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Fact Check: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just repealed this policy, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said it plain: Medical decisions should be based on the wellbeing of the patient — not government payouts

Fact Check: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just repealed this policy, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said it plain: Medical decisions should be based on the wellbeing of the patient — not government payouts

Published August 18, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
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# Fact-Check Article: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Repeals Policy on Hospital Staff Vaccination Reporting ## What We Know On August 1, 2025, H...

Fact-Check Article: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Repeals Policy on Hospital Staff Vaccination Reporting

What We Know

On August 1, 2025, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the repeal of a federal policy that financially incentivized hospitals to report staff vaccination rates. This policy was established under the Biden administration's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) inpatient payment rule, which tied hospital reimbursement to the reporting of vaccination rates among staff. Secretary Kennedy criticized this approach, stating that "medical decisions should be made based on one thing: the wellbeing of the person - never on a financial bonus or a government mandate" (HHS Press Release). CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that healthcare providers should have the autonomy to make decisions based on individual patient needs rather than financial incentives (CMS Press Release).

The repeal is part of a broader initiative by HHS to restore medical autonomy and eliminate financial pressures that could lead to coercive medical practices (HHS Press Release). The policy had been criticized for potentially undermining informed consent and promoting a culture of public shaming rather than public health (HHS Press Release).

Analysis

The claim that Secretary Kennedy repealed the policy and that Dr. Oz stated medical decisions should prioritize patient wellbeing over financial incentives is supported by official statements from both HHS and CMS. The HHS press release provides a direct quote from Secretary Kennedy, affirming the repeal and his stance on medical decision-making. Dr. Oz's comments further reinforce this position, highlighting the importance of provider autonomy in healthcare decisions.

The sources of this information are credible as they originate from official government press releases, which typically undergo rigorous verification processes before publication. However, it is important to note that the context of these statements may reflect the political agendas of the current administration, which could influence the framing of the issue. The repeal of the policy aligns with a broader narrative of restoring individual freedoms in healthcare, which may resonate with certain political factions.

While the press releases provide a clear account of the events, they may lack critical perspectives from healthcare professionals or patients affected by the previous policy. Therefore, while the information is accurate, it is essential to consider the potential biases inherent in the messaging from government officials.

Conclusion

The claim that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repealed the policy incentivizing hospitals for staff vaccination reporting, and that CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz stated medical decisions should prioritize patient wellbeing over financial incentives, is True. This conclusion is based on direct quotes from credible government sources that confirm the repeal and the emphasis on patient-centered care.

Sources

  1. HHS, CMS Eliminate Financial Pressure Tied to Hospital Staff Vaccination Reporting
  2. HHS Secretary Kennedy, CMS Administrator Oz Secure Industry Pledge to Fix Broken Prior Authorization System
  3. Mehmet Oz, M.D., M.B.A. - HHS.gov
  4. RFK, Jr. repealing federal health rules that allow financial incentives to providers who deliver pre-scripted treatments

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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Paul Krugman Paul Krugman We’re All Rats Now Time to take a stand, again, against racism Paul Krugman Jun 30, 2025 Zohran Mamdani’s upset victory in New York’s Democratic primary has created panic in MAGAland. Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump’s deportation policies, waxed apocalyptic: Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” And Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama basically declared New York’s voters subhuman, saying: These inner-city rats, they live off the federal government. And that’s one reason we’re $37 trillion in debt. And it’s time we find these rats and we send them back home, that are living off the American taxpayers that are working very hard every week to pay taxes. These reactions are vile, and they’re also dishonest. Whatever these men may claim, it’s all about bigotry. 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Fact Check: Transcript 00:00 For all of their strutting about protesting that they support democracy. Not a one of them gave a damn about democracy when they pulled Biden off the ballot and dropped Kamala Harris in without a single Democrat primary voter voting for him. And you know what? Not a single Democrat is here today because not a single one of them gives a damn about the fact that they lied to the American people for four years. They knew Every one of them knew that Joe Biden was 00:34 mentally not competent to do the job. The White House Press Secretary. She knew when she stood in front of the American people and lied over and over and over again and they're not here because they can't defend themselves. It wasn't a surprise for four years the White House hid President Biden from Republican Senators. Would not let him meet with us. He served 40 years in this body. We all know him. And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. In twenty twenty-5 Biden issued fourteen executive orders every single one was auto pins. 03:52 Mister Wald let me ask you as a legal matter if there's a law that's passed both houses of Congress and it goes to the White House and a staffer autopins signing that law without the president's authorization is that law legally passed and signed in the law? No. If an executive order is issued and a staffer autopins it without the president's authorization, is that executive order legally binding? No. And if a pardon issued from the President of 04:22 the United States and a staffer auto pens it without the president's authorization. Is that pardon legally binding? No. Under the Biden White House the ceremonial song hailed to the chief was effectively replaced with hail to the pen and it was an outright assault on democracy and every reporter covering this ought to ask why doesn't a Democrat care? We heard about the moral responsibilities of a staffer. 04:54 How about an elected senator who knows damn well that if we get into a war and Iran is preparing to fire a nuclear weapon at the United States that the commander in chief is busy playing with his jello and he's not competent to defend ourselves and every member of the cabinet, the chief of staff, the press secretary, and the members of Congress who lied about this on a daily basis with the press's complicity. They are all responsible for subverting democracy. Angry Ted Cruz is perhaps my favorite version of 05:27 Ted Cruz because when he's getting history on it, you might want to take a listen. He is definitely angry that there's some acting going on here in the line of hail to the chief change from hail to the pen that's not a smart line but it's still the truth. The truth is in this video right here ladies and gentlemen. 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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Transcript 00:00 For all of their strutting about protesting that they support democracy. Not a one of them gave a damn about democracy when they pulled Biden off the ballot and dropped Kamala Harris in without a single Democrat primary voter voting for him. And you know what? Not a single Democrat is here today because not a single one of them gives a damn about the fact that they lied to the American people for four years. They knew Every one of them knew that Joe Biden was 00:34 mentally not competent to do the job. The White House Press Secretary. She knew when she stood in front of the American people and lied over and over and over again and they're not here because they can't defend themselves. It wasn't a surprise for four years the White House hid President Biden from Republican Senators. Would not let him meet with us. He served 40 years in this body. We all know him. And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. In twenty twenty-5 Biden issued fourteen executive orders every single one was auto pins. 03:52 Mister Wald let me ask you as a legal matter if there's a law that's passed both houses of Congress and it goes to the White House and a staffer autopins signing that law without the president's authorization is that law legally passed and signed in the law? No. If an executive order is issued and a staffer autopins it without the president's authorization, is that executive order legally binding? No. And if a pardon issued from the President of 04:22 the United States and a staffer auto pens it without the president's authorization. Is that pardon legally binding? No. Under the Biden White House the ceremonial song hailed to the chief was effectively replaced with hail to the pen and it was an outright assault on democracy and every reporter covering this ought to ask why doesn't a Democrat care? 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Fact Check: Transcript 00:00 I'm Christy Nome here in Texas with my boots on the ground after this devastating tragedy that was absolutely not preventable and we are in no way responsible for it after visiting here I recently found out that Habius Corpus is the name of a city here in Texas and is in fact not a legal term which means the president can do whatever he wants. I have been told by some people that in addition to being the Secretary of Homeland Security that does also make me the head of Fema Fema sounds like female or feminism and that's DEI and 00:34 I don't believe in that. President Trump has entrusted me to be in charge of Fema which is not a federal emergency management agency. In fact, all emergencies are actually being managed by the state and the reason why I am here is to make sure to get some good film for my B roll. It is completely disgusting that there are people out there who are trying to politicize the devastation that happened here in Texas and I would like to remind everyone that it is only okay to politicize natural disasters when they happen in 01:04 blue states.

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