Calley Means, a top health adviser in the Trump administration, is publicly attacking the U.S. health system while co-running a wellness company that profits from alternative health products and expanded use of tax-free medical accounts.
Matthew Perrone reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- Calley Means, a senior adviser to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is also co-founder of Truemed, a company that markets dietary supplements and wellness products while pushing to expand the use of health savings accounts (HSAs) for such purchases.
- Though Means regularly criticizes pharmaceutical companies, federal agencies, and medical experts, he financially benefits from Truemed’s model, which allows users to use health savings accounts, or HSAs, for items not approved as medical treatments by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- As a “special government employee,” Means is not required to disclose his investments, raising ethical concerns over potential conflicts of interest as he influences public health policy.
Key quote:
“It reeks of hypocrisy. In effect, he is representing another industry that is touting nonregulated products and using his platform within the government to financially benefit himself.”
— Dr. Reshma Ramachandran, health researcher at Yale University
Why this matters:
The line between government policymaking and private gain is growing increasingly blurred as more officials hold dual roles in public service and private enterprise. Calley Means’ advocacy for expanding health savings accounts — while promoting unregulated wellness products sold by his own company — raises serious questions about integrity and influence within public health policy. HSAs were designed to help people pay for genuine medical expenses, but expanding their scope could funnel taxpayer-backed dollars toward unproven remedies that skirt FDA oversight.
It's worth noting that Means' sister, Casey, a wellness influencer, was recently nominated to be Donald Trump's surgeon general and has faced scrutiny over her qualifications and business interests.
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