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
Here’s What We Know About a Possible Meat Shortage Amid COVID-19
Warnings of the possibility of coming meat shortages have left many Americans wondering whether we will see the meat and poultry cases in grocery stores just as barren as the toilet paper shelves. The coronavirus has led a number of large meat-processing plants, such as Tyson Foods Inc. and Smithfield Foods Inc., to close plants or…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Pandemic Adds to the Urgency of Medicare Reform
While Americans are focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its damage, the Medicare trustees are warning—once again—of the enormous financial challenges posed by the accelerated spending of the Medicare program. The Medicare trustees’ 255-page report covers the program’s financial condition in 2019, a chronic problem generating annual federal deficits and national debt. That condition is…Robert Moffit -
- Opinion
Is Sweden’s COVID-19 Approach the Right One? What 1 Expert Thinks
The spread of COVID-19 has created a serious public health challenge for governments throughout the world, but several countries have responded differently. The U.S. and many European nations, for instance, have introduced widespread social distancing and “stay at home” orders. South Korea, the country that has shown the most success at reversing the course of…Doug Badger -
- Opinion
How COVID-19 Is Affecting the Nation’s Meat Supply
Many Americans are rightfully concerned about the status of the country’s meat supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers to help address those concerns, and the situation is constantly changing. The following is a Q&A regarding the current status of the meat (including poultry) supply and provides a few recommendations that…Daren Bakst -
- News
US Intelligence Community Confirms It’s Examining Whether Coronavirus Accidentally Leaked From Wuhan Lab
The U.S. intelligence community is seriously examining the possibility that the novel coronavirus could have entered the human population in Wuhan due to a laboratory accident, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed in a statement Thursday. “The [intelligence community] will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the…Andrew Kerr -
- Opinion
The Missing Pieces of Trump’s Coronavirus Recovery
America’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic rightly prioritized good public health policy. Now, Washington is focusing on getting Americans safely back to work. The aim is to preserve livelihoods as well as lives. However, the plan put forward so far is missing some key pieces, parts that need to be added to ensure the safety, prosperity, and freedom of Americans long into the future. While the White House has been steering…James Carafano -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Denies COVID-19 Funds to Planned Parenthood
The Trump administration has acted to ensure that no funds from the new Paycheck Protection Program, set up to assist small businesses battered by COVID-19, will go to Planned Parenthood. “President Trump is committed to ensuring Paycheck Protection Program money is used for saving jobs at small businesses, not getting the government into the business…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Why Full Business Expensing Is Vital for Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery
An idea gaining bipartisan traction in Congress would help fix the damaging taxation of new investments set to kick in amid America’s eventual economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time for lawmakers to make full expensing permanent and extend similar treatment to factories and retail space. Full expensing lets businesses deduct spending…Adam Michel -
- Opinion
Lessons to Learn From COVID-19
We’re seeing now what efforts against COVID-19 were supposed to produce: a flattening of the growth curve of new fatalities. The growth rate of fatalities is dropping. We entered the dark tunnel, and now we are on the way out. Rays of light are shining in. We will survive. But will we learn? It appears…Star Parker -
- News
Leading CEO on Coronavirus Recovery Panel Wary of Government Power Grab
John Allison sees similarities between the response to the coronavirus pandemic and the financial crisis of 2008, when he was the CEO of BB&T Corp., a leading holding company. “The financial crisis was brought about largely from government policies and regulation, and a number of large companies that took real economic risk,” Allison says in…Fred Lucas -
- News
What to Expect as 12 States Begin to Reopen After COVID-19 Shutdown
Come Friday in Texas, the nation’s second-largest economy, businesses such as restaurants and retail stores will be open again, but at a 25% occupancy rate. After that, public health officials will reevaluate the data and decide whether to allow a 50% occupancy rate. The Lone Star State is among nine states where governors’ stay-at-home orders…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Government Should Stop Promoting Unemployment During COVID-19
American prosperity always has relied on the fact that we are the most productive people in human history. Unfortunately, some short-term Band-Aids for the widespread economic distress caused by the coronavirus lockdowns may have substantial negative effects that make it harder for Americans to get back on their feet. While much of what is in…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Volunteers Who Step Up in Face of COVID-19 Embody Spirit of America
The spirit of resilience, leadership, and community is woven into the fabric of American society, and it’s often displayed when we’re going through, or responding to, a national tragedy. It’s been no different with respect to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has brought many new challenges to our…Janae Stracke -
- Opinion
Online Voting Is Not the Answer Even in a Pandemic
What is the best way to conduct elections in a time of epidemic? The simplest and most obvious answer might appear at first glance to be voting over the internet—via email, fax, blockchain, or smartphone apps. While this would certainly seem to fit with our internet-dependent lives as we socially distance, online voting is not…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Trump Showcases Jobs Preserved by Paycheck Protection Program Amid COVID-19 Shutdown
Michael Heup not only got his job back at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, which was temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 crisis, but he also had the chance to talk about it at the White House on Tuesday. “I love my job, and I am excited about going back to work,” Heup, a disabled employee,…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
To Prepare for COVID-19 Vaccine, Let’s Ensure Manufacturing Capacity Will Meet Demand
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies, in collaboration with scientists in academia and government, are working flat-out to develop drugs and vaccines to treat or prevent COVID-19. Although a vaccine is still months away, policymakers and the public should ask now: If and when their efforts succeed, will there be sufficient manufacturing capacity to meet the likely…Edmund Haislmaier -
- Opinion
Nothing Novel About Communist China’s Coronavirus Lies
Lying comes naturally to the Chinese Communist government, which will say anything to maintain its tight grip on the reins of power. Officials in Beijing continue to lie about the number of deaths in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus. The official death toll is 2,500, but some 5,000 burial urns were delivered to just one Wuhan crematorium, and…Lee Edwards -
- Opinion
Parental Consent Laws for Underage Girls Seeking Abortion Help Fight Against Human Trafficking
It is welcome news that Florida is now set to become the sixth state to require both parental consent and notice before minor girls can get an abortion. A bill mandating this has passed both houses of the state Legislature, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to sign it. Ensuring that a child’s parents are involved before any medical or surgical procedure…Grazie Pozo Christie -
- Opinion
Doctor-Turned-Senator Who Predicted Pandemic Outlines Steps America Needs to Now Take
In 2005, then-Sen. Bill Frist had a message for Americans: a pandemic was coming, likely out of Asia, and due to increasing global travel, it would likely affect the United States. Now Frist, a doctor himself, is looking at how and when America can safely reopen. One example of a locale doing it right, in…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
‘Constitution Isn’t Suspended’ for COVID-19, Attorney General Barr Warns Public Officials
Attorney General William Barr on Monday publicly released an official memorandum he sent to United States attorneys and to his assistant attorney general for civil rights. The subject of the memo was “Balancing Public Safety with the Preservation of Civil Rights.” The memo is a succinct acknowledgment of the extraordinary challenges posed by the coronavirus, a…John G. Malcolm