S&P: Leverage Tops Politics as Primary Credit Concern for U.S. Health Care Companies...( NEW YORK Oct. 16 /- As the race t...),Health

NEW YORK, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- As the race to the 2008 elections heats up, nearly every presidential hopeful has offered a proposal for providing health care coverage.

"But when it comes to the already deteriorating credit quality of health care companies, the debt burden of industry players is a more overarching consideration than the rhetoric of presidential candidates making new health care proposals," said Standard & Poor's Ratings Services in a report published Oct. 12, 2007.

"For now, the more imminent operating challenges of aggressive debt- financed mergers and acquisitions, and volatile capital market conditions loom larger for the health care field than the longer term risk potential associated with U.S. presidential political platforms," said Standard & Poor's credit analyst Michael Kaplan in the report titled "Leverage -- Not Politics -- Is The Biggest Issue For Corporate Health Care Credit Strength."

In conjunction with this article, Standard & Poor's published several health care stories over the past week, ahead of its hot topics conference, "Politics And Leverage May Be Hazardous For Health Care," which will be held on Oct. 22, 2007.

For the full articles published on RatingsDirect:

-- "Increased Leverage And Health Care Reform Could Ail For-Profit

Hospital Credit"

-- "Top 10 Reasons Why States Are Central To Health Care Reform Efforts"

-- "Do Massachusetts Health Care Reform And California Proposals

Foreshadow A National Plan?"

-- "U.S. Health Care And Politics: As The Heat Rises, Can Big Pharma Stay

Insulated?"

-- "Clinical Labs, Distributors, And PBMs Share Financial Policy

Uncertainty And 'BBB' Ratings"

-- "Credit FAQ: Competitive Bidding's Impact On Durable Medical Equipment

Suppliers"

-- "Health Care Regulation -- Often A Curse, But Potentially, A Blessing"

The reports are available to subscribers of RatingsDirect, the
'/>"/>