The AP (5/7, Seitz ) reports Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “announced a plan Wednesday to use medical data and records from people on Medicaid and Medicare to help study autism although experts say it’s unlikely to help reveal the condition’s root causes.” The program will consist of a data sharing agreement between the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. HHS explained researchers will use the data to “focus on autism diagnosis trends, health outcomes from medical or behavioral treatment, access to care based on demographics and geography as well [as] the economic burden of autism on families and health care systems.” An HHS statement said the agreement will be “consistent with applicable privacy laws to protect Americans’ sensitive health information.”
CNN (5/7, Owermohle ) reports that “early signals from health officials that they would build a database to track autism were met with swift rebuke from advocacy organizations and doctors.”
Also reporting is The Hill (5/7, Choi ).
Related Links:
— “US Health department will analyze data from autistic Medicare, Medicaid enrollees, RFK Jr. says,” Amanda Seitz, Associated Press, May 7, 2025