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 an OB-GYN. Here’s Why I Support Requiring Hospital Admitting Privileges for Abortion Providers.
A decision is expected any day now from the U.S. Supreme Court in June Medical Services v. Russo. The case involves a challenge to the constitutionality of a Louisiana law, Act 620, that was passed in 2014. I testified in favor of it before the Louisiana legislature, and later, as an expert witness, took the stand… -
opinion
Focusing Public Policy on Nursing Homes Could Cut COVID-19 Deaths by Half
Here’s a question for public policy: If you could cut the COVID-19 death rate in half, would you do it? Policymakers could do that, if they act accordingly by greatly increasing testing of both residents and staff at nursing homes and other extended care facilities, the hottest of hot spots for coronavirus deaths. By now,… -
opinion
Media Itching for Second Wave of COVID-19
The news media is churning out countless alarmist stories each day about the threat of COVID-19 and the dangers of societal reopening. “Risk of new lockdown rises with fear of second COVID-19 wave,” writes Reuters, as one example of the genre. These stories generally incite, rather than inform. They cherry-pick facts and lack context. Only when the… -
opinion
During Ebola Pandemic, Liberia Held Political Rallies
While President Donald Trump has endured criticism from some for planning to hold one of his first political campaign rallies Saturday evening in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when many parts of the country are reopening after being shut down due to the COVID-19 threat, political observers should remember that Liberia managed to hold political rallies in 2014… -
news
Why COVID-19 and Our Racial Divide Make This Father’s Day Significant
The COVID-19 crisis and racial tensions make Father’s Day more important this year than most, says a social scientist and author who argues for the importance of fathers, especially in the development of boys to men. “We talk about no child left behind, but we also need to make sure no parent is left behind,”… -
opinion
Why Democracy and Free Markets Are the Best Antidotes to Pandemics
In a recent article, The Economist provided compelling evidence that “democracies contain epidemics most effectively.” According to the article’s analysis, … most data suggest that political freedom can be a tonic against disease. The Economist has [analyzed] epidemics from 1960 to 2019. Though these outbreaks varied in contagiousness and lethality, a clear correlation emerged. Among… -
news
Prioritizing Federal Activity More Important in Wake of COVID-19
As America works toward bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, it is vital that the public and leaders make smart and informed decisions. To that end, The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission has released its final report, which features recommendations for policymakers, civil society, families, and businesses. Although most of the commission’s recommendations focus… -
opinion
Responding to the Coronavirus Crisis and Building a Stronger Health Sector for the Future
Editor’s note: This is an open letter to the American people from 83 participants in the Health Policy Consensus Group and other health care leaders. Please see the full list of signatories at the end of this letter. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for flexibility in our health sector and for public officials… -
opinion
After COVID-19, Only US Can Lead Way on Economic Recovery
The world never stops turning. Troubled times at home or not, the need for American leadership never lessens. Although the meeting of the Group of Seven leaders has been postponed, Washington should get the get-together back on track. The administration must build consensus for a free world post-COVID-19 economic recovery partnership and cement the deal… -
news
Coronavirus Pandemic ‘Could Have Been Prevented’ If Not for China’s Cover-Up, House GOP Report Finds
The global COVID-19 pandemic “could have been prevented” if not for China’s cover-up of the viral disease in its early stages, a new report from Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee found. The report, released Monday evening, also condemned the China-aligned World Health Organization, concluding that the WHO “enabled” China’s cover-up of the outbreak. The report also called… -
news
With 265 Ideas, Coronavirus Panel Calls for US to Lead World in Recovering, Preparing for Next Pandemic
In a final report released Monday, The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission makes 265 recommendations for getting America back to work, stopping the spread of COVID-19, and being prepared for the next pandemic. The recommendations are aimed at federal, state, and local government leaders as well as the business and nonprofit sector amid a… -
opinion
COVID-19 Should Incentivize States to Make Education Dollars Student-Centered
We are seeing some rays of optimism after the COVID-19 pandemic has forced school districts to close for months: Montana and Texas have become the first states to allow districts to reopen some of their schools. Unfortunately, we are also seeing more negative effects. The government response to COVID-19 resulted in school closures and a… -
news
How Sweden’s Touted Approach to COVID-19 Is Working So Far
Sweden’s less rigid response to COVID-19 came under sharper attack in the past week after having enjoyed popular support. It’s still difficult, however, to judge the success or failure of the policy. Sweden has had a lower number of new cases of the coronavirus, with fewer deaths than some European countries but still more than… -
news
HHS Scraps Obama Rules on Gender Identity, Abortion
Federal health officials announced a final rule Friday scrapping an Obama-era regulation that forced medical workers to perform abortions despite their religious beliefs. The Obama administration’s 2016 regulation, already vacated by a court ruling, also redefined sex-based discrimination in health care to include questions of gender identity. The old rule would have imposed nearly $3 billion… -
opinion
Chile’s Deep Reserves of Economic Freedom Will Aid COVID-19 Recovery
Chile’s overall economic freedom score of 76.8 made the South American nation’s economy the 15th-freest in the world in The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom. Although economic freedom in Chile declined under the last socialist government from 2013 through 2017, by 2018 the center-right administration of President Sebastian Pinera had put the… -
opinion
Common Sense on COVID-19 Beats Second-Guessing Every Time
While combating the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state officials must rely on the best available scientific data, including updated clinical information on the course of this mysterious disease and reliable epidemiological estimates. Prominent epidemiological models, such as those of the Imperial College in Britain and the University of Washington, have been seriously flawed in predicting… -
opinion
Delivering Better Health and Human Services to Americans
Eric Hargan, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss the nation’s coronavirus recovery. Hargan also describes his priorities in cutting red tape at HHS, focusing on values-based health care that is primarily about outcomes and not just services, and making health care records more… -
news
During COVID-19, Cutting Red Tape Helps Front-Line Nurses Save Lives
When the New York tri-state area became the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak, nurses from across the country answered the call. “I’ve never felt so much that I’m exactly where I need to be right now,” says Clare Shanley, a nurse from Richmond, Virginia, who volunteered to work in New York. “I’m making a… -
opinion
COVID-19 Less Deadly in the North American Arctic
In only a matter of weeks, COVID-19 managed to spread from China to the entire world, including the seemingly out-of-reach High North. Like every other affected region, the Arctic faces its own challenges with the coronavirus pandemic. This is particularly true of the North American Arctic, which consists of Alaska, the northern parts of Canada,… -
news
How Virginia’s Green New Deal Will Add to Residents’ COVID-19 Costs
While many Virginia residents are still reeling from the effects of COVID-19, their elected officials from Gov. Ralph Northam on down are increasing their financial burdens with radical Green New Deal-style programs, energy policy analysts say. Renewable energy mandates and restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions recently signed into law by Northam, a Democrat, are economically…