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 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 -
- Opinion
Just 1% of US Counties Have Had Nearly Half of All COVID-19 Deaths
As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the coronavirus 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. As our research has pointed out, state-level figures do not adequately describe the concentrated nature of the spread of COVID-19. >>> What's the best way for America…Drew Gonshorowski -
- Opinion
USDA and HHS Should Reject Flawed Dietary Recommendations
The 2020 federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans is coming, and this development is more important than many people might think. Developed every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the guidelines play a critical role in the formulation of federal nutrition policy. Some programs, such as federal…Daren Bakst -
- Opinion
Problematic Women: Why COVID-19 Should Spur Needed Education Reform
School is back in session, but let’s face it, education is probably not going to be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic—and that’s a good thing. Mary Clare Amselem, an education policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, joins the show to discuss her brand new podcast, “COVID and the Classroom.” Amselem discusses the importance of…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Why the Trump Administration Needs to Embrace New, Faster COVID-19 Tests
We’ve come a long way over the past eight months since the first recorded U.S. case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20. We now have both the knowledge and the technology needed to move forward confidently. That path should be created immediately with a heightened focus on new, rapid testing. >>> What’s the best way for America to…Brenda Fitzgerald -
- Opinion
New COVID-19 Findings Confirm What We Have Learned Since the Beginning. A Targeted Response Is More Important Than Ever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent weekly provisional mortality update has caused a stir. It says: For 6% of deaths [involving COVID-19], COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. Does this mean…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
California’s COVID-19 Restrictions Go Too Far
California is proving it’s more authoritarian than ever. As many other states have reopened in stages, California officials have opened the Golden State, too—except they repeatedly seem to be applying different guidelines for reopening businesses, schools, and houses of worship. The examples are numerous. Private schools are not allowed to open, per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s…Nicole Russell -
- Opinion
How the Free Market and Civil Society Solved the COVID-19 Face Mask Shortage
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April issued guidance for all Americans, urging them to wear cloth face masks in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, state and local governments began requiring residents to wear masks, especially in stores. When the rapid spread of the disease and…Tori K. Smith -
- Opinion
Latest Data Proves COVID-19 Doesn’t Justify Postal Bailout
A stream of apocalyptic predictions and strained conspiracy theories have turned the once-sleepy world of U.S. Postal Service operations into front-page news. Lawmakers focused on the topic are being confronted with an approaching deadline. By the end of 2021, the Postal Service is on pace to run out of funds needed to continue current operations….David Ditch -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Power Trips of Leftist Politicians, Teachers Unions Must Stop
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out political power trips like America has never seen before. Governors and mayors have seized “emergency powers” that effectively shut down our economic engine and social culture. Never before had Americans seen the day when they would be told they couldn’t open for business, attend worship services, hold weddings or…Bob Wickers -
- Opinion
CDC Is Failing to Collect and Share COVID-19 Data for the Front Line
When the levees broke under Hurricane Katrina, the Army Corps of Engineers was roasted for spending billions and still failing to protect Americans. So where’s the outrage over the latest epic governmental fail—this one by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? As the federal agency with primary responsibility for handling infectious diseases, the CDC…Joel White