Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ is now on a collision course with a cornerstone of RFK Jr.’s MAHA revolution

President Donald Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is now threatening to undermine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) mission after concerns of inadequate returns and the fallout from Medicaid. It seems that a law intended to cut costs might actually entrench the very medical establishment Kennedy is trying to challenge, all thanks to some newly proposed student loan caps.

Kennedy has been very vocal about his MAHA mission, believing that America’s medical schools are stuck in “groupthink.” He argues they often ignore the real reasons people are getting sicker, like our diet, chemicals we’re exposed to, and how little exercise we get. He’s all about prevention-focused, nutrition-centered strategies, and he recently adopted the slogan “Eat Real Food,” even endorsing a Super Bowl ad featuring Mike Tyson to promote healthy eating.

According to Politico, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which aims to find cost savings to pay for tax cuts, has capped federal student loans starting in July. Future MDs, theologians, and pharmacists get the “professional” degree limit of $200,000. However, many fields that align with Kennedy’s views- naturopaths, nutritionists, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and mental health counselors- are stuck with the lower $100,000 “graduate” degree cap.

Many students only make it to college because of Federal loans

This is a huge problem for non-traditional schools that train naturopathic physicians and herbalists. Like Kennedy, these practitioners lean into diet advice, herbal treatments, and stress management instead of just surgery and prescriptions. JoAnn Yánez, executive director of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges, put it starkly: “Naturopathic medicine, at a time when we should be shining, is potentially fighting for our existence.” 

Ariel Gonzalez, a lobbyist for the Vogel Group, which is working on behalf of these alternative practitioners, noted, “I don’t think the left hand is talking to the right.” Sonoran University of Health Sciences, an accredited naturopathic medicine school that teaches Kennedy’s priorities, has already seen a 27% drop in applicants. A four-year naturopathy degree can cost over $350,000, and more than 80% of students rely on federal loans.

Nutritionists have expressed similar concerns. These affected groups are making a last-ditch effort to keep federal funds flowing. Yánez’s association even sent a letter to Kennedy, urging him to advocate for naturopathic physicians. They believe it’s “essential that federal policy recognizes and supports health care professions that are aligned with prevention-focused, nutrition-centered strategies.”

The Education Department, however, argues that unlimited loans allow schools to raise tuition and burden students with unmanageable debt. Lawmakers are trying to fix this. Rep. Tim Kennedy has proposed the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act, which would ensure graduate degree students get the same higher loan limits as professional degree students. Rep. Mike Lawler has introduced a similar bill.

Thomas Kouo, president of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, summed up the broader concern perfectly: “Health in our country is something that we need to work very hard to improve.”