patients, not the bottom line.

RFK, Jr. has to be the most stupid graduate of Harvard.