Braun’s ‘Make Indiana Healthy Again’ plan tightens food stamp requirements, examines Hoosier nutrition

32 thoughts on “Braun’s ‘Make Indiana Healthy Again’ plan tightens food stamp requirements, examines Hoosier nutrition”

1. Today, the citizens or our State got to hear first hand the superficial rhetoric of a Governor who totally lacks the understanding of the seriousness of the health issues of our State.
   Unfortunately, the Governor focused on superficial health issues. Specifically, 4/9 executive orders (54,56,57,58) are just going to be studied, i.e. no concrete plan. The rest were just window dressing or making it harder for the economic disadvantaged to get healthcare or SNAP benefits. This is another example where a bully can beat up on the little guy, i.e. the “little guy” with few resources and no political clout. None of these issue are getting at any of the root causes of why Indiana is 36th overall in health. Yesterday, I made a list of some of the basic things that the State is NOT doing. If these were reversed the health of our patients would begin to improve. Here is this again:

   1. Public health initiatives are inadequately designed and poorly funded by the State.
   2. There is a total lack of all types of healthcare providers and healthcare staff. The State is doing nothing to increase the number of healthcare workers of all types.
   3. The State is doing nothing to increase the number of physicians (MD and DO) by not encouraging both Purdue and Notre Dame to develop their own medical school. [All of our surrounding States have more allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools than Indiana.]
   4. The State is not supporting more primary care residency programs (e.g. Internal medicine, family practice, pediatrics) for our State.
   5. The State is going out of its ways to gut Medicaid.
   6. The State lacks the medical expertise and accepts the prejudices of those in charge of health at the Federal level.
   7. This is only a partial list to address the health of the citizens of our State.

   Having OZ and Kennedy here today to support the anti-health campaign of Braun was a slap in the face of the citizens of our State.

   Phillip D. Toth, MD, FACP

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   1. 1+

   2. +1

   3. +1

   4. +1

      I can’t believe I’m saying this but my gut tells me they’re correct to remove candy and soda as all little items..

   5. Well said. Thank you.

   6. +1

   7. 100 percent agree.

   8. So well said Dr. Toth.
      This is Braun taking opportunity to show is subservience to Donald Trump by amplifying voices of dangerous rhetoric/positions with Kennedy (vaccines, fluoride, beef tallow, HHS cuts) and Oz (snakeoil remedies, positions and financial incentives towards privatizing medicare). So much that needs to be done to move “up” rankings from #36 in US and this is antithesis to that. But hey, if your version of moving up is higher towards #50, these are your quacks!

      Jake Mulinix, DO

2. When the Braud admin cuts SNAP and school lunch programs, they should use the acronym: MISA – Make Indiana Starve Again.

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   1. No one has “starved” in Indiana for lack of government support programs and free school lunches have expanded to include breakfast and summer programs because urban Democrats even with fully loaded EBT cards still don’t feed their kids, but hey you made a hyperbole funny acronym

   2. Chuck,

      You’re right; I was being hyperbolic. My guess is that people in this Country starved before such programs existing – granted probably decades ago. Regardless, even these vital socials programs appear to be on the chopping block these days although the cost is minimal versus other federal and state spending. In addition, the structure exists, such as school cafeterias, to facilitate and I, like most people that I know, support.

3. at least he is trying to do something. what did the last guy do? at any level?

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   1. Holcomb started a program at the state level to increase funding given to county health departments. After much wrangling, he got $75 million for year one and 150 million for year two. Braun cut the proposed funding increase for year two to $100 million.

      Braun has zero interest in Hoosiers being healthier. His interest is solely in cutting what the state spends, because he’s rich and he’s entitled to a tax cut. That helipad the state is building on his property ain’t gonna pay for itself.

      At some point, you will realize you’ve been had.

   2. Holcomb spent his entire term fighting infant mortality in the state of Indiana – and began actual tracking and collection of healthcare data in Indiana.

      He likely did more than the prior 3 governors combined around health in our state… I assume you have zero knowledge around this subject or you would not have asked

4. Not sure what 2 quack “Drs” have to do with food stamp and welfare fraud, but the end results are spot on and long overdue so of COURSE the IBJ democrats hate it.
   Hey Nate, can you and your fellow “journalists” tell us some more about that all female space flight “crew” LOL

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   1. I am glad you sucked up the meaningless propaganda so quickly.

      “EO 25-53: Mandates the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration provide benefits only to eligible Hoosiers”

      This is something the department should have already been doing.

   2. Dan, what propaganda did I suck up?
      What is the point of the comment you repeated 3-4 times? “They should already be doing that”. Doing what? Does the welfare/ food stamp system function efficiently or not? What are you saying?

   3. Chuck’s in line to bend over Trumps desk next.

5. “EO 25-53: Mandates the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration provide benefits only to eligible Hoosiers”

   I would hope that SSA was already doing this!!!

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   1. During Covid, particularly, they let anyone and everyone sign up, eligible or not. I for one, was not eligible, but a clerical error when doing my health benefits, my kids were automatically enrolled. After countless calls to correct, I gave up. They had benefits for years (unused). UHC didn’t care because they were getting paid. SSA didn’t do anything to help. So thankfully someone MAY look into the eligibility. ie, if someone hasn’t used a single benefit in years, cut them lose, stop mailing invoices, etc.

6. “EO 25-56: Orders a state study on artificial food dyes and additives”

   Wait!! This sound like something the FDA should be doing… Sorry, I forgot Trump cut that department to the bone, so now the states have to spend their money.

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7. So what did it cost the federal government to fly two quacks from DC to Indy for the snake oil event?

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   1. ‘+1 any serious chance he had at coming off sane was lost with that sign. Good lord.

   2. State probably paid for it. Hope Oz was able to sell some books.

8. Hoosiers need to learn to take better care of themselves. It is a culture thing. Forget Braun and politics. I’m a gym rat, and it seems that fewer people than ever work out on a regular basis. I am thrilled when I see someone in bad physical shape at the gym. I just hope they stick with it. Being fit is not easy. You have to make a personal decision to be fit and healthy. No money or programs are going to fix the issue. People have to want to fix it for themselves. I have close relatives that have never exercised. And guess what! They are the ones with the most health issues.

   When I visit other states like Colorado, California, etc., the general population seems much more fit, and it goes back to culture and also the opportunity to do more outside with mountains to hike up, skiing, biking, and other outdoor sports. We don’t have mountains in Indiana, or nice weather year round. That contributes to the lazier culture here.

   Following a good nutrition plan is also a personal decision. The state isn’t going to ship you healthy food and miraculously you are instantly healthy. Buying healthy food may cost a bit more, but you can be smart about it. Don’t eat fast food. Cook meals at home. And eat smaller portions.

   Braun, RFK, and Oz won’t fix a thing on Indiana being more healthy. It is a personal choice. That choice is free.

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   1. Yes, but those without access to affordable food struggle to make that personal choice. Some are just trying to survive.

   2. Everything you said is true, and impossible for the 40% of Hoosiers who are at or below the ALICE line.

      You might as well walk into a factory and yell at the employees to stop being so poor – that is basically the advice you are giving :/

      If you make over 40k annually and are in bad shape and unhealthy – that is definitely a personal choice I agree

   3. Marc, I agree with most of your post and yes it is more fun to exorcise outdoors in those States, but you don’t have to run the stairs at Red Rocks for a baseline fitness. Walk around the block. Tomorrow see if you can make it 2 blocks. Cold? Bummer, I guarantee you will warm up in 10 minutes. Can’t afford a gym membership? Pick up a used bike or exercise equipment on FB marketplace for next to nothing

      The problem, as you can see from David and JJ is that Democrats never accept personal responsibility or accountability for their actions. It is ALWAYS someone else’s fault and the remedy ALWAYS requires more tax money.

      JJ, if someone makes less than $40K a year that is also a personal choice. Now roll out your other troupes— education! Lack of public transportation! All of which of course require more tax money

   4. “Do your own research” and you find that for many folks, they can do all that and they won’t lose the weight. You may as well yell at an Alzheimer’s patient and tell them to stop being forgetful.

      Chuck, after the first Trump admin and the 2020 election, you can park the entire “only Democrats never accept personal responsibility” nonsense. Your leader is a man who is so delusional he’s twice claimed fraud before elections he ended up winning!

9. Maybe trump’s doctor can train all the Indiana doctors – then obese Hoosiers can be proclaimed “healthy”, “fit” and “not obese”…

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10. Nothing says good governance like taking the food out of the mouths of children born in to poverty.

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