The Motley Fool's Market Checkup drills down on the hottest headlines and biggest market movers in the health-care sector. This episode -- featuring a special guest appearance by Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning -- highlights a biotech stock that popped 40%, gives a full examination of the Affordable Care Act's debut week, and finishes off with two stocks poised to profit from Obamacare.
In the following video, Dan talks with Motley Fool health-care bureau chief Max Macaluso and Fool health-care analyst David Williamson about the next step for consumers considering their Obamacare options. Dan notes that many consumers are just in the information-gathering stage right now, window-shopping to find out whether the averages and simulations that they've seen will actually apply to their own personal situations. With so many different plans available, Dan points out that the decisions that consumers make will be crucial not just for Obamacare's success but for their personal finances as well, as they'll be committed to whatever decision they make throughout 2014 until the next open enrollment period begins for 2015. That's why it's so critically important to assess your options and make sure you pick a plan that's right for you.
One thing you can be certain about is that health-insurance companies and health-care providers will all be jockeying for position now that Obamacare is getting off the ground. As David noted in this video segment yesterday, drugstore chain Walgreen (WBA -2.27%) is looking to leverage a larger number of insured customers into more business for itself through its local health-care clinics, aiming to compete with traditional doctors' offices for basic medical needs. Rite Aid (RAD -24.92%) and CVS Caremark (CVS -0.86%) also have health-care clinics of their own, jumping on the same bandwagon. If Obamacare is successful, you can expect Walgreen, CVS, and Rite Aid all to quickly expand their clinic networks to try to grab up as much market share as possible. Consumers need to stay smart about all their options during this turbulent time, all the while remembering to focus their attention on their health-insurance options both within and outside Obamacare's exchanges.
