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
Illegal Border Crossings Drop by Half Under Coronavirus Shutdown
Since the Trump administration ordered a shutdown of the U.S.-Mexico border, government officials are reporting a roughly 50% drop in illegal alien apprehensions. Under orders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Trump administration on Friday declared a lockdown of the southern and northern borders, permitting only the flow of “essential” travel. In that short…Jason Hopkins -
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Canceling Student Loan Debt Isn’t Smart or Fair Response to COVID-19
The Senate is considering a coronavirus fiscal stimulus package aimed at minimizing the adverse economic impact resulting from the pandemic. Yet this proposal is neither targeted nor temporary—two important hallmarks of any proposed fiscal stimulus Congress introduces—nor is it adequately linked to the coronavirus pandemic. Compounding the problems of the legislation, called the Coronavirus Aid,…Lindsey Burke -
- Opinion
What We Know About Potential Treatments for COVID-19
The rapid spread of the coronavirus has completely upended daily life for all Americans and shows no sign of letting up. Harsh orders from numerous state governors require Americans to stay home except for essential activities in an effort to halt, or at least slow, new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new…Kevin Pham -
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Nurturing and Improving Telehealth in the Time of Coronavirus
The spread of the Chinese coronavirus will strain America’s health care system to the breaking point. Primary care physicians already are overbooked, medical products are in short supply, and those who become symptomatic are afraid to visit clinics for fear of putting other, more vulnerable patients at risk. Fortunately, many of our conversations on Capitol…Sen. Marsha Blackburn -
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Top WHO Official Won Election With China’s Help. Now He’s Running Interference for China on Coronavirus.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus won his post after China backed him in the May 2017 election. Now, Tedros is leading the WHO, an arm of the United Nations, in providing cover for China’s oppressive regime as it attempts to shirk responsibility for the global coronavirus pandemic. Despite all evidence to the contrary,…Peter Hasson -
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What a Nurse Wants You to Know About COVID-19 Pandemic
America’s medical professionals are doing all they can to ensure the best care for COVID-19 patients. But to slow the spread of the coronavirus and give hospitals the time they need to prepare for a potential influx of patients, nurse McKinley Mather-Pike says, there are several things we can all be doing. Mather-Pike, who lives…Virginia Allen -
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Staying Free and Faithful in a Pandemic
The coronavirus crisis presents challenges to us as a nation and as individuals. There are principles we should keep in mind. Let’s remember how our nation works. We have a Constitution that assigns limited, defined powers to the federal government and leaves the rest to the states and individuals. Some governors, like J.B. Pritzker of…Star Parker -
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Winning the Coronavirus War
America has faced great challenges in the past, and we have always gotten through them stronger than we were before. From the Civil War to the Great Depression to World War II, we have been through some horrific stuff. In the Civil War alone, we lost 750,000 people, or 2% of our population at the…Neil Patel -
- Opinion
The Truth Behind China’s Ineffective Anti-American Coronavirus Propaganda
For quite some time, China has been trying to undercut the foundation of American global power. Unlike Moscow’s often coarse, brutish efforts, Beijing has been stealthier than an F-35, using public diplomacy initiatives to subtly buy its way into schools, civil society, and the private sector. Now, however, the mask–and the gloves–are coming off. In the last few…James Carafano -
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‘Time Is of Essence’: Cruz Asks HHS to Expedite Ventilator Production
Sen. Ted Cruz has asked Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to expedite production and distribution of medical supplies such as ventilators for those infected by the coronavirus. “On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) and delegating authority to you, as the…Rachel del Guidice -
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Amid Coronavirus Upheaval, How to Keep Employees and Employers Connected to Jobs
The economic fallout from the national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak could last much longer than the health consequences. To limit disruption of economic activity, policymakers must act now to help families maintain their income and their connections to employment. Before the coronavirus hit the United States, first-time unemployment claims were near a half-century low….Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
Iranian Regime’s Reckless Disregard Made the Coronavirus Outbreak Worse
Iran, which faces one of the most widespread COVID-19 coronavirus outbreaks outside of China, is paying a heavy price for the mismanagement, dishonesty, and self-serving priorities of its Islamist clerical regime. Iran’s totalitarian rulers remain in denial about the scope and consequences of the pandemic, preferring to save face rather than save lives. The ayatollahs…James Phillips -
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Protecting America’s Borders Is Critical to Combating Coronavirus
In mid-March, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador closed his country’s borders to foreigners. At that point, his country had zero confirmed cases of COVID-19, commonly known as the coronavirus. Bukele closed down schools, temporarily shut down the international airport, and banned flights from Mexico when he believed the Mexican government allowed corona-positive passengers to…Ana Quintana -
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An Alarming Study Shows We Need to Be Vigilant to Beat Coronavirus
Millions of Americans dead, thousands more waiting to die for want of medical equipment in short supply, and all because a few blithe revelers wanted to go to the bar. A recent study by Imperial College London paints a truly frightening picture of what could be. But is this even possible? In short, not likely,…Kevin Pham -
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Politicizing Pandemic? Left-Wing Groups Target White House Response to Coronavirus
Several liberal groups have launched an aggressive advertising effort attacking the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. At least two entities financed through the left-wing organization Arabella Advisors have launched campaigns politicizing the pandemic, according to the conservative watchdog group Americans for Public Trust. “This is a dark-money organization that is taking advantage of…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Coronavirus Is the Chinese Government’s Curse Upon the World
The World Health Organization and other sensitive souls have instructed us to stop referring to the new strain of the coronavirus as the “Wuhan” or “Chinese” flu because of the racist connotations. I’m disinclined to curb my speech to placate Chinese propagandists, and it seems to me the aversion to those terms is less about…David Harsanyi -
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What Conservatives Think of Senate’s Coronavirus Aid Package
The Senate’s new coronavirus aid package is a mixed bag, according to a new report from The Heritage Foundation. “Any action that Congress takes should be targeted, temporary, and linked directly to the coronavirus epidemic in order to address the source of the economic shock while limiting any political abuse that can develop in a…Rachel del Guidice -
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Don’t Let Surprise Billing Derail Coronavirus Response
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the country, threatening lives and livelihoods alike, Congress has suddenly found its ability to legislate again. The Senate has cancelled its recess, and many lawmakers have been remarkably focused on fighting the disease and protecting Americans. Despite some delays and the usual partisan tug-of-war, lawmakers have quickly passed two important,…Jessica Anderson -
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Coronavirus Pandemic Highlights Importance of Economic Freedom
More than ever, economic freedom matters. The mysterious coronavirus, which originated in December in Wuhan, China, has engulfed countries across the globe. In dealing with an emerging pandemic such as this unpleasantly contagious one, principled approaches are essential, including keeping the crisis in context, pushing for full transparency, and ensuring international coordination and cooperation. At…Anthony B. Kim -
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Senate Bill Would Give $1,200 to Many Americans as COVID-19 Relief
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that the Senate will not leave Washington before approving an aid package to ease financial problems during the coronavirus pandemic through direct payments to individual Americans. Other provisions of the package, which has a total cost estimated at up to $1 trillion, would provide loans to airlines and…Fred Lucas