HEALTH CARE WARS:
SEPTEMBER 2025 DASHBOARD
THE IDEOLOGICAL THEATER
Archive
HHS Influencers' focus on "Big Food" and "Big Pharma" (X data)
Notable new X followings
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- Nicolas Hulscher:
McCullough Foundation epidemiologist who describes COVID-19 vaccination as “a mass sterilization program"
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
- Lisa Britton:
Advocate for "the mental health, education, and wellbeing of our boys" - Gregory Conley:
Founder/president of the American Vaping Association (2014–2023) - Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring:
“Drug tapering educator,” with a focus on the negative effects of SSRIs
Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O'Neill
- Breanna Deutsch:
Author of Finding the Fountain: Why Government Must Unlock Biotech’s Potential to Maximize Longevity - Richard H. Ebright:
Rutgers University professor of chemistry and chemical biology who promotes the COVID “lab leak theory” - A Midwestern Doctor:
Author of "the #1 medical Substack that exposes pharma corruption and remarkable therapies lost to time"
Calley Means
- Patrick Hsu:
“Researcher and investor in genome editing, biotech, AI” and UC Berkeley assistant professor of bioengineering
New Trump Administration hires and nominees
| Hire | Background | Pharma Perspectives | Food Perspectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Adams, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Family Support, HHS | Director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare; previously has served as Executive Director of the Idaho State Board of Pharmacy and Vice President of Pharmacy Programs for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)[1] | Motivated by his belief that “deregulation works,” Adams has touted Idaho’s pharmacy deregulation, including expanding the role of pharmacy technicians and increasing pharmacists’ ability to prescribe drugs[2] | N/A |
| Chris Ritter, Acting Deputy Director – Parts C and D, Center for Medicare, CMS | Career CMS official with experience as Deputy Director of the Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group, Director of the Patient Care Models Group at the Innovation Center, and Director of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Group[3] | Led implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation and Inflation Rebate Programs after several years “directing specialty care, bundled payments, and drug models”[4] | N/A |
Health care op-eds published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post
THE COMMERCIAL THEATER
Meta Platforms ad spending by key health care trade and professional organizations
Corporate sponsors of health care conferences and "fly-ins"
2025 Community Health Conference & Expo – National Association of Community Health Centers (August 17–19)[5]
Legacy Sponsors: Aetna, Centene Corporation, CNECT, Forvis Mazars, McKesson, and NextGen Healthcare
Partner Sponsors: Aledade, eClinicalWorks, Greenway, healow Genie, Mutual of America, Sunoh.ai, Upstream, Verity Solutions, Vital Interaction, and Yuvo Health
Builder Sponsors: Pfizer Multicultural Health Equity Collective
Promoter Sponsors: AndHealth and athenahealth
Champion Sponsors: Athelas, CareMessage, Consilium Staffing, Equiscript, Health Choice Network, Sellers Dorsey, and The Hebets Company
Defender Sponsors: AmeriHealth Caritas, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, CHCollective, Doximity, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Molina Healthcare, and Multiview ERP
2025 Bleeding Disorders Conference – National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (August 21–23)[6]
Premier: Sanofi
Gold: Genentech and Novo Nordisk
Silver: Takeda
Bronze: CSL Behring and Pfizer
Friend: Kedrion Biopharma
2025 National Association of Chain Drug Stores Total Store Expo (August 23–25)[7]
Platinum: Force Factor and OKAY Pure Naturals
Gold: Bayer, Camber Pharmaceuticals, Coca-Cola, The Emerson Group, PepsiCo, and T-Mobile for Business
Silver: Source Group, Mars Wrigley, Merck, Navajo Incorporated, and Piping Rock Health Products
Bronze: Edgewell Personal Care, IQVIA, Pharmavite, and Uniweb
Newsletter sponsors
Axios (Vitals)
Politico – Health Care
(Pulse and Prescription Pulse)
Politico – Food/Ag
(Weekly Agriculture)
STAT News
(D.C. Diagnosis and
Morning Rounds)
- Alex Adams, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-adams-a503b026.
- Alex Adams, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-adams-a503b026_how-pharmacists-can-increase-access-to-routine-activity-7176663394941349888-8Rm5; Alex Adams, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-adams-a503b026_a-dose-of-free-market-medicine-expanding-activity-7163537735725645824-Z_IS; Alex Adams, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-adams-a503b026_seven-years-ago-today-this-idaho-crew-was-activity-7141460582322352128-_hLz; and Alex Adams, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-adams-a503b026_it-wasnt-hard-to-see-the-future-for-pharmacy-activity-7165027492653723648-w_rK.
- “CMS Leadership,” Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, August 12, 2025, https://www.cms.gov/about-cms/who-we-are/leadership/center-medicare.
- Ibid.
- "CHI - Community Health Conference & Expo: Sponsorships/ Exhibits," National Association of Community Health Centers, https://www.nachc.org/conference-page/chi-expo-conference/sponsorships-exhibits.
- "Meet Our Sponsors," 2025 Bleeding Disorders Conference, National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, https://events.bleeding.org/website/80813/meetoursponsors.
- "Sponsors," 2025 Total Store Expo, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, https://tse.nacds.org/sponsor.
About Baron
Baron has guided clients for nearly two decades through the most challenging political terrain. Applying a methodology focused on mastering the strategic competition of interests, Baron advises some of the nation's most prominent organizations, including members of the Fortune 10, several of America's largest privately held businesses, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Baron's health care sector clients have included insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, integrated health systems, and medical device firms.
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