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
Little of Pelosi’s Wish List Made It Into COVID-19 Relief Bill. That’s a Relief in Itself.
On Friday, the House passed the massive $2 trillion-plus coronavirus relief package that the Senate had passed on Wednesday. There’s a lot in those 880 pages, and much of it is problematic: The bill is neither targeted and temporary, nor directed exclusively at the coronavirus—as scholars at The Heritage Foundation and its president, Kay C….GianCarlo Canaparo -
- Opinion
Time to Step Up: The Coronavirus Opportunity for Our Country
This week’s dumb national debate has been about when to reopen our economy. To date, our strategy on the coronavirus has been to shut down pretty much everything and stay home. President Donald Trump said he hopes to reopen our economy by Easter. Those who oppose anything the president says are therefore adamantly opposed to…Neil Patel -
- Opinion
Latest UN Report Forecasts Grave Economic Consequences From COVID-19 Shutdowns
The latest report from the U.N. agency that monitors worldwide trade and investment predicts a global decline in foreign direct investment of 30%-40% during 2020-2021. While earlier concerns had focused on disruptions of supply chains linked to China, current fears are much more strongly connected to the downturn in global demand due to quarantines, lockdowns,…Terry Miller -
- Opinion
How Religious Groups Are Helping During COVID-19 Pandemic
When Rev. Jay Voorhees, pastor of City Road Chapel just outside Nashville, Tennessee, saw dozens of people in his community laid off as restaurants and bars were forced to close because of COVID-19, he started a fund to buy grocery store gift cards to help them get through the crisis. Such charity, happily, is not…Emilie Kao -
- Opinion
Congress, Not Coronavirus, Deserves Blame for Postal Service Woes
A $10 billion loan to the United States Postal Service was included in the third coronavirus relief bill, which passed the Senate late Wednesday night. Supporters of the loan claim that the service is in danger of going bankrupt in the next few months. But the Postal Service’s fiscal crisis does not relate to the…David Ditch -
- Opinion
Forget Big Government. Here’s How to Help Our Neighbor in the COVID-19 Era.
Private philanthropy is one of the most powerful tools in times of crisis. Peter Lipsett, vice president of Donors Trust, joins the podcast to explain why big government programs and bailouts often have unintended negative consequences. Lipsett explains how we can help our communities economically during the coronavirus pandemic and challenges Americans to think about…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
China’s Outrageous Coronavirus Blame Game
China is ramping up aggressive propaganda efforts to pin the blame for the coronavirus pandemic on the United States. Less than three months ago, however, when the first cases of COVID-19 showed up, the Chinese government began censoring social media that employed keywords such as “unknown Wuhan pneumonia.” It punished users for “spreading rumors” and…Helle Dale -
- News
House Set to Vote on $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill
The coronavirus aid package is expected to be voted on by the House Friday, after the Senate passed the bill late Wednesday. “Congressional Democrats in the Senate, and in the House, were able to flip this over from corporate trickle-down Republican version, to bubble-up for families first legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday….Rachel del Guidice -
- News
‘Daddy-Daughter’ Viral Duets Aim to Bring Hope, Joy Amid COVID-19 Despair
Father and daughter Mat and Savanna Shaw had no intentions of making a video for anyone other than their family and friends when they sat down to sing “The Prayer” at their kitchen table in late February. The four-minute video now has more than 2 million views on YouTube and 4.4 million views on Facebook. …Virginia Allen -
- News
Trump: Testing Boost Puts US at No. 1 for Coronavirus Cases
President Donald Trump on Thursday credited enhanced testing for the fact that the United States now has the most confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world—surpassing China, where the pandemic originated. “It’s a tribute to our testing,” the president said during the daily coronavirus press briefing at the White House. “No. 1, you don’t know…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
3 Big Media Misses During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has become a health crisis that’s almost unprecedented in our lifetimes. As our country and the world race to contain the spread of COVID-19, it’s important that we all stay informed on how to protect ourselves and our families and neighbors. This is a time for journalists in a free country to…Jarrett Stepman -
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6 Things to Know About Anthony Fauci as He Helps Shape Response to Coronavirus
Before his name and face became ubiquitous to Americans through news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, Anthony Fauci made his mark as a key figure working to end the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Fauci, a 79-year-old Brooklyn native, also gained media attention after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he made the case for a…Kevin Mooney -
- Opinion
Pandemic in 2020: Dark Times Lead to Brighter Days
Already, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused incalculable damage: death for some, illness for many, and a profound toll in uncertainty, stress, and economic loss for nearly all. By all accounts, the world is at the beginning of this event, not nearing the end, wrestling with its magnitude and potential long-term consequences. Each day brings more…Dakota Wood -
- Opinion
The Coronavirus Game Plan: How We Got Here and Where It Ends
You can endlessly debate the wisdom and timing of the administration’s actions in responding to the COVID-19, or coronavirus, outbreak. But one thing seems beyond dispute: The federal government is making an all-out effort to help. Further, the innumerable press briefings and public statements leave no question as to the administration’s overall game plan and what the White…James Carafano -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Takes Growing Toll on Latin America’s Economies
The countries of Latin America so far have escaped the worst public health consequences of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Economic damage, however, is already substantial, and has been greatest for Latin America’s most market-oriented countries. Most prominently hurt has been Chile's export-oriented economy, which is ranked No. 15 out of 180 countries scored in The…James M. Roberts -
- News
De Blasio to Release Hundreds of Prisoners at Risk of Coronavirus Fatalities
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is releasing around 300 prisoners from Rikers Island as a means to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. During a press conference Tuesday night, de Blasio said he would release roughly 300 nonviolent inmates from Rikers Island who are most at risk of dying from COVID-19. To meet the…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
Problematic Women: Love, Sex, and COVID-19
This week, your “Problematic Women” hosts are doing our part to fight the coronavirus by recording this episode while 1,000 miles apart. COVID-19 is affecting all levels of society, from gender roles to the dating scene. We look at how social distancing is changing the way we view relationships and discuss a New York City…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
The Wisdom of Trump’s 15 Days to Slow Spread of COVID-19
On March 16, President Donald Trump announced a new initiative, “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” to halt or hinder the rapid spread of COVID-19. Earlier this week, he tweeted the following: “WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A…Kevin Pham -
- News
Trump Compares $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Aid Bill to FDR’s New Deal in Size, Scope
President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed optimism about the prospects for passage of an emergency coronavirus relief bill to bridge the nation’s temporary economic shutdown, as the Senate moved closer to agreement. “Together, this $2.2 trillion legislative package is bigger than anything I believe ever passed in Congress,” Trump told reporters, comparing the massive bill…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
The Red Tape Pandemic
The coronavirus is frightening. I’m working from home, practicing “social distancing.” Experts say it’ll help “flatten the curve” so fewer people will be infected simultaneously. Then hospitals won’t be overwhelmed. But the infection rate grows. Doctors and hospitals may yet be overwhelmed. It didn’t have to get to this point. Coronavirus deaths leveled off in…John Stossel