Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
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opinion
I’m a Doctor. Here’s Why I Plan to Get the Coronavirus Vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee concluded its Thursday meeting by recommending that a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer be granted an emergency use authorization. Another vaccine, developed by biotech company Moderna, is expected to be authorized soon. Both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines show 95% efficacy in preventing… -
news
How Rapid-Result, at-Home Tests for COVID-19 Could Slash Infection Rate
Imagine a tool that could significantly decrease the spread of COVID-19 in a month, and maybe stop the coronavirus altogether in less than a year. This tool would be significantly cheaper than imposing lockdowns and other restrictions, and provide an avenue for schools and businesses to reopen. Imagine no further, because experts say that tool… -
news
Coronavirus Vaccinations Could Begin Monday, Reach 50 Million Americans by February, HHS Secretary Says
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the first coronavirus vaccinations outside a clinical trial could begin as early as Monday. Azar’s announcement follows a key Food and Drug Administration panel’s vote of confidence Thursday for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, clearing the way for the agency to issue an emergency use authorization. The FDA said authorization would be… -
opinion
The COVID-19 Threat Is Real
Winter is coming and, like many of you, I’m deeply worried about how America is going to weather these upcoming months. You could say that many are scared to death with the specter of COVID-19 continuing to loom as the death toll reaches a stunning 284,000 souls in America alone. What’s worse? There is no… -
opinion
Why We Can’t Let COVID-19 Lockdowns Become a Permanent Political Power Grab
This week, as Los Angeles County announced it would lock down all outdoor dining, a video went viral. That video featured restaurant owner Angela Marsden, proprietor of the Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill, decrying the lockdown policy while pointing to the erection of production catering set up for a Hollywood shoot just a few feet… -
opinion
Congress’ Race to Pass COVID-19 Relief Package
The clock is ticking as Congress attempts to reach bipartisan agreement on a COVID-19 relief bill before Christmas. After multiple failed attempts to agree upon what should be included in a new aid package, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are trying one more time to pass the package… -
opinion
With COVID Lockdowns, Costs Must Be Weighed Against Benefits
One of the first lessons in an economics class is that every action has a cost. That’s in stark contrast to lessons in the political arena, where politicians virtually ignore cost and talk about benefits and free stuff. If we look only at the benefits of an action, policy, or program, then we will do… -
opinion
Pro-Abortion Members of Congress Are Pushing for Taxpayer-Funded Abortion. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Pro-abortion Democrats, led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., are renewing their attempts to force taxpayers to fund elective abortions by attacking the Hyde Amendment. The attack came on Tuesday during a subcommittee hearing of the powerful Appropriations Committee for the House of Representatives, titled “The Impact on Women Seeking an Abortion but Are Denied Because… -
news
7 Things to Know About Biden’s Radical Choice to Run HHS
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, with a record in that state office and Congress that conservatives consider extreme, is headed for a rocky confirmation battle to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Former Vice President Joe Biden, in announcing Sunday his intent to nominate Becerra for HHS secretary, cited Becerra’s leadership in… -
news
‘Aggressively Pro-Abortion’: Pro-Life Activists, Lawmakers Denounce Biden HHS Pick Xavier Becerra
Pro-life groups and lawmakers denounced former Vice President Joe Biden’s choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Far from ‘uniting’ the country, Biden has proven yet again he is an extremist on abortion,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement following Biden’s Monday… -
news
‘The Bill Walton Show’: Surviving COVID-19 With Jay Richards
Weeks after Jay Richards, co-author of “The Price of Panic: How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic Into a Catastrophe,” joined “The Bill Walton Show,” he contracted COVID-19. Now recovered, Richards rejoins the show to talk about his personal experience with the virus, the discussions he had with front-line health care workers, and why they… -
opinion
He Was Hospitalized by COVID-19. Here’s What He Wants You to Know.
Allen Muench was fighting for his life when he checked into the hospital in November with COVID-19. After just 36 hours under the care of his doctors and nurses, Muench says he “felt like a new person.” Muench, a longtime Daily Signal subscriber from St. Louis, joins the show to share his personal experience with… -
news
CDC Tells Americans to ‘Stay at Home and Not Travel’ for Christmas
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discouraged Americans from Christmas travel due to the coronavirus pandemic during a telephone press conference Wednesday. “We did put out a message to postpone and stay at home […] around Thanksgiving and we’re putting out the same message: The best thing for Americans to do in the upcoming… -
opinion
The Dangers of Joe Biden’s Extreme Abortion Agenda
In the aftermath of a singularly high-stakes election, as President Donald Trump fights to ensure that every legal vote is counted, former Vice President Joe Biden claims to want to unify our nation and even “heal” our collective soul. There is ample reason for skepticism. By all indications, Biden and Kamala Harris have not changed… -
news
How a Congressman’s Brush With Abortion Spurred His Reverence for Life, Adoption
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., likely would not be alive today were it not for adoption. An appreciation of adoption runs deep in the family. Schweikert’s father was adopted, as was the congressman, his two siblings, and his own young daughter. Schweikert’s personal experience with adoption led him to be a fierce advocate for children in… -
opinion
More Lockdowns Aren’t Answer to Stopping COVID-19
As infections increase during the “second wave” of the coronavirus, too many politicians are knee-jerking to reimpose harsh restrictions such as business shutdowns, curfews, and home confinements. These types of sweeping and overly restrictive COVID-19 measures cause needless harm, especially for the majority of generally healthy Americans who will experience moderate to no symptoms if… -
news
Pub Owners Declare ‘Autonomous Zone’ to Keep Doors Open Amid COVID-19 Restrictions
Owners of a Staten Island pub have declared it an “autonomous zone” in defiance of tighter COVID-19 restrictions in New York City from Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Keith McAlarney says he and business partner Danny Presti decided to follow in Seattle’s footsteps and designate their restaurant, Mac’s Public House, to be independent… -
opinion
Don’t Let the Abortion Lobby Hijack ‘Women’s Issues’
As the 116th Congress prepares to adjourn and policymakers look ahead to the 117th, among the policies up for discussion is the status of the Office of Global Women’s Issues (GWI) at the State Department. President Barack Obama elevated the GWI office, raising its leadership to the rank of ambassador at large for Global Women’s… -
opinion
To Get COVID-19 Under Control, We Must Make This Crucial Change
When COVID-19 first reached America nearly a year ago, we knew very little about it—what it did, whom it affected most, or even whether human-to-human transmission was common. But one of the few things we knew for certain was that this virus—SARS-CoV-2, to use its technical name—was particularly dangerous to older Americans. As early as… -
opinion
A Commonsense Approach to COVID-19
Are lockdowns ever necessary? Will the new COVID-19 vaccines be safe? How risky is it to travel for the holidays? What new medical treatments do we have for COVID-19? Dr. Kevin Pham, a visiting policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, and Doug Badger, a senior fellow in health policy at The Heritage Foundation, join the…