Last week, in response to a question about health care and pre-existing conditions, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney reportedly made the following statement: “The question is, who is responsible for your ordinary health care? You or somebody else? That doesn’t mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly, and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel’s kid? I don’t think that it is.”
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) responded swiftly, noting in a press release that “All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.”
The ADA recommends that people with diabetes and their loved ones fight against diabetes discrimination and misinformation by becoming a diabetes advocate. Ideas for advocacy, and ways to get involved, can be found here.
The ADA’s full public statement on Mr. Mulvaney’s remarks is available on the Association’s website.
