Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
-
- 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 -
- News
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 -
- News
After Last Pandemic, Task Force Advised Obama to Avert Shortage of Masks
The federal government knew about a shortage of protective masks going back to 2009, after the H1N1 virus, but didn’t replenish its supply for the next pandemic, which arrived this year with the highly contagious coronavirus. H1N1, also known as the swine flu, drew down about 100 million N95 protective respirator masks. Afterward, an H1N1…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Yes, We Can Strike the Right Balance Amid the COVID-19 Crisis
America is enduring a public health crisis of a magnitude not seen in decades, perhaps since the 1918 flu epidemic, but that doesn’t change the fact the United States is a “can-do” nation. Our history is clear: When faced with crisis, we respond with grit, determination, and innovation—regardless of the severity of the problem. The…Daniel H. Johnson Jr. -
- Opinion
Removing Obstacles, Cutting Red Tape, and Staying Flexible in Responding to COVID-19
Across the country, leaders at the federal, state, and local levels are doing their part to help respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. This kind of leadership in the government and the private sector is critical. But, so too are the steps taken by the Trump administration and state governments to remove obstacles, cut red tape,…Nina Owcharenko Schaefer -
- Opinion
3 Fixes to Ensure a Stable Food Supply During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Maintaining a safe and reliable food supply is one of the most important concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. This includes making sure there’s enough food for Americans and that the food can get to American households. The Food and Drug Administration explained that there are no nationwide food shortages in the United States. This may seem like…Daren Bakst -
- Opinion
Avenues to Voter Fraud Have No Place in Coronavirus Bill
We always knew that liberals considered federalizing control over elections to be an important priority. We just never dreamed it was more important than fighting the coronavirus pandemic or preserving American jobs. For years, both of us have testified before Congress about progressive designs to take over control from state election officials. Progressives long for…J. Christian Adams -
- News
The Truth About the Charge That Trump ‘Eliminated’ White House Pandemic Office Before Coronavirus
A chief line of attack during the coronavirus crisis from former Obama administration officials and leading Democrats is that President Donald Trump shut down a White House office on pandemics that might have stopped COVID-19 from spreading—or at least alleviated the threat. The attack is based on a 2018 decision by then-national security adviser John…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Virtue Signaling of Plastic Bag Ban Ends Quickly in a Pandemic
Mindless virtue signaling doesn’t fare well in a real crisis. As the nation and the world confronts a deadly pandemic, and citizens, businesses, and governments do all they can to tamp down the spread of the coronavirus, some useless measures instituted in less turbulent times will go by the wayside. One of these useless measures…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
‘Open by Easter’? Trump Wants Nation Shut by Coronavirus ‘Raring to Go’
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants the U.S. economy back up and running by Easter Sunday on April 12, as the economy has taken a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic. “We are opening up this incredible country. I would love to have it open by Easter,” Trump said during a Fox News virtual…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Let’s Expand 529 Plans to Help Homeschoolers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Homeschooling—a few weeks ago the domain of about 3% of the school-aged population—made headlines this month as COVID-19 rapidly closed schools across 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Indeed, the coronavirus has meant that “We’re All Homeschoolers Now.” While millions of children—and their parents—are experiencing homeschooling for the first time this month,…Jude Schwalbach -
- Opinion
My Husband Is a First Responder. COVID-19 Hits Home for the Kids and Me.
Last fall my husband was one of three firefighters to save a family from an apartment fire. All three men won an award from the county for their courage. But my husband, who also is an emergency medical technician, won’t be stepping up to receive that award any time soon. The ceremony was canceled because…Charlotte Schuyler