Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday outlined the early implementation of President Trump’s sweeping healthcare overhaul, describing a series of agreements, regulatory changes, and funding initiatives aimed at lowering costs, increasing domestic drug production, expanding rural healthcare, and reshaping federal nutrition policy.
Speaking about what he repeatedly referred to as the President’s “great healthcare bill,” Kennedy said the administration is moving forward with policies designed to make healthcare more affordable while improving quality across the system.
“Mr. President, we’re in the process of implementing your Great America, your great healthcare bill, which is going to increase affordability, drive down costs, and increase the quality of healthcare for every American,” Kennedy said.
A central component of the plan involves drug pricing through a most-favored-nation framework. Kennedy said the administration secured agreements with 1,617 pharmaceutical companies, a feat he noted previous administrations had promised but failed to achieve.
“We now have agreements with 1617, drug companies. And you asked us to do something. You know, Clinton had promised to do this. Biden had promised this, Obama Bush had all promised to do it. None of them succeeded. It was regarded as impossible,” Kennedy said.
According to Kennedy, the agreements go beyond pricing, requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to move production back to the United States while maintaining innovation. He said market response to the agreements was immediate.
“We succeeded in all of those goals, and the proof that we did that is after we signed those agreements, the stock prices for those companies went up $1.3 trillion,” he said.
Kennedy cited expansion plans by major manufacturers, including Eli Lilly, which he said is building six new plants, including one for active pharmaceutical ingredients, and Novo Nordisk, which he said is constructing four new facilities.
The goal, Kennedy said, is to ensure the United States is no longer dependent on foreign suppliers during future health emergencies.
He also announced the forthcoming rollout of “Trump RX,” which he said will allow Americans to access the lowest drug prices in the developed world.
“In some cases, they’re going to be lower than the lowest prices in developed world,” Kennedy said, adding the program is expected to launch within days.
Rural healthcare was another major focus. Kennedy said $10 billion was distributed to states last week, with funds expected to reach rural hospitals within two weeks.
He said federal support for rural healthcare will increase by 30 percent annually over the next five years.
“It’s going to allow them to rebuild their decaying infrastructure, to retain providers, and also to revolutionize the use of AI and other technologies,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy also discussed newly released dietary guidelines and changes to federal food programs, emphasizing a shift toward “real food” across government-supported nutrition efforts.
“We are going to change the food culture in this country,” he said, noting that programs such as WIC, SNAP, school lunches, the VA, and the military will now prioritize whole foods.
He added that stores accepting food stamps will be required to expand their real food offerings, a move he said will lower prices for meat, produce, and whole grains.
Addressing healthcare fraud, Kennedy said the administration is recovering “hundreds of billions of dollars” in Medicaid and Medicare fraud, citing findings in states including Minnesota and California.
He also highlighted progress on prior authorization, saying most of the insurance industry has agreed to eliminate the practice for the majority of procedures.
“Now we have 80% of the insurance industry that has agreed to eliminate prior authorization in almost all of their their procedures,” Kennedy said.
Finally, Kennedy said the administration is enforcing hospital price transparency rules that were enacted during President Trump’s first term but not enforced under the Biden administration.
“By the time that we leave office, every American is going to have that guarantee,” Kennedy said, referring to patients being able to see healthcare prices in advance of treatment.
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