Healthcare
Dr. Fauci says unvaccinated kids still have to wear masks
A day after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks, National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci says unvaccinated children still have to wear masks. He appeared on an interview with CNN’s “The Lead.”
RELATED: WATCH: Sen. Paul and Dr. Fauci clash over COVID-19 origins
Host Jake Tapper asked Fauci if kids who haven’t received the vaccine still need to wear masks. “The children do when they’re out there playing with their friends, particularly in an indoor situation, they do,” Fauci responded.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s essentially over,” Fauci said. “I think this is a very important step in the direction of trying to get back to some degree of normality. Because this is something that everyone has had on their mind … and being able to go around without a mask indoors as well as outdoors is really a big step in that direction.”
RELATED: Fauci says mask-wearing may become ‘seasonal’
Fauci pointed out that children 12-15 can get the vaccine, and alluded that studies show “children of any age” could also receive it.
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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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