Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
-
- 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 -
- Opinion
How Close Is US to Herd Immunity for COVID-19? What the Numbers Show
There has been considerable interest lately in Sweden’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Sweden’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Anders Tegnell, Sweden is expected to achieve herd immunity in several weeks’ time. Sweden pursued a much more relaxed mitigation strategy, practicing social distancing while avoiding a national lockdown, and approximately 20% of Swedes may have…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
Here’s Why Development of a Vaccine Takes So Long
As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House has warned time and time again that a vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus won’t be available for another 12 to 18 months. In a crisis, that sounds like forever. >>> When can America reopen? The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation,…Peter Brookes -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: AG Barr Directs Federal Prosecutors to Protect ‘Civil Liberties’ During COVID-19
Attorney General William Barr on Monday directed U.S. attorneys to “be on the lookout” for state and local governments violating constitutional rights of individuals during the strict COVID-19 restrictions at the state and local level. “Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want…Fred Lucas -
- News
In Tweet, Chinese Government Suggests US Is ‘Hiding’ Information on COVID-19
The Chinese government’s Foreign Ministry portrayed China as the victim of coronavirus disinformation on Monday, before suggesting minutes later that the U.S. government is “hiding something” regarding the pandemic. “China always stands against disinformation campaign. We are victim rather than producer of disinformation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry wrote from its Twitter account. The account then suggested without…Chuck Ross -
- Opinion
America’s Uncomfortable but Unavoidable COVID-19 Choices Ahead
America is a free society, and in a free society, the exercise of personal choice is dependent upon both the opportunity to make choices and the ability to take responsibility for the choices we make. Choice and responsibility are conceptually inseparable. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is another fundamental truth: We are…Daniel H. Johnson Jr. -
- Opinion
Lives and Livelihoods Are Inseparable, Should Be Addressed as Such, Coronavirus Recovery Panel Says
The COVID-19 pandemic that has reached every corner of America presents policymakers with a vastly complicated problem that will require a diverse and tailored approach. Any solution to reopening the country will need to deal with a great variety of locales, as well as to engage with multiple levels of government. To that end, The…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
How Pentagon Is Protecting Defense Supply Chains From COVID-19
The coronavirus is causing disruption across all sectors of the economy, and the defense industrial base is no exception. To minimize the impact on military readiness, the Department of Defense is trying to mitigate threats to the supply chains that feed the defense industry—whether those sources are in the U.S. or overseas. The defense industrial…Maiya Clark -
- Opinion
How COVID-19 Could Change the Political Future of Europe
The coronavirus has left many European leaders questioning the future of the EU. Former Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta recently told The Guardian that “the communitarian spirit of Europe is weaker today than 10 years ago.” Nile Gardiner, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher and director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Testing and the Way Forward on Resuming Non-Urgent Medical Care
America’s coronavirus testing rates have emerged as one of the enduring issues with the government’s response to the pandemic. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s initial missteps in February, resulting in faulty tests that were slow to run, the Trump administration pushed the Food and Drug Administration to grant numerous emergency use authorizations…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
China Is Working Overtime to Suppress Research About Coronavirus Origin
The lesson of history for tyrannical regimes is that the truth is dangerous. Clearly, the Chinese Communist Party knows this full well, which is why it’s working overtime to bury the truth as the world is mired in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. China has worked aggressively to suppress critical media and waged a widespread disinformation…Jarrett Stepman