Boeing Co on Wednesday said it would take an income tax charge of about $150 million, or 20 cents per share, against first-quarter results due to recently enacted U.S. healthcare reform.

Starting in 2013, Boeing will no longer be able to claim an income tax deduction related to prescription drug benefits provided to retirees and reimbursed under Medicare, the company said.

Although the change does not take effect until 2013, accounting rules require that the charge be taken in the period the legislation was enacted.

Boeing said the impact of the change was not factored into the company's previous forecasts.

Boeing has been expected to earn 86 cents per share in the first quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Healthcare