Shares of HMO companies Humana (NYSE: HUM) And Aetna (NYSE: AET) were steady ahead of the upcoming Beltway Health Summit.



Chart Courtesy of StockCharts.com



HMO stocks were steady as a rock before the stock market opened on Thursday. That's because no one really knows the way things will turn out at the health summit between the Democrats and the Republicans. Only one thing is certain, the stakes are high for all involved, and for the public.

Whatever emerges from this will likely lead to either success, failure, or some kind of compromise. The White House has already leaked the news that it's working on "plan B" if the summit doesn't work out.

What's most troublesome is that polling data shows that the public is mostly against the White House's aims with health care reform. Two polls from Rasmussen Reports.com show that a majority of likely voters are not happy. One shows that 51% of those polled fear the government more than health insurers when it comes to making decisions about their insurance. And the other shows that

The other poll shows that 56% of those polled are opposed to the proposed health care plan that is being debated in Congress.

Those are not good odds if you're a politician looking to get re-elected. That's why the HMO stocks are holding up fairly well after recent declines. It looks as if investors are betting on a failure by the Democrats.

We'll know more by the end of the day.

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