Inside the DC clash over how to help schools reopen safely

Welcome to Dispensed Daily, your daily dose of healthcare news from Business Insider's healthcare editor Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer and the healthcare team. Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday.

Hello,

Today in healthcare news: Congress debates how to reopen schools, how the pandemic's shaping Google Cloud's healthcare ambitions, and why Moderna's considering setting two different prices for its coronavirus vaccine.

I'm Kimberly Leonard, and I'm guest hosting today's edition of Dispensed Daily from Washington, DC. I've been covering healthcare policy and politics for Business Insider's healthcare team since March 23. Follow along as we cover the latest dealmaking on the next coronavirus stimulus.

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55 million kids are stuck at home, and the US economy is losing $50 billion a month: Inside the DC clash over how to help schools reopen safely

• The economy loses out when parents have to cut back on work or quit their jobs to care for children stuck at home during coronavirus lock downs.
• Republicans and Democrats both want to give billions of dollars to schools to jump start other parts of the economy, but are fighting over how to hand out the funding.
• Democrats side with education lobbyists, who want $175 billion in relief funds regardless of whether classes meet in person. Republicans, however, are tying most funding to schools that reopen.

Go inside the reopening fight here>>

The man who helps hospitals and clinics move to Google's cloud shares how the coronavirus pandemic is shaping its healthcare push

• Google has seen more demand for its cloud services during the pandemic, said Chris Sakalosky, managing director of healthcare and life sciences.
• In the early days of the pandemic, providers were asking about "rapid response agents," which answer people's questions about the virus over chat, voice, and social channels using artificial intelligence, he said.
• Now, bots have become a popular way for hospitals to deal with spikes in call volume from people looking for information about outbreaks, treatment, testing, and sick loved ones.

Read the full story from Blake Dodge here>>

Moderna is considering setting 2 prices for a coronavirus vaccine, with a discount during the pandemic

• Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said the company is thinking about setting a lower price for its vaccine during the coronavirus pandemic.
• "It's really too early to say a specific amount, but we're going to be very reasonable and responsible," Bancel said. "This is a pandemic."
• His comments came after rival pharmaceutical companies pledged not to profit from a coronavirus vaccine.

Read the full story from Andrew Dunn here>>

More stories we're reading:

• Biden VP finalist Val Demings says a medical issue six years ago forced her to drop out of a race. But she's never said what the issue was, and staffers say she quit because she was losing. (Business Insider)
• Bernie Sanders' new healthcare push: Masks for all (Forbes)
• Could you have COVID-19? Soon your smartwatch or smart ring might tell you (Wall Street Journal)
• Anti-maskers are the new anti-vaxxers (Insider)

That's all for today. If you'd like to send me story ideas you can reach me at kleonard@businessinsider.com or follow me on Twitter at @LeonardKL.

Here's something I'd like to hear from you about: Tell me where you like to shop for face masks that are super durable and have good coverage! I'm on the lookout for new patterns and design to match my outfits and personality.

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- Kimberly