Tom Harkin

Hopefully we'll look at the whole issue of reimbursement for preventative category of services.

If you go--probably if--I don't know, if you went to a hospital or someplace, there would probably be some reimbursement for that, I don't know.

I'm still interested in telehealth, because there are so many families out there, and they are at wit's end on how to take care of their kids that have just been diagnosed.

But, again, if something has been looked at scientifically and the vast majority of the scientific community, after looking at this and going through it, says there is no correlation, well, then you have got to move on to something else at…

I believe in open inquiry. As I said to a group last night, I do not believe in closed minds or closed doors or closed inquiry.

I've been a big supporter of that Children's Study, and I have used my position on this subcommittee to make sure that we continue the funding for it, and keep it going.

I would be loath to go back to those days, I can tell you, to think that we've been able to finally succeed in that sphere, and to go backwards.

Do you really want to ask parents to put their children at risk for those illnesses for which we could lose herd immunity?

But, we don't--but, what we don't know is, Is there any causal relationship between the number of vaccines that----

I believe in vaccines, I think they're one of the greatest public health achievements that we've ever had.

Who does this? Who is charged with the responsibility of coming up with standards that have to be met so we don't have people out there that don't know what they're doing, trying to treat people?

Yes, how do people afford to do this?

How would you feel, as a parent, if you had access, in your own home, with your child, 24/7, so that anything that happens, in terms of behavioral problems, that you would have access, ready access, to trained specialists who you would be…

Are we doing any studies now to show comparative effectiveness? Or, is this something that hopefully, this billion dollars we put in the budget will start taking a look at?

A lot of times, kids with autism, they don't act up or anything when they're in the doctor's office, but then, when you get home, they do.

We've put some money in this project, looking at telehealth, and how you can get together with a group of professionals early on.

The earlier you get to these kids and provide them with supportive services, interventions by trained people that know what they're doing, that they really do get over a lot of these problems.

A lot of families that have young children that are diagnosed with autism, they're at their wit's end.

I got interested in using telehealth sometime ago for a variety of different things.

I mean, we have to do the research.

My hope on behalf of this vaccine-injured generation is for action.

Our compensation system for vaccine-injured children needs reform.

We need transparency, honest communication, and once and for all, a valid unbiased study of vaccinated versus unvaccinated populations.

I should have looked at that before I said it.

I thank you for the opportunity to testify and I look forward to answering any questions.