HCA reports profits amid Republican failure to “repeal and replace”
One of America’s largest for-profit hospital operators, HCA Healthcare, releases its quarterly earnings today. Nasdaq predicts the overall stock prices to increase 6 cents per share.
Other hospitals, however, are facing tougher times. Under the latest Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act, 32 million Americans would lose coverage via clauses that remove mandating insurance purchases and gut the Medicaid programme that funds care for low-income individuals.
Because Republicans similarly plan to cut taxes and the Trump administration wants to halt subsidies for low-income earners, health care costs would shift to the hospitals, potentially costing them over $100 billion.
Don’t expect the healthcare debate to be resolved anytime soon, as uncertainty within the White House is coupled with disunity in Congress. For the moment, HCA, fuelled by the opposition of renegade senators like Susan Collins and Rand Paul to Trumpcare, is defying expectations and continues to make investments.