President's Page: First Do No Harm February 25, 2025 Advocacy, From the President, Hot Topics, Legislation Presidential administrations significantly impact the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities. Through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies, presidential administrations have significant influence over how financial resources are allocated, the focus of federal research, and how our public health care insurance systems are managed, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children program, Medicare, and Medicaid. These decisions impact all Americans but are usually felt most acutely by those most underserved and vulnerable. As we embark on the next four years, the ACCMA is urging President Trump and his administration to make decisions that are based on facts, evidence, and science, just as physicians do for our patients every day. Like physicians, the new administration should first and foremost do no harm. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. As physicians, we must reaffirm our commitment to evidence based medicine and redouble our efforts to educate our patients about what the evidence shows. Here are the facts: • Vaccines are safe, effective, and protect against life threatening disease such as measles, polio, tetanus, and meningococcal disease. Because of vaccine mis- and disinformation, there has been a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough, endangering those who are too young or unable to be vaccinated. • Fluoride in drinking water at the recommended level of 0.7 parts per million, like we have in our EBMUD water, is safe and keeps teeth strong. Because 72.3% of the U.S. population has access to fluoridated water, there has been a reduction in cavities by about 25% in both children and adults. • Public health agencies are critical to preventing and responding to health crises in our communities. Federal funding and technical assistance allow local and state public health agencies to develop response plans, implement intervention strategies, and work with hard-to-reach communities. • Since the passage of the ACA in 2010, the number of uninsured Americans fell from 48 million in 2010 to 25.6 million in 2023. California has led the way by investing and expanding Medi- Cal. Voters affirmed this commitment by passing Proposition 35 in November, significantly expanding federal Medi-Cal funding. These are just a few of the many issues we are likely to confront in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Regardless of the president in power, physicians will always put the best interests of our patients and communities at the forefront. We will continue to be a resource to our patients, providing evidence-based and scientifically proven information and striving to better their lives and our community's health. We urge this administration to do the same.