US Health department will analyze data from autistic Medicare, Medicaid enrollees, RFK Jr. says

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan Wednesday to use medical data and records from people on Medicaid and Medicare to help study autism although experts say it's unlikely to help reveal the condition's root causes.

The program will involve a data sharing agreement between the National Institutes of Health, the government’s health research arm, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which has access to claims data from nearly 150 million Americans across the country.

“We’re using this partnership to uncover the root causes of autism and other chronic diseases,” Kennedy said in a statement.

The agreement will be “consistent with applicable privacy laws to protect Americans’ sensitive health information,” the HHS statement said. The health department did not respond to additional questions about the program.

Using the data, the agency said researchers will focus on autism diagnosis trends, health outcomes from medical or behavioral treatment, access to care based on demographics and geography as well the economic burden of autism on families and health care systems.

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