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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news
EXCLUSIVE: 2 Moves Trump HHS Is Taking to Make Government More Accountable
In another Trump administration move to boost transparency and roll back regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services issued two statements of policy on Tuesday that will affect any future imposition of regulations going forward. The first policy requires the department and its agencies to demonstrate to the public how they reached a conclusion… -
news
US Could Reach Herd Immunity by May 2021 If 70% of Americans Get the Vaccine, Top Doctor Says
America could reach herd immunity by May of next year if a majority of citizens are vaccinated, a prominent health expert told CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday. Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for President Donald Trump’s immunization program Operation Warp Speed, told Tapper on his show “State of the Union” that if 70% of the populace… -
opinion
What Happens When a Broken Country Tries to Fight a Pandemic
One of the most memorable scenes in the “Hunger Games” books and movies is when the poor kids from the outer districts take the train into the glimmering capital. There they see affluence and decadence completely foreign to them in their poor, hyper-regulated homelands. It’s all fiction, of course, but it’s not too far from… -
news
CDC Director Says School ‘One of Safest Places’ for Children, Data Supports In-Person Learning
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said school “is one of the safest places” for children and data supports in-person learning. Redfield stressed the importance of adhering to data during a White House press briefing Thursday. The CDC director also said “data-driven decisions” are what should lead discussions regarding “institutions or what we’re doing for… -
opinion
Free Markets Trump Globalists’ ‘Great Reset’ for Post-COVID-19 Recovery
In a World Economic Forum virtual panel discussion, “The Great Reset: Building Future Resilience to Global Risks,” on Wednesday, panelists sought to address “what new forms of cooperation, bold ideas, and reforms are needed for business, policymakers, and civil society to build a more resilient world and restore confidence in leadership beyond COVID-19.” The buzzword… -
opinion
How Oregon’s Governor Became the Latest Poster Child for COVID-19 Tyranny
America is officially eight months into what was said to be 15 days to slow the spread of COVID-19, and several states are now set to embark on a second round of extensive shutdowns. Standing out from the rest, the trio of Left Coast governors are apparently competing for the dubious distinction of “America’s Top Tyrant”—and Oregon’s… -
news
Gov. Whitmer Announces New Restrictions as Coronavirus Cases Surge
Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced new restrictions Sunday evening meant to combat the worsening coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions, which begin Wednesday and extend through the end of November, include the closing of high schools, colleges, indoor dining, casinos, and movie theaters, Whitmer said in a press conference Sunday. Michigan has recorded record amounts of virus cases… -
news
Moderna Announces Its Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective
The pharmaceutical company Moderna announced Monday that its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective based on preliminary results from ongoing human trials. Though the company’s announcement is a big step in the effort to develop effective vaccines against the virus, Moderna said that its vaccine would not be widely available until spring 2021. Moderna is the second pharmaceutical to… -
opinion
10 Counties With 21% of COVID-19 Deaths Have Just 11% of the 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. In recent months, the number of new cases has been more geographically dispersed, but COVID-19 fatalities remain highly concentrated. >>> What’s the best way for America to reopen… -
opinion
Biden Likely Would Issue Flurry of Executive Orders on Climate, Abortion, Immigration
The outcome of the 2020 presidential election continues to be hotly contested. But a transition of power from President Donald Trump to Joe Biden, if it happens, would have immediate and dramatic policy consequences. If Biden actually does win the presidential election, the former vice president likely will be faced with a divided legislative branch…. -
news
Mayor Bill de Blasio Says New Yorkers Should Avoid ‘Big Meals Together’ as COVID-19 Cases Spike
Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city’s residents should avoid “large meals together” as the area experienced a recent uptick in coronavirus cases. “The holidays we associate with travel and the holidays we associate with big indoor gatherings, big meals together—that, unfortunately, this year can’t be the case,” de Blasio said… -
news
Pfizer’s Coronavirus Vaccine Over 90% Effective, Company Says
A promising coronavirus vaccine being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, a German biotechnology firm, was over 90% effective compared to a placebo injection and did not produce any safety concerns, according to an analysis by a third-party data monitoring committee. “I would say it’s a historical moment,” said Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s head of vaccine research… -
opinion
COVID-19 Restrictions on Schools, Businesses Drive State Jobless Rates
The unemployment rate dropped more than expected in October, to 6.9%—from 7.9% in September—as 638,000 jobs were added or regained. Moreover, the number of people reporting lost work (either reduced hours or none) because their employer closed or lost business due to the coronavirus pandemic plummeted by 4.3 million, to 15.1 million. While the unemployment… -
opinion
Jobless Rate Falls to 6.9% as Economy Adds 638,000 Jobs Despite Pandemic
The unemployment rate fell by 1 percentage point to 6.9% as the economy added 638,000 jobs in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. This incredibly strong report comes in well above expert predictions and signals that if states continue to safely reopen their economies and schools, we will continue to gain back the economic losses from COVID-19. In October, 2.2 million more Americans were employed compared to September,… -
opinion
The Science Is Not Settled on COVID-19 Guidelines
Dr. David Nabarro, a special envoy of the World Health Organization on the coronavirus pandemic, recently warned that lockdowns should “not be used [as] a primary means of control of [COVID-19]. The only time [they are] justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, and rebalance your resources.” State officials, such as those in… -
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…. -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…