Field Dispatch #001 – July 6, 2025
The New Wellness Illusion: Why RFK Jr.’s Health Strategy Isn’t What It Seems
By David Kaufer
What This Is and Why It Matters
Welcome to the first edition of The Darker Side of the Spectrum—a weekly dispatch from the field for those who care about disability, public health, equity, and truth.
This isn’t about cynicism. It’s about clarity.
I created The Lighter Side of the Spectrum to tell the stories of neurodivergent joy, inclusion, and advocacy.
But there’s another side of the spectrum—one that’s increasingly shaped by policies that devalue, exclude, or exploit disabled and non-speaking individuals.
This space exists to track what’s happening behind the headlines – especially under the current administration – and to expose the deeper systems that shape real lives.
Let’s begin.
RFK Jr. wants every American in a wearable by 2029.
Trump’s House allies just gutted Medicaid.
And RFK’s vaccine committee handed Merck a billion-dollar market.
These aren’t isolated events. They are part of a coordinated shift in how we define “health”—away from care, and toward control.
1. Wearables Over Wellness
RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign centers around biometric devices: wristbands, glucose monitors, heart rate trackers. What it doesn’t include:
- Expansion of Medicaid
- New investment in public mental health
- Food security and nutrition programs
- Data privacy protections
- Disability-inclusive infrastructure
What we are getting:
- Government-endorsed biometric surveillance
- A massive HHS-backed ad campaign
- Corporate partnerships with device makers
- No clarity on data rights, opt-outs, or enforcement
This isn’t patient empowerment.
It’s tech-washed austerity.
2. The RSV Shot Approval: Merck Wins Big
RFK Jr.’s handpicked vaccine committee just approved Merck’s monoclonal RSV antibody (Enflonsia) for infants.
At first glance, this looks like a responsible step. But zoom in:
- The committee is composed of skeptics chosen by RFK himself
- Approval arrived faster than expected, surprising some analysts
- It allows RFK to appear “balanced” without changing his anti-vaccine stance
Who profits?
- Merck: Projected U.S. sales of $1B+ annually, with global potential exceeding $3B
- Margins: As high as 75%+, due to low post-approval manufacturing costs
- Stock reaction: Merck shares spiked 9% on the news
This isn’t RFK going soft on Pharma.
It’s Pharma being very comfortable with RFK.
“Why is Big Pharma afraid of RFK Jr.?”
They’re not.
They’re grateful.
3. Trump’s Medicaid Cuts: The Real Threat to Health Freedom
While RFK sells wellness wristbands, Trump’s allies just passed a bill to:
- Slash Medicaid expansion
- Defund waiver programs
- Gut disability-related community services
- Undermine enforcement of the ADA and IDEA
Together, the effect is devastating:
- Less access to care
- More pressure to self-manage without support
- Growing gaps for non-speaking and multiply disabled people
- Devices offered as a substitute for systemic repair
This isn’t freedom.
It’s privatized survival.
Why This Series Exists
Each week, I’ll share what matters most—but rarely gets reported clearly—for the disabled, autistic, and non-speaking community.
- What policies are moving behind the scenes
- Which narratives are being weaponized for power
- Who’s benefiting while disabled people are being ignored or exploited
You won’t get fear-mongering here.
Just truth, connection, and a call to stay awake—together.
Postscript: Sources & Further Reading
These links provide the factual backbone for this dispatch. Transparency matters.
- RFK Jr.’s wearables campaign:
Reuters: US Health Secretary Kennedy says HHS to launch campaign to encourage wearable devices
ABC News: RFK Jr. wants everyone to use wearables. What are the benefits, risks? - Merck’s RSV antibody approval:
Reuters: US FDA approves Merck’s RSV antibody for infants
Merck Press Release: ENFLONSIA Approval
Merck/CDC Advisory: Committee recommendation coverage - Trump’s Medicaid and spending cuts:
AP: Trump branded, browbeat and prevailed
AP: House gives final approval to Trump’s big tax bill
TIME: More Than 70 Million Americans Are on Medicaid. What to Know
