Aetna Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled, thanks in part to a $6.9 billion acquisition, but the nation's third largest health insurer missed Wall Street's earnings expectations.
The Hartford, Conn., company also reaffirmed a 2014 forecast for earnings that could fall below analyst predictions. Its shares were little changed in premarket trading Thursday.
11. Myers moves from Wellpoint to Corizon - Friday, October 18, 2013
Corizon, a provider of correctional health care solutions, has hired Woodrow A. Myers, Jr., M.D. as its new CEO.
Myers was formerly the executive vice president and chief medical officer of WellPoint, Inc. and has served as director of health care management for Ford Motor Company. He has also served as the health commissioner for the city of New York and the state of Indiana.
12. Health insurer Aetna's 2Q profit rises 17 percent - Friday, July 26, 2013
Aetna Inc.'s second-quarter earnings jumped 17 percent, and the health insurer raised its 2013 forecast as it reaped revenue and enrollment gains from its acquisition of fellow insurer Coventry Health Care.
13. Health insurer WellPoint's 1Q profit rises 3 pct - Friday, April 19, 2013
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — WellPoint Inc.'s first-quarter earnings rose about 3 percent, as the nation's second largest health insurer saw a revenue gain from an acquisition. It also raised its 2013 net income forecast.
14. Insurer WellPoint's 4Q profit jumps 38 percent - Friday, January 18, 2013
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — WellPoint Inc.'s fourth-quarter earnings jumped 38 percent compared to the final quarter of 2011, when the nation's second largest health insurer incurred a big hit from its Medicare Advantage business.
15. More American workers to pick their insurance - Friday, November 16, 2012
For some American workers, picking the right health insurance is becoming more like hunting for the perfect business suit: It takes some shopping around to find a good fit and avoid sticker shock.
In a major shift in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage, companies such as Sears Holdings Corp. and Darden Restaurants Inc. are giving employees a fixed amount of money and allowing them to choose their own coverage based on their individual needs.
16. Dow loses 313 in post-election sell-off - Friday, November 2, 2012
Wall Street greeted a second Obama term the way it greeted the first.
Investors dumped stocks Wednesday in the sharpest sell-off of the year. With the election only hours behind them, they focused on big problems ahead in Washington and across the Atlantic Ocean.
17. WellPoint CEO Braly quits amid sagging results - Friday, August 24, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — WellPoint Inc. President and CEO Angela Braly resigned Tuesday amid investor frustration with disappointing financial results at the nation's second-largest health insurer.
18. Stocks edge up after US growth revised higher - Friday, August 24, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Slightly better economic growth and stronger housing sales nudged the stock market higher Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average managed a four-point gain.
The U.S. economy expanded at a 1.7 percent annual rate from April through June thanks to rising consumer spending and exports. That's an improvement from the initial estimate of 1.5 percent, but not enough to put a dent in the unemployment rate.
19. Insurer Aetna to buy Coventry in $5.7 billion deal - Friday, August 17, 2012
Aetna, one of the nation's biggest health insurers, staked a $5.7 billion claim in the burgeoning market for government-funded coverage Monday when it announced plans to buy fellow insurer Coventry Health Care.
20. Stocks slip; Apple sets a record - Friday, August 17, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped Monday in one of the quietest trading sessions of the year. Worries about European debt crept up again, and Apple became the most valuable company of all time.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 3.56 points, or 0.3 percent, at 13,271.64. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell a sliver, 0.03 point, to 1,418.13. The Nasdaq composite index fell 0.38 point to 3,076.21.
21. Gov't stepping up fight against health care fraud - Friday, July 27, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stepping up their game against health care fraud, the Obama administration and major insurers announced Thursday they will share raw data and investigative know-how on a scale not previously seen to try to shut off billions of dollars in questionable payments.
22. UnitedHealth's 2Q profit rises 5.5 percent - Friday, July 13, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — UnitedHealth Group said Thursday that its second-quarter net income rose 5.5 percent, trumping Wall Street expectations, as enrollment gains helped fuel revenue growth and consumers continued to moderate their use of health care services.
23. Stocks slide ahead of corporate earnings season - Friday, July 6, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Edgy investors sent stocks lower Monday on Wall Street ahead of U.S. corporate earnings reports and amid more signs of instability in Europe.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 36.18 points at 12,736.29. It was the Dow's third straight day of declines.
24. WellPoint buying Amerigroup for about $4.46B - Friday, July 6, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Health insurer WellPoint Inc. is buying managed care provider Amerigroup Corp. for about $4.46 billion in cash, saying the deal will help it better serve Medicaid participants.
25. Hospital stocks jump after health care ruling - Friday, June 29, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospital stocks rose sharply Thursday after the Supreme Court guaranteed them millions more paying customers by upholding the core of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
26. Hospital stocks jump after health care ruling - Friday, June 22, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospital stocks rose sharply Thursday after the Supreme Court guaranteed them millions more paying customers by upholding the core of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
27. Health care, bank stocks lead stock market lower - Friday, June 22, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Health care stocks tumbled Thursday after the Supreme Court upheld most of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, falling along with major banks as Wall Street worried about the European debt crisis and the sluggish U.S. economy.
28. Health insurer WellPoint to buy 1-800 Contacts - Friday, June 1, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — WellPoint Inc. plans to buy contact lens retailer 1-800-Contacts Inc. in a deal that would give the insurer its first direct-to-consumer business outside selling individual health coverage.
29. Stocks rise, extending best start since 1998 - Friday, March 30, 2012
Rising consumer spending boosted stocks on Friday, and Wall Street closed its best first quarter since 1998.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66.22 points to close at 13,212.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.19 points to close at 1,408.47. The Nasdaq composite barely moved, falling 3.79 points to close at 3,091.57.
30. Big gain for stocks after Bernanke remarks - Friday, March 23, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks leapt to multi-year highs and recorded one of their biggest gains of the year Monday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that the economy still needs help to produce faster job growth.
31. Insurers speed health care overhaul preparations - Friday, March 23, 2012
The nation's big insurers are spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul even though there's a chance the wide-reaching law won't survive Supreme Court scrutiny.
It's not that health insurers want to bet big that the court will uphold the Affordable Care Act. It's that they can't afford not to. It will take at least several months and lots of resources for insurers to prepare to implement key elements of the law, which includes a controversial requirement that most Americans have health insurance by 2014.
32. Health insurer Aetna's 4Q profit jumps 73 percent - Friday, January 27, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Health insurer Aetna says its fourth-quarter net income jumped 73 percent, as it continued to benefit from low medical utilization and some key expenses fell.
The U.S.-based insurer earned $372.6 million, or $1.02 per share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That's up from $215.6 million, or 53 cents per share, in the 2010 quarter. Revenue climbed slightly to $8.57 billion.
33. Insurer WellPoint to revamp primary care pay - Friday, January 27, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Health insurer WellPoint Inc. plans to improve primary care doctor payments and start reimbursing physicians for care management it doesn't currently cover as a way boost treatment and save money.
34. Stocks close higher on Fed promise of low rates - Friday, January 20, 2012
The stock market bounced to its highest close since last spring Wednesday after the Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero for almost three more years.
35. Cigna to buy HealthSpring for $3.8B - Friday, October 21, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Cigna Corp. will buy fellow health insurer HealthSpring Inc. in a $3.8 billion deal as it becomes the latest managed-care company to snap up a bigger share of the fast-growing Medicare Advantage market.
36. Trying a new approach to primary care: prevention - Friday, July 15, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A budding model for primary care that encourages the family doctor to act as a health coach who focuses as much on preventing illness as on treating it has shown promising results and saved insurers millions of dollars.