First Health Posts 23 Percent Profit Gain

August 13, 2001 First Health Posts 23 Percent Profit Gain First Health Group Corporation announced in July 2001 that profits rose 23 percent in the second quarter of 2001, meeting Wall Street expectations. First Health, which helps employers manage health care costs and processes health-care claims, said the sales of its less-restrictive preferred provider organization services rose 15 percent. Revenue from PPO services helped drive up net income to $25.3 million, or 25 cents a diluted share, from $20.5 million, or 21 cents a share, a year earlier. Total revenue rose 10 percent, to $138.9 . . .