Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Humana Inc. the second-largest U.S. Medicare managed care provider, forecast lower profit for next year.

Earnings may fall to $7.40 to $7.60 a share in 2012, the Louisville, Kentucky-based insurer said in a statement today. That would be less than the 2011 profit of $8.35 to $8.40 a share the company predicted today.

Link to Statement:{NSN LTXD413V7U9S <GO>}

To contact the reporter on this story: Pat Wechsler in New York at pwechsler@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bruce Rule at brule1@bloomberg.net