Oct 27 (Reuters) – Hospital operator HCA Healthcare beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter results on Tuesday, as robust demand for medical services offset the impact of a rise in uninsured patients.
Shares of the company were up 1.5% in premarket trading.
HCA said a payer mix shift driven by an increase in uninsured patients, primarily those who lost coverage on health insurance exchanges, reduced income before taxes by about $400 million during the third quarter.
Hospital operators have been grappling with the end of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that helped millions of Americans buy health insurance during the pandemic. HCA cut its annual forecast in July, warning that more patients were losing coverage and seeking care without insurance.
“Despite the challenges brought about by federal policy changes this year, our colleagues have continued to provide high-quality care to patients, and we believe HCA Healthcare is positioned to end the year positively,” said CEO Sam Hazen.
The company said growth accelerated in same-facility equivalent admissions, revenue from insured patients improved and cost control strengthened during the quarter. HCA also reported a modest increase in the net benefit from Medicaid supplemental payment programs.
The company’s adjusted profit was $7.22 per share in the quarter ended September 30, compared with analysts’ estimates of $6.66 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
HCA said it now expects full-year 2026 financial results to track in the upper half of the forecast range it set in July, which projected annual profit between $28.70 and $30.50 per share on revenue of $77.0 billion to $79.5 billion.
The quarter “was solid, and the move to the upper half of 2026 guidance is encouraging,” said Cantor analysts.
HCA said same-facility admissions increased 2.7% and same-facility equivalent admissions rose 3.0%, while emergency room visits increased 5.1%.
Revenue rose 3.6% to $19.85 billion in the quarter, above estimates of $19.33 billion.
(Reporting by Sahil Pandey and Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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