NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Hospital operator HCA Inc. said Monday it expects first-quarter earnings to fall from the year-ago period as revenue and uninsured admissions rose.
The company forecast first-quarter earnings per share of 89 cents to 93 cents, down from 95 cents per share a year ago. The forecast includes a gain on investments of 11 cents per share, and a stock option expense of 2 cents per share. HCA also expects revenues to rise to about $6.42 billion for the first quarter, up from $6.18 billion a year ago.
HCA's Mountain Division includes MountainStar Hospitals in Utah: St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Ogden Regional Medical Center, Brigham City Community Hospital, Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful, Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Mountain View Hospital in Payson and a new Draper facility that will open in 2007. Two Idaho hospitals — Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls and West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell — also are part of the division.
HCA said that facility revenues increased 5 percent, and same facility revenue per equivalent admission increased 5.1 percent in the first quarter.
Same facility uninsured admissions rose by 2,438, or 13.1 percent, from a year ago. Provisions for doubtful accounts also rose to 12.8 percent of revenue, compared with 10.9 percent a year ago, when taking into account discounts for uninsured patients.
"Obviously, uninsureds is an issue as it has been for years in health care," HCA spokesman Jeff Prescott said.