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
The Unfolding Debate About America’s Response to Coronavirus
A debate is forming about the U.S. response to COVID-19 and it’s worthwhile to consider this debate early, as it develops, before battle lines harden. On one side is the school of thought that shutdowns, lockdowns and closing of “nonessential” businesses either came too late to help or were an overreaction to inaccurate computer models…Thomas Spoehr -
- News
DeVos Calls on Harvard to Follow Stanford’s Lead and Return COVID-19 Cash
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called on elite schools Wednesday to follow Stanford University’s example and withdraw applications for CARES Act funding. The Education Department secretary applauded Stanford’s actions in the wake of a Daily Caller News Foundation report Tuesday showing that all eight Ivy League schools are slated to receive millions in taxpayer-funded coronavirus stimulus money…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Coronavirus and Public Health: 5 Glimpses of What the Near Future Looks Like
Across the country, governments are preparing to reopen society and the economy after the initial wave of coronavirus cases subsides. Regions, states, and localities are crafting plans based on scientific data to loosen public health restrictions and get Americans out of their homes and on the move again. Although New York has been an unfortunate…Brayden Helwig -
- Opinion
Examining Costs vs. Benefits and COVID-19
One of the first lessons in an economics class is everything has a cost. That’s in stark contrast to lessons in the political arena where politicians talk about free stuff. In our personal lives, decision-making involves weighing costs against benefits. Businessmen make the same calculation if they want to stay in business. It’s an entirely…Walter E. Williams -
- Opinion
Sweden’s Unique Approach to Battling COVID-19 Is Preserving Economic Freedom
In stark contrast to most other developed countries dealing with the coronavirus, Sweden has adopted what are perhaps the least restrictive “social distancing” rules in the world, permitting most economic activity to continue in the face of the pandemic. The ongoing Swedish policy experiment of so-called “herd immunity” is quite unique. Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
New Zealand’s Severe COVID-19 Lockdown Imperils Its Hard-Earned Free Economy
After completely reinventing its economy with free-market policies in the 1980s, New Zealand has enjoyed a remarkable run of prosperity as one of the most economically free countries in the world. Over the past 25 years, the country has consistently ranked near the top of The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom. It did it…Patrick Tyrrell -
- News
China Suppressed the Truth About Coronavirus. Top WHO Officials Keep Praising China’s ‘Transparency.’
Despite the fact that Chinese authorities misled the world about the coronavirus, top World Health Organization officials have repeatedly gone out of their way to praise China’s “transparency” in handling COVID-19. Chinese authorities silenced doctors, whistleblowers, and journalists who sought to warn the public about the virus. China could have limited the global spread of the virus by up to 95%…Peter Hasson -
- Opinion
How to Hold China Accountable for COVID-19
Americans are understandably upset. Businesses are closed, and people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake. It makes sense that people would demand the government take action against those responsible for the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic once we’ve made it through. Here’s how—and how not—to hold China accountable for the new coronavirus. >>> When can…Riley Walters -
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The Consequences of China’s Coronavirus Secrecy
As the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, questions about its origins inevitably arose. Yes, the virus came out of China, with the earliest analyses suggesting that it emerged from a “wet market” in Wuhan. But new theories are now making the rounds: Some claim that the virus may have escaped from a Chinese bioweapons laboratory;…Dean Cheng -
- Opinion
Cures for Coronavirus Will Come From Private Sector, Not International Bureaucracies
International civil servants are not immune from the coronavirus. Nor are they above exploiting the crisis for their own gain. Case in point: the statement issued by G-20 heads of state after their virtual meeting at the end of March. G-20 leaders wanted to reassure the world that they are coordinating their countries’ responses to…James M. Roberts -
- News
COVID-19 Recovery Panel Suggests Path for ‘Expeditious’ Return to Work
States should “expeditiously” allow Americans to go back to work in certain areas during the COVID-19 pandemic while proceeding cautiously with targeted mitigation, caring for the vulnerable, and making realistic boosts in testing and contact tracing, The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission recommends. The 17-member commission released a host of recommendations Monday designed to…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
The Truth About China and the Coronavirus
Biological warfare is an established weapon of war. From the disease-based experimentation on humans mounted by Japan’s Unit 731 during World War II to the Soviet Union’s development of natural diseases such as anthrax into weaponized pathogens in its illicit Biopreparat research facilities, this is not a topic reserved to Tom Clancy novels or “Mission Impossible”…Sebastian Gorka -
- News
House Republicans Accuse Democrats of Exploiting Coronavirus Crisis to Push ‘Extreme’ Immigration Agenda
Republican members of the House Oversight Committee accused their Democratic colleagues of exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to push their own “extreme” immigration agenda. House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan said congressional Democrats were attempting to use the COVID-19 outbreak “to advocate for their extreme changes in immigration policy,” and commended the White House for enforcing the…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Pandemic Underscores Nexus of Economic Freedom, Freedom of Press
In a joint open letter to the Chinese government last month, the publishers of three major U.S. newspapers wrote: Perhaps more than any major news event in modern history, this moment underscores the urgent importance of both probing, accurate, on-the-ground reporting from the centers of the pandemic and of sharing the information, insights and lessons…Anthony B. Kim -
- Opinion
Why COVID-19 Spitters Shouldn’t Be Prosecuted as Federal Terrorists
We’re in the middle of a crisis. People are on edge. Resources are limited. But through all of this, our first responders continue to do their jobs, day in and day out. If someone attacks them, or spits on them, or threatens to harm them, they must be held accountable. Few, if any, would dispute…Zack Smith -
- Opinion
This Is How Big the COVID-19 CARES Act Relief Bill Is
$1.8 trillion. That’s the official price tag on the federal government’s most recent stimulus bill, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That estimate is lower than previous projections of $2.3 trillion, in part because it excludes loan guarantees on debt that the government expects will be repaid. How much is $1.8 trillion in the…Romina Boccia -
- Opinion
‘There’s Beauty in the Midst of Ashes,’ Says Pastor on National COVID-19 Recovery Panel
Reopening America’s economy is going to take leadership and insight from every sphere of society, including the faith community. The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and a member of the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to talk about what a pastor brings to the panel…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
What You Need to Know About Antibody Tests for COVID-19
Returning to a semblance of normalcy in this country will require the ability to gauge a person’s immunity status to the COVID-19 virus using serology tests—that is, blood tests that detect antibody levels. People who were infected by the virus and recovered generated a durable immune response by developing antibodies to antigens specific to the…Kevin Pham -
- Opinion
Trump’s Attack on VOA Over COVID-19 Shows Need for New Agency Chief
At his April 15 press conference, President Donald Trump launched into a fierce attack on the Voice of America, the U.S. government’s broadcasting entity that reaches out to the world in 47 different languages and is a part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The president called the VOA’s coverage of the COVID-19 crisis…Helle Dale -
- News
Trump Administration Touts Boost in New Coronavirus Testing
President Donald Trump and administration officials indicated that testing for the coronavirus is headed for a big increase, as the administration moves toward reopening the economy. “Earlier this week the [Food and Drug Administration] authorized two new antibody tests, which is very exciting, that will determine whether someone has been previously infected with the virus,…Fred Lucas