In the wake of Donald Trump’s recent election victory, leaders from Solidarity Healthshare, a Catholic health sharing ministry, have penned a letter urging significant reforms in the U.S. healthcare landscape. With the slogan “Make America Healthy Again,” they are calling for an overhaul of the current system and its inefficiencies.
The letter, written by Solidarity Healthshare’s president Chris Faddis and Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Oertle, expresses deep concerns about rising healthcare costs. They pointed out that in 2025, families enrolled in the Federal Employee Health Benefits plan could see an average premium hike of 13.5%, marking the steepest increase in over a decade. In their view, this trend reflects a broader issue of escalating healthcare expenses amidst declining quality.
Faddis and Oertle attribute these challenges to a “Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Big Hospital Systems” mindset, which they claim prioritizes profit over patient care. They contend that the existing structure fundamentally fails to address the needs of patients, particularly in dealing with chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Their solution? Encourage a more personalized approach to healthcare that gets to the core of medical issues rather than merely alleviating symptoms.
In their letter, they advocate for a shift towards holistic healthcare practices, stressing that current regulations often prevent patients from exploring alternative treatments that could be more effective for their individual cases. An overhaul of the FDA’s patent restrictions was emphasized as crucial, allowing providers to utilize off-label medications and alternative therapies that could play a pivotal role in treating conditions like COVID-19.
The urgency of the letter also pushes for better environmental health policies, highlighting how toxins in the environment contribute to various health issues. They noted that many oncologists fail to consider environmental carcinogens in their assessments. It was mentioned that rising pollution and exposure to harmful chemicals, like “endocrine disruptors” and “forever chemicals,” must be addressed through stricter regulations to prevent further health crises.
Moreover, Faddis and Oertle see access to nutrient-dense whole foods as essential in fighting the chronic disease epidemic, criticizing the “unchecked production of processed, nutrient-deficient foods.” They want to shift focus from simply treating illnesses to implementing preventative strategies that promote better health outcomes.
Culminating their appeal to the new administration, the leaders of Solidarity Healthshare called for policies that affirm individual dignity and the right to life, particularly protecting the vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly and chronically ill. Their letter argues that healthcare should center around the doctor-patient relationship and provide comprehensive, life-affirming care. They highlighted that the demand for such care has become particularly pronounced as many voted for Trump based on issues surrounding conscience rights and health care access.
This letter arrives shortly after Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, promising a return to a focus on “gold standard scientific research” and transparency in healthcare, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to tackling chronic diseases and reshaping American health policy. The commitment to reforming healthcare, which had faltered during Trump’s first term, seems poised to take the spotlight once again with new leadership and renewed calls for holistic approaches to patient care.
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