Total net income at U.S. health maintenance organizations increased to $3.6 billion in the first quarter, up 21% from the total for the first quarter of 2004.[@@]
Although the increase was impressive, it is smaller than the 61% increase the HMO industry achieved between 2003 and 2004, according to researchers at Weiss Ratings Inc., Jupiter, Fla., the firm that published the profit data.