x1power
8 years ago
Apparently, the solution to our health care problems as a nation is to continue to let them grow at a faster rate than energy and food costs. At this rate of 'profit inflation', there will be no way to politically cut the deficit, repair the infrastructure, and reduce federal and state spending without cutting our military and international spending to the bone?
Or, we could turn our health care system over to the like of BA and LMT and see what steps they can think up with MSFT and Google, to try and cut the red tape in health care.
Why not place high expense/high risk low income medical program users in a separate non-profit medical care program , and actually pay them to take the steps to become as healthy as they can under their present medical treatment regimes?
You cannot tell me that a mobile vehicle centered rural program using outfitted buses as dental, vision, and pharmacy and basic health care treatment . . . could not help dramatically to reach, treat, and monitor with modern wireless user Bluetooth readout personal devices high-rise, low-income patients and school populations. Exactly what are we spending our healthcare $$s on?
Government can further help by spending medical school students under supervision and military medical units, along on these bus trips to both gain knowledge and to serve the unmet national and state health needs of our people. Oh . . . wait . . . the AMA
would demand/need a cut on ever patient care plan they have purposefully 'neglected' to serve. Guess that could not happen.
ICEQUITY
14 years ago
Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: WellPoint, Express Scripts, Unitedhealth Group, CIGNA Corporation and Aetna- Zack did you say $AET is on your @Demandmedia Rx @Legitscripts List?
http://bit.ly/EQUITIESRxVIPPSINDEX
http://bit.ly/EQUITIESDAMAN
http://bit.ly/EQUITIES
Date : 01/27/2011 @ 10:08AM
Source : PR Newswire
Stock : Aetna (AET)
Quote : 34.12 0.64 (1.91%) @ 3:41PM
Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: WellPoint, Express Scripts, Unitedhealth Group, CIGNA Corporation and Aetna
Aetna (NYSE:AET)
Intraday Stock Chart
Today : Thursday 27 January 2011
Zacks.com Analyst Blog features: WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP), Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX), Unitedhealth Group, Inc. (NYSE: UNH), CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI) and Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET).
(Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO)
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Here are highlights from Wednesday's Analyst Blog:
WellPoint Exceeds Expectations
WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP) reported its fourth-quarter income from continuing operations of $524.7 million or $1.33 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21. This also compares favorably with the income of $536.0 million or earnings of $1.16 in the year-ago quarter.
WellPoint also posted its income from continuing operations of $2.8 billion or $6.74 per share for fiscal year 2010, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.60 and the income of $2.9 billion or $6.09 in the fiscal year 2009. The company's earnings were in-line with the management's guidance of above $6.60 earnings per share for the fiscal year 2010.
The improved showing was attributable to higher operating cash flows and the implementation of organizational changes in the health care. The sale of NextRx pharmacy benefit management subsidiaries to Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX) in the fourth quarter of 2009 also contributed a significant return of capital.
WellPoint's income from continuing operations excludes net investment gains of $24.1 million after-tax, or approximately 7 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2010, and $100.2 million after-tax, or approximately 23 cents per share in fiscal 2010, which was partially offset by an intangible asset impairment charge of $13.7 million after-tax, or 3 cents per share.
The earnings of the fourth quarter of 2009 excluded the after-tax net income of $2.2 billion, or $4.79 per share, resulting from a gain on the sale of the NextRx, partially offset by costs for restructuring activities and intangible asset impairments.
Fiscal year 2009 excluded after-tax net income of approximately $1.8 billion, or $3.79 per share, resulting from the gain on the sale of NextRx, partially offset by net investment losses, intangible asset impairments and costs for restructuring activities.
Including these one-time items, WellPoint reported a net income of $548.8 million or $1.40 per share in the fourth quarter 2010 as opposed to $2.7 billion or $5.95 per share in the prior-year quarter. Net income in 2010 was $2.9 billion or $6.94 per share as against $4.7 billion or $9.88 per share.
Segment Results
Commercial Business: Operating gains in the segment increased 89.6% year over year to $600.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 27.0% year over year to $3.1 billion in fiscal 2010.
Consumer Business: Operating gains in the segment plummeted 29.5% year over year to $112.0 million in the reported quarter and declined 21.8% year over year to $1.0 billion in fiscal 2010.
Other: Operating gains in this segment experienced an operating loss of $19.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2010, compared with an operating gain of $100.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. This was due primarily to the fact that fourth quarter 2009 results included two months of NextRx operations prior to its sale on December 1, 2009.
WellPoint's Others segment also faced an operating loss of $8.8 million in full year 2010 as compared with an operating gain of $469.4 million in full year 2009.
Evaluation of Capital Structure
WellPoint generated operating cash flow of $587.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 and $1.4 billion in the fiscal year 2010, which included $1.2 billion of tax payments related to the 2009 sale of NextRx. At the end of December 31, 2010, cash and investments at the parent company totaled approximately $3.3 billion.
As of December 31, 2010, WellPoint had $148.5 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization. During the reported quarter, WellPoint repurchased 17.8 million shares for $1.0 billion and repurchased 76.7 million shares of its stock for approximately $4.4 billion in fiscal 2010, following the sale of NextRx.
During the fourth quarter of 2010, WellPoint witnessed net investment gains of $37.2 million pre-tax, consisting of net realized gains from the sale of securities totaling $47.6 million, partially offset by other-than-temporary impairments totaling $10.4 million.
In the prior year quarter, WellPoint experienced net investment losses of $4.5 million pre-tax, consisting of other-than-temporary impairments of $40.5 million, primarily offset by net realized gains from the sale of securities totaling $36.0 million.
Comparison with Competitors
Rival company Unitedhealth Group, Inc. (NYSE: UNH) reported its fourth quarter results on January 20, 2011 with income from continuing operations of 94 cents per share, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 90 cents. Full year EPS was $4.10, which also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.99. WellPoint's peers like CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI) is scheduled to report its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2010 results on February 3, followed by Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) on February 4.
Outlook for Fiscal 2011
WellPoint anticipates a net income of at least $6.30 per share.
Our Recommendation
Though we are pleased with the strong results of WellPoint along with solid capital management, we remain wary of the impact of the health insurance reforms and expect these reforms to increase unemployment and stretch profit margins of WellPoint and its competitors. The resulting downward pressure is likely to overshadow the stock.
WellPoint has a strong cash flow generation, leading market share positions, diversified product portfolio, proven track record of execution, attractive valuation, and consistency that would provide long-term value to its investors. Meanwhile, WellPoint has been increasing its premiums and controlling costs.
Further, WellPoint is well positioned among its peer group and has been strengthening its portfolio through its acquisition strategy, the synergies of which are expected to lead to margin expansion and top-line growth. Moreover, the sale of its in-house pharmacy benefits business to Express Script has strengthened its balance sheet and fueled a major stock repurchase.
Currently, WellPoint carries a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold recommendation, indicating no clear directional pressure on the stock over the near term.
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http://ih.advfn.com/p.php?pid=nmona&article=46193051&symbol=AET
As of September 2010, LegitScript's website indicated that LegitScript had approved over 320 online pharmacy websites as meeting LegitScript's standards, and documented over 48,000 "rogue" online pharmacy websites.
Currently LegitScript's has 99% of Online Pharmacies in it's database not yet "legitimate".
56,964 = pharmacy websites in our database
327 = are legitimate
1,173= are candidates for approval
55,464 = do not meet our standards
$AET LOVES DEMAND MEDIA
ICEQUITY
14 years ago
VIPPS approved pharmacy Aetna (NYSE: AET) is one of the nation's leaders in health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, and disability insurance, and employee benefits. Dedicated to helping people achieve health and financial security, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its members to help them make better-informed decisions about their health care. (as of Sept. 30, 2010)
Membership:
18.528 million medical members
13.798 million dental members
9.527 million pharmacy members
Health care networks:
More than 1 million health care professionals
More than 555,000 primary care doctors and specialists
More than 5,200 hospitals
A network of specialist physicians, recognized with Aexcel® designation, based on clinical performance and cost efficiency1
Products and programs:
Aetna offers a broad range of insurance and employee benefits products.
The first national, full-service health insurer to offer a consumer-directed health plan, Aetna continues to lead the way with its Aetna HealthFund2 line of products, including HSA, HRA and RRA options.
Aetna offers a wide array of programs and services that help control rising employee benefits costs while striving to improve the quality of health care, such as case management; disease management and patient safety programs; integrated medical, dental, pharmaceutical, behavioral health and disability information.
Aetna provides members with access to convenient tools and easy-to-understand information that can help them make better-informed decisions about their health and financial wellbeing.
National presence:
Aetna provides benefits through employers in all 50 states, with products and services targeted specifically to small, mid-sized and large multi-site national employers.
Aetna also serves individuals and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in certain markets.
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