Homeopathic Heal Information - News about alternative medicine

Health Plan Earnings Preview: First Quarter 2008 Goes Down As Worst Single Quarter In 11 Years, Equities Analysts Say

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 25, 2008 -- For publicly traded health plans, first quarter 2008 will go down as the worst single quarter for stock performance in more than a decade, equities analysts tell AIS's Health Plan Week. While the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 stock index is down 10% for the quarter, the managed care sector is off 35%. Go to http://www.aishealth.com/PressReleases/PR2008_0423_hpw.pdf for more details.

On April 22, Health Plan Week issued a special alert after UnitedHealth Group announced that it is lowering its full-year 2008 earnings outlook by 10%. Other health plans are expected to follow suit with negative earnings revisions for the remainder of 2008. The anticipated revisions, analysts say, reflect expectations of a higher commercial medical loss ratio and reduction in investment income (due to recent interest-rate cuts).

Aaron Vaughn, a securities analyst in the St. Louis office of Edward Jones, says health plan stocks are trading at "historic lows" relative to their price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios.

The next worst quarter was the fourth quarter of 1997, "when the sector underperformed the S&P 500 by 22.6%," adds Stifel Nicolaus equities analyst Tom Carroll. Back then, he tells AIS's Health Plan Week, there was an abundance of managed care companies, and they competed largely on price to improve market share. While investors rewarded firms that successfully grew membership, some health plans reduced prices at their own peril, and ultimately failed in that strategy because premium revenue wasn't enough to cover medical costs, he says.

More Plans May Cut Forecasts

Much of the first-quarter deterioration, however, didn't occur until March 10, when WellPoint, Inc. shocked investors by lowering its full-year 2008 earnings per share expectations. Humana Inc. followed the next day with its own revision, citing different reasons. While Aetna Inc. and CIGNA Corp. responded to those revisions by reaffirming earnings forecasts, UnitedHealth Group, Health Net, Inc. and Coventry Health Care, Inc. have since released statements that fell short of reaffirming earlier forecasts.

This article has been excerpted from AIS's Health Plan Week. To read the story in its entirety, including the table: Year-to-Date Stock Price Loss or Gain and Price-to-Earnings Ratios as of Last Trading Day of March 2006 to 2008, visit http://www.aishealth.com/PressReleases/PR2008_0423_hpw.pdf.

# # #

Bach Flower Therapy
About this therapy
Bach Flower Essences Shop (German)
Bach Flower Essences Shop (UK)
Where to buy Original Bach Flower Remedies
Doc Nature - Bach Flower Remedies Advisor
How to use Bach Flowers
About Bach Flower Remedies & Essences
Dr Bach
Read more about the life of Dr Bach

MORE ARTICLES:

Do Not Be Cocky With Your Personal Health Today
Managed Care Organization (MCO) takes care of selecting an organization that will collect the premiums paid out of a person?s Social Security money from the Medicare program In choosing MCO, pay attention how much a plan costs and what it covers

Southern California Hospital Makes Women's Sexual Health a Priority, Naming World-Renown Expert in Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine as New Pro
Hoag Hospital named Dr. Michael Krychman, one of the world's leading experts in sexual health and survivorship medicine, the medical director of its new Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine program.

Acid Reflux Home Remedy That Scores Results
Acid reflux Home Remedy: UNCOVER the Acid reflux Home Remedy Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Even though acid reflux home remedy, when properly chosen and applied, can be effective in reducing most of the symptoms of this medical condition, it is important to note that acid reflux, also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a complex issue and the result of a combination of internal factors

Home Remedies for Treating Acne
Prescriptions drugs to help treat acne can have some severe and unpleasant side-effects. And for some, these medications are too expensive to be a viable option. Fortunately, there are many inexpensive and effective home remedies for treating acne. Not all of these remedies will work for everyone, but as long as you?re not allergic to any of the ingredients, you?ve got nothing to lose by giving them a shot. Complement any acne treatment with drinking lots of water and regular exercise that oxygenates and refreshes the skin.

News & Tips For Better Health, The Natural Way - A Health Supplement
BROCCOLI Good Healthy Food, for Natural Healing, Good Health and Antiaging. We all know that Broccoli is a plant that is used at the Dinner Table as a vegetable with the main dish, it is very high in Antioxidants and very healthy for everyone.

Outskirts Press Announces The Greatest Physician, the Latest Highly-Anticipated Christianity-Christian Life-Physical Health Book from Kent, WA Author
Outskirts Press, Inc. has published The Greatest Physician: Studies On Healing by Nita G. Berquist, which is the author's most recent book to date. The 5.5 x 8.5 paperback in the Christianity - Christian Life - Physical Health category is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a suggested retail price of $13.95. The webpage at www.outskirtspress.com/NitaBerquist was launched simultaneously with the book's publication.

How To Find Affordable Dental Discount Health Plans
Let's look at the difference between dental discount health plans and traditional dental health insurance. Dental insurance is not what it used to be 20 or 30 years ago. Premiums are now higher for a decent policy and the traditional waiting periods that everyone must incur before they can be seen for any major problems make it almost not worth while.

The Long Term Health Benefits Of Massage And Saunas
Many people seek massage and saunas to reduce stress or tension, promote relaxation and treat body pains. Therapists recommends at least one session of massage and sauna for each month to provide long-term health benefits.

Learning To Apply Information
There are many definitions of intelligence, but the one I have learned in high school claimed that intelligence in nature is the ability of an animal or a human to use the information they have learned.

Online Education Discussions and Information Featured on New WorldWideBlog
Online degrees are taking the learning world by storm, and many prospective students have questions about online education. WorldWideLearn.com's new feature, WorldWideBlog, pools the knowledge of experts and students to provide a discussion forum and accessible information to prospective online students.

Brunch Wedding Receptions Are Becoming a Cost-Effective Alternative
While receptions at lunch or dinner time are still the most popular there are people who are having wedding receptions at other times of the day and often these are arranged to coincide with their honeymoon plans or other factors that make it more convenient to have a reception possibly in the morning or at brunch

"Changing Consumer Culture through Health Savings" Conference
Former White House healthcare advisor Roy Ramthun will be among the quest speakers at an upcoming health care conference in Paducah, KY entitled "Changing Consumer Culture through Health Savings". Mr. Ramthun will be joined by speakers Dr. Larry Luter of Meritain Health and Greg Carlton of Peel & Holland Financial Group. The seminar will be held on May 13th in the Myre River Room, Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, 100 Kentucky Avenue, Paducah, Kentucky.

Experimental Treatments for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the #1 cause of blindness in the US. Johns Hopkins Vision Health Alerts reports on the use of human stem cells to enable the retina to repair itself.

Health Benefits Of Cooking With Artificial Sweeteners
Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. That sugar contributes to myriad health problems ranging from diabetes to tooth decay. Nearly every health organization in the world has condemned the high amounts of sugar that we consume in our modern day diets and encourages reducing common table sugar - sucrose - in any way possible. One of the key tools for reducing sucrose in the diet is the wide array of "artificial sweeteners" available on the market.