00:00Chairman and thank you, Mr. Secretary. I'm Mark Pocan. I represent the second congressional district in Wisconsin. All are part of five or six, I'm sorry, six counties in South Central Wisconsin. I don't know you and I think it's important to have a good working relationship with you because of everything that you have. There's a lot of jurisdiction. You've definitely got your hands full with a lot. Some things I think we agree on and some things I'm not sure if we do. So I'm really trying to explore a little bit of that. I think some things that we agree on.
00:30And you brought it up. You want to have a special focus on chronic disease, correct?
00:35Yes.
00:35Yeah, great. And one that maybe Chuck and I disagree a little bit on, but I support what you're doing on ultra processed foods, on food dyes and other junk chemicals and promoting healthier diets. That's another focus, correct?
00:47Yes.
00:48And also, I think you're supporting and making it easier to access non-pharmaceutical, in other words, natural remedies as part of a person's health care decision.
00:56Yes.
00:56Yes. And one I didn't have on the list, but I heard you tell Mr. Simpson on dental care. I have a constituent who, because of an infection with a tooth, is now getting meals on wheels and his health is destroyed. So I appreciate that as well.
01:08Yes.
01:09So in trying to get to know you, there's some public things that, you know, make you somewhat of a conundrum to people like me, just trying to, you know, understand. One is on vaccines. And I don't want to ask you about, you know, all the specific theories on vaccines. But something that might be helpful is you've previously said you've vaccinated your children.
01:26And just because I think this is a helpful answer, and this isn't a gotcha, I promise. If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?
01:35For measles?
01:36Probably for measles. You know, what I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.
01:48I have directed Jay Bhattacharya to the science so that everybody can make that decision.
01:54But I, you know, I don't want to seem like I'm being evasive.
01:57Yeah.
01:58But I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me.
02:02Right. No, I got that. And I'm not asking you to give them medical advice, but would you vaccinate your child for measles?
02:07I think if I answer that question directly, that it will seem like I'm giving advice to other people. And I don't want to be doing that. I want people to make up.
02:15But that's kind of your jurisdiction because CDC does give advice, right? I'm not trying to do it as a gotcha.
02:19Yeah. I think what we're going to try to do is to lay out the pros and cons, the risks and benefits accurately as we understand them with replicable studies.
02:33Would you, can you talk about chickenpox? Would you vaccinate your child against chickenpox?
02:40I, again, I don't want to give advice. I can tell you in Europe they don't use the chickenpox vaccine specifically
02:47because the preclinical trial shows that when you inoculate the population from chickenpox, you get shingles in older people, which is more dangerous.
02:57Just one last one. Just a yes or no, please, if you could. Polio?
03:01Polio? Again, I don't want to be giving advice.
03:05That's fair. That's fair. Like I said, I was not doing it as a gotcha. I was just, I thought it could be helpful if, okay.
03:11Okay. So let me ask this on the 988 hotline. In your budget, you have eliminated, there was a special button you could press for LGBTQ plus youth.
03:20You know, I'm an openly gay man. I deal with a lot of organizations that deal with this.
03:25You know, the suicide rate among LGBT youth is four times nationally the rate of other youth.
03:29This is one where I hope that we could try to, like Chuck asked, work together to try to see if we could have a conversation about not eliminating this
03:39because, unfortunately, because of the bullying that's out there, because of, honestly, adults' bullying, both in Congress and state legislators,
03:47these kids are often at unique risk.
03:50And having that specific button they can push helps them to be able to get that service.
03:57Is that something we could talk about, at least trying to?
03:59I'm happy to talk to you about it.
04:01And I love the way that you approach this in a way that, rather than attacking me, is, you know, reaching out.
04:07And, you know, I'd love that from other Democrats because I think we have a lot to talk about.
04:11But as you know, and, you know, I'd like that you just because I am short on time, 988 line is, you know, was created by President Trump.
04:20He believes strongly in it.
04:22Reasonably, if I can't move that button is because we don't want to isolate different demographics and polarize our country.
04:29Everybody on that line is strange and cultural sensitivities.
04:33Sure. I got you.
04:34I just would love to talk to you.
04:35Because I think this is a unique one and a respect that we can have a conversation.
04:39Last one, just because I'm down to 22 seconds.
04:42I lost a little time there.
04:43Medicare Advantage.
04:44I know, you know, the Trump administration is going after waste, fraud, and abuse.
04:47This is a program we get a lot of constituent complaints on.
04:50It costs more than Medicare.
04:52It was intended to find savings.
04:53It doesn't.
04:54In fact, I think the current estimate is $80 billion in overpayments have gone to private insurers.
05:00Are you committed to, one, going after those overpayments?
05:02And, two, if Medicare Advantage isn't more cost effective, would we have a conversation about either eliminating the program or making it more effective?
05:12Medicare Advantage.
05:13I mean, I definitely want to go after the waste, fraud, and abuse in the private sector.
05:19There's 30 million people who want Medicare Advantage.
05:24I have Medicare Advantage.
05:25It works very well for me.
05:26I like it.
05:27But it costs more, and that's the point.
05:29I mean, I think our administrative costs are still far less than private industry.
05:34But it costs more than Medicare.
05:35That's my point.
05:36So that's all I was trying to say.
05:37But the services are much better.
05:40Okay.
05:40Another thing, if we can talk about and continue the conversation.
05:43I am sincere about wanting having a working relationship with you, Mr. Secretary.
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