In Part 3 of our deep dive into Project 2025, we’re turning our attention to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—and what’s at stake as powerful forces push to reshape it. Fresh off the confirmation of CMS’s 17th Administrator, we’re already seeing the outlines of a radical shift: one that proposes over $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP over the next decade.

Framed as “fiscal responsibility,” these proposed changes are more than just budget adjustments—they're an ideological attack on the health care safety net that millions rely on. And it doesn’t stop there. The plan outlines sweeping restrictions on access to reproductive health care, slashes funding for Planned Parenthood, and seeks to eliminate support for gender-affirming care for trans people.

In this episode, Dr. B Fran breaks down what these proposed reforms mean for public health. From defunding care to redefining who gets to be healthy, Project 2025 threatens to undo decades of progress in health equity and social justice. Let’s talk about the policies, the politics, and why this moment demands our full attention.

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In Part 2 of our deep dive into Project 2025, we are turning our focus to two more health agencies: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both have new directors, and both are making quiet but powerful moves that could shape public health in ways most folks aren’t even aware of. From cuts to health equity research that they categorize as "woke" to state level cuts causing delays in public health programs, these shifting priorities seem more political than scientific. On the surface, it’s all being branded as “reform and reduction of waste.” But when you dig a little deeper? It starts to look a lot like rolling back decades of work on health and environmental justice.

In this episode, Dr. B Fran breaks down the recommendations being proposed for these agencies under Project 2025—and how many of them run counter to core public health principles. From sidelining prevention to eliminating a focus on structural drivers of health, these proposed changes aren’t just policy tweaks—they could have real consequences for millions of people, especially those already facing steep marginaliza. Let’s talk about what’s at stake, and why it matters now more than ever.

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In this episode, we dig into Chapter 14 of Project 2025, a sweeping conservative blueprint for reshaping the Department of Health and Human Services. From the CDC to the FDA, the document outlines a radical restructuring of federal health agencies—one that could fundamentally shift the nation’s public health priorities. Dr. B Fran unpacks the goals laid out in the plan, starting with proposed changes to the CDC, and explore the potential impact on health equity, science, and trust in public health systems. While much has already shifted since this recording, this episode serves as a living resource for public health professionals, medical practitioners, and advocates to understand what's at stake—and how we can collectively respond. This is more than policy—it's about the future of health justice globally.

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Produced by Peoples Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.