Insurance giant Aetna Inc. (AET) will be reporting its fourth quarter numbers tomorrow before the market opens.

Analysts are expecting to see the company show earnings of 42 cents per share. During the same period last year the company had earnings of 96 cents per share.

Eating less is being rewarded in a strange new way. Thinner employees at Whole Foods (WFMI) will enjoy deeper discounts on food, leading to an even wider disparity relative to the ... ummmm ... "bigger-boned" employees. A new employee rewards program called "Health Starts Here" offers employees discounts based on body mass index. Hit the gym, go for a jog or simply enjoy the perks of a naturally buzzing metabolism, and you can save a fortune. Carry around a little extra heft, and you'll pay more to maintain it.

At present, every Whole Foods employee receives a 20% discount on purchases in the store. By sweating to the oldies, however, they can take that discount to 30%. But dieting like a model won't work: nicotine use is a disqualifier. So, if you're trying to smoke your way to svelte, find another way.

For CEOs, 2009 was a return to stability, according to the latest study from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. CEO turnover fell to its lowest level in five years, a sharp turn from the record highs experienced the year before.

"The 17 percent drop in CEO turnover this year may be due partly to efforts by some companies to try to keep top management stable until the status of the economy became clearer. The economy may have turned a corner around mid-year, but it is still in a fragile state, which helped maintain this stability through the second half of 2009," said John Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

It's now or never, as far as realizing an outsized gain with medical device supplier Covidien Plc (COV), which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company's share's, first recommended on June 4, 2009 at a price of $35.65. If you bought COV in June, you're up about 35%.

Further, the investment calculation with Covidien isn't rocket science: an aging U.S. population and the likelihood that U.S. public policy will universalize health care means that roughly 3-5 million more citizens per year for the next 8-10 years will receive regular health care services. And that means one thing: it's a good time to be a medical supplier (or a nurse, or radiologist, or surgeon, etc.).

Democrats finally reached a deal on the health care bill.

It scraps the public option in favor of a nonprofit plan operated by insurers, but administered by the Office of Personnel Management, which supervises coverage for federal employees.

Another provision includes a cost analysis on extending Medicare coverage to persons 55 and over. Presently, Medicare coverage begins at age 65. Coverage for those age 55 would include a buy-in provision.

Senate leader, Harry Reid said: "The American people will certainly have more choices."

Democratic Senator, Nelson's amendment to tighten the bill's restriction on the use of federal funds for abortion, identical to the House of Representatives last month was killed on a 54 to 45 vote. Reid said he would work with Nelson on the matter.

After months of negotiations, a final bill is on the table. The Senate and House now must merge the two bills and submit the final version to President Obama.

Do you agree with the final version of the health care bill?

CEO turnover is starting to stabilize, suggesting that recession-impacted companies have been through the worst of the corner-office shuffling. The number of top dogs leaving their posts by November 2009 fell almost 18% compared to the same 11 months last year, according to a report supplied to BloggingStocks by outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Only 94 CEOs left their posts last month, a slight up-tick from October's 89, but 10% lower than the 104 recorded in November 2008.

Through the end of November, 1,122 CEOs have moved on, a decline of 17.6% year-over-year. Last year, 1,361 departures were seen by this point. If the trend continues, CEO turnover could reach its lowest level since 2004, when only 663 occurred.

The health care industry experienced the most changes, with 22 CEOs leaving their posts, bringing the total to 181 for the sector this year, topping all industries. The government and non-profit sector comes next with 148 this year, 18 in November. The financial services industry lost 116 CEOs, with only 10 happening last month.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says last night he talked Afghanistan. Next week climate change. What happened to health care reform?

When was the last time President Obama ever talked about health care? Last night it was Afghanistan. He just came back from a state trip to Asia. Next it is climate in Denmark.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. There just aren't enough days left this year to get health care done and Senator Harry Reid's clock management might be as bad as Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid's clock management -- maybe worse.

Any experienced investor knows that these are not normal times. But they could become truly historic times, if the United States is able to pass universal health care legislation in the the weeks ahead.

Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has crafted a health care bill that would cut the U.S. budget deficit by about $130 billion over 10 years, while extending coverage to up to 94% of Americans, The Associated Press reported Thursday. The bill's estimate cost is $848 billion.

For the first half of 2010, almost two thirds of money managers are bullish, according to Barron's. In fact, 54% are bullish, and 5% are "very bullish." Responses suggest that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to gain another 5% by the end of the year.

According to Barron's, "Today's bullish investors see the major stock indexes making steady progress through next June, amid signs the U.S. economy is on the mend after a searing recession."

"Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD), one of the world's largest biotechs, is a stock for all seasons," say growth expert Alexander Green.

The investment director for The Oxford Club explains, "It's a fine company with a solid balance sheet, a recession-proof business and excellent growth prospects."

"Gilead focuses on three main areas, including cardiovascular conditions and respiratory diseases. (Many may have taken its anti-influenza drug Tamiflu, Letairis to treat hypertension, or Macugen to treat macular degeneration.)

I'm reiterating my Buy rating for Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (NYSE: PHG), commonly known as Philips, first recommended on June 2, 2009 at a price of $20.30. If you purchased PHG then, you're up about 20%.

Amsterdam-based Philips missed the Street's revenue and earnings estimates in Q2, in what amounted to an essentially break-even quarter.

The best strategy for President Obama and congressional Democrats regarding health care reform may be to "go it alone" -- to pass a bill that has Democratic Party support, with maybe one or two Republicans.

Further, the era of bipartisan cooperation is over, if it ever really began. The U.S. Congress is as polarized as it ever has been in the post-World War II era, with ideologues dominating each party. President Obama's effort to forge a post-partisan politics was admirable, but it did not get very far, largely due to a Republican Party that's dominated by a conservative base, but also due to a Democratic Party committed to largely liberal goals.

Unless you've been spending your summer vacation on a tropical beach with no television or internet access, you have seen that the public reception to Congress' proposals for heathcare reform have not exactly been well accepted. I mean, nut jobs showing up to town hall meetings with guns strapped to their legs isn't really the norm.

So you would think that the Republicans who are against a public insurance plan are in control, right? Not so fast.

Congressional Democrats are now talking about splitting the healthcare bills into two parts so they can take advantage of a loophole called reconciliation.

In recent stories I have highlighted several health care stocks that I think would be strong candidates for small portfolios (Part 1 and Part 2) that would be safe and pay high yields. These include: Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Abott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) and Novartis AG ADS (NYSE: NVS). I have been thinking about these companies and how others will fare in the health care debate.

While Washington debates the merits of various health care bills, the health care companies lobby to influence the outcome. Businesses and employees are resistant to taxing current health care benefits but very few people are opposed to taxing those that get big paychecks.

I think we are heading down the wrong path regarding health care "reform" once again. There is no question that most people want to improve health care in many respects, including but not limited to, the quality, cost, and delivery, but the devil is in the details and we may end up no better off than we started except of course with more complexity and greater cost.

Blood-transfusion leader Immucor (BLUD) introduced Geoffrey S. Crouse as the company's new Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Crouse will have worldwide responsibility for manufacturing and distribution in the new position, he will also be responsible for marketing and customer service. In his previous position at Millipore Corporation, Crouse led the Life Science Strategic Business Unit - helping improve manufacturing operations, leading acquisitions, all the while increasing sales and profitability.