Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before Congress this week defending his department’s policy agenda.
The secretary, who has been under sustained scrutiny from skeptics of his Make America Healthy Again mission, vowed to work with members on specific health legislation to secure wins promised by the administration.
Kennedy spent almost 10 hours on Capitol Hill this week and is set to appear for four more hearings next week.
“The secretary is looking forward to showing Congress how we are working to reduce prescription drug prices, make health care costs clearer for patients, and streamline processes like prior authorization,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told The Daily Signal.
Kennedy touted early wins for the department, highlighting his focus on solving chronic disease and cleaning up the “fraudulent” health care system.
He noted that HHS has been disbursing $135 million in rural health care funding authorized under the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and has identified 130,000 of the more than 400,000 children the Biden administration lost amid open-border immigration policy.
Kennedy also vowed to expand funding and research for areas neglected by previous administrations, including autism, women’s health, and chronic disease.
During the Ways and Means Committee hearing, Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, pressed Kennedy on whether Medicare could cover breakthrough medical devices temporarily if they have already been approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration.
Moore pointed to delays in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services coverage decisions that can leave seniors without access to lifesaving technology already on the market.
“I was thrilled to speak with Secretary Kennedy and hear of potential developments for CMS rulemaking to expedite Medicare access to breakthrough medical technology,” Moore told The Daily Signal following the committee hearing.
Moore called the legislation a “brainchild” of President Donald Trump’s first administration.
Moore told the secretary that he introduced the Insurance Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthroughs Product Act, which builds on one of the biggest wins from the Trump administration.
“We will have an announcement soon, and we’re happy to work with you on it,” the secretary confirmed.
“If a treatment can meet the FDA’s burden of proof of safe and effective, and other requirements, for breakthrough designation, there’s no reason Medicare shouldn’t be able to provide temporary medical coverage while CMS completes its review for permanent coverage,” Moore told RFK Jr.
“The vast majority of products that receive breakthrough designation are already on the market by the time they earn that label, yet Medicare delays patient access to these innovative treatments,” Moore told The Daily Signal.
“I’m excited to continue working closely with the administration to ensure seniors have rapid access to the newest life-saving treatments,” he concluded.
“We are also strengthening program integrity by preventing improper payments and addressing waste, fraud, and abuse. At the same time, we are investing in prevention, nutrition, addiction recovery, rare disease treatments, and rural health to improve outcomes for patients across the country,” Nixon concluded.
