Consumer Driven Health Care

As health reform continues to changes the landscape of our countrys health system, what is there to watch in the new year? A lot, industry insiders say.

Last December, more than 156,000 online job ads for health care organizations were looking for registered nurses, an increase of 20 percent from a year ago.

Major health insurers should detail results that stack up well to expectations when they begin reporting on the fourth quarter, but investors will be focused more on how the new year is shaping up, according to analysts who cover the sector.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. will give investors their first sense for whether major health insurers have been bitten by an intense flu season when it reports fourth-quarter results Thursday.

WellPoint Inc.'s acquisition of fellow health insurer Amerigroup will help the company's business in a Medicaid market primed for growth, but it still faces challenges from the health care overhaul's upcoming coverage expansions, according to a Goldman Sachs analyst.

Workplace health promotion programs have the potential to reduce average worker health costs by 18 percentand even more for older workers.