MSC incorporated as Premera Blue Cross, one of Eastern Washingtons biggest health-plan providers, has implemented a 24 percent rate hike for its small-employer pool, through which it serves about 50,000 workers in Eastern Washington.Although a

The Washington Legislatures 2001 session already is shaping up to be a challenging one in the face of a tight state budget and a nearly equal split of power between Republican and Democratic lawmakers.Spokane business groups will be there in a

The Spokane Area Economic Development Council is about to increase both its economic-development role and its connections to the public.As of Jan. 1, the organization, which has been tightly focused for years on recruiting new businesses, will a

Two years ago, Spokane-based Output Technology Corp. was looking ahead to 1999 as a year that would be pivotal to its future. It recently had launched its first new product line in nearly a decade and had just made its final payment to creditors

The Heart Institute of Spokane and its researchers have filed their first patent application based on basic science research conducted there.The research, which over the past year or so has been led by Dr. Katherine Tuttle, the Heart director of

Cleanup of petroleum-contaminated soil and groundwater at the North Market Street Superfund site is expected to start next year, says Bill Fees, an environmental engineer with the Washington state Department of Ecologys toxics cleanup years of of

The owner of the Wenatchee, Wash., Kia auto dealership has bought the Kia dealership here from Hallmark Hyundai Kia, of Spokane, says Michael Mackey, general sales manager of Wenatchee Kia.Terms of the transaction werent disclosed.Wenatchee

Football players aspiring to be the next Kurt Warner could be playing in Spokane if the owners of the Los Angeles Avengers, an Arena Football League franchise, decide to start a team here.Kevin Demoff, Avengers vice president of business says

United Security Bancorp., of Spokane, is seeking approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to merge United Security Bank, of Spokane, with three of its other subsidiary banks to form one Washington state-chartered commercial bank that would

Members of a Canadian investment group that owns a Howard Johnson Inn here are considering buying the Budget Inn, at 110 E. Fourth, from Spokane-based WestCoast Hospitality Corp. and marketing the hotel to families of medical patients who are being