COVID-19


U.S. Hospitals Losing More Than $50B Per Month

A new report by the American Hospital Association says that between March and the end of June, hospitals are projected to lose $202.6 billion, or an average of $50.7 billion per month, due to COVID-19 challenges. "These challenges have created… more

Eastern Jackson County Releases Recovery Phase One

Jackson County government has released its phase-one recovery plan for the eastern part of the jurisdiction. Starting on May 11, retail stores will be able to reopen at 25 percent occupancy for store under 10,000 square feet and larger ones… more

KC Life’s Quarterly Income Drops

Kansas City Life Insurance Co. reported a net income of $150,000 during its second quarter, down from a gain of just more than $4 million over the prior financial period. Year over year during the second quarter, net investments were… more

Proposed Legislation Would Forgive Healthcare-Worker Student Loans

A new bill in the House of Representatives would forgive student loans for healthcare workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Called the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act, it was introduced to the House by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)… more

HHS Starts Distributing $10B to Rural Hospitals

The Department of Health and Human Services has started distributing COVID-19-relief funds to hospitals, and a big chunk of that is going to be given to rural hospitals that could soon be hit hard by the pandemic. Those facilities, which… more

Q&A With … Greg Callahan of CBIZ

Greg Callahan is a health-benefits consultant and strategist for CBIZ in Kansas City, Mo. Q. There’s a lot still to play out with respect to how the current COVID-19 crisis will impact health-care insurance, and particularly the coverage offered by… more

Costco, Wendy’s Others Limit Meat Purchases

A national meat shortage has spurred many restaurants and retailers to scale back on meat offerings to customers. In the case of fast-food burger chain Wendy's, it is warning customers of potentially limited menus due to the shortages in the… more

Report: 20.2 Million Jobs Lost in April

Private-sector employment lost 20.2 million positions between April and May, according to the ADP National Employment Report, making it the biggest drop in its history. "Job losses of this scale are unprecedented," said Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research… more

U.S. Chamber Concerned About Reopened Business Lawsuits

Business that are started to reopen as stay-at-home orders are eased could be more liable for legal action if employees or customers become sick while at their establishments, said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell… more

Home Listings See Further Decline in April

New-home listings in the Kansas City area fell 45.2 percent year over year in April, and the active-listing market fell 23.4 percent, according to Realtor.com data. The new-home listing drop was slightly higher than the national average, which came in… more