The yearslong scrutiny from lawmakers, the Federal Trade Commission and the health care industry on pharmacy benefit managers became a bit more intense with the recent bipartisan bill filed in the U.S. Senate that seeks to prevent health insurers or drug middlemen from owning pharmacies.

Newsmakers in the areas of agriculture, banking & finance, engineering, health care, insurance, law and technology.

Guest columnist Hunter Johnson: "Well performing and financially stable construction firms have increasingly sought more creative ways from the insurance industry to transfer risk and purchase insurance for their organizations."

Reflecting on 2024, the SBJ newsroom ranked the Top 10 stories that impacted regional business.

Details are not provided as the hospital system and Missouri’s largest insurer pen an agreement. 

Guest columnist Lynne Haggerman: "Begin preparing or revising policies to reflect the new paid sick leave benefit and contact legal counsel if questions arise."

Executive Editor Christine Temple sits down with industry executives.

A 2023 Harvard Business Review study suggests significant positive changes when employees take sabbaticals, including greater self-clarity and management confidence.

Newsmakers in the areas of architecture, arts, banking & finance, hospitality, insurance, nonprofit and utilities.

The Innovation & Growth publication explores business and community growth strategies, technology investments and regional assets needed to better compete for businesses and talent.

Mercy is on track to drop coverage by major insurer at start of 2025. 

Guest columnist Tristin Casper: "Partnering with an experienced insurance adviser can help construction companies navigate this new landscape. Ensuring that appropriate coverage is in place can provide essential protection as businesses incorporate advanced technologies into their operation."

An independent panel of judges selected Richard Ollis as the 2024 Legacy Adviser.

Guest columnist Hunter Johnson: "In this stabilizing environment, insureds will be underwritten more emphatically on their own merit, meaning that favorable rates and terms will be more attainable for high-quality risks that maintain positive loss results."

Springfield Business Journal’s 2024 Trusted Advisers event honors 10 businesspeople, including the Legacy Adviser, a pinnacle award for industry veterans.

Mercy announced Sept. 9 that it intends to end its contract with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield within the state effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Negotiations continue, but in-network coverage is currently expected to end in 2025.

The Building a Region publication explores business issues fueling and impeding growth, corporate responsibility and government support needs.

On July 19, many Windows users woke up to cloudy skies – and blank, blue screens. That was the day of the CrowdStrike incident, in which a bug in the cybersecurity software known as CrowdStrike caused operating systems to crash.