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
Trump v. Biden: 2 Candidates, 2 Starkly Divergent Stances on Abortion
The Republican and Democratic nominees for president couldn’t differ more in their approach to the issue of abortion. Depending on which candidate emerges victorious, in the weeks to come, the landscape of abortion policy in the United States will look dramatically different. President Donald Trump has committed to pursuing policies that protect unborn human life….Melanie Israel -
- News
COVID-19 Vaccine Will Be Safe, Operation Warp Speed Leaders Vow
The chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s project to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, said Tuesday he thinks about his own family in giving his assurances that any such vaccine will be safe. “Nobody in this organization, in this task force, is going to allow a vaccine to go out to the…Fred Lucas -
- News
YouTube, Vimeo Remove Conservative Entrepreneur’s COVID-19 Video
The online video platforms YouTube and Vimeo have censored a video of “The Bill Walton Show” about the danger of COVID-19 shutdowns for violating standards enforced by each company. YouTube removed the 47-minute video of the program in which Walton interviews Jay Richards, one of three authors of the book “The Price of Panic: How…Virginia Allen -
- News
Vaccine Expected to Be Ready for Vulnerable Population by January, HHS Secretary Says
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday that he expects a coronavirus vaccine to be available for vulnerable Americans by January 2021. The Health and Human Services secretary said vaccines will be immediately offered to seniors, health care workers, and first responders once hospitals are able to administer them, according to The…Thomas Catenacci -
- News
Pandemic Has Led to ‘National Mental Health Crisis,’ APA Survey Finds
The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to an alarming “national mental health crisis,” according to an American Psychological Association report. The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” report highlighted the results of a survey that the organization conducted. The results, which showed the coronavirus pandemic is having an outsized effect on Americans’ mental health, have caused the…Thomas Catenacci -
- Opinion
In Staying Closed, Schools Ignore Low COVID-19 Rates, Needs of Families
At what would normally be the end of the first academic quarter for most K-12 schools, millions of students still have not set foot in a classroom. Many haven’t done so since March. Evidence continues to mount that COVID-19 affects children the least, and ad hoc school district e-learning platforms, hastily assembled in the spring,…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
Government Officials and Federal Judges Both Need to Be Reminded That There’s No ‘Pandemic Exception’ to the Constitution
Like Alice in Wonderland, it feels like we’re living in an upside-down world. Except now it is Alice in “Pandemicland.” Government officials have been forced to respond to the threat posed by COVID-19, some in a good way, but too many in a bad way. Unfortunately, even those who mean well need to be reminded…Zack Smith -
- Opinion
10 Counties With Most COVID-19 Deaths Account for 22% of Fatalities but 11% of Population
As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. has been heavily concentrated in a small number of states—and among a small number of counties within those states. Heritage’s interactive graphic allows individuals to see more detail on these concentrations of COVID-19 among the counties with the most deaths as well as those with the fewest. For instance,…Drew Gonshorowski -
- Opinion
Here We Go Again: Cuomo, de Blasio Blame Jews for Jump in COVID-19 Cases
Each year during the Jewish religious festival of Sukkot, New York City shuts down Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights to allow thousands of local residents the opportunity to safely celebrate in dance and song. But this past week—under the guise of fighting COVID-19—New York City attempted to shut down this religious gathering by using physical…Joel Griffith -
- Opinion
The Government’s Unfair Treatment of Churches During COVID Pandemic
Since the onset of the pandemic, churches around the country have had to make tough choices. Although suspending in-person gatherings was not an easy decision, an overwhelming percentage of churches closed their doors and reverted to virtual and online ministry. However, as the pandemic wore on and authorities began loosening restrictions on in-person meetings, churches—like restaurants, retail…David Closson -
- Opinion
Trump Contracts COVID-19; What Happened to Compassion?
Comedian Chris Rock, hosting “Saturday Night Live,” summarized the feelings shared by much of President Donald Trump-hating America when he quipped, “President Trump is in the hospital from COVID and I just wanna say my heart goes out to COVID.” The audience then erupted in laughter. During the Barack Obama administration, the country faced the…Larry Elder -
- Opinion
COVID-19 May Be Reawakening Virtues
In COVID-19, our modern world is facing a plague of biblical proportions. The pandemic has illuminated the woeful limitations of our earthly actions and provided a powerful reminder that we must return to the virtues that undergird this remarkable nation. As I write these words, our commander in chief and president, Donald Trump, has fallen…Armstrong Williams -
- Opinion
Trump Should Direct His Administration to Generate Better Guidance on COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 can be a deadly disease, especially for higher-risk populations like the elderly. Making matters worse, it’s hard to tell when someone has COVID-19 and is infectious. When infection is suspected, being able to quickly and accurately determine whether or not someone is infected is crucial to making informed decisions about whether to self-quarantine or…Marie Fishpaw -
- News
Trump Returns to White House After 3-Day Hospitalization for COVID-19
President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Monday evening after being discharged from a military hospital where he was treated for COVID-19 for three days. Within an hour, the president released a video in which he urged Americans not to let the disease “dominate your lives.” After disembarking Marine One, the helicopter that flew…Fred Lucas -
- News
After COVID-19 Diagnosis, Trump Hospitalized, Says He’s ‘Doing Very Well’
President Donald Trump announced late Friday that he was checking into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after testing positive the day before for COVID-19. “I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. I’m going to Walter Reed hospital,” Trump said in a brief video announcement from the White House. “I think we’re doing…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
UN Should Recommit to Pro-Woman Agenda by Dropping Push for Abortion
Twenty-five years ago this week, then-first lady Hillary Clinton famously declared, “Human rights are women’s rights … and women’s rights are human rights.” The United Nations General Assembly is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the event where Clinton said that—the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing. Thousands of women and delegates from nearly…Grace Melton -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Linked to Rising Suicide Rates Among Teens
The COVID-19 shutdowns have created a category of unlikely victims of collateral damage in teenagers. Inasmuch as 8 out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths are among people aged 65 or older, few would have expected teens to suffer disproportionately from the coronavirus, but increased rates of anxiety and depression among America’s youth signal a palpable threat…Nathalie Voit -
- Opinion
What Peru Got Wrong in Its Response to the Coronavirus
Despite more than three months of a strict quarantine, Peru is still suffering from the outbreak of COVID-19, and it is far from over. At one point, Peru had the highest rate of deaths per million in the world and, according to Bloomberg, it could wind up the worst-hit economy as well. >>> What’s the…Araceli Pinto -
- News
Trump to Sign ‘Born Alive’ Executive Order to Protect Abortion Survivors
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will sign an executive order to ensure that babies who are born alive receive proper medical care. Although the president didn’t go into detail about what the order would do, proposals earlier this year in the House and Senate would require health care professionals to treat a baby…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
In UN Speech, Trump Highlights US Response to COVID-19, Faults China
Every year at this time, a majority of the world’s leaders gather in New York at the United Nations for the annual General Assembly debate. Excited to be on the world stage and to burnish their standing before both international and domestic audiences, leaders are seldom able to restrain themselves to the 15 minutes allotted…Brett Schaefer