- The House passes a procedural vote to begin debate on the revised health care bill, setting up a final vote in another 2-3 hours.
- The bill is expected to pass by a handful of votes, but would face high hurdles in the Senate from Democrats and moderate Republicans; any final legislation could have negative consequences for hospitals as the number of uninsured likely would rise, but could prove positive for the broader stock market, as passage could be viewed as a sign that Pres. Trump's pro-business agenda is moving forward.
- Recent moves by health insurers are playing into the debate: Aetna (AET +0.4%) said yesterday that it would pull out of Virginia's exchange next year, major exchange player Anthem (ANTM +0.3%) said in a filing that it was seeking average premium increases of 37.7%, and non-profit insurer Medica said it may withdraw from Iowa's exchange, which would leave much of the state with no marketplace plans.
- Other potentially relevant tickers include: UNH, CI, HUM, WCG, CNC, MOH, GTS, HQY, QHC, HCA, THC, UHS, LPNT, CYH, HCP, SEM
- ETFs: XLV, IYH, VHT, HQH, CURE, FXH, FHLC, RXL, THQ, RYH
- Now read: Medicaid Business Resilience Can Catapult Centene 's Share Prices In 2017
Original article