Two large insurers profit by Americans' postponement of care

Meanwhile, HCA Holdings reported lower-than-expected earnings because people are foregoing surgery because of the economy.

Reuters: Low Health Claims May Help WellPoint, Aetna
WellPoint Inc and Aetna Inc , the second and third-biggest U.S. health insurers by market value, are set to report second-quarter earnings on Wednesday that will likely be helped by Americans avoiding doctor visits and delaying medical procedures. The industry has benefited from Americans postponing such care during the weak economy.  ... The results, combined with greater investor comfort in the fallout of the U.S. healthcare overhaul, has spurred strong stock price gains this year (Krauskopf, 7/27). 

Fox Business: Aetna Profit Rises 9% In Second Quarter
Health benefits firm Aetna Inc. on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $536.7 million, or $1.39 a share, up from $491 million, or $1.14 a share, in the same period a year ago (Watts, 7/27). 

NPR's SHOTS blog: Bad Economy May Be Leading To Less Surgery
HCA Holdings, the biggest for-profit hospital chain in the U.S., reported lower earnings than expected Monday. And one of the reasons might surprise you: some people appear to be forgoing surgery, in part, because of hard economic times (Hensley, 7/26).