Initial new federal data shows the number of Americans signing up for Affordable Care Act health insurance for 2026 is moderately higher than it was at a similar time last year.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)The global coronavirus pandemic has created a huge need for health care in the U.S., but it also is delivering a devastating financial blow to that sector. All of this has forced hospitals, health systems and doctors to lay off staff, cut costs and hope a return to normal arrives soon. Health care provided the biggest drag on the U.S. economy in the first quarter. Nationally, the health care sector shed nearly 1.5 million jobs from February to April, or about 9% of its total, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even so, health care researchers expect hospitals, doctor's offices and surgery centers to rebound gradually.