Delayed Surgeries and Skipped Checkups Help Keep Insurers in Good Health
- Profit projections are untouched as payouts for care evaporate
- Unclear how long pandemic’s effects on medical costs will last
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Covid-19 has thrown the health-care industry into turmoil, but one thing looks certain: Insurers will make money this year.
None of the five major health insurers that reported quarterly earnings in the past two weeks told investors to expect lower profits in 2020. That’s in large measure because of a staggering dropoff in claims tied to social-distancing measures put in place to arrest the pandemic. How long that trend will persist, however, is far from clear.