Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – President Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – pledged at a Senate confirmation hearing today that he would expand the use of AI tech and telemedicine in rural hospitals if confirmed to head the agency.
While today’s hearing focused largely on Kennedy’s views on vaccines, he noted that one unifying issue between Democrats and Republicans is addressing the critical nationwide issue of rural health care.
“Rural hospitals are closing at an extraordinary rate right now,” Kennedy told members of the Senate Committee on Finance. “President Trump is determined to end the hemorrhage of rural hospitals, and he’s asked me to do that through the use of AI [and] through telemedicine – which these are innovations that I saw the other day.”
“The Cleveland Clinic has developed an AI nurse that you cannot distinguish from a human being that has diagnostics as good as any doctor, and we can develop,” he said, adding, “We can provide concierge care to every American in this country, even those in the remote parts of Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, etc.”
If confirmed, Kennedy said he intends to make this “a priority,” because he knows it is a priority of both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.
Additionally, when asked by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., if he had ideas on how to reform Medicaid, Kennedy said that “there are many options with telemedicine, with AI right now” that could potentially improve services and make them more cost-efficient.
If confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee all of its health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the National Institutes of Health.
