TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — WellCare Health Plans Inc.'s fourth quarter earnings more than tripled, as strong enrollment gains helped the Medicaid and Medicare coverage provider trump net income expectations.

The Tampa, Fla., company's stock soared more than 10 percent, adding $6.54, to $69.50 as the market opened Wednesday after it released the earnings report and also delivered a better-than-expected forecast for 2012.

WellCare earned $85.1 million, or $1.96 per share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That compares to $26.1 million, or 61 cents per share, in the final quarter of 2010. Adjusted earnings were $2.15 per share.

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.