Universal Health Services Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of hospital and care center operator Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS  ) are taking a sick day today after falling as much as 10.9% on heavy volume.

So what: The patient care sector ran into rough waters last week but some industry peers suffered more than others. Today, the pain is pretty universal as Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH  ) and HCA Holdings (NYSE: HCA  ) are asking for higher morphine doses as well -- and the only explanation that makes any sense is that health care investors hate the debt-ceiling deal.

Now what: Looking beyond hospital owners such as Universal Health and Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC  ) , even the large blue-chip stalwarts of health care are asking for a nurse today. Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX  ) and Medtronic (NYSE: MDT  ) both dipped as low as 4% while well respected insurer UnitedHealth Group (Nasdaq: UNH  ) lost 6%, which basically never happens all at once. If Medicare funding falls by the wayside, then health-care providers will feel the burn more than most, though.

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