HCA update less severe than feared for Obamacare health insurers, J.P. Morgan says

HCA Healthcare

14/07/2026 16:27

** J.P. Morgan says hospital operator HCA Healthcare's HCA.N preliminary Q2 results point to a less severe hit than feared for insurers offering Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, plans
** Brokerage says a key concern entering 2026 was that healthier, lower-cost members would be more likely to leave ACA plans, raising costs for insurers
** HCA said it treated more uninsured patients who had lost ACA coverage, which the brokerage says "suggests a more muted shift in acuity," meaning costs for remaining ACA members may rise less than feared
** Brokerage says Centene CNC.N has the largest ACA enrollment, followed by Molina Healthcare MOH.N, Elevance Health ELV.N and UnitedHealth UNH.N
** Also says early 2026 results for insurers appear "better-than-feared," with some plans "losing less or making more" than expected
** Says HCA's decline in inpatient and outpatient surgeries could point to lower medical costs for insurers; expects Q2 results to provide more clarity on enrollment, medical use and expected payments
     

(Reporting by Kunal Das in Bengaluru)
((Kunal.Das2@thomsonreuters.com;))