RFK Jr.’s impact on HHS so far has some worried
RFK Jr. reluctance to endorse the measles vaccine amid a deadly outbreak raised red flags.
The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have partnered to research the causes of the autism spectrum disorder, creating a database of autism-diagnosed Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, the agencies said on Wednesday.
The partnership will help NIH build a real-world data platform enabling advanced research across claims data, electronic medical records, and wearable health-monitoring devices.
It will first focus on research around the root causes of autism and, in the long term, link data for research on other chronic conditions. The agencies said the project will complywith applicable privacy laws.
“We’re pulling back the curtain, with full transparency and accountability, to deliver the honest answers families have waited far too long to hear,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
Researchers will focus on autism diagnosis over time, health outcomes from medical and behavioral interventions, access to care and disparities by demographics and geography as well as the economic burden on families and healthcare systems.
Autism is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that cause people to behave, communicate, interact, and learn in atypical ways.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has long promoted a debunked link between vaccines and autism.
Last month, he said environmental factors are behind its rising prevalence, adding that he plans to look at everything from mold to medicine to identify them.
Rates of autism spectrum disorder among U.S. children reached a record level in 2022, continuing a recent trend of increasing prevalence.
There are no treatments or cures for autism, nor can it be reversed. However, experts agree that early diagnosis is crucial. Intervention with supportive measures, ideally before age three, is critical for improving cognitive, social and communication skills.