Tag: health care

Red States Are Paying For California’s Illegal Aliens’ Health Care

In 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly made California the first state to offer medical care for people who entered the country illegally and reside in the Golden State. However, the cost, estimated at almost $8 billion, is being paid by all taxpayers, not just Californians.

Do people in Texas, North Carolina, and hyper-taxed Illinois want to fund California’s 700,000 illegal immigrants? They don’t have a choice. Newsom is using Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid safety net program, and the federal government matches the state’s funding, using American taxpayers’ money. Yet illegal immigrants are prohibited by the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act from enrolling in Medicaid.

Federal Funding of States’ Medicaid

All state Medicaid programs are funded jointly by the state and federal government using a formula called Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). Poorer states such as New Mexico and Mississippi get as much as three federal dollars for every one they budget, while rich states like California get one federal dollar for every state dollar.  

The FMAP formula provides an incentive for states to increase spending because as they spend more state dollars, they get more dollars from taxpayers nationally.  

Newsom is budgeting $42 billion for Medi-Cal in 2025-26.

In Newsom’s budget estimate last year, the cost of insuring illegal immigrants was estimated at $6.5 billion, but it has been revised to $9.5 billion “and is expected to grow even higher,” according to the L.A. Times. In fact, Newsom is now seeking a loan of an additional $3.4 billion to cover the increased costs.

Newsom’s Fraud

By law and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules, illegal immigrants are prohibited from enrolling in Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). By allowing illegal immigrants to enroll, Newsom directly contravenes federal rules and takes matching Medicaid funds that he should not. He acquires the money in several fraudulent ways. 

Paul Winfree of Economic Policy Innovation Center and Brian Blase of Paragon Health Institute recently exposed a money laundering scheme that Newsom uses. California put a tax on insurers that increases “costs” to Medi-Cal. This forced Washington to contribute more taxpayer dollars to California. The state then approves higher rates for the insurance companies, which compensates them for the additional tax. California gains federal dollars. The only losers are taxpayers and the rule of law. 

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‘Medical Error’ Led to Death of 6-Year-Old Who Developed Pneumonia After Measles Diagnosis

A child who died in a Texas hospital after developing pneumonia following a measles infection died as a result of “medical error” — including failure to administer the correct antibiotic in time, according to a medical expert who reviewed the child’s medical records.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) obtained the medical records from the family of the 6-year-old girl. The parents said they wanted people to know what happened to their daughter so it wouldn’t happen to other children.

The parents obtained the records from Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock where their child died on Feb. 26.

The parents told Dr. Ben Edwards, who successfully treated their other children for measles, that they didn’t want to use the information uncovered in the medical records to inflame the situation. However, they did want to get the word out about the mistake if it could prevent it from happening to other children.

Dr. Pierre Kory, who has extensive experience in pulmonary and critical care medicine, analyzed the records. He said today in an interview on CHD.TV, “I’ve done medical case reviews from malpractice lawyers for a good part of my career, and this case was tragic.”

According to Kory’s analysis of the records, the girl died from a secondary bacterial pneumonia that had “little to do with measles.”

He added, “When I say it has little to do with measles, secondary bacterial pneumonias can happen after any viral infection.”

Kory said the girl “died of a medical error — and that error was a completely inappropriate antibiotic” for treating the kind of pneumonia she had.

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Doctors, Detransitioners Allege Medical Malpractice In Treating Gender Dysphoria

Dr. Eithan Haim, a surgeon from Texas, says that some physicians cannot handle the shock after realizing that prescribing drugs or performing surgeries for youth with gender dysphoria can cause harm.

Haim said such doctors “have to grow a spine” and speak out about this alleged malpractice in the medical community toward vulnerable youth that “turn them into chronic medical patients.”

“Self-reflection for them would be self-immolation. Their souls, I don’t think, could survive that reality, that truth,” he said in an interview March 12 with Jan Jekielek on NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times.

“So they lie to themselves.”

Haim recently emerged from a legal battle with the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. The Texas physician faced charges of illegally accessing medical records when he revealed that a Houston hospital was performing gender transition procedures on minors, against state law.

Those charges were dropped shortly after the election of President Donald Trump.

Haim was a guest panelist at a Capitol Hill forum highlighting detransitioners—individuals who have undergone gender transition procedures, but later chose to halt those procedures or attempt to reverse them.

The panel, hosted by detransition advocacy group Genspect, was held on Wednesday, Detrans Awareness Day. Established in 2021, Detrans Awareness Day honors the experiences of detransitioners and raises awareness about the harmful effects of gender ideology and “gender medicine.”

Speaking during the panel, Dr. Patrick Hunter, a pediatrician, said he is “not optimistic” that doctors will change their minds about “gender-affirming care” unless motivated by public scrutiny and the threat of legal and financial action.

“Make them defend themselves, that will damage their reputation, and help save kids,” he said.

Dr. Patrick Lappert, a plastic surgeon, told attendees that hormone therapies can be reversed, but many “below-the-belt” surgeries cannot, leaving patients disfigured and unable to conceive children. They may also experience kidney, bladder, and bowel problems.

Surgical assistance to detransitioners after such surgeries involves “managing the complications of what they’ve done in the past,” Lappert said.

“Surgery is essentially management of chronic wounds and chronic problems, but there’s no way to reverse genital mutilation.”

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Taxpayers Paid $6.2 Billion to Develop Weight-loss Drugs. Pharma Charges Consumers a Premium — Driving Up Healthcare Costs for Everyone

U.S. taxpayers picked up the tab for about $6.2 billion worth of research, development and distribution of GLP-1s, the new class of blockbuster weight-loss drugs, according to an investigation by The Lever.

The “blockbuster drugs” generate annual sales exceeding $1 billion for Big Pharma.

Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound — which belong to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) class of drugs — are “minting billions of dollars” for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the companies that make them.

Taxpayers fund the research. Pharma reaps massive profits. And Americans pay up to 11 times more for the drugs than people in other countries. The marked-up prices are inflating insurance premiums and risk bankrupting the country’s healthcare system, according to The Lever.

Researchers at Bentley University shared data with The Lever showing that between 1980 and 2024, the federal government spent $6.2 billion on the discovery and development of GLP-1 molecules, plus research on how to use those molecules to treat diabetes, obesity and other health conditions.

“You have to know a lot to develop a drug and to apply it in people,” Dr. Fred Ledley, professor of Natural and Applied Sciences at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, told The Lever. “What we call a ‘mature body of knowledge’ is not cheap.” Ledley provided the spending data to The Lever.

That research laid the foundation for the development of Ozempic and triggered a wave of similar drugs that spawned a massive market.

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California Runs Scam To Fund Medical Care For Illegals And Still Falls $3.4 Billion Short

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking a $3.4 billion loan from the general fund to help a shortfall in the state’s Medi-Cal healthcare program.  The shortfall problem comes only a year after Newsom expanded Medi-Cal coverage to include millions of illegal immigrants.  California’s continuing deficits and mounting debts have some officials concerned that the additional subsidies to illegals will cause a fiscal emergency in the near future. 

There are at least 2.6 million illegal immigrants in the state according to recent estimates.  However, California has operated on sanctuary laws since 2013 and does not track the migrant status of its citizens.  Because of this, there is no way for officials to estimate potential costs associated with welfare programs and medical programs which illegals commonly tap into.  Around 60% of all illegal migrants exploit welfare programs upon arrival to the US and access is generally dependent on which state they settle in. 

In 2024, California expanded the state’s Medicaid program (also known as Medi-Cal) in two major ways. First, the state opened up Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants between the ages of 26 and 49.  While the state had previously granted Medicaid eligibility to illegal immigrants in other age groups, the 26 to 49 age bracket is by far the largest in California (and nationally), comprising about 75% of individuals who are in the country illegally. 

The state’s general fund is, technically, separate from the ample federal funding that California receives, and federal dollars are not legally allowed to go towards migrants.  But the way in which the government cycles those dollars through its programs is deceptive and California is far more dependent on federal money than it claims.

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B.C. College Finds Nurse Guilty of ‘Professional Misconduct’ Over Gender Views

The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives has ruled that Amy Hamm—a registered nurse and journalist—committed “professional misconduct” for expressing her views on sex and gender in published articles and public advocacy.

The complaint against Hamm was launched in 2020 after she publicly defended biological sex-based rights for women and criticized gender ideology. Hamm, who has written for outlets like The Post Millennial, The National Post, and Reduxx, became a target for activists after helping organize the 2021 Vancouver event featuring British gender-critical speaker Meghan Murphy.

Her outspoken stance on women-only spaces, transgender policies in prisons, and gender ideology in healthcare led to a formal investigation by the nursing regulator.

For nearly four years, Hamm has fought to defend her right to free expression, arguing that her advocacy outside of work has no bearing on her ability to care for patients. Despite this, the College ruled against her, finding her guilty of “professional misconduct” for her published writings and advocacy work.

Hamm is represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.

However, in a small victory for free expression, the College determined that most of her personal social media posts were not sufficiently tied to her work to warrant additional findings of misconduct.

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Coating Dentures With CBD Can Help Prevent Oral Infections, Government-Funded Study Shows

A newly published journal article says the cannabis component CBD could be an effective way to avoid oral infections when incorporated into the primary material used in dentures.

Published last month in the journal Molecules, the government-funded research says bonding CBD to dentures demonstrates “potential for antibiotic-free denture coatings, reducing dental biofilms and plaque formation, and improving oral health outcomes.”

To study the properties of CBD in dentures, researchers incorporated the cannabinoid into a type of plastic known as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), which the paper explains is “the primary material for dentures due to its favorable physical and aesthetic qualities.” Researchers then tested antimicrobial activity against three types of bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae.

Results showed that the CBD denture coatings had “significant bactericidal effects” against so-called Gram-positive bacteria. In terms of Gram-negative bacteria—which are typically more resistant to antibiotics—the CBD coating was ineffective against free-floating, so-called “planktonic” Gram-negative bacteria but effectively eliminated communities of bacteria known as biofilms.

“Biofilm studies revealed a 99% reduction in biofilm growth for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on CBD-infused PMMA compared to standard PMMA,” the report says. “The CBD disrupted bacterial cell ways, causing lysis,” or the breakdown of the cell itself.

“In summary,” authors wrote, “biofilm studies showed PMMA/CBD coatings were effective in eradicating all the pathogens on their surface.”

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Brown Medical School Puts DEI Ahead Of Clinical Skills

According to Campus Reform, “Brown University Medical School values a commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) over actual “clinical skills” when it comes to promoting faculty members.”

This is very frightening and disturbing to normal Americans.

The proof that this is going on is in the pudding. According to Campus Reform, ” The promotion guidelines classify a “[d]emonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” as a “Major Criterion” for promotion for several positions. More specifically, it entails pushing for DEI in “Research,” “Teaching,” “Clinical care,” and “Service.”

A surgeon actually told Washington Free Beacon, “DEI in medical schools is all about. And it’s not about clinical performance.”

Even more disturbing is that The Association of American Colleges organized a seminar promoting DEI in everything.

Fortunately, President Trump is taking a sledge hammer to DEI unfortunately however the schools continue in at least in some cases to defy this.

Brown University’s medical school’s website has an entire page dedicated to “Diversity,” which states that “multicultural perspectives” are “critical to the success” of the school.

DEI doesn’t belong anywhere especially not in the medical profession or medical schools.

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Bondi’s DOJ Launches Fraud Investigation of UnitedHealth, Same Insurer Whose CEO Was Assassinated

The Justice Department, now headed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, is reportedly investigating Medicare billing practices from UnitedHealth Group, a move which comes weeks after the assassination of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of subsidiary UnitedHealthcare.

The attorneys are reportedly examining possible civil fraud linked to UnitedHealth Group’s practices for recording diagnoses that allow for extra payments to Medicare Advantage plans, according to a Friday exclusive report from The Wall Street Journal.

That includes potential fraud at physician groups owned by UnitedHealth Group.

Insurers receive payments under the Medicare Advantage system to oversee benefits for enrollees, but the payments increase when certain diagnoses are discovered.

That creates an incentive to diagnose more ailments and receive more payouts.

The Journal previously reported that Medicare paid UnitedHealth Group billions of dollars for “questionable diagnoses.”

Justice Department attorneys have been interviewing some of the same medical providers mentioned in the outlet’s investigations.

The Justice Department is also pursuing an antitrust probe against UnitedHealth Group, and has filed to prevent the insurance behemoth’s $3.3 billion potential acquisition of home healthcare company Amedisys.

The reported civil fraud investigation is separate from those cases.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. becomes new HHS Secretary, signaling REVOLUTIONARY shift in public health accountability

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will become the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Donald Trump. The Senate voted 52-48 along party lines Thursday to advance Kennedy’s nomination to lead HHS and hold the NIH, CDC, and FDA accountable for their mistakes during the covid-19 scandal. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will take up the mantle as HHS Secretary, where he must redirect funds to study the root causes of chronic disease, including new pesticide and vaccine safety studies that will take a real look into the autism epidemic. This marks a significant moment involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS leadership, as he emphasizes the need for vaccine safety reform.

A longtime advocate for children’s health and a vocal critic of pharmaceutical industry practices, Kennedy’s leadership at HHS represents a seismic shift in how the federal government approaches public health, particularly vaccine safety and chronic disease prevention. His nomination, however, has drawn sharp criticism from those who question his views on vaccines and his political evolution. As the nation watches, Kennedy’s confirmation could mark a turning point in the fight for transparency and accountability in public health policy.

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