Summary

Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) claimed that “70 percent” of health outcomes depend on individual choices, blaming Americans for poor health while Republicans plan to cut healthcare protections.

Marshall, a former OBGYN and leader of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Caucus, emphasizes nutrition and preventative care but ignores systemic issues like poverty and racism.

Proposals from the Trump administration and GOP Congress may weaken Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections, reduce access to care, and increase uninsured rates.

Marshall has also supported physician-owned hospitals, benefiting financially from the industry.

  • zephorah@lemm.ee
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    9 hours ago

    People need to understand that there is nothing universal about doctors. Many are great people who genuinely want to help people. Like anywhere else in life that involves people, there is a slice of doctors who are assholes. Within that slice, you find the the doctors who don’t like what they do and find something else lucrative like CEO or Senator. Marshall is one of those guys. These doctors and former doctors won’t hesitate to use their former title to try to look better though.

    Yes, what he says, can be true. Patients will often and wantonly ignore advice to diet and exercise to lose weight. Diabetics will ignore the rules of being diabetic and end up in a coma in ICU. And hold my beer injuries absolutely do happen. But again, it’s a slice, not 70%. Many people do what their doctor advises. Many people will put in the work. Some of them, failing at diet, will get a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass, that works too. And many diabetics manage their disease, including type 2 diabetics who work hard to lose weight to send their toe 2 diabetes into remission. And so on.

    Marshal sounds like a real jerk.

    • nyamlae@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      And also, the idea of “choice” is bullshit anyway. People who don’t comply with their doctor’s recommendations generally have reasons for doing so, such as depression, insecurity, and horrible side-effects to medication. Good healthcare finds and addresses those reasons instead of just blaming people for being affected by them.