Kennedy went on to say that it is an American’s choice to “eat doughnuts all day” or drink sodas, and he promised not to take those choices away.
“But in terms of, should you then expect society to care for you when you predictably get very sick at the same level as somebody who was born with a congenital illness?” he asked. “The best answer to that is to realign our incentives so that the economic incentives, the individuals and the industry align with the public health outcomes that we desire.”
Public health experts were alarmed by Kennedy’s remarks, saying they suggest that Kennedy may limit access to health care based on personal behavior. They also come as potential cuts to insurance for low-income Americans, Medicaid, loom amid a push for deep budget reductions in Congress.
Though Kennedy did not explicitly suggest limiting Medicaid benefits for those engaging in behaviors deemed unhealthy, his comments could be interpreted as such, said Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. West Virginia limited Medicaid benefits in 2007 if patients did not follow healthy behaviors and sign a “personal responsibility” agreement — federal approval for that was withdrawn following Barack Obama’s election.
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