MAHA Goes Prime Time

Miles and Dr. Rob sort through another chaotic week in health politics. Dr. Oz urges all Americans to get the measles vaccine during a major outbreak, despite his boss, RFK Jr., spreading doubt about vaccine safety. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. pushes dubious claims about diet and mental illness. The hosts dig into Oz’s suggestion that Americans should work longer to stabilize federal programs, mounting frustration inside the AMA, and what MAHA’s Super Bowl ad reveals about the administration’s coalition-management strategy. Later, AXIOS health care reporter Maya Goldman joins to break down TrumpRx. The new site promises lower prescription drug costs but won’t benefit most Americans, especially those with health insurance. Who actually saves money, where generics fit in, and whether this is real reform or political branding, Goldman brings clarity to the rollout. Background reading: * Dr. Oz on CNN’s State of the Union with Dana Bash (measles vaccine portion begins at 7:45) * People: RFK Jr. Falsely Claims Measles Vaccine Contains ‘Fetus Debris,’ Asks CDC for New Treatment * CIDRAP: CDC’s FluView shows 8 more pediatric deaths as flu activity drops * The New York Times: Oz Offers Forceful Call for Vaccination as Measles Becomes More Dire * AP: Moderna says FDA refuses its application for new mRNA flu vaccine * Dr. Oz at the National Press Club * Bezinga (via Yahoo! Finance): Dr. Oz Says Americans Starting Work ‘Right Out Of High School’ Or Retiring One Year Later Would ‘More Than Remove’ The National Debt * Democratic National Committee: Dr. Oz Wants To Raise the Retirement Age to Fund Trump’s Tax Cuts for Billionaires * AMA Pres. Bobby Mukkamala’s Facebook post with RFK Jr. is HERE * POLITICO: A meeting with RFK Jr. set off recriminations inside doctors’ lobbying arm * Scientific American: RFK, Jr. just claimed the keto diet can cure schizophrenia. Here’s what the science says * RFK Jr. saying Trump lets him do thing nobody else ever would * WWLTV: Louisiana plans to sue California and New York over abortion pill cases * Gavin Newsom’s tweet responding to Louisiana AG Murrill * Super Bowl ad featuring Mike Tyson: Processed Food Kills, Eat Real Food * The New York Times: MAHA Group Pledges $1 Million to Help Defeat Senator Cassidy in Louisiana Primary * AXIOS: More than half of TrumpRx drugs have a cheaper alternative * AXIOS: Trump unveils TrumpRx discount drug site * The New York Times: Trump’s Online Drugstore Opens for Business * PRN Newswire: BlinkRx Welcomes Donald Trump Jr. to Board of Directors * STAT: TrumpRx has a fundamental flaw * US Senate Committee on Finance: Wyden Statement on TrumpRx Announcement * US Senate Committee on Finance: Wyden, Senate Democrats Blast Trump’s Drug Pricing Fraud, Lay Out Agenda for Lower Prices * Protect Our Care: Fact Sheet: 10 Reasons Why TrumpRx Is an Utter Joke * Maya Goldman’s work at AXIOS is HERE * Maya Goldman on LinkedIn * Maya Goldman on X * Maya Goldman on Bluesky * Sign up for the free Axios Vitals newsletter at https://www.axios.com/signup/vitals Join the fight at committeetoprotect.org. Subscribe, share, and leave a rating to help more people find Paging America. Have thoughts, questions, or your own health care story? Email us at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pagingamerica.org/subscribe