In a frank discussion on the latest episode of "Pantsuits and Lawsuits," Michigan's AG Dana Nessel and Arizona's AG Kris Mayes broke down the real price of the Trump Administration's policies on health. They were joined by Will Humble of the Arizona Public Health Association, who detailed the potential aftermath of major public health program rollbacks. "These changes threaten to strip families of affordable access to vaccines and jeopardize decades of progress in protecting children from preventable diseases," Nessel stated, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General press release.
The gutting of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, as explained by Humble in the podcast, could remove essential childhood vaccines from recommended schedules. Since these schedules are what determine coverage under the Vaccines for Children program – a program that serves over fifty percent of American children – and private insurance, a mere result of widespread vaccine inaccessibility is not just possible, but likely. "I want to thank Will Humble for explaining just how dangerous these rollbacks really are," Michigan Department of Attorney General told listeners, highlighting that a single COVID-19 vaccine dose, priced at over $200, could become unaffordable to many.
But the issues don't end with vaccines. Nessel and Mayes point out the potential crisis in medical education, stressing that new loan limits will make attending medical school financially infeasible for many. As a consequence, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General press release, physician shortages, especially in rural areas, could become drastically worse. This is where healthcare access is already thin on the ground, risking turning already precarious situations dire.
The biweekly podcast "Pantsuits and Lawsuits" aims to unpack complex legal issues in an engaging, straight-talking, and digestible format for their audience, as per the Michigan Department of Attorney General. This latest installment not only zeroes in on the legal landscape shaped by attorneys general like Nessel and Mayes, but also casts a spotlight on how law intersects with the daily lives of the public. For listeners keen on understanding the ins and outs of their work, many major podcast platforms now carry the latest episode of this revealing series.
