Healthcare
Dr. Fauci says he wore a mask to avoid ‘giving mixed signals’

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Fauci appeared on “Good Morning America” Tuesday, to say he only wore a mask after being vaccinated to maintain his image. This comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that vaccinated persons are not required to continue wearing a mask.
Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Fauci how he’s changed his personal mask policy. And the response was something many have thought all along: for theater. He said he had been wearing a mask despite being vaccinated because of his position.
“I didn’t want to look like I was giving mixed signals,” Fauci said. “But being a fully vaccinated person, the chances of my getting infected in an indoor setting is extremely low.”
“That’s why in indoor settings now, I feel comfortable about not wearing a mask,” he admitted.
Just in March, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) accused Fauci of such during a hearing. “You parade around in a mask for show,” Paul said to Fauci.
RELATED: Rand Paul: ‘Dr. Fauci needs to put up or shut up’
“You have the vaccine and you’re wearing two masks, isn’t that theater?” Paul asked Fauci
“Here we go again with the theater,” Fauci replied, sounding frustrated. He ended the discussion by reiterating: “Let me just state for the record masks are not theater. Masks are protective.”
But now he’s changed his tune. Paul, for his part, contracted the virus last year. Ever since, he’s refused to get a vaccine, one of three U.S. senators that remain unvaccinated. He also reportedly walks around maskless in the Capitol.
You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism

Nation
Elizabeth Warren Acknowledges Unintended Consequences of Obamacare

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
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