Sen. Peter Welch Takes on Big Pharma

Miles and Dr. Rob unpack a critical moment in U.S. health care, from a federal judge blocking key vaccine policy changes tied to RFK Jr., to growing fractures within the “Make America Healthy Again” movement. They also dig into the real-world impact of rising health care costs, with new data showing Americans skipping meals, delaying major life decisions, and struggling to stay insured as premiums climb and coverage becomes less affordable. Later, Dr. Rob sits down with U.S. Senator Peter Welch for a candid conversation about what’s going wrong in Washington, particularly as it relates to health care. Sen. Welch breaks down the stakes of expiring ACA subsidies, calls out misleading drug pricing efforts like “Trump Rx,” and explains his bipartisan push to take on Big Pharma’s patent abuses. He also lays out a broader vision for reform, arguing that the U.S. must move toward a system where health care is treated as a right, not a privilege. Background reading: * Dr. Rob’s interaction with Vice President Mike Pence in January 2020 is HERE * Reuters: Pope Leo calls universal healthcare a ‘moral imperative’ * The New York Times: Judge Strikes Down Kennedy’s Vaccine Policies * NOTUS: RFK Jr.’s MAHA Allies Call to Eliminate All Childhood Vaccine Recommendations * MedPage Today: Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew * STAT: White House says it’s ‘done’ with vaccines. MAHA begs to differ * POLITICO: ‘I share your outrage’: Democrats woo MAHA moms ahead of the midterms * The Washington Post: One-third of Americans skip meals or other needs to afford health care * NBC News: Dr. Oz says Obamacare enrollment may be ‘too high’ * The Wall Street Journal: Millions of Americans Are Going Uninsured Following Expiration of ACA Subsidies * Sen. Peter Welch on X, Facebook, Threads, YouTube, and Bluesky * The New York Times: Trump Promised the ‘World’s Lowest’ Drug Prices. We Checked the Numbers. Press Release: Welch, Durbin, Warren Sound Alarm on Launch of TrumpRx 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