A Functional Compromise (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
by Gwen Moritz – 7 days ago
Universal catastrophic coverage has been kicked around for decades, and it's the kind of thing that could have bipartisan appeal if given a chance.
Insurance & Benefits
Poverty Rate in the U.S. Drops; Arkansas Stands at 17.2%
7 days ago
The poverty rate in the United States dropped last year to 13.1%, down from 13.4% in 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau reported late last month. It was the fifth straight annual drop, according to American Community Survey estimates.
Amy Fecher, Darrin Williams Among Execs at 2020 Executive Leadership Academy
2 weeks ago
Arkansas Secretary of Government Transformation and Shared Services Amy Fecher and Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams are among executives scheduled to speak as part of the 2020 Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy.
Arkansas Business Announces CFO Finalists, Tickets Info
Arkansas Business' 2019 CFO of the Year finalists and Lifetime Achievement Award winners will be recognized at a luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. read more >
ABCBS CEO to Speak Oct. 22 at UCA
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield President and CEO Curtis Barnett will be the keynote speaker of the Davis Family Lecture Series on Oct. 22 at the University of Central Arkansas College of Business. read more >
Companies Can Act Responsibly and Innovate Too (Rodney Ferguson Commentary)
Fighting policies that protect workers from disruption should unite the left, right and center — and should bring into clear focus the point at which corporations should rightly cede responsibility for employee protections to government. read more >
Vannatta Named New Market VP at Blue Cross (Movers & Shakers)
Matthew Vannatta has been promoted to vice president of consumer and retail markets at Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Little Rock. read more >
Matters of Life and Death (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Someday our federal lawmakers will have the luxury of turning their attention away from impeachment and back to matters of life and death. One of those is health insurance. read more >
Hard Year Adds Pain for Small Hospitals in Arkansas
Hospitals' bottom lines were hurt by flat patient volume, a shortage of nurses and the high cost of specialty drugs read more >
Hospital Prices to Go Online, But Will Numbers Tell Story?
The idea of Americans scrolling through hospital websites to find the best deal on a mammogram or tonsillectomy sounds good to almost everybody. But the devil is in the details, and when federal plans emerged to force hospitals and insurers to reveal their negotiated rates for all kinds of medical services, the pitchforks came out. read more >
To Improve Care, Arkansas Clinics Go Where Patients Are
In the past few years, hospital expansions in Arkansas have captured the public's attention, but officials said the most important medical care usually happens well before a hospital visit. read more >
Health Care Spending Growth Slows
Spending on hospitals and physician services accounted for 53% of U.S. health spending in 2017. read more >
Walmart Adds Health Clinic to Its Lineup for Customers
Walmart Inc. unveiled its first Walmart Health center in Georgia earlier this month, marking its latest expansion into health care services. read more >
Arkansas Approves Rate Increases for Insurers on Exchange
Arkansas officials have approved an average rate increase of about 2% next year for the four companies providing coverage through the state's health insurance exchange. read more >
Central Arkansas Demographics Trend Toward Cities
Almost half — 46% — of the four-county Metroplan region in central Arkansas live in the region's three largest cities, Little Rock, North Little Rock and Conway. read more >
You Get What You Tolerate (Barry Goldberg On Leadership)
Every organization has at least one of those above-average performers, often considered rock-stars, who deliver results, make themselves invaluable, and leave a swath of anger, chaos, and destruction in their wake. read more >
As Medicaid Denials Surge, Some Question Optum Assessments
Arkansas in-home service providers say changes in Medicaid rules are hurting them and their elderly clients. read more >
Arkansas Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.4%
Arkansas' unemployment rate remain unchanged at 3.4% between July and August, the state Division of Workforce Services said Friday. read more >
State Offices, Rather Than Raytheon, Relocate to Riverdale
Plans are still taking shape to move 977 state employees into the six-story building at 1 Verizon Drive in the Riverdale area. read more >
Flexible Workspaces Meet Business Needs
Flexible workspaces are attracting businesses of all sizes because they offer affordable short-term leases, collaboration, networking and a professional aesthetic along with a turnkey setup, according to providers in Arkansas. read more >
Silver Team Shows Versatility, Building Verizon a $2.5M Space
When Verizon was ready to move 150 or so office workers to a new Little Rock headquarters, Silver Development Co. saw a golden opportunity. read more >
Lost Causes (Editorial)
One of our mottoes is “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.” Apparently, whether he knows it or not, it's one of Congressman Bruce Westerman's too. read more >
The Art of Being Wrong (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Before being elected president, Donald Trump had never worked for anyone but himself or his ultra-wealthy father. That doesn't explain why he feels so comfortable saying things that are demonstrably untrue, but it could explain why he never had to learn how to own a mistake. read more >
Millennial Life: Better Educated, Most Women Work
Millennials are better educated than previous generations, with the share of young adults in the millennial generation (born 1981 through 1996) who have a bachelor's degree or higher standing at 39% compared with 15% for the silent generation (1928-1945). read more >
Arkansas Business Presents 20 In Their 20s: The New Influentials of 2019
We're proud to introduce the 2019 class of New Influentials and the possibilities these 20 in their 20s offer our state in the decades to come. read more >
Looking for Latino Business, First Community's Miguel Lopez Speaks the Language
Miguel Lopez, bilingual and bicultural, says working for First Community Bank of Batesville has been his “dream job.” read more >
Historic Helena District Chosen as Home for Delta Dirt Distillery
Led by Harvey Williams Jr. and his wife, Donna, Delta Dirt Distillery will begin producing vodka, gin, cordials and more in the coming weeks. Their son, Thomas, will oversee the production of spirits made with corn, wheat, rye and sweet potatoes grown on the family farm. Tours and a tasting room with a full-service bar are on tap. read more >
Pinnacle Hotel Group's Shawn Govind Tips Hand on New Project
Hospitality is more than a business for Shawn Govind, principal in the Beechwood Pinnacle Hotel Group. read more >
Amanda Williams to Head Farm Bureau Foundation (Movers & Shakers)
Amanda Williams has been named director of the Arkansas Farm Bureau's Women's Leadership Program and the Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation. read more >
Bowen Law School Starting Clinic to Help Vets
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law said last week that it is starting a Veterans Legal Services Clinic. read more >
Upside Down World (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
It's almost like the Business Roundtable heard Olivia Farrell's speech when she accepted the Little Rock Rotary Club's Business & Professional Leader of the Year award in June and decided to get on board. read more >
Recession Forecasts: Business Economists Split on Timing
Seventy-two percent of U.S. business economists surveyed predict a recession next year or in 2021, with 38% forecasting a downturn in 2020, and 34% putting it in 2021. read more >
Browning and Browning Bring Liability Background to WLJ (Movers & Shakers)
Michelle Browning and Jason Browning have joined the medical malpractice defense group at Wright Lindsey Jennings in Little Rock. read more >
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