Home/News from NPR/How Health Care In The U.S. May Change After COVID: An Optimist’s Outlook How Health Care In The U.S. May Change After COVID: An Optimist’s Outlook By John Henning Schumann May 13, 2021 With more than one-third of U.S. adults now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there’s growing optimism on many fronts. A majority of states have either lifted health-related restrictions or have announced target dates for doing so. Already, many clinicians and health policy experts are thinking about what the post-pandemic world will look like. COVID-19 demonstrated that even in a behemoth industry like health care, change can come quickly when it’s necessary. Patients understandably avoided hospitals and clinics because of the risk of viral exposure — leading to quick opportunities for innovation.