PREVIEW

Kennedy Launches US Autism Project Using Medicare and Medicaid Data. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the creation of a new platform to study the causes of autism using data from Medicare and Medicaid, marking a significant step in autism research. The project will be supported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with partnerships from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Initially focused on identifying the root causes of autism, the project will eventually expand to study other chronic conditions. Kennedy emphasized transparency, aiming to provide families with the answers they've long awaited regarding autism spectrum disorder. The $50 million research initiative will create a real-world data platform, merging claims data, medical records, and wearable health data to support comprehensive autism research. Areas of research will include autism diagnosis patterns, health outcomes from interventions, access to care, and the economic impact on families and healthcare systems. Critics, including Dr. Helen Tager-Flusberg, argue that the project's focus on these issues may not be directly related to understanding the causes of autism. Kennedy has previously suggested a link between vaccines and autism, though this theory has been debunked, which continues to fuel controversy surrounding his approach to autism research. While the new database may include identifiable data points, the project will comply with privacy laws. It's unclear whether participation will be voluntary or how private data will be handled. With autism rates in the U.S. reaching record highs, Kennedy plans to explore potential environmental factors, such as toxins, in the search for autism's causes.
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