Some amazing information has come to light regarding AT&T (ATT), Verizon (VZ), Caterpillar (CAT) and Deere & Co. (DE). It would seem that these companies (among a host of others, I'm sure) have initially determined that dropping health coverage for employees could significantly benefit their bottom lines, and thus benefit investors.

No Surprise Here

As reported by CNNMoney.com, when the health reform bill finally received the president's signature, many large companies began to assess the potential costs of the legislation. At the same time, much was made of the large write-downs that companies took in reaction to changes brought on by the new law.

Continue reading AT&T, Caterpillar, Verizon, and Deere Considered Dropping Health Coverage

AT&T, Caterpillar, Verizon, and Deere Considered Dropping Health Coverage originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 May 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Will Health Care Reform Make Us Sick?

Will Health Care Reform Make Us Sick? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite the heated politics, business owners need to have an understanding of President Obama's $940 billion health care plan. So, I've talked with various experts on the matter.

And while things are far from set, there are some general things to consider.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: What the Obama Health Care Bill Means to Your Business

Entrepreneur's Journal: What the Obama Health Care Bill Means to Your Business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Insurance companies just bought themselves a year. Claiming that a proposed tax on health insurance would force them to charge higher premiums, carriers were able to convince senators to defer this particular measure for a year.

This comes as a benefit to UnitedHealth Group (UNH), WellPoint (WLP) and smaller companies writing health insurance policies. Manufacturers of medical devices have won some relief, as well, though the drug business didn't. An earlier plan to tax cosmetic medical procedures was also scrapped.

Continue reading Health Insurers Get Brief Relief on Proposed Tax

Health Insurers Get Brief Relief on Proposed Tax originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If the Senate's proposed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passes the Senate, the working stiff will probably be affected. A study by Mercer finds that 63% of employers would cut the health benefits they offer in order to avoid an excise tax included in the bill.

Mercer, a division of Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), reveals that 25% of employers offer health insurance programs that would be "too generous" under the act, making them subject to a 40% nondeductible tax on the excess value.

Continue reading Study: Employers would cut health benefits to avoid excise tax

Study: Employers would cut health benefits to avoid excise tax originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IBM eliminates co-payments on employee health plans

IBM eliminates co-payments on employee health plans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

President Obama started an intense debate in recent months about national health care. People are concerned about how to pay for the high cost of health care in America and feel it is just too expensive. There has to be a better way!

I like oranges and I grew up in Wisconsin, but in January oranges do not grow very well in Wisconsin. I don't know why -- I am not a horticulturalist -- but maybe it's the lack of sunlight, hard frozen tundra, blowing snow or temperatures of 25 below zero. We could spend a long time pointlessly debating the actual reason.

Continue reading Can you cut your health care costs 90% and get a free vacation?

Can you cut your health care costs 90% and get a free vacation? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cigna: A positive signal-filled chart

Cigna: A positive signal-filled chart originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dropping the 'public option' could insure some stocks' health

Dropping the 'public option' could insure some stocks' health originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Healthcare costs to hit record high in 2009

Healthcare costs to hit record high in 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How will President Obama's $825 billion plan to stimulate the economy work? It looks like it will create jobs for the people working on the projects. But how long will those jobs last and will they continue after the projects are over? And if there's something wrong with his plan, what would be a better alternative? I think that if these projects are investments that create revenue generating operations, they are worth doing -- especially if those revenues ultimately recoup the investment.

Here are some of the specific plan elements that I view as investments:

• Boost renewable energy supply. The plan seeks to double renewable energy generating capacity of over three years -- to power six million American homes. It would upgrade two million homes and 75% of all federal buildings to better protect against the heat and cold -- saving low-income homeowners $350 a year in utility costs and cutting government costs by $2 billion a year. It would also provide loan guarantees to boost the $100 billion in private sector investment in clean energy projects over three years.
• Upgrade 3,000 miles of transmission lines for a national electric grid to make more efficient use of energy.
• Build 1,300 waste-water projects which would provide an ongoing revenue source for cities and states and reduce the costs of cleaning up polluted water.

Continue reading Is Obama's $825 billion stimulus plan an investment or an expense?

Is Obama's $825 billion stimulus plan an investment or an expense? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading WellPoint is a healthy stock choice

WellPoint is a healthy stock choice originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) is recently down $1.72 to $48.80. The New York Attorney General is expected to announce an industry-wide investigation of healthcare insurance companies, according to Reuters.

AET March option implied volatility of 34 is above its 26-week average of 29 according Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: Aetna volatility increases as shares sell off on NY AG investigation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) wants to be your doctor -- sort of. The company plans to open hundreds of new clinics in its stores. They will be co-branded with medical groups and hospitals and some will be staffed by nurse practitioners.

"We have learned that people are willing to receive their health care from the front of a store or the back of a drugstore," Dr. John Agwunobi, a medical doctor who is a Wal-Mart senior vice president, told The New York TImes.

Several drug store chains have already gotten into the business, so Wal-Mart is not alone. Since many Wal-Mart customers do not have health insurance, the retailer may be able to take a big piece of the market with low pricing.

Wal-Mart and its partners do need to be concerned with malpractice issues. One reason medical costs are so high is large malpractice insurance rates. Some patients who sue doctors and hospitals do get large awards.

A huge company like Wal-Mart is a ready-made target for people unhappy with a poor treatment result.

Douglass McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Wal-Mart (WMT) moves deeper into medical clinics originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) announced that a Special Litigation Committee (SLC) reached a settlement agreement with former CEO Dr. William W. McGuire.

SLC concluded all claims against all named defendants should be dismissed. Dr. McGuire will surrender UNH stock options worth approximately $320 million, interest in retirement plan valued at approximately $91 million, and $8 million in his executive savings plan. UNH has a market cap of $72 billion. UNH over all option implied volatility of 24 is near its 26-week average of 26 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional risks.

Daily Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option update: UnitedHealth volatility flat into settlement with former CEO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world's largest retailer is still offering less than half of its US workers healthcare benefits. The company plans more improvements with all workers being able to pick from a group of different plans by next year.

The move does not come without some potential risk for shareholders. Wal-Mart's margins in the US are already pinched by slow same-store sales, high fuel costs, and a slowing economy. While insuring more people may be the right thing to do, over time it may not help the firm's share price.

Being a Wal-Mart worker may be getting better than being an investor.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com

Wal-Mart (WMT) finally gives its workers a break originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Still wondering why almost every candidate for President has his or her own idea of a new health care plan? Obviously the public is ready. They're not crazy about the idea of paying for health insurance themselves, even if their employer gave them money to help pay for it.

Three-quarters of those surveyed (76%) valued employer-provided health care so highly that they said they would prefer employer-based health benefits to a $7,500 taxable increase in income. When asked how much income they would want if their employer asked them to give up employer-based coverage, they responded they want $12,000 in taxable income.

Continue reading No surprises here: Employer-provided health care is a valuable perq

No surprises here: Employer-provided health care is a valuable perq originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China Life Insurance (NYSE: LFC) implied volatility is Elevated as LFC is near a record high. LFC offers products and services, including individual life insurance, accident insurance, and health insurance in China. LFC is recently up $2.97 to $66.21. LFC over all option implied volatility of 46 is above its 26-week average of 39, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

ICICI Bank (NYSE: IBN) overall implied volatility is Elevated at 47. IBN is India's second largest bank, with total assets of over $79 billion USD as of 3/31/07. IBN over all option implied volatility of 47 is above its 26-week average of 41, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Daily options update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: China Life and India's ICICI Bank volatilities Elevated originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Aug 2007 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Doubling collision coverage cost for cell-phone drivers, lipstick appliers, and chicken-nugget dunkers?
• Eliminating coverage of hearing aids for iPod users?
• Reducing the coverage of carpal tunnel surgery for text messagers and video gamers?
• Demanding a higher premium for skin cancer coverage from frequent beach-goers?
• Refusing to cover the cost of treating high blood pressure for golfers?
• Raising the premium for allergy treatments for farmers?
• Extending the copay for dentistry for those found to chew sugar gum, tobacco, or nougat?
• Charging more for dermatology visits for those who choose to depilate "down there"?
• Increasing the cost for hair transplants for those who choose to have multiple children?

Overeat? Smoke? Pay more for insurance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From time to time, Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) reminds everyone that despite all of the talk about peace, love and the sharing of information, it is just a company.

A case in point is the idiotic rantings of a low-level executive trying to kowtow to the health care industry. Writing about MIchael Moore's documentary "Sicko," Lauren Hutton Turner laments that "Moore's film portrays the industry as money and marketing driven, and fails to show healthcare's interest in patient well-being and care."

Of course, Hutton, an account planner who works with health care companies, has a solution: buy more advertising on Google. "Whatever the problem, Google can act as a platform for educating the public and promoting your message," she writes. "We help you connect your company's assets while helping users find the information they seek. "

Hutton is being vilified and mocked throughout the Internet. But even though the criticism of her is a little unfair, it raises a bigger issue about the honesty of Google's search results. It's not in Google's interest for someone searching for the term "health care costs" to see a link to Moore's documentary come out on top or even on the first two or three pages.

This reminds me of a bizarre story I heard about the Wall Street Journal and Enron. Soon after the first Enron stories appeared in the newspaper someone in the Journal's advertising department supposedly (I am not sure if it's true or not) sent the company a letter offering to do a branding campaign to combat the negative publicity being created by its own reporters.

Hutton is probably no different than thousands of other Googlers looking to get a bigger slice of the world's advertising spending. She erred in showing publicly how Google values its advertisers over its users just like every other media company. If people get some use out of Google while it makes money for its customers, it's a happy coincidence.

Google makes me feel sicko originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.