Sierra Health Services Inc. -- operator of Sierra Health & Life, Health Plan of Nevada and Senior Dimensions -- reported Monday that its profit dropped 11.5 percent in the second quarter, but the number of Nevadans it insures continued to rise.

Separately, HCA Inc. -- owner of Sunrise, MountainView and Southern Hills hospitals -- reported Wednesday that its profit rose 15 percent in the second quarter despite an overall dip in patient admissions. In contrast, Las Vegas patient admissions were up 9.5 percent.

Other companies that reported strong financial growth include WellPoint Inc., which provides health insurance in Nevada.

Las Vegas-based Sierra said its net income dipped to $33.8 million, or $1.01 per share, in the second quarter from $38.2 million, or $1.10 per share, in the year-ago quarter.

The insurer's second-quarter revenue dropped 21 percent to $348 million from $441.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

The declines were attributed to the ending of Sierra's TRICARE military contract, which managed military personnel's health benefits and ended Aug. 31.

"At this point, we don't expect to see any more money coming in," Sierra spokesman Peter O'Neill said of the TRICARE contract. "We will record $5 million in the third quarter to pay remaining claims."

Sierra said it expects to earn closer to $3.50 per share for its full-year guidance, compared with the $3.50 to $3.60 per share it previously projected.

While the insurer's overall financial health dipped during the quarter, it posted gains in the number of people it insured on its commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans.

Sierra's commercial membership increased 13.6 percent to 245,100 Nevadans insured at the end of the second quarter. In the year-ago quarter it insured 215,700 Nevadans.

This year, Sierra projects that it will increase the number of people it insures by between 9 percent and 11 percent. In the first six months, Sierra increased its plan members by 8.4 percent, O'Neill said.

He attributed the increase to the valley's population growth, which brought new businesses such as Wynn Las Vegas, and expansions within existing employer accounts.

Revenue from Sierra's health plan operations increased to $320.4 million in the second quarter from $280.7 million a year ago.

"Business is very, very good in Las Vegas and continues to be very good," Sierra Chief Executive Dr. Anthony Marlon said Tuesday in a conference call with investors, analysts and media.

Sierra's private Medicare plan, Senior Dimensions, increased the number of Nevadans it insures by 4.8 percent to 54,700 at the end of the second quarter from 52,200 in the year-ago quarter.

The number of people covered on Sierra's Medicaid plan increased 2 percent to 52,000 Nevadans.

Sierra projects its Medicare and Medicaid plan members will each increase by about 5 percent this year, Marlon said.

Sierra recently signed three-year provider contracts with University Medical Center and Universal Health Services Inc. -- owner of Valley, Desert Springs, Summerlin and Spring Valley hospitals.

The contracts were negotiated at rate increases that mirror the increase in hospital costs -- averaging 6 percent to 8 percent, Marlon said.

On Dec. 31, Sierra's contract with HCA Inc. -- owner of Sunrise, MountainView and Southern Hills -- expires, but formal contract negotiations have not begun, O'Neill said.

HCA reported on Wednesday that its net income rose to $405 million, or 90 cents per share, compared with $352 million, or 72 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

The Nashville, Tenn.-based company reported that its second-quarter profit was primarily due to several one-time gains and an increase in outpatient and emergency room visits.

One-time gains that boosted HCA's income include a $48 million tax settlement related to some business units that were sold in 1998 and 2001 and a $29 million pretax income for the sale of medical office buildings. The second quarter also included a $30 million expense to correct HCA's accumulated depreciation on some of its medical equipment.

HCA said it reduced its liability reserves by $36 million pretax in the second quarter, while the year-ago quarter included a $59 million pretax reduction for liability reserves.

Second-quarter revenue increased 4.1 percent to $6.07 billion from $5.83 billion a year ago.

HCA reaffirmed its full-year guidance, saying it expected to earn between $3.05 and $3.20 per share.

HCA operated 190 hospitals and 92 freestanding surgery centers at the end of the second quarter, which is an increase of one surgery center from the year-ago period.

At hospitals HCA owned for at least a year, patient admissions during the second quarter dropped 0.3 percent to 407,600 patients, but emergency room and outpatient visits were up 3.4 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.

Markets such as Tampa, Fla., Houston and Kansas City, Mo., had a decrease in the number of patients admitted, while Las Vegas and a handful of other markets posted strong patient admissions in the second quarter.

In Las Vegas, patient admissions increased 9.5 percent in the second quarter to 14,703 patients who were admitted at the three HCA-owned hospitals from 13,416 patients a year ago. Other markets that had high patient admissions in the second quarter include Salt Lake City; Austin, Texas; New Orleans; Orlando, Fla., and San Jose, Calif.

Patient bed-days -- the number of days a patient occupied a bed -- were relatively flat at 2 million bed-days. Locally, patient bed-days increased to 94,013 bed-days in the second quarter, compared with 88,383 bed-days in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue for hospitals owned for at least a year rose 4.3 percent to $6.01 billion in the second quarter.

HCA provided $275 million in charity care in the second quarter, compared with $232 million in the year-ago quarter. In January, the company expanded its discount policy to enable a greater number of uninsured patients to qualify for reduced bills.

The number of uninsured patients admitted to an HCA hospital in the second quarter increased by 5.1 percent from the year-ago quarter. HCA decreased its provision for doubtful accounts -- bills it will likely write off -- to $541 million in the second quarter from $661 million in the year-ago quarter. Much of the decline was attributed to the expanded discounts for uninsured patients.

Sunrise, MountainView and Southern Hills provided a combined $29.1 million in uncompensated care in the second quarter, down from $33.5 million a year ago.

In addition to three hospitals in Las Vegas, HCA also operates three outpatient-surgery centers and land in Henderson to build a fourth hospital.

HCA recently approved construction of a second medical office building adjacent to Southern Hills Hospital, which is expected to open next summer.

Construction continues on Sunrise Children's Hospital's $75 million renovation, which will open in phases. Once completed, Sunrise Children's Hospital will have 56 private pediatric rooms with pediatric intensive care beds and pediatric oncology beds scheduled to open in November.

MountainView opened a 12-bed observation unit in April and renovated its rehabilitation department. It also is adding a third catheterization lab that is likely to open in October and space for a fourth one.

WellPoint reported Wednesday that its second-quarter net income more than doubled to $559.4 million, or 90 cents a share, from $237.9 million, or 83 cents a share, a year ago.

WellPoint was created in November when Anthem Inc. purchased WellPoint Health Networks Inc.

The new company insures 28.8 million Americans and lost policyholders in Nevada. The company insured 216,276 Nevadans at the end of the second quarter, down 14 percent form a year ago .

Local, federal employee and managed-care plans posted membership gains in Nevada, while national accounts include BlueCards lost more than 51,000 members.

Michelle Swafford covers health care and small business for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached by e-mail at swafford@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2326.