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
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,… -
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… -
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,… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
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…