Healthcare industry

Covered Care is promising to offer affordable loans to borrowers with credit scores below 700.

Bankers Healthcare Group, which is minority owned by the Tennessee company, is moving beyond its primary strategy of selling health care originations to community banks and will start marketing pools of loans to investors.

For many small providers, the coronavirus pandemic means falling revenue and rising expenses, as many either shut their doors to new business or staff up to deal with COVID-19 patients. Bankers say that means helping them bridge the cash-flow gaps until they can get back to business as usual.

From helping hospitals purchase new testing kits and ventilators to backing efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, banks large and small are pledging millions of dollars to assist with medical relief efforts.

Lenders are concerned that the coronavirus outbreak will increase vacancies and add to credit risk.

Highland Associates has $26 billion in assets under management on behalf of not-for-profit medical endowments and foundations. Regions Financial is following the lead of other regionals, which have been scooping up investment firms that specialize in health care.

JPMorgan Chase is buying InstaMed, a cloud-based health care payments platform that’s seen significant growth in recent years from consumer medical payments.

If the company they plan to establish comes together and works — still a big if — it could give JPMorgan an edge in competing with other banks, lead to innovative payments and other products and create unforeseen issues.

The Pittsburgh bank is counting on its acquisition of the Trout Group to help strengthen ties with clients in the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors.

New York-based Cain Brothers advises both for-profit and not-for-profit health care organizations on mergers and acquisitions and financing strategies.