HEALTH OVERHAUL IMPACT: Drugmaker Merck & Co. expects the health care legislation passed last month to cost it about $320 million this year.
COST BREAKDOWN: About half of that, $170 million, is from the expected reduction in revenues from paying bigger Medicaid rebates; the other $150 million is a charge for loss of a tax benefit for providing prescription coverage to retirees.
BIG-PICTURE FORECAST: Merck says despite the charges, it's still aiming for compound annual earnings-per-share growth in the high single digits, excluding one-time items, through 2013.
Copyright 2010 AP Features
