The House and Senate will be conducting legislative and committee business this week preceding the Fourth of July holiday. Of note, on Tuesday at 10 am the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on ways to return to work and school safely following the great hunkering down.
The Supreme Court has thirteen more opinions to release before its summer break. The Court is expected to release opinions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, all at 10 am.
On the COVID-19 front —
- Fierce Healthcare discusses how the Walgreen’s Pharmacy chain has leveraged its partnership with Microsoft and other technology companies to better respond to the COVID-19 emergency.
- A few weeks ago, the Journal podcast offered a fascinating show on the Hertz bankruptcy. It’s worth a 17 minute long listen. The story highlights how a strong balance sheet helps companies weather storms like the COVID-19 emergency. Becker’s Hospital Review identifies 14 well known health systems in this favorable situation, including Kaiser Permanente. It’s not an exclusive list.
- Healthcare Dive reports on the significant adverse financial impact that the COVID-19 emergency has had on primary care practices in the U.S. Surprisingly that article does not note that these practices have been eligible for Payroll Protection loans and federal grants. The government deserves credit for trying to soften the blow to this critical sector of our health care system. Tuesday June 30 is the deadline for applying for a PPP loan.
On the human nature front, the Wall Street Journal reports that COVID-19 first responders have been relaxing by playing a boardgame called Pandemic.