What happens when politics ignores kids? Pediatrician and South Carolina Senate hopeful Dr. Annie Andrews joins me to talk about why children’s health depends on more than just doctor’s visits – it depends on the policies shaping their lives. From Medicaid cuts to paid leave, gun safety, and the cost of insulin, Dr. Andrews explains why neutrality in medicine isn’t an option and why pediatricians, and parents, have a responsibility to speak up.

We discuss:

• Why Dr. Andrews made the leap from pediatrics to politics

• How policies like Medicaid cuts directly hurt children, families, and the health care system

• Why pediatricians and parents need to get louder in advocacy

• How healthcare has become political and why we need to be louder for our kids’ future 

• The child tax credit and other policies that could transform children’s futures

• How better policy can prevent burnout among doctors and improve care for every family

To connect with Dr. Annie Andrews follow her on Instagram @annieandrewsmd, check out all her resources at ⁠https://drannieandrews.com/⁠

00:00 – Why Advocacy Alone Isn’t Enough
01:11 – Politics Is Already in Our Lane
02:32 – Meet Dr. Annie Andrews: Pediatrician, Mom, Senate Hopeful
04:04 – From Clinic to Campaign: Why She Ran
07:06 – Kids Left Behind in Red vs. Blue States
09:30 – Why Staying Neutral Can Hurt Kids
12:22 – Advocacy vs. Politics: What Really Creates Change
15:26 – Looking Ahead: Policy Priorities if Elected
16:50 – Medicaid Cuts and What They Mean for Families
22:02 – How Cuts Affect Doctors, Patients, and the Whole System
25:14 – Burnout, Reimbursement, and a Broken System
28:15 – Why Pediatricians Must Step Into Politics
30:17 – Fixing the Workforce Crisis in Pediatrics
33:52 – Final Call to Action: Getting Loud for Kids
35:30 – How to Connect With Dr. Annie Andrews
38:21 – Closing Thoughts: Hope Through Action

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00;00;00;05 – 00;00;18;06

Dr. Annie Andrews

But if we stop there, if we stop at advocacy and we don’t do politics, we’re missing the whole game because politics is changing. Who has the power? And think about how powerful that can be. If we change who is in these seats of power. If we start electing people who wake up every day and have children as their priority.

 

00;00;18;06 – 00;00;38;19

Dr. Annie Andrews

How much easier it would be to pass something like an expanded and permanent child tax credit to pass something like, you know, expanded Medicaid, Medicaid throughout this country to lower the cost of prescription drugs to fully fund our public education system, to act urgently on climate change, all of these things that are affecting America’s children. We have policy solutions.

 

00;00;38;19 – 00;00;48;04

Dr. Annie Andrews

But if we don’t engage in politics, we’re never going to get to where we need to be.

 

00;00;48;06 – 00;01;11;09

Dr. Mona

Welcome to the show. It’s me, Doctor Mona, your online pediatrician, confidante and mom friend. You’re listening to the PedsDocTalk podcast, where we usually focus on parenting, child health, and family life. And today’s a little different. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a political candidate on the show. But the truth is, politics directly shapes parenting, child health, and family life.

 

00;01;11;11 – 00;01;28;17

Dr. Mona

And I want to be upfront. Some of you may not like that. I hear it all the time. Stay in your lane. But the truth is, politics is already in our lane. It has seeped into how I do my job as a pediatrician, what resources my patients have access to, and even the quality of life that children in America get to experience.

 

00;01;28;19 – 00;01;52;25

Dr. Mona

Politics decides whether families can afford insulin for their child with diabetes. Politics decides whether parents have paid leave to recover from childbirth or stay home with a sick baby. Politics decides if a child has health insurance through Medicaid or Chip, or if they end up in my office sicker because they couldn’t get care sooner. Politics decides whether a seven year old ends up in an E.R. with a bullet wound because of gun policy failures.

 

00;01;52;28 – 00;02;11;07

Dr. Mona

And I see this every day in Florida. In my practice, about half of my patients rely on Medicaid. Families already struggle with finding specialists, affording medications and accessing mental health resources. Cuts and policy changes aren’t abstract to me. They show up in the faces of the kids and families I care for, in the parents who break down in my office.

 

00;02;11;10 – 00;02;32;01

Dr. Mona

In the impossible choices families are forced to make. That’s why when people say stay out of politics, what they’re really saying is accept the status quo. And I can’t doctor any Andrews can’t. And neither can the thousands of pediatricians and parents who see every day how political decisions affect kids health. That’s why I’m so honored to welcome Doctor Annie Anders to the podcast.

 

00;02;32;01 – 00;02;53;16

Dr. Mona

She’s a fellow pediatrician, a mom and a Senate hopeful in South Carolina. Annie isn’t a career politician. She’s one of us stepping up because she knows we can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. Today we talk about how politics has collided with health care, why staying neutral can harm kids, and what advocacy can look like. From the clinic to Washington, D.C..

 

00;02;53;18 – 00;03;19;27

Dr. Mona

Before we dive in, don’t forget to subscribe! Download this episode and share it and share the video that I’ve shared on my social media handles, Pedes Doc Talk and the Doc Talk podcast, and tag Annie Andrews, MD when you share it so we can spread the word and help get her to Washington, DC. This is more important than ever, and let’s get into this amazing conversation.

 

00;03;19;29 – 00;03;31;14

Dr. Mona

Doctor Annie Andrews, Senate hopeful. Thank you for joining me as we talk today about healthy kids and how we need healthy policy. The case for advocacy. I’m so honored to have you on my show today.

 

00;03;31;16 – 00;03;36;17

Dr. Annie Andrews

Thank you so much for that kind introduction, doctor. Mona, I’m really pleased to be here today.

 

00;03;36;20 – 00;04;04;06

Dr. Mona

You know, one of the biggest things that I get a lot on my platform is Doctor Mona. Don’t get political, don’t get political. And I’m. You’re the first politician I’m having on my show, right? Meaning, the only reason I even even wanted you on is because you were also a former pediatrician. And I do think it’s important that we share the importance of why having doctors who are advocating for our children and now running for Senate, you know, have their voice heard.

 

00;04;04;08 – 00;04;21;13

Dr. Mona

I want to start with the obvious, which people may not know about, but you have a thriving pediatric career you’ve been working for for decades, I was told, and you’re also a mother. But what made you make this jump into politics and made you realize that this was the next move that you needed to do in your life?

 

00;04;21;15 – 00;04;27;19

Dr. Annie Andrews

It’s interesting to hear you call me a politician because I still don’t identify as a politician, even though they.

 

00;04;27;20 – 00;04;29;05

Dr. Mona

Still love you. Yeah.

 

00;04;29;07 – 00;04;55;26

Dr. Annie Andrews

Yeah. And I hope to never fully identify as a politician. And I still am a practicing pediatrician. I work very, very part time at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, taking care of sick and injured children in our nation’s capital. I got into politics because politics got into my business. Politics injected itself into the practice of health care, in particular the practice of pediatrics in a way that is harming kids and families in every corner of this country.

 

00;04;56;02 – 00;05;17;08

Dr. Annie Andrews

You know, you talked at the outset about what we see when we work in a children’s hospital. We see kids who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, kids who have to spend the night in these hospital rooms alone because their parents are juggling multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Kids with chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes whose parents can’t afford these medications.

 

00;05;17;14 – 00;05;34;22

Dr. Annie Andrews

Kids who are in the throes of a mental health crisis can’t find mental health resources. And every pediatrician has taken care of a child with bullet holes in them. So it was too much for me. And as a Type-A person and a problem solver, I started to look for solutions, and I very quickly realized these are policy problems.

 

00;05;34;22 – 00;05;59;18

Dr. Annie Andrews

These are systemic problems that are hurting our kids and families before they ever walk into the doors of a pediatrician’s office or a children’s hospital. So I looked upstream to my state capital and Columbia and to Washington, D.C., and I didn’t see enough people fighting for our kids. And I looked around the room at folks who are making these decisions in South Carolina and in Washington, D.C., and I realized I am more than qualified to be in these rooms where decisions are being made.

 

00;05;59;19 – 00;06;04;14

Dr. Annie Andrews

So I just took the bold step to dive into politics and run for office.

 

00;06;04;16 – 00;06;25;09

Dr. Mona

Well, I love that you already identify yourself as a pediatrician and mom, that is exactly why I support you and why I loved your campaign. I found you through a friend who I believe knows you, doctor Anita Patel. She’s a pick you doc in in the D.C. area. And she sent me one of your campaign videos, and I was like, oh my gosh, like, this is amazing.

 

00;06;25;09 – 00;06;44;02

Dr. Mona

And, you know, obviously I’m not we don’t have to go into detail that campaign video, but it was just exactly what I think this world needs, right? This sort of shake up, this sort of understanding. And there’s no better a person, in my opinion, to do this than a pediatrician who’s been working in, you know, in, in hospitals, in offices because it is upstream, right?

 

00;06;44;09 – 00;07;06;26

Dr. Mona

We forget that all these issues, like you just mentioned, don’t just start when people are 20 years old or, you know, adults, like, what are the health access? What is the safety access? We see that every day as pediatricians. How broken the system has become. And I think you’ve probably seen that throughout your career. Right. Like how it continues to become broken, especially in states that don’t prioritize this.

 

00;07;06;26 – 00;07;25;01

Dr. Mona

And that tends to be a lot of red states. I’m in Florida. I see a lot of kids left behind here. I used to grow up in California, which yes, it’s there to some degree, but it’s not to the degree that I’m seeing it in these states. And so I don’t know if you see that same sort of reality that you see that now this is becoming a very, very like red blue.

 

00;07;25;02 – 00;07;33;18

Dr. Mona

Where are the kids going to be left out in this situation and how that makes you feel as a as a mom and pediatrician, to see that this these policies are really hurting kids.

 

00;07;33;21 – 00;07;57;05

Dr. Annie Andrews

It’s heartbreaking and it’s deeply frustrating because we are we are we are data driven professionals. And there are answers to these solutions. But there are politics, bad politics standing in the way of our elected officials passing the policies that we know will benefit America’s children. So you’re right, there is a discrepancy between how kids in red states are doing and how kids in blue states are doing.

 

00;07;57;11 – 00;08;25;14

Dr. Annie Andrews

But here in America in 2025, what I fear is the country is going to turn into one big red state where kids are getting left behind. And the reason why children are getting left behind is quite simple. It’s because children are not inherently a politically powerful constituency. Children don’t vote. Children don’t donate to candidates, children don’t support political action committees and therefore they are left behind.

 

00;08;25;14 – 00;08;51;20

Dr. Annie Andrews

They are at the bottom of the priority pile. And every nearly every member of Congress desk, because they are not inherently politically powerful, unlike Americans over the age of 65 who are an incredibly powerful political constituency. So it is incumbent upon those of us who care about America’s children to build political power on their behalf. Running for office is one way to do that, to draw attention to these issues.

 

00;08;51;20 – 00;09;14;09

Dr. Annie Andrews

That’s why I was so pleased my campaign video went so viral because I want more eyes and ears on the words that are coming out of my mouth. Because I am so deeply passionate about building a political movement that centers America’s children, that I want everyone who cares about America’s kids to understand that this is one of the key reasons our kids are being left behind, because we’re not engaging in politics on their behalf.

 

00;09;14;11 – 00;09;30;15

Dr. Mona

Yeah. And I mean, we know that so many of the policies just don’t care about children and families, right? We go into paid leave. We go into the whole Medicaid crisis, which we’ll be talking about now, and how that’s going to negatively impact so many, and how I’m already seeing the impacts as a Florida pediatrician that accepts a lot of Medicaid patients.

 

00;09;30;19 – 00;09;55;14

Dr. Mona

And I think, you know, we will get into that. And you said health care shouldn’t be political, but in America, it has been and many doctors are taught to stay neutral. But you’ve also made the case that neutrality can be harmful. So what would you say to other health care professionals who are hesitant to speak out, or to that person listening and saying, why are we talking about politics when this should be about parenting or our children?

 

00;09;55;16 – 00;10;03;13

Dr. Mona

Now let’s take a quick break to hear from our sponsors who support helps us keep bringing you this show.

 

00;10;03;16 – 00;10;31;27

Dr. Annie Andrews

So you can’t fight bad politics by staying apolitical? Yeah, and honestly, I wish I could just have stayed with my full time career of being a pediatric hospitalist. But what I saw every day drove me to find solutions. And the solutions are political. And that is just the reality. And because of this unwritten curricula we experience in medical school and in our residency training, that we must stay apolitical, that we must stay neutral.

 

00;10;32;02 – 00;10;56;09

Dr. Annie Andrews

We have given up our seat at the table, we have abdicated our responsibility. And there is no greater concern that I have than pediatricians who are sitting outside of politics, because, you know, there’s other physicians who do a pretty good job advocating for their professions anesthesiologists, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists. They all are engaged in politics through their organizations, political action committees.

 

00;10;56;12 – 00;11;16;28

Dr. Annie Andrews

But pediatricians have given up a seat at that table because pediatricians are the only medical profession that hasn’t built a political action committee. And we just have to get over ourselves because we are doing our patients and families a disservice by failing to engage in enacting the policy solutions that will benefit them. And I talk about this all the time.

 

00;11;16;28 – 00;11;38;21

Dr. Annie Andrews

When I travel around the country to talk to future pediatricians. We all understand what research is. Research is finding the answer to a problem policy is putting that answer into a systemic solution. Advocacy is going up to the elected officials trying to convince the people in power to care about your problem, and to care about your proposed solution.

 

00;11;38;23 – 00;12;13;08

Dr. Annie Andrews

But if we stop there, if we stop at advocacy and we don’t do politics, we’re missing the whole game because politics is changing. Who has the power? And think about how powerful that can be. If we change who is in these seats of power. If we start electing people who wake up every day and have children as their priority, how much easier it would be to pass something like an expanded and permanent child tax credit to pass something like, you know, expanded Medicaid, Medicaid throughout this country to lower the cost of prescription drugs to fully fund our public education system, to get act urgently on climate change.

 

00;12;13;08 – 00;12;22;00

Dr. Annie Andrews

All of these things that are affecting America’s children. We have policy solutions. But if we don’t engage in politics, we’re never going to get to where we need to be.

 

00;12;22;03 – 00;12;37;27

Dr. Mona

I love it, I mean, we could just end it right there. No, I mean, like, this is exactly it. And I, I actually started my advocacy desire in the pandemic. Right. That’s when I started my platform. And the advocacy had to be around vaccines and public health. Right. That was what was really prominent at that point. And it was hard.

 

00;12;37;27 – 00;12;55;09

Dr. Mona

And, you know, my message to a lot of people who are fearful of it is like, you are fighting for values here. So this isn’t about to be honest, this isn’t about red blue person person. It’s about what value system is this person bringing. And to be to not make, to not make certain policies in a reality is a problem.

 

00;12;55;09 – 00;13;12;23

Dr. Mona

You know? I mean, we have to care about the kids. We have to care about all access to all children. And then obviously, you talked about gun safety and cost of medicine. All of that impacts lives. And why don’t we care about that? Like I, I’m shocked when people are like, yeah, I don’t want to get involved or I’m just like, and there’s so many different ways to do it.

 

00;13;12;23 – 00;13;32;23

Dr. Mona

You don’t have to be on stages and running for office like you are, but you can be voicing and getting into local grassroots organizations and really fighting for those kids, which I’m trying to do a lot of. And I’m so inspired by you because I don’t know if I would ever run for office. People are always telling me to do it, but seeing you is inspiring.

 

00;13;32;24 – 00;13;52;00

Dr. Mona

Like I, I’m inspired to continue to advocate when I see fellow pediatricians, fellow moms, fellow, you know, health care professionals do that, and that is a ripple effect that I agree that we can’t stay out on the sidelines and just say, well, changes will happen if they happen. They’re not. And it’s getting worse, in my opinion. And I think you feel the same.

 

00;13;52;03 – 00;14;10;29

Dr. Annie Andrews

It absolutely is getting worse. And it isn’t about red or blue. I think people like me now and assume I’ve just been this, like hardcore Democrat my entire life. I was actually pretty apolitical because I had the privilege to be apolitical in my 20s. And then when I became a mom and saw the world around me, that gave me the courage to engage.

 

00;14;11;01 – 00;14;29;09

Dr. Annie Andrews

And then I looked at our two political parties. And there is one excuse me, there’s one that is very clearly fighting for America’s children and one that is not that is not my fault. I did not write the Republican Party’s policy platform. If both parties had different approaches to fighting for America’s children, I would love to have two choices.

 

00;14;29;09 – 00;14;59;11

Dr. Annie Andrews

But the fact of the matter is, in 2025, in the United States of America, there is one political party that prioritizes America’s children and one that is actively working to make their lives worse by taking away the Snap benefit program, by essentially gutting our nation’s Medicaid program, which is the largest insurer for children in this country. So, yes, it does feel a little bit unsavory for those of us who are health care professionals to really engage in politics in this manner, but we have no choice.

 

00;14;59;11 – 00;15;20;08

Dr. Annie Andrews

This moment is so incredibly urgent and, as you said, grows more urgent by the day. So I see my politics just like I see my practice of medicine when I walk into a patient’s room. It’s not about red or blue. It’s about assessing the problem, making a diagnosis and coming up with a solution. The same thing is when I’m talking to voters in South Carolina, I walk in, I listen first.

 

00;15;20;13 – 00;15;26;25

Dr. Annie Andrews

I together develop a solution to their problems, and then I work to enact that solution.

 

00;15;26;27 – 00;15;45;28

Dr. Mona

I agree, I love this. I mean, I think, you know, I want to talk about you winning. So I’m a I’m a big believer in not saying if I’m going to say win. Okay. And I know you’re like, oh doctor money. But when you win okay. So when you win Doctor Andy because I want this to happen so bad, it’s not only for South Carolina, but it’s going to impact the nation.

 

00;15;45;28 – 00;16;00;15

Dr. Mona

I believe that so, so deeply. When you win, what’s one child health policy you’d want to tackle first and why? And you know, I know you talked about the Medicaid Snap benefits, but what is that one policy that you really want to, be, on the top of your list?

 

00;16;00;18 – 00;16;23;27

Dr. Annie Andrews

So first of all, acknowledge we’re going to have a lot of rebuilding to do to build out the social safety net that supports so many American children. But my policy priority, my number one priority, it’s hard to pick just one. But it is happening. A permanent, expanded, fully refundable child tax credit like the one that went into effect during Covid, which lifted millions of American children out of poverty.

 

00;16;23;27 – 00;16;50;21

Dr. Annie Andrews

But that tax credit expired. And now we have a smaller tax credit, and we should have broad bipartisan support for a policy solution that is so incredibly effective at lifting so many children out of poverty. And there is some bipartisan support. But not nearly enough. But that would absolutely, without a doubt, be my number one policy priority, because I know it would directly benefit so many children and families in this country.

 

00;16;50;24 – 00;17;14;08

Dr. Mona

Absolutely. And you’ve also talked about Medicaid as well, right? I mean, how Medicaid isn’t just a buzz budget decision. It’s a moral one. So what do you think it says about how children are valued in this country when policies like this passed, like for recently, obviously the cuts that are coming that I believe are not going to take effect until after the next election cycle, but are still on the on the block to happen.

 

00;17;14;11 – 00;17;40;26

Dr. Annie Andrews

That’s right. It says everything you need to know about the current members of Congress and the current administration in the white House is, priorities. And as far as that impacts children, what we are witnessing is an unprecedented, coordinated attack on our nation’s health care system through gutting of the Medicaid program, cuts to the Medicare program, failure to act to lower the cost of prescription drugs, slashing NIH funding.

 

00;17;40;26 – 00;18;00;10

Dr. Annie Andrews

It’s truly unprecedented. And the the appointment of RFK junior to lead to the Department of Health and Human Services was that straw that broke the camel’s back. That really made me decide to run for the US Senate. But what so many people don’t understand about the Medicaid program is that it is the number one insurer for children in this country.

 

00;18;00;13 – 00;18;30;01

Dr. Annie Andrews

It funds 40% of the births in this country. In South Carolina, it finds six out of ten nursing home beds. But it has a the program has a PR problem because all those constituencies I just mentioned children, pregnant women and folks in nursing homes, again, are not a powerful political constituency. So they get steamrolled when we have members of Congress who lack the moral authority and the moral courage to fight for the most vulnerable members of our community.

 

00;18;30;01 – 00;18;45;16

Dr. Annie Andrews

And that’s why I’m running, because I promise anyone listening that every single vote I take when I am a U.S. Senator will be to benefit America’s children. That is my North Star. That will never change.

 

00;18;45;19 – 00;19;10;17

Dr. Mona

And you? I love the stat that you mentioned. So a lot of people don’t realize that Medicaid supports 40% or more of all births in the United States and Florida. I believe the numbers close to 50%. I believe ours is like 4,047% on Medicaid enrolled in Medicaid. And then when you include Chip, that can also be 66%, which I can say that that’s real with what I see in my office, I my office takes care of Medicaid and takes care of non private insurance.

 

00;19;10;20 – 00;19;24;00

Dr. Mona

But it’s a huge part of my clinical practice. And so why do you think that there’s such a gap between how critical this program is and how me and you know, it’s critical and how little attention it gets in public debate.

 

00;19;24;02 – 00;19;54;16

Dr. Annie Andrews

Because people misunderstand the problem. And honestly, part of that is our fault as pediatricians, because we haven’t been an effective vocal advocacy constituency for very long because we just assumed people would keep their hands off of America’s children. But we can’t count on that. And so it is our job every day from now until the midterm elections in November 2026 and beyond, to share with anyone who will listen how critical the Medicaid program is to children’s health care in this country.

 

00;19;54;16 – 00;20;14;26

Dr. Annie Andrews

I mean, it truly is the backbone of our children’s health care system in this country. And what I think a lot of people also don’t understand is this impacts all of us. So when you take that much money out of any system, the money that they’re taking out of the Medicaid system, you cannot expect the system to continue to function anywhere near the level that was functioning before.

 

00;20;15;01 – 00;20;35;02

Dr. Annie Andrews

So immediately what’s going to happen is hospital centers, hospital systems are going to cut back on service lines. They’re going to have to close rural hospitals. They’re going to have to freeze hiring of nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists. That’s going to increase wait times in emergency departments, is going to block access to care to Americans who live in rural areas.

 

00;20;35;04 – 00;20;53;00

Dr. Annie Andrews

And then all of these folks are going to become uninsured. But you and I both know that just because you lack health insurance doesn’t mean you’re not going to get sick or injured. So when you get sick or injured, you’re not going to have anywhere to go. So you’re going to stay home. You’re going to wait until you are sicker, and then you’re eventually going to show up to an emergency department, which is the only place that you can access care.

 

00;20;53;06 – 00;21;09;28

Dr. Annie Andrews

And thank God for now. Emergency departments are legally required to provide that care regardless of your insurance status. So these patients are going to get care at our hospital systems, and that care is going to have to be paid for. So hospital systems are already looking at their bottom line. They’re going to have to find a way to compensate for that care.

 

00;21;10;03 – 00;21;31;10

Dr. Annie Andrews

And they’re going to start charging our commercial insurance companies more, which is going to raise our premiums. So this directly impacts every single American who uses our health care system in a devastating way. And eventually, hospitals are not going to be able to charge the commercial insurance companies enough to make up for this gaping hole in their budget because of the Republicans Medicaid cuts.

 

00;21;31;13 – 00;21;50;15

Dr. Annie Andrews

And the whole system is just going to collapse. And we know, I know by watching the Republicans don’t have a plan for that. They don’t have a plan for that. They don’t care about sick and injured children and vulnerable patients with chronic illnesses who are no longer going to be able to access health care. And it is deeply a moral issue to me, and that is how I will fight on it.

 

00;21;50;15 – 00;22;02;19

Dr. Annie Andrews

And I do believe this will be the leading issue in the 2026 election cycle, which is why it is so imperative that more physicians find the courage to speak up and to engage in politics.

 

00;22;02;22 – 00;22;24;08

Dr. Mona

So I, I mean, this this timing of this recording is so perfect that on Friday I was at clinics. I’m very reduced hours as well. And I’m in clinic and I again, I would say 60% of my patients are Medicaid and 40% are self-pay or private insurance. And I saw in a morning I see I saw about 25 patients in a 4.5 hour session.

 

00;22;24;10 – 00;22;42;29

Dr. Mona

And people are always like, why do you guys have to see? So many patients? And I want to explain it from the general outpatient pediatric side in order to keep people employed, pay the staff, pay for vaccine storage, all the costs of medicine. We need to see patients and we get then get reimbursed by insurance companies. Medicaid already.

 

00;22;43;05 – 00;22;59;25

Dr. Mona

And you can correct me if I’m wrong because I have a feeling you know way more about Medicaid than I do. Medicaid already doesn’t reimburse us to the level of a private insurance company. So if we need to basically see 3 to 4 Medicaid patients to equal the reimbursement, an insurance company will pay us for a for a private insurance child for a well visit.

 

00;23;00;04 – 00;23;30;02

Dr. Mona

So now we are not only seeing so many patients because these patients need care, they need to be seen, but they also now have tend to have a lot more complicated issues because of the unfortunate reality that many families on Medicaid are also lower income, also have lower access to healthy foods, exercise, nutrition support systems. It’s a vicious systemic cycle that I am now taking so much time with these families, and they’re overbooking my schedule and everyone’s waiting.

 

00;23;30;02 – 00;23;48;15

Dr. Mona

So it is a thing that affects everyone. Not only are the Medicaid families not getting good care, the non Medicaid families are not getting good care because they are not getting the time with me that they did. Everyone should deserve whether you have private insurance or Medicaid, because in order to keep our lights on and it’s it’s frustrating.

 

00;23;48;15 – 00;24;10;08

Dr. Mona

And so my fear and I talked to a lot of my colleagues is if we’re not if there’s Medicaid cuts, how is that going to impact reimbursement? How is that going to impact how many patients we have to see? It’s already, for lack of a better term, a should show we we can’t do it. And then adding on and any like the the fact that the mental health resources for anyone, especially Medicaid families are horrible.

 

00;24;10;11 – 00;24;30;29

Dr. Mona

So I’m trying to find therapists. I’m trying to find people for my community, and I can’t do it. And it’s very demoralizing as a general pediatrician, and I know you know this because you practice. It just feels like your hands are tied and you’re like, I know I can make a difference, but I can’t because of insurance. I can’t do it because of the volume of patients.

 

00;24;31;01 – 00;24;59;11

Dr. Mona

And it’s it’s affecting everyone. Doctors are going to leave. Clinicians are going to leave. Patients are going to be struggling. And I don’t think people are wrapping their head around how this is not just a low income Medicaid problem. This is a everybody problem. And you mentioned the E.R. they’re going to be seeing it. And my husband will be telling me that all these little kids will be coming in with really bad asthma attacks, really bad maybe in DKA when, you know, we didn’t catch it fast enough because they couldn’t get the care.

 

00;24;59;11 – 00;25;08;28

Dr. Mona

It is it is kind of it is catastrophic. And I’m concerned with the future of pediatrics and health care, but especially my our profession.

 

00;25;09;00 – 00;25;14;25

Dr. Mona

Now let’s take a quick break to hear from our sponsors who support helps us keep bringing you this show.

 

00;25;14;27 – 00;25;47;04

Dr. Annie Andrews

Oh yes, pediatricians are hanging on by a thread and it is demoralizing. And the fact of the matter is, America has a profit centered health care system that benefits insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies and some of our for profit hospital systems. We do not have a patient centered health care system, and we do not have a provider centered health care system, which is why rates of physician burnout are sky high, why physicians are leaving clinical practice in droves.

 

00;25;47;07 – 00;26;10;18

Dr. Annie Andrews

And what just passed in this big, ugly bill is going to make this problem so much worse. And I have to say this because I’m running for office, it is really important that we understand that they didn’t decide to cut the Medicaid program so that they can balance the budget or reduce the deficit. They cut the Medicaid program so that they could give out tax cuts to billionaires, period.

 

00;26;10;21 – 00;26;34;09

Dr. Annie Andrews

And that tells you all you need to know about their priorities. They are attacking our profession. They are attacking our patients and their families. And we have no choice but to put ourselves outside of our comfort zones, to get as brave as we can be, and to speak up every day between now and November 2026. You pointed out that this bill doesn’t really go into effect.

 

00;26;34;09 – 00;27;03;01

Dr. Annie Andrews

The Medicaid cuts won’t go into effect until after the midterms. That is clearly by design, but we know that hospital systems and practice medical practices are already making hiring decisions and service line decisions now because they see this budget hole looming so people are going to start to feel the effects of this pretty soon. And it’s our job to use whatever platform we have to clearly communicate this to the American people before they go to the voting booth in November 2026.

 

00;27;03;04 – 00;27;21;16

Dr. Mona

And I mean, I’m already seeing it from an insurance side. My, my own insurance premiums for a private insurance had gone up from literally $400 a paycheck, like meaning for my family. And I turned to my husband like, wait, why is my paycheck so low? And I’m like, I looked at the the thing and I’m like, this is it’s a trickle effect.

 

00;27;21;16 – 00;27;44;10

Dr. Mona

It’s just going to continue to impact everyone. It doesn’t matter. And I, you are inspiring me to continue to speak up about it. Obviously I am without even talking to you, but just know that you have pediatricians like myself. I’m hopeful that our conversation today will inspire not only pediatricians or other health care professionals, but also just parents, caregivers, everybody to understand how this is impacting everyone.

 

00;27;44;10 – 00;28;08;23

Dr. Mona

And I’m worried, and you are too, about the next 4 to 10 years, you know, with this sort of this, it just feels like we’re in dystopia. Like, how is this even happening? And you said it like, how how do people think this is even. Okay. And I really grateful that you brought up the the intent, you know, how let’s cut this because it means more money to the people who actually want, you know, the powerful people, the billionaires, when what’s going to happen to the children?

 

00;28;08;23 – 00;28;15;07

Dr. Mona

It’s all capitalism. It’s all we don’t care about the kids because kids can’t advocate. So who’s going to advocate for them?

 

00;28;15;10 – 00;28;36;07

Dr. Annie Andrews

Oh my gosh, the 67,000 pediatricians in this country are the ones who need to start the movement to advocate advocate for America’s children. And for so long, we’ve stayed in our comfort zone in places, you know, in the advocacy space. And some people don’t even engage in the advocacy space. But we have to move beyond the advocacy space that feels safe because it feels good to be a child health advocate.

 

00;28;36;14 – 00;28;56;23

Dr. Annie Andrews

Interject straight up politics because that is the answer. That is how we stop these attacks on America’s children. There is no way to solve these problems. You and I are outlining without electing the right kind of people. And to do that, you have to engage in politics as unsavory and as uncomfortable as it sounds, that’s the only answer.

 

00;28;56;25 – 00;29;14;12

Dr. Annie Andrews

So I’m running for the U.S. Senate, which is a very dramatic way to engage in politics. But there are so many other ways pediatricians and people who care about kids can engage politically. They can find local candidates to get behind and support. And what support for political candidates looks like. It’s a lot of things. It’s showing up at their events.

 

00;29;14;15 – 00;29;34;11

Dr. Annie Andrews

It’s volunteering to text bank and phone bank and knock on doors. It’s using your social media accounts to amplify the folks who are brave enough to put their names on the ballot. And most importantly, sadly, it’s donating to candidates who have the audacity to run. Because this is a it’s a thankless path most of the time, but it is such a necessary path.

 

00;29;34;11 – 00;29;39;16

Dr. Annie Andrews

So we need to support people when they’re brave enough to step into these spaces.

 

00;29;39;18 – 00;29;55;12

Dr. Mona

Like yourself and I. You know, I told you before this conversation how much I admire you. I think I’ve said it in this conversation for to be able to do the work that you’re doing, having the expertise that you have as a pediatrician and mother and taking it to that next level. And I admire you. I know it’s not easy.

 

00;29;55;12 – 00;30;16;28

Dr. Mona

I know this work is very hard. It’s it’s probably harder than being a pediatrician, having to enter a space where you see the corruption and you see the way that the money works and all of that. And I, I applaud you for doing that. And I am very grateful that I can connect with you and spread your, your mission and hopefully the mission of other like minded people doing the work that you are also doing.

 

00;30;17;00 – 00;30;34;04

Dr. Mona

And, you know, we’ve we’ve spoken about how these cuts and red tape don’t just for patients, they burnout providers. How do you think better policy could improve both patient outcomes and keep more clinicians in the workforce? And in your ideal world, what would that look like? You know, what do you want for the future of American children?

 

00;30;34;06 – 00;31;05;14

Dr. Annie Andrews

I mean, we do have a workforce crisis in health care, particularly when we talk about the pediatric workforce in the pediatric subspecialty workforce. And I’ve heard a lot of stories from members of Congress and constituents and leaders in the pediatric health care space that once it affects a member of Congress like their grand child, has a seizure and needs an appointment with a pediatric neurologist, all of a sudden they become aware of our pipeline problem and our workforce crisis, and they realize how untenable this is and how there are policy solutions to address this.

 

00;31;05;16 – 00;31;29;03

Dr. Annie Andrews

So we have to start rewarding folks who go into primary care. We have to provide incentives to medical students who choose to go into primary care fields, mental health care fields, to practice in rural areas where we have health care deserts, there are answers to the workforce shortage crisis. We just need folks who care enough to enact them.

 

00;31;29;05 – 00;31;55;09

Dr. Annie Andrews

And we can’t expect people to figure out these problems on their own. It’s our job to advocate, to draw attention to the problems, to draw attention to the solutions, and then work like hell to elect people who care. And we can find our way out of this mess. But as I’ve already said, this is such an urgent moment for our profession, for trust in public health and for America’s children.

 

00;31;55;10 – 00;32;21;14

Dr. Annie Andrews

So if you ever had any insecurity or doubts about the need to get loud, please drop those. Our children are counting on us. There is no one more well-prepared to advocate and to engage in politics on behalf of America’s children than the pediatricians in this country. And if we start doing that, people will follow us. We have a trust problem in public health, but people still trust their individual pediatricians.

 

00;32;21;16 – 00;32;36;11

Dr. Annie Andrews

People trust our profession as a whole, and we need to lean into that and lean into our expertise and drop our impostor syndrome, because we deserve to be in these rooms where decisions are being made and our children need us in these rooms.

 

00;32;36;13 – 00;33;03;24

Dr. Mona

Absolutely. I mean, can I clap on my like, my own money? I, I, I, I love it, I just think it’s so empowering and it’s so true and, you know, you talked about how it takes a lot of congressmen or senators to have the personal lived experience for them to make changes. And that’s so sad because me and you know, that we have the lived experience and we see the lived experience in front of my face every day, like the voices, the the tears of my families who are struggling.

 

00;33;04;02 – 00;33;21;04

Dr. Mona

And it takes just one of them to be like, you know what? Yeah, sure. This is a problem. I still remember when the, the, the A subcommittee voted on the RSV antibody to be approved for this year, for children. A lot of the reason that happened was because one of the members on that committee had a kid who had RSV, and they were like, well, this is an awful illness.

 

00;33;21;04 – 00;33;52;16

Dr. Mona

And I’m like, we are telling you that these things are awful. We are telling you that we we need to keep medicaid. We are telling you that this is going to negatively impact everyone. And again, more the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We got to keep getting out there. And I really appreciate that sentiment. And for everyone listening, for those that are in South Carolina and those that are not, what would be your final like, uplifting message for all of our amazing listeners who are tuning in and hopefully getting empowered and figuring out ways that they can help.

 

00;33;52;18 – 00;34;19;08

Dr. Annie Andrews

We have so much individual agency. Pediatricians are experts and we have a platform and we must use it. The good news is there’s really nowhere to go but up when we’re talking about pediatricians engagement in politics. So imagine a world where we all discovered our individual agency to contribute to the practice of politics in this country on behalf of America’s children.

 

00;34;19;08 – 00;34;50;11

Dr. Annie Andrews

Imagine a world where children are seen as powerful, a political constituency as Americans over the age of 65, where every congressional session they’re talking about how to improve and expand the Medicaid program, how to strengthen our public education system, how to pass commonsense gun laws to address the leading cause of death for children in this country. If we invest in America’s children, it is possible to build the future that every pediatrician out there wants for America’s children.

 

00;34;50;15 – 00;35;10;16

Dr. Annie Andrews

But to do that, we have to find new strategies. We have to find a new playbook, throw the old playbook out the window. Because the way we’ve been engaging in advocacy on behalf of America’s children has not worked. And politics of 2025 are not the same. Politics of 1985. And we have to accept that, and we have to play by the rules as they’re currently written.

 

00;35;10;22 – 00;35;30;16

Dr. Annie Andrews

And the good news is, when we start using our voices, you and I both know this. People listen. People listen to us, people are watching us. They’re looking to be inspired. They’re looking to find ways to engage. So we could be on the cusp of a really bright future, a bright era for America’s children if we choose to engage.

 

00;35;30;19 – 00;35;49;02

Dr. Mona

Thank you so much, Doctor Annie. I also want you to let people know where they can stay connected with your campaign, your resources, how they can help if they want to help with your campaign as well. I really appreciate you earlier. Also talking about how there’s so many different ways to get involved. Because I also believe the same thing.

 

00;35;49;02 – 00;35;56;07

Dr. Mona

I don’t want to force something on someone in terms of advocacy, but where can people go, to stay connected with you and your campaign?

 

00;35;56;09 – 00;36;16;22

Dr. Annie Andrews

Yeah. So the campaign website is Doctor Annie andrews.com. I am all over every social media platform at Annie Andrews, MD on Instagram and Twitter. I’m on TikTok now and over on blue Sky so you can find me. You’ll probably see way more of me than you ever wanted to for the next 18 months.

 

00;36;16;24 – 00;36;17;28

Dr. Mona

You are doing the work.

 

00;36;17;29 – 00;36;38;22

Dr. Annie Andrews

Yes, yes. But you know this is my campaign is an opportunity for us all to learn more about how to build political power that centers America’s children. So no matter where you live, please follow along and contribute if you can. Please watch what I’m doing and understand that I’m just one of you. I’m an introvert. I’m not from a political family or background.

 

00;36;38;22 – 00;36;51;26

Dr. Annie Andrews

I never took a political science class, but I’m doing this for America’s children. I’ve taught myself how to do these things because I believe so deeply and what I’m fighting for, and I know everyone listening believes the same. So just get brave, get loud, and let’s do this thing.

 

00;36;51;28 – 00;37;19;28

Dr. Mona

Let’s do this thing. I like it, and I again, I just love that we are bringing attention to more amazing people who deserve to be in these roles of leadership. And not only because you’re a pediatrician, but I believe we need more women who are compassionate mothers. Obviously helps, too. I know you mentioned about how pediatricians, but like, we’re all like, well, many of my followers are mothers, know many of my listeners, care deeply about our children and hopefully about other people’s children and how all of us together.

 

00;37;19;28 – 00;37;35;15

Dr. Mona

I mean, our listenership here, everyone is very high. We can all do a little difference to really make a greater impact. And thank you, Doctor Annie, for leading the way in such a large way. But to inspire all of us in big and small ways to get involved. I really appreciate your time and talking today.

 

00;37;35;17 – 00;37;43;01

Dr. Annie Andrews

Well, thank you so much for having me and for using your platform to allow me to share with your listeners how passionate I am about what I’m doing.

 

00;37;43;04 – 00;38;02;27

Dr. Mona

And, you know, Doctor Annie had said something on the show already that it’s not our fault that politics in America and 2025 have become so red and blue, and it is that one group is caring more about children, and I want to really drive that point home before we leave. How it is about finding the candidate and the person and the, you know, party that is really supporting your values.

 

00;38;02;27 – 00;38;17;05

Dr. Mona

And I hope that your values can really understand that children matter to our future. If we want them to have a bright future, we have to take care of them and their peers and their classmates, regardless of socioeconomic status. Doctor Annie, thank you for joining me today.

 

00;38;17;07 – 00;38;21;04

Dr. Annie Andrews

Thank you so much. Doctor Mona.

 

00;38;21;06 – 00;38;45;14

Dr. Mona

That wraps up today’s conversation, and I hope you’re leaving this episode more awake to why advocacy matters. Advocacy can take many forms. Donating to Annie’s campaign or fellow elected officials that you believe in volunteering, voting for leaders who actually care about families, or something as simple as sharing this conversation. Consider this my form of advocacy, and yours too, when you share it.

 

00;38;45;16 – 00;39;04;08

Dr. Mona

That ripple effect matters. If you don’t like what you’re seeing, this is how we keep the energy snowballing towards change. Hope is not lost, and Doctor Annie Andrews reminds us there’s something powerful about refusing to stay silent and stepping up in whatever way you can. So please subscribe! Download the episode because that’s how this show continues to grow.

 

00;39;04;13 – 00;39;26;25

Dr. Mona

And most importantly, share share share this episode. Post it tag at the PedsDocTalk podcast and at PedsDocTalk, as well as at Annie Andrews, MD and help more people hear her message, whether they’re in South Carolina or not. Annie isn’t a career politician. She is a mother. She’s a pediatrician, and she’s here to shake things up.

 

00;39;26;28 – 00;39;34;18

Dr. Mona

And we should all be along for the ride. Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for caring and I cannot wait to chat with another guest next time on the show.