Health and Health Care Archives

Vaccination Rates Highlight Red and Blue State Divide

The Delta variant of COVID-19 has started to gain a foothold in the U.S. recently. On Monday, 32,105 cases were reported across the U.S., representing a 94 percent increase over the past 14 days. The uptick in cases is mainly fueled by rising case levels in states with low COVID-19 vaccination rates, with Arkansas, Missouri, and Louisiana seeing particularly alarming outbreaks.

SCOTUS: Obamacare Lives Again (California v. Texas)

The Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, has survived its third Supreme Court challenge. On Thursday, America’s highest court ruled in California v. Texas that allowed the entirety of the law as it currently exists to stay. It capped a decade-long attempt from the Republican Party to kill the largest overhaul to the U.S. health care system since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

US Reports 3,157 COVID-19 Deaths In a Day

The U.S. has reported over 3,000 COVID-19 deaths in a day for the first time. On Wednesday, December 2, 3,157 new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the U.S. This breaks the record of 2,603 deaths a day back during the spring outbreak on April 15. Compared to the total number of deaths related to 9/11 (2,977), the number of deaths recorded today has already surpassed the total number of people who died on that fateful fall day in 2001.

SCOTUS Hears Another GOP Case Trying to Repeal Obamacare

The Supreme Court is once again hearing another GOP-led case which could determine the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, which provides health insurance to over 23 million Americans and ensures that all Americans with preexisting medical conditions can still purchase health insurance plans. As of writing, over 38 states, including some very conservative states, have expanded Medicaid via the ACA to allow cheaper health care coverage to more Americans.

Coronavirus and the Politics of Health Care

As the coronavirus makes its “second sweep” across the United States, states with the highest percentage of uninsured residents have been hit the hardest, reigniting the debate over healthcare and insurance and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The last 13 states which have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, including Texas, Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, and Wyoming are now seeing major outbreaks of the coronavirus. Let’s discuss the implications of healthcare on the 2020 election in today’s post.

America’s Coronavirus Missteps

America currently ranks number one in the entire world for the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. By July 12, 2020, over 1% of the entire population in the United States had contracted the coronavirus. What did the U.S. do wrong to cause the pandemic to become so bad? What can we learn from these mistakes? Let’s find out in today’s post.

The Politics of Lockdowns

In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, everything has become a political symbol. From something as simple as wearing a mask to state lockdowns, the pandemic is further dividing the two parties and causing society to become even more polarized.

Category: Health and Health Care