Healthy Kids Need Healthy Policy: The Case for Advocacy with Senate Hopeful and Pediatrician Dr. Annie Andrews

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Dr. Mona Amin

Kids & Family, Parenting, Medicine, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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/ We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! 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 Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	But if we stop there, if we stop at advocacy and we don't do politics, we're missing the whole game.
0:05.7	Because politics is changing who has the power.
0:08.5	And think about how powerful that can be.
0:10.9	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,
0:18.2	how much easier it would be to pass something like an expanded
0:22.1	and permanent child tax credit, to pass something like, you know, expanded Medicaid
0:26.6	throughout this country, to lower the cost of prescription drugs, to fully fund our public
0:31.5	education system, to act urgently on climate change. All of these things that are affecting
0:36.0	America's children, we have
0:37.6	policy solutions, but if we don't engage in politics, we're never going to get to where we need to be.
0:48.2	Welcome to the show. It's me, Dr. Mona, your online pediatrician, confidant, and mom friend.
0:53.9	You're listening to the Piedstock
0:55.2	podcast where we usually focus on parenting, child health, and family life. And today is a little
1:00.7	different. It's the first time I've ever had a political candidate on the show. But the truth is,
1:06.6	politics directly shapes parenting child health and family life. And I want to be up front.
1:12.5	Some of you may not like that. I hear it all the time. Stay in your lane. But the truth is politics
1:18.1	is already in our lane. It has seeped into how I do my job as a pediatrician, what resources my
1:23.4	patients have access to, and even the quality of life that children in America get to experience.
1:28.8	Politics decides whether families can afford insulin for their child with diabetes.
1:32.9	Politics decides whether parents have paid leave to recover from childbirth or stay home with a sick
1:37.7	baby. Politics decides if a child has health insurance through Medicaid or chip or if they end up
1:42.9	in my office sicker because
	...

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