This week, our Public Health Project newsletter laid out the grim reality: the fallout from Trump’s anti-vaccine executive order is just beginning. Meanwhile, we released a side-by-side comparison showing how Democrats lowered drug costs while Trump and Republicans made them skyrocket.
TL;DR: Trump’s anti-vax executive order is already doing damage. Democrats’ record on drug costs vs. Trump’s is night and day. Rural hospitals are in crisis — 45 in Oklahoma alone face “immediate risk” of closure or cuts. Nevada is losing maternity and NICU services. The cyclospora outbreak keeps spreading while the FDA drags its feet. And the New Republic warns: GOP Medicaid cuts could kill people in 2027. This is what happens when lawmakers put billionaires over working families.
The Public Health Project breaks down the damage.
This week’s Public Health Project newsletter lays out the grim reality: Trump’s anti-vaccine executive order is already harming public health, and the worst is yet to come.
📖 Read: Fallout From Trump’s Deadly Anti-Vax Order Is Just Beginning
Even Republicans are speaking out:
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on ABC: “This is just a stupid thing to do.”
More vaccine chaos:
CBS: RFK Jr.’s autism research stalls as Trump orders baseless vaccine changes
Roll Call: Kennedy looks for new members for revamped vaccine committee
NYT: Trump officials falsely connect COVID vaccines to miscarriage
The record speaks for itself.
We released a side-by-side comparison of Trump and Republicans’ record vs. Democrats’ record on lowering prescription drug costs.
📖 Read: Trump vs. Democrats on Lowering Prescription Drug Costs
Democrats:
Capped insulin at $35/month
Allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices
Capped out-of-pocket costs for seniors at $2,000/year
Trump and Republicans:
Created loopholes for Big Pharma to escape price negotiations and hike prices
Ended a Medicare drug coverage affordability program
Raised prescription drug costs for seniors with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
$298 billion in revenue — while 59% of Americans struggle to afford meds.
Ten top drugmakers collectively raked in nearly $298 billion in revenue in just the first half of 2026 — more than the economies of Monaco, Croatia, Iceland, Latvia, and Luxembourg combined.
Meanwhile, a record-high 59% of Americans say they’re struggling to afford their prescription drugs.
And while Trump touts his “deals,” the reality is his policies have done nothing but allow drug companies to save face, dodge tariffs, and escape future drug pricing efforts — all while hiking the price of prescription drug coverage for millions.
Read more: Greed Watch: Big Drug Companies Make Record Sales While Seniors Get Sold Out
Trump and Republicans are waging war on rural health care.
Our “Sick of It!” spotlight this week exposes how GOP health care cuts are putting rural American lives in jeopardy.
📖 Read: Trump and Republicans Are Putting Rural American Lives in Jeopardy
The numbers are staggering:
45 rural Oklahoma hospitals face “immediate risk” of closure
12 Tennessee rural hospitals at “immediate risk”
57 hospitals closing departments or ending services nationwide
This isn’t a natural disaster. It’s a policy choice.
New and expecting moms are being forced to drive farther and pay more.
Since Republicans passed the largest health care cuts in history, 50 maternity wards across the country have announced closure.
For moms and their families, this is life or death as lifesaving maternity care becomes harder to access. Last week, Senator Cory Booker, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and Dr. Ala Stanford joined us to spotlight the crisis.
Read more: Sick of It Spotlight: 50 Maternity Wards Announced Closure
Real families. Real consequences.
Tyler in New York is cutting down on groceries — including beef and pork — to make room for higher insurance costs in his budget.
Madison in North Carolina is rationing her medication and accumulating medical debt after losing coverage she could no longer afford.
Tywon in Montana worries that Medicaid work requirements will force him off the coverage he needs to get healthy enough to work.
Read more: Faces of the GOP Health Care Crisis
Premiums are spiraling out of control.
Mark Steigerwald (Wisconsin): Cancer survivor and small business owner whose premium nearly tripled from $938/month to $2,743/month
Suzanne and Kip Mercer (Florida): Forced to drop coverage after premiums rose to $4,000/month — they’ve since avoided seeing their doctors
As the fallout from Republican health care cuts ripples across the country, countless more Americans will pay the price.
Read more: Premium Disaster Watch
The New Republic: “How Many People Will the GOP’s Medicaid Cuts Kill in 2027?”
This isn’t hyperbole. When people lose coverage, they die. Researchers estimate that for every 830 people who lose Medicaid coverage, one additional person will die. With millions losing coverage, the math is terrifying.
New York Times Opinion: Trump’s Health Care Cuts
The paper of record weighs in on the devastation Trump and Republicans have caused.
Cyclospora and Salmonella:
NYT: How Cyclospora Evaded the U.S. Food Safety System to Sicken Thousands
Washington Post: FDA travels to Mexico a month after linking Taylor Farms to outbreak
CNN: Foodborne illness outbreaks are especially bad this summer
The New Republic: FDA Only Now Goes to Mexico to Investigate “Explosive Diarrhea” Outbreak
Time: Salmonella Egg Recall Upgraded to FDA’s Highest Risk Level
The Hill: Warren presses RFK Jr. on Trump ties to lettuce distributor
Research Cuts:
Science: NIH is ending a key grant for budding clinical researchers
NOTUS: “Graveyard for Grants”: NIH Is Holding Up Medical Research Funding
Meanwhile, RFK Jr.:
So much for “Make America Healthy Again.”
Nevada maternity crisis:
Henderson Hospital to close NICU and maternity services around Sept. 30 — 100 jobs affected
Nevada Independent: Are there maternity care deserts in Nevada?
State by state:
Colorado: Healthcare Freefall: Finger-pointing intensifies as Colorado’s system strains under rising costs
Michigan: Good news — Oakland County votes to fund Planned Parenthood clinic through 2028; McLaren, Grand Traverse Women’s Clinic step in to keep OB/GYN care after closure
Montana: Libby asbestos clinic abruptly shutters two weeks early
New York: Waterview Heights nursing home closure worsens crisis
Ohio: Affordability crisis decried at Valley town hall
Oklahoma: 45 rural hospitals face “immediate” risk of closure; Clinic closures expose fragile state of rural healthcare; Pawhuska says goodbye to doctor who served generations
Tennessee: 12 rural hospitals at “immediate risk” for closure
Vermont: Cuts to psychiatric hospital beds, staff spark concerns; Bright spot: New birthing center a plus for Vermont “maternity desert”
Washington: Providence Everett to close autism bridging program
National: Becker’s: 57 hospitals closing departments or ending services
Alaska: Caregiver Betty Redd-Mendez placed an op-ed in the Anchorage Daily News holding Sen. Dan Sullivan accountable: “Why won’t Sullivan meet with the Alaskans he was elected to represent? Is he ignorant of the crisis he’s created? Is he ashamed of his votes to rip away care and coverage?” Health care professionals also joined us in Wasilla — registered nurse Renee Kusner-Kalarchik: “A 30-year-old shouldn’t die of sepsis if they’re otherwise healthy because they can’t go to a doctor because they don’t have the money to afford it.”
California: Rep. Laura Friedman, Dr. Jerry Abraham, and Monica Lazo joined our “Sick of It!” event. Rep. Friedman: “1.2 million Californians have lost their health coverage, and that didn’t happen by accident. Trump and Congressional Republicans let the ACA tax credits expire and cut a trillion dollars from Medicaid to pay for a trillion dollars in tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.”
Michigan: Michigan Democrats held Rep. John James accountable. Storyteller Eric Schneidewind: “Our friend Chris told us that she faced financial ruin. She has been buying health insurance on the ACA marketplace for $325 a month, but cuts in the ACA subsidies raised her premium to $843 per month, plus a $5,500 deductible—an annual increase of over $10,000.”
New Hampshire: The NH Public Health Association and state Rep. Dr. David Nagel discussed health care affordability and access. Tory Jennison, NHPHA Executive Director: “Strong public health is built on prevention. Whether it’s vaccinations, early screenings, or access to primary care, investing in prevention helps people stay healthier and reduces costs.”
8 million+ — Americans who have lost coverage since GOP cuts
1,173 — hospitals, clinics, providers closing or at risk
57 — hospitals closing departments or ending services
50 — maternity wards that have announced closure since GOP cuts
45 — rural Oklahoma hospitals at “immediate risk”
$298 billion — revenue for top 10 drugmakers in first half of 2026
59% — Americans struggling to afford prescription drugs
830 — people who lose Medicaid coverage for every one additional death
The Human Cost:
POC Reports:
Public Health:
Join “Sick of It!” and demand action:
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The fallout from Trump’s anti-vax order is just beginning. Rural hospitals are at “immediate risk.” Outbreaks are spreading while the FDA drags its feet. And the New Republic is asking how many people GOP Medicaid cuts will kill.
We know the answer: too many. We’re sick of it — and we’re demanding action.
Protect Our Care is fighting to protect and strengthen health care for all.
protectourcare.org | sickofitcampaign.com | Subscribe for next week’s dose.
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