Elevance Health, Inc. (ELV)
SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > Insurance Carriers > SIC 6324 Hospital & Medical Service Plans
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1156039. Latest filing source: 0001156039-26-000013.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 199,125,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-06 |
| Net income | 5,662,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-06 |
| Assets | 121,494,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-06 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-06. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001156039.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 84,863,000,000 | 90,040,000,000 | 92,105,000,000 | 104,213,000,000 | 121,867,000,000 | 138,639,000,000 | 156,595,000,000 | 171,340,000,000 | 177,011,000,000 | 199,125,000,000 |
| Net income | 2,470,000,000 | 3,843,000,000 | 3,750,000,000 | 4,807,000,000 | 4,572,000,000 | 6,158,000,000 | 5,894,000,000 | 5,987,000,000 | 5,980,000,000 | 5,662,000,000 |
| Operating income | 4,801,000,000 | 4,175,000,000 | 5,426,000,000 | 5,999,000,000 | 6,360,000,000 | 7,559,000,000 | 8,283,000,000 | 8,499,000,000 | 7,862,000,000 | 7,199,000,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 9.21 | 14.35 | 14.19 | 18.47 | 17.98 | 24.95 | 24.28 | 25.22 | 25.68 | 25.21 |
| Operating cash flow | 3,270,000,000 | 4,185,000,000 | 3,827,000,000 | 6,061,000,000 | 10,688,000,000 | 8,364,000,000 | 8,399,000,000 | 8,061,000,000 | 5,808,000,000 | 4,290,000,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 584,000,000 | 791,000,000 | 1,208,000,000 | 1,077,000,000 | 1,021,000,000 | 1,087,000,000 | 1,152,000,000 | 1,296,000,000 | 1,256,000,000 | 1,116,000,000 |
| Dividends paid | 684,000,000 | 705,000,000 | 776,000,000 | 818,000,000 | 954,000,000 | 1,104,000,000 | 1,229,000,000 | 1,395,000,000 | 1,508,000,000 | 1,529,000,000 |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 1,998,000,000 | 1,685,000,000 | 1,701,000,000 | 2,700,000,000 | 1,900,000,000 | 2,316,000,000 | 2,676,000,000 | 2,900,000,000 | 2,605,000,000 |
| Assets | 65,083,100,000 | 70,540,000,000 | 71,571,000,000 | 77,453,000,000 | 86,615,000,000 | 97,460,000,000 | 102,755,000,000 | 108,928,000,000 | 116,889,000,000 | 121,494,000,000 |
| Liabilities | 39,982,700,000 | 44,037,000,000 | 43,030,000,000 | 45,725,000,000 | 53,416,000,000 | 61,332,000,000 | 66,425,000,000 | 69,523,000,000 | 75,463,000,000 | 77,468,000,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 25,101,000,000 | 26,503,000,000 | 28,541,000,000 | 31,728,000,000 | 33,199,000,000 | 36,060,000,000 | 36,243,000,000 | 39,306,000,000 | 41,315,000,000 | 43,882,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 4,075,000,000 | 3,609,000,000 | 3,934,000,000 | 4,937,000,000 | 5,741,000,000 | 4,880,000,000 | 7,387,000,000 | 6,526,000,000 | 8,288,000,000 | 9,491,000,000 |
| Free cash flow | 2,686,000,000 | 3,394,000,000 | 2,619,000,000 | 4,984,000,000 | 9,667,000,000 | 7,277,000,000 | 7,247,000,000 | 6,765,000,000 | 4,552,000,000 | 3,174,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 2.91% | 4.27% | 4.07% | 4.61% | 3.75% | 4.44% | 3.76% | 3.49% | 3.38% | 2.84% |
| Operating margin | 5.66% | 4.64% | 5.89% | 5.76% | 5.22% | 5.45% | 5.29% | 4.96% | 4.44% | 3.62% |
| Return on equity | 9.84% | 14.50% | 13.14% | 15.15% | 13.77% | 17.08% | 16.26% | 15.23% | 14.47% | 12.90% |
| Return on assets | 3.80% | 5.45% | 5.24% | 6.21% | 5.28% | 6.32% | 5.74% | 5.50% | 5.12% | 4.66% |
| Liabilities / equity | 1.59 | 1.66 | 1.51 | 1.44 | 1.61 | 1.70 | 1.83 | 1.77 | 1.83 | 1.77 |
| Current ratio | 1.61 | 1.55 | 1.56 | 1.66 | 1.55 | 1.47 | 1.40 | 1.44 | 1.45 | 1.54 |
Financial Charts
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-04-22. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001156039.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 6.79 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 6.68 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 8.30 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 43,672,000,000 | 1,853,000,000 | 7.79 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 42,849,000,000 | 1,289,000,000 | 5.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 42,647,000,000 | 856,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 42,577,000,000 | 2,246,000,000 | 9.59 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 43,886,000,000 | 2,300,000,000 | 9.85 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 45,106,000,000 | 1,016,000,000 | 4.36 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 45,442,000,000 | 418,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 48,891,000,000 | 2,183,000,000 | 9.61 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 49,776,000,000 | 1,743,000,000 | 7.72 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 50,711,000,000 | 1,189,000,000 | 5.32 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 49,747,000,000 | 547,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 50,181,000,000 | 1,764,000,000 | 8.00 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001156039-26-000043.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or as Otherwise Stated Herein)
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes, as well as our consolidated financial statements and notes as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the MD&A included in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K. References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” or “Elevance Health” used throughout this MD&A refer to Elevance Health, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
Results of operations, cost of care trends, investment yields and other measures for the three months ended March 31, 2026 are not necessarily indicative of the results and trends that may be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2026, or any other period.
Overview
Elevance Health is a health company with the purpose of improving the health of humanity. We are one of the largest health insurers in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving approximately 45.4 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of March 31, 2026. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We also conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees, as well as other strategic partners. In addition, we serve members in numerous states as Wellpoint, Carelon, MMM and/or Simply Healthcare. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries. Through various subsidiaries, we also offer pharmacy services through our CarelonRx business, and other healthcare related services as Carelon Services.
Our portfolio consists of the following core go-to-market brands:
•Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — represents our Anthem-branded and affiliated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensed Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial Health Benefit plans;
•Wellpoint — represents our Wellpoint branded Medicare, Medicaid and commercial Health Benefit plans and other non-BCBSA brands; and
•Carelon — represents our healthcare related services and capabilities, including our CarelonRx and Carelon Services businesses.
We report our results of operations in the following four reportable segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services and Corporate & Other (our businesses that do not individually meet the quantitative thresholds for an operating segment, as well as corporate expenses not allocated to our other reportable segments). For additional information, see Note 13, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
For additional information about our organization, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” included in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Business Trends
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by changes in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high-cost prescription drugs, new indications of existing prescription drugs, provider contracting inflation, labor costs and healthcare fraud, waste and abuse.
Membership shifts from Medicaid into our Individual ACA (as defined below) business following the redetermination process that began in April 2023, together with lower membership effectuation rates, particularly in geographies with high concentrations of highly subsidized members, have driven a market-wide increase in morbidity, resulting in elevated medical cost trends. Medicaid cost trends remain elevated due to higher population acuity and increased utilization of services. In response, we are working on program improvements in partnership with the states, strengthening care management, and optimizing our clinical strategy to improve effectiveness and lower costs.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. Product pricing remains competitive. Pricing of the Medicare and Medicaid programs may not adequately reflect current underlying healthcare cost trends given the timing lag between when pricing is established and the start of the applicable contract, which could adversely affect our financial results.
If the approvals of any annual premium rate changes by contracted government agencies are delayed, we are required to defer the recognition of any premium rate increases to the period in which the premium rates become final. The impact of this deferral can be significant in the period in which the increased premium rates are first recognized depending on the magnitude of the premium rate increase, the number of members to which it applies and the length of the delay between the effective date of the rate increase and the final contract date. Premium rate decreases are recognized in the period the change in premium rate becomes effective and the change in the rate is known, which may be prior to the period in which the contract amendment affecting the rate is finalized.
Affordable Care Act: We continue to participate in the Individual state- or federally-facilitated marketplaces (the “Public Exchange”) in nearly all of our Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield service areas. In 2025, we expanded our operations into select service areas in Florida, Maryland and Texas and in 2026, into Washington through our Simply Healthcare and Wellpoint brands. Going forward, we expect the Public Exchange to be influenced by policy and regulatory changes, particularly around federal subsidies, compliance requirements, and market stability.
CarelonRx: CarelonRx markets and offers pharmacy services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country and to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive pharmacy services portfolio includes all core pharmacy services, such as home delivery and specialty pharmacies, claims adjudication, formulary management, pharmacy networks, rebate administration, a prescription drug database and member services, as well as infusion services and injectable therapies.
CarelonRx delegates certain core pharmacy services to CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation (“CVS”), pursuant to an agreement (the “CVS Agreement”) with the current contractual term extending through December 31, 2027. We can elect to have CVS continue to provide services to us for a three-year extension period on the same terms and conditions as in the current CVS Agreement in the event of a termination or non-renewal by either party.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” included in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
The federal budget reconciliation legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “OBBBA”) was signed into law on July 4, 2025. The OBBBA includes provisions that could impact our business and operations including: requiring more frequent Medicaid redeterminations for beneficiaries receiving coverage under a state’s Medicaid expansion program implemented pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended, (collectively, the “ACA”); and imposing work or community engagement requirements on certain adults in the ACA Medicaid expansion population. The OBBBA also makes changes to federal requirements regarding Medicaid state directed payments and provider taxes, including taxes on managed care organizations; delays implementation of Medicaid final regulations on certain eligibility and enrollment provisions; reduces the allowable home equity asset threshold for individuals seeking eligibility for long-term care under Medicaid; establishes a new Rural Health Transformation program; eliminates the repayment limit for excess advanced Premium Tax Credits (“PTCs”) under the ACA; modifies the rules regarding Health Savings Account (“HSA”) eligible plans under the ACA; and makes permanent an extension of the safe harbor first established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, allowing pre-deductible coverage of telehealth services for HSA eligible high-deductible health plans; among other provisions.
Additional federal and state guidance is being issued to implement these OBBBA provisions. Implementation dates vary, with many provisions impacting commercial plans effective January 1, 2026, and many Medicaid-related provisions effective in 2027 and 2028. States may choose to implement certain Medicaid provisions as early as 2026.
In February 2026, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, which includes pharmacy benefit manager reforms requiring pharmacy benefit managers to remit all rebates, fees (other than bona fide service fees), and other remuneration received from entities such as manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to commercial plan sponsors, and to provide detailed commercial claims reporting, effective 30 months after enactment. The legislation also imposes extensive reporting requirements and delinks pharmacy benefit manager compensation in Medicare Part D by prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from receiving remuneration related to Part D drugs in any form other than bona fide service fees that cannot be based on a drug’s price, effective in 2028. There continues to be the potential that similar or additional legislation may be adopted at the state or federal level.
In addition, in June 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) finalized the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Regulation, which modifies the Public Exchange open enrollment period beginning in plan year 2027 and eligibility for PTCs, among other requirements. In September 2025, a federal court delayed the effective dates for several provisions of the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Regulation pending the resolution of ongoing l
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or as Otherwise Stated Herein)
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Elevance Health” or the “Company” used throughout this MD&A refer to Elevance Health, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
This MD&A generally discusses 2025 and 2024 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2025 and 2024. A detailed discussion of 2023 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Overview
Elevance Health is a health company with the purpose of improving the health of humanity. We are one of the largest health insurers in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving approximately 45.2 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of December 31, 2025. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We also conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees, as well as other strategic partners. In addition, we serve members in numerous states as Wellpoint, Carelon, MMM and/or Simply Healthcare. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries. Through various subsidiaries, we also offer pharmacy services through our CarelonRx business, and other healthcare related services as Carelon Services.
Our portfolio consists of the following core go-to-market brands:
•Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — represents our Anthem-branded and affiliated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensed Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial Health Benefit plans;
•Wellpoint — represents our Wellpoint branded Medicare, Medicaid and commercial Health Benefit plans and other non-BCBSA brands; and
•Carelon — represents our healthcare related services and capabilities, including our CarelonRx and Carelon Services businesses.
We report our results of operations in the following four reportable segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services and Corporate & Other (our businesses that do not individually meet the quantitative thresholds for an operating segment, as well as corporate expenses not allocated to our other reportable segments).
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We also calculate operating gain and operating margin to further aid investors in understanding and analyzing our core operating results. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and operating expense. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. Our definition of operating gain and operating margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We use these measures as a basis for evaluating segment performance, allocating resources, forecasting future operating periods and setting incentive compensation targets. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income before income tax expense, net income or fully-diluted shareholders’ earnings per share
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(“EPS”) prepared in accordance with GAAP. For additional details on operating gain, see our “Reportable Segments Results of Operations” discussion included in this MD&A. For a reconciliation of reportable segment operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of reportable segment operating gain to income before income tax expense, see Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our operating revenue consists of premiums, product revenue, and service fees. Premium revenue is generated from risk-based contracts where we indemnify our policyholders against costs for covered health benefits. Product revenue represents services performed by CarelonRx for unaffiliated pharmacy customers and includes ingredient costs (net of any rebates or discounts), including co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, and service fees. Unaffiliated pharmacy customers include our fee-based employer groups that contract with CarelonRx for pharmacy services and external customers outside of the health plans we own. Service fees are generated from our fee-based customers for the processing of transactions or network discount savings realized, revenues from our Medicare processing business and revenues from other health-related businesses, including care management programs and miscellaneous other income.
Our benefit expense primarily includes costs of care for health services consumed by our risk-based members, such as outpatient care, inpatient hospital care, professional services (primarily physician care) and pharmacy benefit costs. All four components are affected both by unit costs and utilization rates. Unit costs include the cost of outpatient medical procedures per visit, inpatient hospital care per admission, physician fees per office visit and prescription drug prices. Utilization rates represent the volume of consumption of health services and prescription drugs, and typically vary with the age and health status of our members and their social and lifestyle choices, along with clinical protocols and medical practice patterns in each of our markets. A portion of benefit expense recognized in each reporting period consists of actuarial estimates of claims incurred but not yet paid by us. Any changes in these estimates are recorded in the period the need for such an adjustment arises. While we offer a diversified mix of managed care products and services through our managed care plans, our aggregate cost of care can fluctuate based on a change in the overall mix of these products and services. Our managed care plans include: Preferred Provider Organizations; Health Maintenance Organizations; Point-of-Service plans; Traditional Indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including Consumer-Driven Health Plans; and hospital only and limited benefit products.
We classify certain quality improvement costs as benefit expense. Quality improvement activities are those designed to improve member health outcomes, prevent hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. They also include expenses for wellness and health promotion provided to our members. These quality improvement costs may be comprised of expenses incurred for: (i) medical management, including care coordination and case management; (ii) health and wellness, including disease management services for such conditions as diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, congestive heart failure and asthma management and wellness initiatives like weight-loss programs and smoking cessation treatments; and (iii) clinical health policy, such as identification and use of best clinical practices to avoid harm, identifying clinical errors and safety concerns, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
Our cost of products sold represents the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers (net of rebates or discounts), including any co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, per-claim administrative fees for prescription fulfillment and certain direct costs related to sales and administration of customer contracts.
Our operating expenses consist of fixed and variable costs. Examples of fixed costs are depreciation, amortization and certain facilities expenses. Certain variable costs, such as premium taxes, vary directly with premium volume. Commission expense generally varies with premium or membership volume. Other variable costs, such as salaries and benefits, do not vary directly with changes in premium but are more aligned with changes in membership or services provided to our customers. The acquisition or loss of a significant block of business would likely impact staffing levels and, thus, associated compensation expense. Other variable costs include professional and consulting expenses and advertising. Other factors can impact our administrative cost structure, including systems efficiencies, inflation and changes in productivity.
Our results of operations depend in large part on our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage healthcare costs through effective contracting with providers of care to our members, product pricing, medical management and health and wellness programs, including service coordination and case management for addressing complex and specialized healthcare needs, innovative product design and our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in our Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
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Services (“CMS”) Star Ratings. Several economic factors related to healthcare costs, such as regulatory mandates of coverage as well as direct-to-consumer advertising by providers and pharmaceutical companies, have a direct impact on the volume of care consumed by our members. The potential effect of escalating healthcare costs, any changes in our ability to negotiate competitive rates with our providers and any regulatory or market-driven restrictions on our ability to obtain adequate premium rates to offset overall inflation in healthcare costs, including increases in unit costs and utilization rates resulting from the aging of the population and other demographics, the impact of epidemics and pandemics, as well as advances in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, may impose further risks to our ability to profitably underwrite our business and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We intend to expand through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and efficient use of capital in both existing and new markets. Our growth strategy is designed to enable us to take advantage of additional economies of scale, as well as provide us access to new and evolving technologies and products. In addition, we believe geographic and product diversity reduces our exposure to local or regional regulatory, economic and competitive pressures and provides us with increased opportunities for growth. We market and offer pharmacy services through CarelonRx and other subsidiaries, and we expect CarelonRx to continue to improve our ability to integrate pharmacy benefits within our medical and specialty platform. In all other markets, we intend to maintain our position by delivering excellent service, offering competitively priced products, providing access to high-quality provider networks and effectively capitalizing on the brand strength of the Blue Cross and Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks.
For additional information about our organization, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” and Note 20, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Trends
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by changes in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high-cost prescription drugs, new indications of existing prescription drugs, provider contracting inflation, labor costs and healthcare fraud, waste and abuse.
Membership shifts from Medicaid into our Individual ACA (as defined below) business following the redetermination process that began in April 2023, together with lower membership effectuation rates, particularly in geographies with high concentrations of highly subsidized members, have driven a market-wide increase in morbidity, resulting in elevated medical cost trends. Medicaid cost trends remain elevated due to higher population acuity and increased utilization of services. In response, we are working on program improvements in partnership with the states, strengthening care management, and optimizing our clinical strategy to improve effectiveness and lower costs.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. Product pricing remains competitive. Pricing of the Medicare and Medicaid programs may not adequately reflect current underlying healthcare cost trends given the timing lag between when pricing is established and the start of the applicable contract, which could adversely affect our financial results.
If the approvals of any annual premium rate changes by contracted government agencies are delayed, we are required to defer the recognition of any premium rate increases to the period in which the premium rates become final. The impact of this deferral can be significant in the period in which the increased premium rates are first recognized depending on the magnitude of the premium rate increase, the number of members to which it applies and the length of the delay between the effective date of the rate increase and the final contract date. Premium rate decreases are recognized in the period the change in premium rate becomes effective and the change in the rate is known, which may be prior to the period in which the contract amendment affecting the rate is finalized.
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Affordable Care Act: We continue to participate in the Individual state- or federally-facilitated marketplaces (the “Public Exchange”) in nearly all of our Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield service areas. In 2025, we expanded our operations into select service areas in Florida, Maryland, and Texas through our Simply Healthcare and Wellpoint brands. Going forward, we expect the Public Exchange to be influenced by policy and regulatory changes, particularly around federal subsidies, compliance requirements, and market stability.
CarelonRx: CarelonRx markets and offers pharmacy services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country and to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive pharmacy services portfolio includes all core pharmacy services, such as home delivery and specialty pharmacies, claims adjudication, formulary management, pharmacy networks, rebate administration, a prescription drug database and member services, as well as infusion services and injectable therapies.
CarelonRx delegates certain core pharmacy services to CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation (“CVS”), pursuant to an agreement (the “CVS Agreement”) with the current contractual term extending through December 31, 2027. We can elect to have CVS continue to provide services to us for a three-year extension period on the same terms and conditions as in the current CVS Agreement in the event of a termination or non-renewal by either party.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
The federal budget reconciliation legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “OBBBA”) was signed into law on July 4, 2025. The OBBBA includes provisions that could impact our business and operations including: requiring more frequent Medicaid redeterminations for beneficiaries receiving coverage under a state's Medicaid expansion program implemented pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended, (collectively, the “ACA”); imposing work or community engagement requirements on certain adults in the ACA Medicaid expansion population; and requiring specific cost-sharing for certain services used by adults in the ACA Medicaid expansion population. The OBBBA also makes changes to federal requirements regarding Medicaid state directed payments and provider taxes, including taxes on managed care organizations; delays implementation of Medicaid final regulations on certain eligibility and enrollment provisions; reduces the allowable home equity asset threshold for individuals seeking eligibility for long-term care under Medicaid; establishes a new Rural Health Transformation program; eliminates the repayment limit for excess advanced Premium Tax Credits (“PTCs”) under the ACA; modifies the rules regarding Health Savings Account (“HSA”) eligible plans under the ACA and makes permanent an extension of the safe harbor first established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, allowing pre-deductible coverage of telehealth services for HSA eligible high-deductible health plans; among other provisions.
Additional federal and state guidance is being issued to implement these OBBBA provisions. Implementation dates vary, with many provisions impacting commercial plans effective January 1, 2026, and many Medicaid-related provisions effective in 2027 and 2028. States may choose to implement certain Medicaid provisions as early as 2026.
In February 2026, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes pharmacy benefit manager reforms requiring pharmacy benefit managers to remit all rebates, fees (other than bona fide service fees), and other remuneration received from entities such as manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to commercial plan sponsors, and to provide detailed commercial claims reporting, effective thirty months after enactment. The legislation also imposes extensive reporting requirements and delinks pharmacy benefit manager compensation in Medicare Part D by prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from receiving remuneration related to Part D drugs in any form other than bona fide service fees that cannot be based on a drug’s price, effective in 2028.
In addition, in June 2025, CMS finalized the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Regulation, which modifies the Public exchange open enrollment period beginning in plan year 2027 and eligibility for PTCs, among other requirements. In September 2025, a federal court delayed the effective dates for several provisions of the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Regulation pending the resolution of ongoing litigation challenging the legality of those provisions. Also, in September 2025, CMS issued guidance modifying eligibility requirements for ACA catastrophic plans.
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In September 2024, the HHS, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (collectively, the “Tri-Agencies”) issued final regulations related to mental health parity that will require health plans to make administrative and operational changes to comply with these final regulations. While some provisions became effective on January 1, 2025, additional guidance from the Tri-Agencies is necessary to assess the full impact of these regulations on our operations and financial results. Litigation has been filed challenging the final regulations.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 separated Medicaid eligibility redeterminations from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency initially declared in January 2020. As a result, states were permitted to begin removing ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid programs starting April 1, 2023, and the majority of our Medicaid markets began doing so as of June 30, 2023. CMS required states to complete Medicaid eligibility redeterminations by December 31, 2025.
In addition, subsequent budget reconciliation legislation enacted during 2023-2025 included provisions affecting Medicaid eligibility enrollment and program financing, which may influence state Medicaid policies and beneficiary coverage dynamics over time.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) includes several provisions that have impacted, and continue to impact, our business. These provisions include extending the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021's enhanced PTCs through 2025; imposing a new corporate alternative minimum tax; establishing a one percent excise tax on repurchases of stock by issuers; authorizing CMS to negotiate prices on a limited set of Medicare prescription drugs beginning in 2026; instituting caps on insulin cost sharing in Medicare; redesigning the Medicare Part D benefit; requiring drug manufacturers to pay rebates if prices increase beyond inflation; and delaying the implementation of the Trump Administration Medicare drug rebate rule until at least 2032. From 2021 to 2025, Individual market enrollment grew significantly, driven in part by enhanced PTCs, which reduced Public Exchange coverage premiums for individuals who qualified. This, in combination with lower membership effectuation rates, particularly in geographies with high concentrations of highly subsidized members, have driven a market-wide increase in morbidity, resulting in elevated medical cost trends. The enhanced PTCs expired on December 31, 2025. As a result, the amount of Public Exchange coverage premiums may increase for those individuals previously receiving the enhanced PTCs, which may negatively impact individual market enrollment.
The ACA continues to impact our business and results of operations, including pricing, minimum medical loss ratios, and the geographies in which our products are available.
We also expect further and ongoing regulatory guidance on a number of issues related to Medicare, including evolving methodology for ratings and quality bonus payments. CMS also frequently proposes changes to its program that audits data submitted under the risk adjustment programs in ways that could increase financial recoveries from plans. For example, in May 2025, CMS announced plans to substantially increase the scale and pace of Risk Adjustment Data Validation (“RADV”) audits of Medicare Advantage plans. The outcome of RADV audits could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
For additional discussion regarding regulatory trends and uncertainties, and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Part I, Item 1, “Business-Regulation” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
Pursuant to CMS’ Medicare Advantage Star Ratings system, CMS annually awards between 1.0 and 5.0 Stars to Medicare Advantage plans based on performance in several categories. Plans must have a Star Rating of 4.0 or higher to qualify for bonus payments. Our 2025 Star Ratings, which are used for payment year 2026, reflect that approximately 40% of our Medicare Advantage members were enrolled in plans rated at least 4.0 Stars or higher. CMS released our 2026 Star Ratings in October 2025, which will be used to determine our Medicare Advantage bonus payments in 2027. Our 2026 Stars Ratings reflect that approximately 59% of our Medicare Advantage members are enrolled in plans rated at least 4.0 Stars or higher, or the equivalent.
Business Acquisitions
Completed Acquisitions
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On December 31, 2024, we completed our acquisition of Centers Plan for Healthy Living LLC and Centers for Specialty Care Group IPA, LLC (“Centers”). Centers is a managed long-term care plan that serves New York state Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare members, enabling adults with long-term care needs and disabilities to live safely and independently in their own home. This acquisition aligns with our strategic plan to grow the Health Benefits segment and leverage industry-leading expertise while serving Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare populations.
On December 10, 2024, we completed our acquisition of RSV QOZB LTSS, Inc. and certain affiliated entities (d/b/a CareBridge), a value-based healthcare company that manages home and community-based services for Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare members receiving long-term services and support. This acquisition aligns with Carelon Services’ care at home strategy, and our vision to be an innovative, valuable, and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Litigation Matters
We have been a defendant in multiple lawsuits that were initially filed in 2012 against the BCBSA and Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensees (the “Blue plans”) across the country. These cases have been consolidated into a single, multi-district proceeding captioned In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (“BCBSA Litigation”) that is pending before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (the “Court”). Generally, the lawsuits in the BCBSA Litigation challenge elements of the licensing agreements between the BCBSA and the independently owned and operated Blue plans along with other arrangements in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and related state laws. The cases were brought by two nationwide classes of plaintiffs, health plan subscribers and providers.
The BCBSA and Blue plans approved a settlement agreement and release with the subscriber plaintiffs (the “Subscriber Settlement Agreement”), which received final approval from the Court in September 2022. The ultimate amount paid by the Company under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement was $604, which was primarily accrued in 2020. The Subscriber Settlement Agreement and the defendants’ payment and non-monetary obligations under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement became effective in June 2024 with the request for the second Blue plan bid provision effective in September 2024. A number of follow-on cases involving entities that opted out of the Subscriber Settlement Agreement have been filed.
The BCBSA and the Blue plans approved a settlement agreement and release (the “Provider Settlement Agreement”) with the provider plaintiffs, and in October 2024, the provider plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary approval with the Court. The Court granted preliminary approval of the Provider Settlement Agreement in December 2024. A Final Fairness Hearing was held in July 2025, and the Court issued a Final Approval Order for the Provider Settlement Agreement in August 2025. The Provider Settlement Agreement required the defendants to make a monetary settlement payment and also required that certain non-monetary terms including (i) expansion of certain opportunities to contract with providers in contiguous service areas, (ii) certain prompt pay commitments, and (iii) various technological enhancements to the BlueCard program, be implemented on a timeline set forth in the Provider Settlement Agreement. The effective date of the Provider Settlement Agreement was September 19, 2025. We recognized our payment obligation under the Provider Settlement Agreement of $666 in September 2024. A number of follow-on cases involving entities that opted out of the Provider Settlement Agreement have been filed and have been centralized in the BCBSA Litigation multi-district proceeding.
For additional information regarding the BCBSA Litigation, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings – Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Selected Operating Performance
During the year ended December 31, 2025, total medical membership decreased by 0.5 million, or 1.1%. The decrease in medical membership was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid membership, primarily as a result of eligibility redeterminations, and decreases in our BlueCard® , Employer Group risk-based and FEP® businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Medicare Advantage and Individual businesses.
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Operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $197,584, an increase of $22,380, or 12.8%, from the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in operating revenue was primarily driven by premium rate increases in our Health Benefits segment in recognition of medical cost trends, recent acquisitions, and growth in our Medicare Advantage business. These increases were partially offset by Medicaid membership attrition.
Shareholders' net income for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $5,662, a decrease of $318, or 5.3%, from the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in net income was primarily due to decreased operating gain within our Health Benefits segment. The decrease was partially offset by decreased income tax expense, increases in operating gain in our CarelonRx and Carelon Services businesses and an increase in net investment income.
Our fully-diluted shareholders’ EPS for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $25.21, a decrease of $0.47, or 1.8%, from the year ended December 31, 2024. Our diluted shares for the year ended December 31, 2025 were 224.6, a decrease of 8.3, or 3.6%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in EPS resulted from decreased shareholders' net income, partially offset by the impact of fewer diluted shares outstanding.
Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $4,290, or approximately 0.8 times net income. Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $5,808, or approximately 1.0 times net income. The decrease in operating cash flow was primarily due to the Provider Settlement Agreement payment made in September 2025, unfavorable working capital impacts, and lower Shareholders' net income for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Membership and Other Metrics
Our medical membership includes the following customer types: Individual, Employer Group risk-based, Employer Group fee-based, BlueCard®, Medicare, Medicaid and our FEP®. We refer to members in our service areas licensed by the BCBSA as our BCBS-branded, or Anthem BCBS, business. Non-BCBS-branded business refers to members in our non-BCBS-branded plans, which include Wellpoint, MMM and Simply Healthcare plans. In addition to the above medical membership, we also serve customers who purchase one or more of our other products or services that are often ancillary to our health business.
•Individual consists of individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Individual policies are generally sold through independent agents and brokers, retail partnerships, our in-house sales force or via the Public Exchanges. Individual business is sold on a risk-based basis. We offer on-exchange products through Public Exchanges and off-exchange products. Federal premium subsidies are available only for certain Public Exchange Individual products. Unsubsidized Individual customers are generally more sensitive to product pricing and, to a lesser extent, the configuration of the network and the efficiency of administration. Customer turnover is generally higher with Individual as compared to Employer Group risk-based. Individual business accounted for 2.9%, 2.8% and 2.2% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•Employer Group risk-based consists of employer customers who purchase products on a full-risk basis, which are products for which we charge a premium and indemnify our policyholders against costs for health benefits. Employer Group risk-based accounts include Local Group customers and National Accounts. Local Group consists of those employer customers with less than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state, as well as customers with more than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state with up to 5,000 eligible employees. In addition, Local Group includes Student Health members, who are students enrolled at universities and colleges receiving institutional sponsored health care coverage. National Accounts generally consist of multi-state employer groups primarily headquartered in an Elevance Health service area with at least 5% of the eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state and with more than 5,000 eligible employees. Some exceptions are allowed based on broker and consultant relationships. Employer Group risk-based accounts are generally sold through brokers or consultants who work with industry specialists from our in-house sales force and are offered both on and off the Public Exchanges. Employer Group risk-based accounted for 8.0%, 8.1% and 8.0% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•Employer Group fee-based customers represent employer groups, Local Group, and National Accounts, who purchase fee-based products and elect to retain most or all of the financial risk associated with their employees’ healthcare costs. Some fee-based customers choose to purchase stop loss coverage to limit their retained risk. Employer Group fee-based accounts are generally sold through independent brokers or consultants retained by the
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customer working with our in-house sales force. Employer Group fee-based accounted for 45.5%, 45.0% and 43.2% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•BlueCard® host customers represent enrollees of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans not owned by Elevance Health who receive healthcare services in our BCBSA licensed markets. BlueCard® membership consists of estimated host members using the national BlueCard® program. Host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which an Elevance Health subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer-sponsored health plan issued by a non-Elevance Health controlled BCBSA licensee (the “home plan”). We perform certain functions, including claims pricing and administration, for BlueCard® members, for which we receive service fees from the BlueCard® members’ home plans. Other administrative functions, including maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. Host members are computed using, among other things, the average number of BlueCard® claims received per month. BlueCard® host membership accounted for 14.4%, 14.5% and 14.3% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•Medicare customers are Medicare-eligible individual members age 65 and over who have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans (“SNPs”), also known as Medicare Advantage SNPs; dual-eligible programs through Medicare-Medicaid Plans (“MMPs”); Medicare Supplement plans; and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (“Medicare Part D”). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, our Medicare Advantage SNPs provide tailored benefits to special needs individuals who are institutionalized or have severe or disabling chronic conditions and to dual-eligible customers, who are low-income seniors and persons under age 65 with disabilities. Medicare Advantage SNPs are coordinated care plans specifically designed to provide targeted care, covering all the healthcare services considered medically necessary for members and often providing professional care coordination services, with personal guidance and programs that help members maintain their health. Medicare Advantage membership also includes Medicare Advantage members in our Group Retiree Solutions business who are retired members of commercial accounts or retired members of groups who are not affiliated with our commercial accounts who have selected a Medicare Advantage product through us. Medicare Supplement plans typically pay the difference between healthcare costs incurred by a beneficiary and amounts paid by Medicare. Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and MMP beneficiaries. MMP, which was established as a result of the passage of the ACA, is focused on serving members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage products are marketed in the same manner, primarily through independent agents and brokers. Medicare program business accounted for 6.9%, 6.5% and 6.3% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•Medicaid membership represents eligible members who receive health benefits through publicly funded healthcare programs, including Medicaid, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and specialty programs such as those focused on long-term services and support, HIV/AIDS, foster care, behavioral health and/or substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, among others. Total Medicaid program business accounted for 18.8%, 19.5% and 22.4% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
•FEP® members consist of United States government employees and their dependents who receive health benefits within our geographic markets. FEP® business accounted for 3.5%, 3.6% and 3.5% of our medical members at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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The following table presents our medical membership by customer type as of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. Also included below is other membership by product and other metrics. The membership data and other metrics presented are unaudited and in certain instances include estimates of the number of members represented by each contract at the end of the period. The CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts metric represents adjusted script volume based on the number of days a prescription covers. On an adjusted basis, one 90-day script counts the same as three 30-day scripts. The Carelon Services Consumers Served metric represents the number of consumers receiving one or more healthcare related services from Carelon Services who are members of our affiliated health plans as well as those who are members of non-affiliated health plans.
| 2025 vs. 2024 | 2024 vs. 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Change | % Change | Change | % Change | ||||||||||||||
| Medical Membership (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual | 1,307 | 1,287 | 1,025 | 20 | 1.6 | % | 262 | 25.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Risk-Based | 3,617 | 3,713 | 3,756 | (96) | (2.6) | % | (43) | (1.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 4,924 | 5,000 | 4,781 | (76) | (1.5) | % | 219 | 4.6 | % | |||||||||||
| BlueCard®1 | 6,509 | 6,630 | 6,706 | (121) | (1.8) | % | (76) | (1.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Fee-Based | 20,583 | 20,569 | 20,227 | 14 | 0.1 | % | 342 | 1.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 27,092 | 27,199 | 26,933 | (107) | (0.4) | % | 266 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 2,230 | 2,066 | 2,047 | 164 | 7.9 | % | 19 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 882 | 891 | 923 | (9) | (1.0) | % | (32) | (3.5) | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 3,112 | 2,957 | 2,970 | 155 | 5.2 | % | (13) | (0.4) | % | |||||||||||
| Medicaid | 8,500 | 8,917 | 10,503 | (417) | (4.7) | % | (1,586) | (15.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Federal Employee Program® | 1,604 | 1,661 | 1,642 | (57) | (3.4) | % | 19 | 1.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 45,232 | 45,734 | 46,829 | (502) | (1.1) | % | (1,095) | (2.3) | % | |||||||||||
| Other Membership (in thousands)2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dental Members | 7,378 | 7,282 | 6,820 | 96 | 1.3 | % | 462 | 6.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,937 | 1,887 | 1,729 | 50 | 2.6 | % | 158 | 9.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Vision Members | 11,172 | 10,419 | 9,944 | 753 | 7.2 | % | 475 | 4.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 214 | 256 | 260 | (42) | (16.4) | % | (4) | (1.5) | % | |||||||||||
| Other Metrics (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts | 88.5 | 82.9 | 78.0 | 5.6 | 6.8 | % | 4.9 | 6.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Carelon Services Consumers Served | 91.8 | 101.1 | 103.3 | (9.3) | (9.2) | % | (2.2) | (2.1) | % |
1 BlueCard® membership at December 31, 2023 has been restated lower by 132 to align to our current reporting, which is the BCBSA reporting methodology.
2 We are no longer presenting our Life and Disability membership following the sale of that business on April 1, 2024.
December 31, 2025 Compared to December 31, 2024
Medical Membership
Total medical membership declined during the twelve months ended December 31, 2025. This was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid membership, primarily as a result of eligibility redeterminations, and decreases in our BlueCard®, Employer Group risk-based and FEP® businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Medicare Advantage and Individual businesses.
Other Membership
Our other membership has the potential to be impacted by changes in our medical membership, as our medical members often purchase our other products that are ancillary to our health business. Dental membership increased primarily due to favorable sales in our Employer Group business. Dental Administration membership increased primarily due to favorable in-
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group change with other BCBSA plans associated with FEP®. Vision membership increased due to higher sales in our Medicaid, Employer Group, Medicare Advantage and Individual health plans.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other information for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 are as follows:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2025 vs. 2024 | 2024 vs. 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 197,584 | $ | 175,204 | $ | 170,209 | $ | 22,380 | 12.8 | % | $ | 4,995 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Net investment income | 2,194 | 2,051 | 1,825 | 143 | 7.0 | % | 226 | 12.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net losses on financial instruments | (653) | (445) | (694) | (208) | 46.7 | % | 249 | (35.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Gain on sales of business | — | 201 | — | (201) | 100.0 | % | 201 | — | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 199,125 | 177,011 | 171,340 | 22,114 | 12.5 | % | 5,671 | 3.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 148,223 | 127,567 | 124,330 | 20,656 | 16.2 | % | 3,237 | 2.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 21,178 | 19,750 | 17,293 | 1,428 | 7.2 | % | 2,457 | 14.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense | 20,984 | 20,025 | 20,087 | 959 | 4.8 | % | (62) | (0.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other expense1 | 2,030 | 1,765 | 1,915 | 265 | 15.0 | % | (150) | (7.8) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 192,415 | 169,107 | 163,625 | 23,308 | 13.8 | % | 5,482 | 3.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 6,710 | 7,904 | 7,715 | (1,194) | (15.1) | % | 189 | 2.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,049 | 1,933 | 1,724 | (884) | (45.7) | % | 209 | 12.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 5,661 | 5,971 | 5,991 | (310) | (5.2) | % | (20) | (0.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss (gain) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 1 | 9 | (4) | (8) | NM | 13 | NM | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income | $ | 5,662 | $ | 5,980 | $ | 5,987 | $ | (318) | (5.3) | % | $ | (7) | (0.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 224.6 | 232.9 | 237.4 | (8.3) | (3.6) | % | (4.5) | (1.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders’ earnings per share | $ | 25.21 | $ | 25.68 | $ | 25.22 | $ | (0.47) | (1.8) | % | $ | 0.46 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 15.6 | % | 24.5 | % | 22.3 | % | (890) bp3 | 220 bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense ratio2 | 90.0 | % | 88.5 | % | 87.0 | % | 150 bp3 | 150 bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense ratio4 | 10.6 | % | 11.4 | % | 11.8 | % | (80) bp3 | (40) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 3.4 | % | 4.5 | % | 4.5 | % | (110) bp3 | 0 bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues | 2.8 | % | 3.4 | % | 3.5 | % | (60)bp3 | (10) bp3 |
Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes interest expense and amortization of other intangible assets.
2Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 were $164,639, $144,166 and $142,854, respectively. Premiums are included in total operating revenue presented above.
3bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4Operating expense ratio represents operating expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2024
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of premium rate increases in our Health Benefits segment in recognition of medical cost trends, recently completed acquisitions, and growth in our Medicare Advantage business. These increases were partially offset by Medicaid membership attrition.
Net investment income increased primarily due to higher income from alternative investments, partially offset by lower income from fixed maturity securities.
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Net losses on financial instruments increased due to higher losses on other invested assets, partially offset by lower losses from fixed maturity securities sales.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to higher medical cost trend across all lines of business within our Health Benefits segment. These increases were partially offset by a favorable out-of-period settlement from a value-based care provider.
Our benefit expense ratio increased primarily as a result of higher medical cost trend across all lines of business within our Health Benefits segment, principally within our ACA business.
Cost of products sold reflects the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers. Cost of products sold increased as a result of higher script volume due to higher utilization.
Operating expense increased primarily due to increases in premium tax expenses and assessments and increases in targeted investments to support and strengthen our workforce and accelerate technology adoption, partially offset by non-recurrence of the BCBSA provider settlement recorded in 2024.
Our operating expense ratio decreased primarily due to operating leverage associated with growth in operating revenue and non-recurrence of the BCBSA provider settlement recorded in 2024, partially offset by increases in premium tax expenses and assessments and increases in targeted investments to support and strengthen our workforce and accelerate technology adoption.
Other expense increased primarily due to higher interest expense related to our issuance of senior notes during the fourth quarter of 2024. The increase also related to higher intangible asset amortization expense related to acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Our effective income tax rate decreased from 24.5% to 15.6%, due to a discrete non-operating tax benefit and favorable resolution of uncertain tax positions. The discrete non-operating tax benefit related to an internal restructuring of certain Elevance Health subsidiaries.
Our shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues decreased in 2025 as compared to 2024 as a result of all the factors discussed above.
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Reportable Segments Results of Operations
The following table presents a summary of our reportable segment financial information for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 vs. 2024 | 2024 vs. 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 167,094 | $ | 150,275 | $ | 148,571 | $ | 16,819 | 11.2 | % | $ | 1,704 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx | 43,400 | 35,961 | 33,835 | 7,439 | 20.7 | % | 2,126 | 6.3 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 28,316 | 17,961 | 14,147 | 10,355 | 57.7 | % | 3,814 | 27.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 463 | 309 | 479 | 154 | 49.8 | % | (170) | (35.5) | % | ||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (41,689) | (29,302) | (26,823) | (12,387) | 42.3 | % | (2,479) | 9.2 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 197,584 | $ | 175,204 | $ | 170,209 | $ | 22,380 | 12.8 | % | $ | 4,995 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 4,158 | $ | 6,243 | $ | 6,888 | $ | (2,085) | (33.4) | % | $ | (645) | (9.4) | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx | 2,418 | 2,172 | 1,975 | 246 | 11.3 | % | 197 | 10.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 960 | 717 | 680 | 243 | 33.9 | % | 37 | 5.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | (337) | (1,270) | (1,044) | 933 | (73.5) | % | (226) | 21.6 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total operating gain | $7,199 | $7,862 | $8,499 | $ | (663) | (8.4) | % | $ | (637) | (7.5) | % | ||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | 2.5 | % | 4.2 | % | 4.6 | % | (170) bp | (40) bp | |||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 5.6 | % | 6.0 | % | 5.8 | % | (40) bp | 20 bp | |||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 3.4 | % | 4.0 | % | 4.8 | % | (60) bp | (80) bp |
The following table summarizes Health Benefits operating revenues by Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and FEP® lines of business for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 vs. 2024 | 2024 vs. 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits Operating Revenue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | $ | 50,401 | $ | 46,816 | $ | 43,266 | $ | 3,585 | 7.7 | % | $ | 3,550 | 8.2 | % | ||||||||||||
| Medicare | 44,752 | 36,795 | 35,067 | 7,957 | 21.6 | % | 1,728 | 4.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Medicaid | 56,620 | 51,937 | 56,601 | 4,683 | 9.0 | % | (4,664) | (8.2) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Federal Employee Program® | 15,321 | 14,727 | 13,637 | 594 | 4.0 | % | 1,090 | 8.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Health Benefits operating revenues | $ | 167,094 | $ | 150,275 | $ | 148,571 | $ | 16,819 | 11.2 | % | $ | 1,704 | 1.1 | % |
1 Operating revenue within our Commercial line of business related to our Individual business, including ACA products, was $9,295, $8,295 and $6,187 for the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2024
Health Benefits
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium yields driven by premium increases in all of our lines of business in recognition of medical cost trends, recently completed acquisitions and growth in our Medicare Advantage membership, partially offset by lower Medicaid membership.
The decrease in operating gain was primarily a result of higher medical cost trends and increased investments to support and strengthen our workforce and accelerate technology adoption, partially offset by higher revenue.
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CarelonRx
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher prescription volume associated with growth in pharmacy membership and revenue related to recent acquisitions.
The increase in operating gain was primarily a result of the growth in product revenue, partially offset by expenses associated with the expansion of dispensing and specialty services provided by CarelonRx.
Carelon Services
Operating revenue increased primarily due to the acquisition of CareBridge in December 2024 and the continued expansion of risk-based capabilities in our specialty care solutions and behavioral health services.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by improved performance in our post-acute care services business.
Corporate & Other
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher affiliate revenues.
Operating loss decreased primarily due to the non-recurring accrual recorded during the year ended December 31, 2024 for the Provider Settlement Agreement associated with the BCBSA Litigation and lower business optimization charges in the year ended December 31, 2025.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to liabilities for medical claims payable, goodwill and other intangible assets and investments, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment, and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Medical Claims Payable
The most subjective accounting estimate in our consolidated financial statements is our liability for medical claims payable. At December 31, 2025, this liability was $17,084 and represented 22.1% of our total liabilities. We record this liability and the corresponding benefit expense for incurred but not paid claims, including the estimated costs of processing such claims. Incurred but not paid claims include (1) an estimate for claims that are incurred but not reported; as well as (2) claims reported to us but not yet processed through our systems, which approximated 95.2%, or $16,261 of our total medical claims liability as of December 31, 2025; and (3) claims reported to us and processed through our systems but not yet paid, which approximated 4.8%, or $823 of the total medical claims payable as of December 31, 2025. The level of claims payable processed through our systems but not yet paid may fluctuate from one period-end to the next, from approximately 2% to 6% of our total medical claims liability, due to timing of when claim payments are made.
Liabilities for claims incurred but not reported and reported but not yet processed through our systems are determined in the aggregate, employing actuarial methods that are commonly used by health insurance actuaries and meet Actuarial Standards of Practice. Our reserving practice for claim liabilities is to consistently recognize the appropriate amount of reserve within a level of confidence required by Actuarial Standards of Practice. We determine the amount of the liability for incurred but not yet reported or processed claims by following a detailed actuarial process that uses both historical claim payment patterns as well as emerging medical cost trends to project our best estimate of claim liabilities. Under this process,
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historical paid claims data is formatted into “claim triangles,” which compare claim incurred dates to the dates of claim payments. This information is analyzed to create “completion factors” that represent the average percentage of total incurred claims that have been paid through a given date after being incurred. Completion factors are applied to claims paid through the period-end date to estimate the ultimate claim expense incurred for the period. Actuarial estimates of incurred but not paid claim liabilities are then determined by subtracting the actual paid claims from the estimate of the ultimate incurred claims.
For the most recent incurred months (typically the most recent two months), the percentage of claims paid for claims incurred in those months is generally low. This makes the completion factor methodology less reliable for such months. Therefore, incurred claims for recent months are not projected from historical completion and payment patterns; rather, they are projected by estimating the claims expense for those months based on recent claims expense levels and healthcare trend levels (“trend factors”).
Our reserve methodology, which relies upon historical information, must be adjusted to account for known or suspected operational and environmental changes. Adjustments are carried out by our actuaries, drawing on expert knowledge and taking into account their estimate of emerging impacts to benefit costs and payment speed. Factors such as changes in levels of utilization, unit costs, business mix, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursements, processing system modifications, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations are considered when developing our reserve estimates. We also compare prior period liabilities to revised claim liabilities based on subsequent claim development. In these comparisons, methods and assumptions remain constant as reserves are recalculated; rather, the availability of additional paid claims information drives changes in the re-estimate of the unpaid claim liability. To the extent appropriate, changes in such development are recorded as a change to current period benefit expense.
On a regular basis, we review cost trends and utilization assumptions set upon initial establishment of claim liabilities. We utilize subsequent paid claims activity to monitor and continuously adjust the claims liability and benefit expense. If actual results are determined to be materially different than assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization, future periods of our income statement and overall financial position could be impacted. Adjustments made to prior year estimates may result in either an additional benefit expense or a reduction of benefit expense in the period the adjustment is made. The variability of healthcare costs necessitates that claim liabilities be adjusted each period and are sometimes significant compared to the net income recorded in that period. An actuary’s judgment that a portion of the prior period liability is no longer needed or that an additional liability should have been accrued triggers the immediate recognition of prior period development. Once sufficient information is available to ascertain that the re-estimate of the liability is reasonable, the determination is made.
While numerous factors contribute to our medical claims payable liability estimation, the two assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid claims liability as of December 31, 2025, were the completion and trend factors. These vital assumptions can be affected by variables such as utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations.
There is variation in the reasonable choice of completion factors by duration for durations of three months through twelve months where the completion factors have the most significant impact. As previously discussed, completion factors tend to be less reliable for the most recent months and therefore are not specifically utilized for months one and two. In our analysis for the claim liabilities at December 31, 2025, the variability in months three to five was estimated to be between 40 and 90 basis points, while months six through twelve have much lower estimated variability ranging from 0 to 30 basis points.
The difference in completion factor assumptions results in variability of 2.0%, or approximately $329, in the December 31, 2025 incurred but not paid claims liability, depending on the completion factors chosen. It is important to note that the completion factor methodology inherently assumes that historical completion rates will be reflective of the current period. However, it is possible that the actual completion rates for the current period will develop differently from historical patterns and therefore could fall outside the possible variations described herein.
The other major assumption used in the establishment of the December 31, 2025 incurred but not paid claim liability was the trend factors. In our analysis for the period ended December 31, 2025, there was a 340 basis point differential in the high
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and low trend factors. This range of trend factors would imply variability of 4.0%, or approximately $630, in the incurred but not paid claims liability, depending upon the trend factors used. Because historical trend factors are often not representative of current claim trends, the trend experience for the most recent six to nine months, plus knowledge of recent events likely affecting current trends, have been taken into consideration in establishing the incurred but not paid claims liability at December 31, 2025.
See Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. Components of the total incurred claims for each year include amounts accrued for current year estimated claims expense as well as adjustments to prior year estimated accruals. In Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” the line labeled “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” accounts for those adjustments made to prior year estimates. The impact of any reduction of “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” may be offset as we establish the estimate of “Net incurred medical claims: Current year”, or as we establish liabilities for premium refunds based upon the minimum medical loss ratio (“MLR”), the relative health risk of members, and other contractual or regulatory requirements. Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for our claims. When we recognize a release of the redundancy, we disclose the amount that is not in the ordinary course of business, if material.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 89.5% for 2025, 88.5% for 2024 and 88.0% for 2023. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby 2025 claims were processed at a slightly faster speed to 2024 and 2023.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current year in order to demonstrate the development of the prior year reserves. For the year ended December 31, 2025, this metric was 9.0%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2024 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, this metric was 12.3% and was largely driven by favorable completion factor development from 2023 as well as favorable trend factor development at the end of 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, this metric was 11.4% and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2022 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2022.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred medical claims to indicate the percentage of redundancy included in the preceding year calculation of current year net incurred medical claims. We believe this calculation supports the reasonableness of our prior year estimate of incurred medical claims. For the year ended December 31, 2025, this metric was 1.0%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,290. This metric was 1.4% for each of 2024 and 2023.
The following table shows the variance between total net incurred medical claims as reported in Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for each of 2024 and 2023 and the incurred claims for such years had it been determined retrospectively (computed as the difference between “net incurred medical claims – current year” for the year shown and “net incurred medical claims – prior years redundancies” for the immediately following year):
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Total net incurred medical claims, as reported | $ | 123,639 | $ | 120,227 | ||
| Retrospective basis, as described above | 124,080 | 120,067 | ||||
| Variance | $ | (441) | $ | 160 | ||
| Variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported | 0.4 | % | 0.1 | % |
Given that our business is primarily short tailed (which means that medical claims are generally paid within twelve months of the member receiving service from the provider), the variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported above, is used to assess the reasonableness of our estimate of ultimate incurred medical claims for a given calendar year with the benefit of one year of experience. We expect that substantially all of the development of the 2025 estimate of medical claims payable will be known during 2026.
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The 2024 variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported, of 0.4% was more than the 2023 percentage of 0.1%. This was primarily driven by the fact that the change in prior year redundancy reported for 2024 as compared to 2023 decreased whereas the change in prior year redundancy reported for 2023 as compared to 2022 increased.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Our total goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31, 2025 were $39,544, and represented 32.5% of our total assets and 89.8% of our total equity at December 31, 2025.
We follow Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance for business combinations and goodwill and other intangible assets, which specifies the types of acquired intangible assets that are required to be recognized and reported separately from goodwill. Under the guidance, goodwill and other intangible assets (with indefinite lives) are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, goodwill and other intangible assets are allocated to reporting units for purposes of the annual impairment test. Our impairment tests require us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, which include goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately.
We complete our annual impairment tests of existing goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives during the fourth quarter of each year. These tests involve the use of estimates related to the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, and require a significant degree of management judgment and the use of subjective assumptions. Certain interim impairment tests are also performed when potential impairment indicators exist or changes in our business or other triggering events occur. We have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, which is an indication that our goodwill may be impaired. These qualitative impairment tests include assessing events and factors that could affect the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our procedures include assessing our financial performance, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, various asset specific factors and entity specific events. If we determine that a reporting unit’s goodwill may be impaired after utilizing these qualitative impairment analysis procedures, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
Our quantitative impairment test utilizes the projected income and market valuation approaches for goodwill and the projected income approach for our indefinite lived intangible assets. Use of the projected income and market valuation approaches for our goodwill impairment test reflects our view that both valuation methodologies provide a reasonable estimate of fair value. The projected income approach is developed using assumptions about future revenue, expenses and net income derived from our internal planning process. These estimated future cash flows are then discounted. Our assumed discount rate is based on our industry’s weighted-average cost of capital. Market valuations are based on observed multiples of certain measures including revenue; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; and book value of invested capital (debt and equity) and include market comparisons to publicly traded companies in our industry.
We did not incur any impairment losses as a result of our 2025 annual impairment tests, as it was determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair values of our reporting units were substantially in excess of the carrying values as of December 31, 2025. Additionally, we do not believe that the estimated fair values of our reporting units are at risk of becoming impaired in the next twelve months.
If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives in future annual impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions,” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Investments
Current and long-term marketable investment securities were $27,745 at December 31, 2025 and represented 22.8% of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2025. We classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” and report those securities at fair value. Most fixed maturity securities are available to support current operations and, accordingly, we classify such investments as current assets without regard to their contractual maturity.
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Investments used to satisfy contractual, regulatory or other requirements are classified as long-term, without regard to contractual maturity.
Our impairment review is subjective and requires a degree of judgment. We conduct this review on a quarterly basis, using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Such factors considered include the extent to which a security’s market value has been less than its cost, the reasons for the decline in value (i.e., credit event compared to liquidity, general credit spread widening, currency exchange rate or interest rate factors), financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, including the credit ratings and changes in the credit ratings of the issuer, recommendations of investment advisors, and forecasts of economic, market or industry trends.
If a fixed maturity security is in an unrealized loss position and we have the intent to sell the fixed maturity security, or it is more likely than not that we will have to sell the fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, we write down the fixed maturity security’s cost basis to fair value and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. For impaired fixed maturity securities that we do not intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that we will not have to sell such securities, but we expect that we will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, we recognize the credit component of the impairment as an allowance for credit loss in our consolidated balance sheets and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. The non-credit component of the impairment is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. Furthermore, unrealized losses entirely caused by non-credit-related factors related to fixed maturity securities for which we expect to fully recover the amortized cost basis continue to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
The credit component of an impairment is determined primarily by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. The net present value is calculated by discounting our best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security at the date of purchase. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates are based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral, including prepayment speeds, vintage, type of underlying asset, geographic concentrations, default rates, recoveries and changes in value. For all other securities, cash flow estimates are driven by assumptions regarding probability of default, including changes in credit ratings and estimates regarding timing and amount of recoveries associated with a default.
We have a committee of accounting and investment associates and management that is responsible for managing the impairment review process. We believe that we have adequately reviewed our investment securities for impairment and that our investment securities are carried at fair value. We have established an allowance for credit loss and recorded credit loss expense as a reflection of our expected impairment losses. Given the inherent uncertainty of changes in market conditions and the judgments involved, there is continuing risk that declines in fair value may occur and additional impairment losses on investments may be recorded in future periods.
In addition to marketable investment securities, we held additional other invested assets of $10,839, or 8.9% of total consolidated assets, at December 31, 2025. These long-term investments consisted primarily of certain other equity investments, the cash surrender value of corporate-owned life insurance policies, notes receivables and mortgage loans. Due to their less liquid nature, these investments are classified as long-term.
Through our investing activities, we are exposed to financial market risks, including those resulting from changes in interest rates and changes in equity market valuations. We manage market risks through our investment policy, which establishes credit quality limits and limits on investments in individual issuers. Ineffective management of these risks could have an impact on our future results of operations and financial condition. Our investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $27,005 at December 31, 2025. The weighted-average credit rating of these securities was “A” as of December 31, 2025. Included in this balance are investments in fixed maturity securities of states, municipalities and political subdivisions and corporate securities of $1,970 and $6, respectively, that are guaranteed by third parties. With the exception of three securities with a fair value of $5, these securities are all investment-grade and carry a weighted-average credit rating of “AA” as of December 31, 2025. The securities are guaranteed by a number of different guarantors, and we do not have any material exposure to any single guarantor, neither indirectly through the guarantees, nor directly through investment in the guarantor. Further, the weighted-average credit rating of the fixed maturity securities without a guarantee, for which such information is available, was “A” as of December 31, 2025.
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Fair values of fixed maturity and equity securities are based on quoted market prices, where available. These fair values are obtained primarily from third-party pricing services, which generally use Level I or Level II inputs for the determination of fair value in accordance with FASB guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures. We have controls in place to review the pricing services’ qualifications and procedures used to determine fair values. In addition, we periodically review the pricing services’ pricing methodologies, data sources and pricing inputs to ensure the fair values obtained are reasonable.
We obtain quoted market prices for each security from the pricing services, which are derived through recently reported trades for identical or similar securities, making adjustments through the reporting date based upon available market observable information. For securities not actively traded, the pricing services may use quoted market prices of comparable instruments or discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating inputs that are currently observable in the markets for similar securities. Inputs that are often used in these valuation methodologies include, but are not limited to, broker quotes, benchmark yields, credit spreads, default rates and prepayment speeds. As we are responsible for the determination of fair value, we perform analysis on the prices received from the pricing services to determine whether the prices are reasonable estimates of fair value. Our analysis includes procedures such as a review of month-to-month price fluctuations and price comparisons to secondary pricing services. There were no adjustments to quoted market prices obtained from the pricing services during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to derive pricing model inputs from observable market activity, and therefore, such inputs are estimated internally. Such securities are designated Level III in accordance with FASB guidance. Securities designated Level III at December 31, 2025 totaled $1,348 and represented approximately 3.8% of our total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Our Level III securities primarily consisted of certain corporate securities and equity securities for which observable inputs were not always available and the fair values of these securities were estimated using inputs including, but not limited to, prepayment speeds, credit spreads, default rates and benchmark yields.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 5, “Investments,” and Note 7, “Fair Value,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2025 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance” and “Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Introduction
Our cash receipts result primarily from premiums, product revenue, service fees, investment income, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from business divestitures, proceeds from borrowings and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, operating expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. Cash outflows fluctuate with the amount and timing of settlement of these transactions. Any future decline in our profitability would likely have an unfavorable impact on our liquidity.
We manage our cash, investments and capital structure so that we are able to meet the short-term and long-term obligations of our business while maintaining financial flexibility and liquidity. We forecast, analyze and monitor our cash flows to enable investment and financing within the overall constraints of our financial strategy.
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A substantial portion of the assets held by our regulated subsidiaries are in the form of cash and cash equivalents and investments. After considering expected cash flows from operating activities, we generally invest cash that exceeds our near-term obligations in longer term marketable fixed maturity securities to improve our overall investment income returns. Our investment strategy is to make investments consistent with insurance statutes and other regulatory requirements, while preserving our asset base. Our investments are generally available-for-sale to meet liquidity and other needs. Our subsidiaries pay out excess capital annually in the form of dividends to their respective parent companies for general corporate use, as permitted by applicable regulations.
The availability of financing in the form of debt or equity is influenced by many factors, including our profitability, operating cash flows, debt levels, debt ratings, contractual restrictions, regulatory requirements and market conditions. The securities and credit markets have in the past experienced higher than normal volatility. Interest rates on fixed debt income securities have increased since the beginning of 2022, which may increase our borrowing costs if we elect to issue debt. During recent years, the federal government and various governmental agencies have taken a number of steps to strengthen the regulation of the financial services market. In addition, governments around the world have developed their own plans to provide stability and security in the credit markets and to ensure adequate capital in certain financial institutions.
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31 | $ Change | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 vs. 2024 | 2024 vs. 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 4,290 | $ | 5,808 | $ | 8,061 | $ | (1,518) | $ | (2,253) | ||||||||
| Proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions of investments, net of purchases | 69 | 586 | — | (517) | 586 | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments | 629 | 6,200 | 626 | (5,571) | 5,574 | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of common stock under employee stock plans | 79 | 221 | 152 | (142) | 69 | |||||||||||||
| Other sources of cash, net | 1,391 | — | — | 1,391 | — | |||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 6,458 | 12,815 | 8,839 | (6,357) | 3,976 | |||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | — | — | (2,700) | — | 2,700 | |||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (2,605) | (2,900) | (2,676) | 295 | (224) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired | — | (4,809) | (1,552) | 4,809 | (3,257) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (1,116) | (1,256) | (1,296) | 140 | 40 | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (1,529) | (1,508) | (1,395) | (21) | (113) | |||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | — | (508) | (80) | 508 | (428) | |||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (5,250) | (10,981) | (9,699) | 5,731 | (1,282) | |||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (5) | (6) | (1) | 1 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,203 | $ | 1,828 | $ | (861) | $ | (625) | $ | 2,689 |
Liquidity—Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024
The decline in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to the Provider Settlement Agreement payment made in September 2025, unfavorable working capital impacts, and lower Shareholders' net income for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Other significant changes in sources of cash year-over-year included (a) additional sources of cash from other sources of cash, net, issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments, issuances of common stock under employee stock plans and proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions of investments, net of purchases and (b) increased uses of cash from the repurchase and retirement of common stock, cash dividends and the purchase of property and equipment.
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Financial Condition
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $37,236 at December 31, 2025. Since December 31, 2024, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities increased by $1,520, primarily due to lower amounts for purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired, changes in bank overdrafts, lower cash used for common stock repurchases, lower other uses of cash and decreased purchases of property and equipment. This increase was partially offset by lower issuances of short-and-long term debt, net of repayments, lower cash generated from operations and lower proceeds from sales, maturities, calls, and redemptions, net of purchases and issuances of common stock under the employee stock plans.
Many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to their respective parent companies. Certain accounting practices prescribed by insurance regulatory authorities, or statutory accounting practices, differ from GAAP. Changes that occur in statutory accounting practices, if any, or other regulatory requirements, could impact our subsidiaries’ future dividend capacity. In addition, we have agreed to certain undertakings to regulatory authorities, including the requirement to maintain certain capital levels in certain of our subsidiaries.
At December 31, 2025, we held $2,572 of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the parent company, which are available for general corporate use, including investment in our businesses, acquisitions, potential future common stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders, repurchases of debt securities and debt and interest payments.
Periodically, we access capital markets and issue debt (“Notes”) for long-term borrowing purposes, for example, to refinance debt, to finance acquisitions or for share repurchases. Certain of these Notes may have a call feature that allows us to redeem the Notes at any time at our option and/or a put feature that allows a Note holder to redeem the Notes upon the occurrence of both a change in control event and a downgrade of the Notes below an investment grade rating. For more information on our debt, including redemptions and issuances, see Note 13, “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our audited consolidated balance sheets included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as total debt divided by total debt plus total equity. Total debt is the sum of short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, less current portion. We believe our debt-to-capital ratio assists investors and rating agencies in measuring our overall leverage and additional borrowing capacity. In addition, our bank covenants include a maximum debt-to-capital ratio that we cannot and did not exceed. Our debt-to-capital ratio may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 42.1% and 43.0% as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Our senior debt is rated “A-” by S&P Global Ratings, “BBB+” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., “Baa2” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and “bbb+” by AM Best Company, Inc. We intend to maintain our senior debt investment grade ratings. If our credit ratings are downgraded, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs.
Capital Resources
We have a shelf registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register an unlimited amount of any combination of debt or equity securities in one or more offerings. Specific information regarding terms and securities being offered will be provided at the time of an offering. Proceeds from future offerings are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, the repayment of debt, investments in or extensions of credit to our subsidiaries and the financing of possible acquisitions or business expansions.
We have a senior revolving credit facility (the “5-Year Facility”) with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. On September 5, 2025, we amended and restated the credit agreement for the 5-Year Facility to, among other things, extend the maturity date of the 5-Year Facility from April 2027 to September 2030 and increase the amount of credit available under the 5-Year Facility from $4,000 to $5,000. Our ability to borrow under the 5-Year Facility is subject to compliance with certain covenants, including covenants requiring us to maintain a defined debt-to-capital ratio of not more than 60%, subject
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to increase in certain circumstances set forth in the credit agreement for the 5-Year Facility. As of December 31, 2025, our debt-to-capital ratio, as defined and calculated under the 5-Year Facility, was 42.1%. We do not believe the restrictions contained in our 5-Year Facility covenants materially affect our financial or operating flexibility. As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants under the 5-Year Facility. There were no amounts outstanding under the 5-Year Facility at December 31, 2025.
While there is no assurance in the current economic environment, we believe the lenders participating in our 5-Year Facility, if market conditions allow, would be willing to provide financing in accordance with their legal obligations.
We have an authorized commercial paper program of up to $5,000, the proceeds of which may be used for general corporate purposes. In October 2025, we increased the amount available under the commercial paper program from $4,000 to $5,000. Should commercial paper issuance become unavailable, we have the ability to use a combination of cash on hand and/or our 5-Year Facility, which provides for credit in the amount of $5,000, to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. At December 31, 2025, there were no amounts outstanding under our commercial paper program. Beginning June 30, 2023, we have reclassified our commercial paper balances from long-term debt to short-term debt as our intent is to not replace short-term commercial paper outstanding at expiration with additional short-term commercial paper for an uninterrupted period extending for more than one year.
We are a member, through certain subsidiaries, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (collectively the “FHLBs”). As a member, we have the ability to obtain short-term cash advances, subject to certain minimum collateral requirements. At December 31, 2025, we had $150 of outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs.
As discussed in “Financial Condition” above, many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid. Based upon these requirements, we currently estimate that approximately $2,100 of dividends will be paid to us by our subsidiaries during 2026. During 2025, we received $2,543 of dividends from our subsidiaries.
In addition to regulations regarding the timing and amount of dividends, our regulated subsidiaries’ states of domicile have statutory risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements for health and other insurance companies and health maintenance organizations largely based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC”) Risk-Based Capital (RBC) for Health Organizations Model Act (the “RBC Model Act”). These RBC requirements are intended to measure capital adequacy, taking into account the risk characteristics of an insurer’s investments and products. The NAIC sets forth the formula for calculating the RBC requirements, which are designed to take into account asset risks, insurance risks, interest rate risks and other relevant risks with respect to an individual insurance company’s business. In general, under the RBC Model Act, an insurance company must submit a report of its RBC level to the state insurance department or insurance commissioner, as appropriate, at the end of each calendar year. Our regulated subsidiaries’ respective RBC levels as of December 31, 2025 were in excess of all applicable mandatory RBC requirements. In addition to exceeding these RBC requirements, we are in compliance with the liquidity and capital requirements for a licensee of the BCBSA and with the tangible net worth requirements applicable to certain of our California subsidiaries. For additional information, see Note 21, “Statutory Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Short-Term Liquidity Requirements
As previously described, our cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. We believe cash on hand, operating cash receipts, investments and amounts available under our commercial paper program, our 5-Year Facility and borrowings available from the FHLBs will be adequate to fund our expected cash disbursements over the next twelve months.
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Long-Term Liquidity Requirements
As of December 31, 2025, our long-term cash disbursements required under various contractual obligations and commitments were:
•Debt and interest expense: Future debt and estimated interest payments are $54,160, with $2,490 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 13, “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Operating leases: We lease office space and certain computer equipment, for which the future estimated payments were $743, with $159 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Other liabilities: These liabilities primarily consist of future policy reserves, deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plan liabilities and certain other miscellaneous long-term obligations. Amounts due within twelve months were $38, with $2,284 due in future periods. Estimated future payments for funded pension benefits have been excluded from these numbers, as we had no funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, at December 31, 2025, as a result of the overfunded status of the plans. In addition, gross liabilities for uncertain tax positions and interest for which we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of the resolutions with the respective taxing authorities have not been included. For further information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Purchase obligations: These obligations include estimated payments for future services under contractual arrangements from third-party service vendors. Amounts due within the next twelve months for these purchase obligations were $1,089, while longer term payments were $4,599. For further information, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Investment commitments: These include unfunded capital commitments for alternative investments, energy tax credits and low-income housing tax credits. Estimated amounts due were $1,863, including $576 due within the next twelve months.
In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments discussed above, we have a variety of other contractual agreements related to acquiring materials and services used in our operations. However, we do not believe these other agreements contain material noncancelable commitments.
We regularly review the appropriate use of capital, including acquisitions, common stock and debt security repurchases and dividends to shareholders. The declaration and payment of any dividends or repurchases of our common stock or debt is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon our financial condition, results of operations, future liquidity needs, regulatory and capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.
On January 27, 2026, our Audit Committee declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $1.72 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 25, 2026 to the shareholders of record as of March 10, 2026.
Under our Board of Directors’ authorization, we maintain a common stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2025, we had remaining Board authorization of $6,695 to repurchase our common stock. No duration has been placed on our common stock repurchase program, and we reserve the right to discontinue the program at any time. We intend to utilize this authorization over a multi-year period, subject to market and industry conditions.
We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our credit facilities and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
Other than disclosed in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we do not have any off-balance sheet derivative instruments, guarantee transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements or any indemnification agreements that will require funding in future periods. We have not transferred assets to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not
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hold any variable interest in an unconsolidated entity where such entity provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support. See Note 2, “Subsidiary Transactions,” of the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements (Parent Company Only) included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional detail on the Elevance Health, Inc. parent guarantees of certain subsidiaries.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001156039-25-000010.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or as Otherwise Stated Herein)
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes, included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Elevance Health” or the “Company” used throughout this MD&A refer to Elevance Health, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
This MD&A generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. A detailed discussion of 2022 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Overview
Elevance Health is a health company with the purpose of improving the health of humanity. We are one of the largest health insurers in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving approximately 45.7 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of December 31, 2024. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We also conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees, as well as other strategic partners. In addition, we serve members in numerous states as Wellpoint, Carelon, MMM and/or Simply Healthcare. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries. Through various subsidiaries, we also offer pharmacy services through our CarelonRx business, and other healthcare related services as Carelon Insights and Carelon Health.
We have organized our brand portfolio into the following core go-to-market brands:
•Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — represents our Anthem-branded and affiliated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensed plans;
•Wellpoint — unites select non-BCBSA licensed Medicare, Medicaid and commercial plans under the Wellpoint name; and
•Carelon — this brand brings together our healthcare related services and capabilities, including our CarelonRx and Carelon Services businesses, under a single brand name.
We report our results of operations in the following four reportable segments: Health Benefits, CarelonRx, Carelon Services and Corporate & Other (our businesses that do not individually meet the quantitative thresholds for an operating segment, as well as corporate expenses not allocated to our other reportable segments).
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We also calculate operating gain and operating margin to further aid investors in understanding and analyzing our core operating results. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and operating expense. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. Our definition of operating gain and operating margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We use these measures as a basis for evaluating segment performance, allocating resources, forecasting future operating periods and setting incentive compensation targets. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income before income tax expense, net income or fully-diluted shareholders’ earnings per share (“EPS”) prepared in accordance with GAAP. For additional details on operating gain, see our “Reportable Segments Results
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of Operations” discussion included in this MD&A. For a reconciliation of reportable segment operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of reportable segment operating gain to income before income tax expense, see Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our operating revenue consists of premiums, product revenue, and service fees. Premium revenue is generated from risk-based contracts where we indemnify our policyholders against costs for covered health benefits. Product revenue represents services performed by CarelonRx for unaffiliated pharmacy customers and includes ingredient costs (net of any rebates or discounts), including co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, and service fees. Unaffiliated pharmacy customers include our fee-based employer groups that contract with CarelonRx for pharmacy services and external customers outside of the health plans we own. Service fees are generated from our fee-based customers for the processing of transactions or network discount savings realized, revenues from our Medicare processing business and revenues from other health-related businesses, including care management programs and miscellaneous other income.
Our benefit expense primarily includes costs of care for health services consumed by our risk-based members, such as outpatient care, inpatient hospital care, professional services (primarily physician care) and pharmacy benefit costs. All four components are affected both by unit costs and utilization rates. Unit costs include the cost of outpatient medical procedures per visit, inpatient hospital care per admission, physician fees per office visit and prescription drug prices. Utilization rates represent the volume of consumption of health services and prescription drugs, and typically vary with the age and health status of our members and their social and lifestyle choices, along with clinical protocols and medical practice patterns in each of our markets. A portion of benefit expense recognized in each reporting period consists of actuarial estimates of claims incurred but not yet paid by us. Any changes in these estimates are recorded in the period the need for such an adjustment arises. While we offer a diversified mix of managed care products and services through our managed care plans, our aggregate cost of care can fluctuate based on a change in the overall mix of these products and services. Our managed care plans include: Preferred Provider Organizations; Health Maintenance Organizations; Point-of-Service plans; Traditional Indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including Consumer-Driven Health Plans; and hospital only and limited benefit products.
We classify certain quality improvement costs as benefit expense. Quality improvement activities are those designed to improve member health outcomes, prevent hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. They also include expenses for wellness and health promotion provided to our members. These quality improvement costs may be comprised of expenses incurred for: (i) medical management, including care coordination and case management; (ii) health and wellness, including disease management services for such conditions as diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, congestive heart failure and asthma management and wellness initiatives like weight-loss programs and smoking cessation treatments; and (iii) clinical health policy, such as identification and use of best clinical practices to avoid harm, identifying clinical errors and safety concerns, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
Our cost of products sold represents the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers (net of rebates or discounts), including any co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, per-claim administrative fees for prescription fulfillment and certain direct costs related to sales and administration of customer contracts.
Our operating expenses consist of fixed and variable costs. Examples of fixed costs are depreciation, amortization and certain facilities expenses. Certain variable costs, such as premium taxes, vary directly with premium volume. Commission expense generally varies with premium or membership volume. Other variable costs, such as salaries and benefits, do not vary directly with changes in premium but are more aligned with changes in membership or services provided to our customers. The acquisition or loss of a significant block of business would likely impact staffing levels and thus, associated compensation expense. Other variable costs include professional and consulting expenses and advertising. Other factors can impact our administrative cost structure, including systems efficiencies, inflation and changes in productivity.
Our results of operations depend in large part on our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage healthcare costs through effective contracting with providers of care to our members, product pricing, medical management and health and wellness programs, including service coordination and case management for addressing complex and specialized healthcare needs, innovative product design and our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in our Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star Ratings. Several economic factors related to healthcare costs, such as regulatory mandates of
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coverage as well as direct-to-consumer advertising by providers and pharmaceutical companies, have a direct impact on the volume of care consumed by our members. The potential effect of escalating healthcare costs, any changes in our ability to negotiate competitive rates with our providers and any regulatory or market-driven restrictions on our ability to obtain adequate premium rates to offset overall inflation in healthcare costs, including increases in unit costs and utilization rates resulting from the aging of the population and other demographics, the impact of epidemics and pandemics, as well as advances in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, may impose further risks to our ability to profitably underwrite our business and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We intend to expand through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and efficient use of capital in both existing and new markets. Our growth strategy is designed to enable us to take advantage of additional economies of scale, as well as provide us access to new and evolving technologies and products. In addition, we believe geographic and product diversity reduces our exposure to local or regional regulatory, economic and competitive pressures and provides us with increased opportunities for growth. We market and offer pharmacy services through CarelonRx and other subsidiaries, and we expect CarelonRx to continue to improve our ability to integrate pharmacy benefits within our medical and specialty platform. We have continued growing our government-sponsored business through organic growth and acquisitions. In all other markets, we intend to maintain our position by delivering excellent service, offering competitively priced products, providing access to high-quality provider networks and effectively capitalizing on the brand strength of the Blue Cross and Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks.
For additional information about our business and reportable segments, see Part I, Item 1 “Business” and Note 20, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Trends
We continue to participate in the Individual state- or federally-facilitated marketplaces (“the Public Exchange”) in nearly all of our Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield service areas. We anticipate growth in our Public Exchange memberships as former Medicaid members, no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage, continue to seek alternative coverage options. Additionally, we are entering select service areas in Florida, Maryland, and Texas in 2025, using our Simply Healthcare and Wellpoint brands, and we are actively evaluating expansion opportunities in additional marketplaces beyond 2025. Changes to our business environment are likely to continue as elected officials at the national and state levels continue to enact significant modifications to existing laws and regulations, including changes to available subsidies, taxes and fees.
CarelonRx markets and offers pharmacy services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country, as well as to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive pharmacy services portfolio includes all core pharmacy services, such as home delivery and specialty pharmacies, claims adjudication, formulary management, pharmacy networks, rebate administration, a prescription drug database and member services, as well as infusion services and injectable therapies.
CarelonRx delegates certain core pharmacy services to CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation (“CVS”), pursuant to an agreement (the “CVS Agreement”) with the current contractual term extending through December 31, 2027. We can elect to have CVS continue to provide services to us for a three-year extension period on the same terms and conditions as in the current CVS Agreement in the event of a termination or non-renewal by either party.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. Product pricing remains competitive.
If the approvals of any annual premium rate changes by contracted government agencies are delayed, we are required to defer the recognition of any premium rate increases to the period in which the premium rates become final. The impact of this deferral can be significant in the period in which the increased premium rates are first recognized depending on the magnitude of the premium rate increase, the number of members to which it applies and the length of the delay between the
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effective date of the rate increase and the final contract date. Premium rate decreases are recognized in the period the change in premium rate becomes effective and the change in the rate is known, which may be prior to the period in which the contract amendment affecting the rate is finalized.
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by changes in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high-cost prescription drugs, new indications of existing prescription drugs, provider contracting inflation, labor costs and healthcare provider or member fraud.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1 “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, decoupled Medicaid eligibility redeterminations from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency initially declared in January 2020. As a result, states were permitted to begin removing ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid programs starting April 1, 2023, and the majority of our Medicaid markets began doing so as of June 30, 2023. Although most states have completed this process, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has provided that states have until December 31, 2025 to complete these eligibility redeterminations. Since redeterminations have resumed, we have continued to experience a decline in our Medicaid membership. We expect growth over time in our commercial plans, including through the Public Exchanges in states where we offer commercial plans, as members who have lost Medicaid coverage seek alternative coverage elsewhere.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains a variety of provisions that have impacted, and continue to impact our business including by extending the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021's enhanced Premium Tax Credits (“PTC”) through 2025; imposing a new corporate alternative minimum tax; providing a one percent excise tax on repurchases of stock; allowing CMS to negotiate prices on a limited set of prescription drugs in Medicare effective in 2026; instituting caps on insulin cost sharing in Medicare; redesigning the Medicare Part D benefit; requiring drug manufacturers to pay rebates if prices increase beyond inflation; and delaying the implementation of the Trump Administration Medicare drug rebate rule until at least 2032. The extension of the enhanced PTC has allowed for growth in Individual Public Exchange enrollment and has supported continuity of coverage since Medicaid eligibility redeterminations resumed in 2023. If Congress does not act to extend the enhanced PTC, they will expire at the end of 2025, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “2021 Appropriations Act”) has impacted our business, including by imposing additional disclosure and reporting requirements related to broker compensation, mental health parity, pharmacy benefits and drug costs, as well as procedures and coverage requirements related to surprise medical bills, provider directory maintenance and continuity of care for certain patients. The requirements applicable to us under the 2021 Appropriations Act had varying effective dates, beginning in December 2021.
The health plan price transparency regulations issued by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury (“the Tri-Agencies”) pursuant to the 2021 Appropriations Act required us to begin disclosing certain pricing information regarding negotiated rates and historical payment information with providers in 2022. Additionally, as directed by law, we make available to members personalized out-of-pocket cost information and underlying negotiated rates.
In September 2024, the Tri-Agencies issued final regulations related to mental health parity that will require health plans to make administrative and operational changes to comply with these final regulations. While some provisions became effective on January 1, 2025, additional guidance from the Tri-Agencies will be necessary to assess the full impact of these regulations on our operations and financial results. Litigation has been filed challenging the final regulation and is pending court action.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended (collectively, the “ACA”), continues to impact our business and results of operations, including pricing, minimum
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medical loss ratios, and the geographies in which our products are available. We also expect further and ongoing regulatory guidance on a number of issues related to Medicare, including evolving methodology for ratings and quality bonus payments. CMS also frequently proposes changes to its program that audits data submitted under the risk adjustment programs in ways that could increase financial recoveries from plans.
For additional discussion regarding regulatory trends and uncertainties, and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Part I, Item 1 “Business-Regulation” and Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors.”
Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
During the third quarter of 2023, based on a strategic review of our operations, assets and investments, management implemented the “2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program” to refine the focus of our investments, and optimize our physical footprint. The 2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program included the write-off of certain information technology assets and contract exit costs, a reduction in staff including the relocation of certain job functions, and the impairment of assets associated with the closure or partial closure of data centers and offices. The 2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program was finalized as of December 31, 2024. For additional information, see Note 4, “Business Optimization Initiatives,” and Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Pursuant to CMS’ Medicare Advantage Star Ratings system, CMS annually awards between 1.0 and 5.0 Stars to Medicare Advantage plans based on performance in several categories. Plans must have a Star Rating of 4.0 or higher to qualify for bonus payments. Our 2024 Star Ratings, which are used for payment year 2025, reflect that 53% of our Medicare Advantage members were enrolled in plans rated at least 4.0 Stars or higher. This is an increase, based on subsequent recalculations by CMS, over the original 2024 Star Ratings from October 2023, which reflected that 34% of our Medicare Advantage members were enrolled in plans rated at least 4.0 Stars or higher.
CMS released our 2025 Star Ratings in October 2024, which will be used to determine our Medicare Advantage bonus payments in 2026. Our 2025 Star Ratings reflect that 38% of our Medicare Advantage members were enrolled in plans rated at least 4.0 Stars or higher. We expect this change will result in a reduction to our 2026 operating revenue of approximately $183 million, net of offsets from contracting provisions. Further, we expect to mitigate the financial impact to our 2026 operating gain and net income per share resulting from this change through various strategies such as contract diversification, operating expense efficiencies, capital deployment alternatives and network enhancements.
Business Acquisitions and Divestitures
Investments in Joint Ventures and Completed Acquisitions
On December 31, 2024, we completed our acquisition of Centers Plan for Healthy Living LLC and Centers for Specialty Care Group IPA, LLC (“Centers”). Centers is a managed long-term care plan that serves New York state Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare members, enabling adults with long-term care needs and disabilities to live safely and independently in their own home. This acquisition aligns with our strategic plan to grow the Health Benefits segment and leverage industry-leading expertise while serving Medicaid and dual-eligible populations.
On December 10, 2024, we completed our acquisition of RSV QOZB LTSS, Inc. and certain affiliated entities (d/b/a CareBridge), a value-based healthcare company that manages home and community-based services for Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid/Medicare members receiving long-term services and support. This acquisition aligns with Carelon Services’ care at home strategy, and our vision to be an innovative, valuable, and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
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On August 6, 2024, as discussed in Note 5 “Investments,” we made an equity investment of $2,580 that resulted in our minority interest ownership of approximately 35% of Augusta Topco Holdings, L.P. (“Mosaic Health”), a joint venture with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CD&R”) that is designed to accelerate innovation in care delivery across multiple regions in the United States by bringing together certain care delivery and enablement assets of Carelon Management Services, LLC (“CMSI Assets”), a Carelon Health business, and two CD&R portfolio businesses, apree health and Millennium Physician Group. Our additional contribution of the CMSI Assets to Mosaic Health was completed on January 1, 2025, for which we received an additional $300 of equity (approximately 5% ownership) in Mosaic Health. The CMSI Assets are included under the captions “Assets held for sale” and “Liabilities held for sale” in our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024.
On March 11, 2024, we completed our acquisition of Paragon Healthcare, Inc. and its subsidiaries (“Paragon”). Paragon, which operates as part of CarelonRx, provides infusion services and injectable therapies through its omnichannel model of ambulatory infusion centers, home infusion pharmacies, and other specialty pharmacy services. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
On February 15, 2023, we completed our acquisition of BioPlus Parent, LLC and its subsidiaries (“BioPlus”) from CarepathRx Aggregator, LLC. Prior to the acquisition, BioPlus was one of the largest independent specialty pharmacy organizations in the United States. BioPlus, which operates as part of CarelonRx, seeks to connect payors and providers of specialty pharmaceuticals to meet the medication therapy needs of patients with complex medical conditions. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
Divestiture
On April 1, 2024, we completed the sale of our life and disability businesses to StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. (“The Standard”), a provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals, which resulted in a gain on sale of business of $201 in the year ended December 31, 2024. Upon closing, we and The Standard entered into a product distribution partnership. The related net assets held for sale for the life and disability businesses divested as of December 31, 2023, and the results of operations for such businesses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were not material.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions and Divestitures,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Litigation Matters
We are a defendant in multiple lawsuits that were initially filed in 2012 against the BCBSA and Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensees (the “Blue plans”) across the country. Cases filed in 28 states were consolidated into a single, multi-district proceeding captioned In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (“BCBSA Litigation”), that is pending before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (the “Court”). Generally, the lawsuits in the BCBSA Litigation challenge elements of the licensing agreements between the BCBSA and the independently owned and operated Blue plans. The cases were brought by two putative nationwide classes of plaintiffs, health plan subscribers and providers.
The BCBSA and Blue plans approved a settlement agreement and release with the subscriber plaintiffs (the “Subscriber Settlement Agreement”), and the ultimate amount paid by the Company under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement was $604, which was primarily accrued in 2020. The Subscriber Settlement Agreement and the defendants’ payment and non-monetary obligations under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement became effective in June 2024 with the request for the second Blue plan bid provision effective in September 2024. The funds held in escrow will be distributed in accordance with the Subscriber Settlement Agreement.
The BCBSA and the Blue plans have approved a settlement agreement and release (the “Provider Settlement Agreement”) with the provider plaintiffs, and in October 2024, the provider plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary approval with the Court. The Court granted preliminary approval of the Provider Settlement Agreement on December 4, 2024. If approved by the Court, the Provider Settlement Agreement will require the defendants to make a monetary settlement payment, our portion of which is estimated to be $666, and will contain certain non-monetary terms including (i) expansion of certain opportunities to contract with providers in contiguous service areas, (ii) certain prompt pay commitments, and (iii)
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various technological enhancements to the BlueCard program. We recognized our estimated payment obligation under the Provider Settlement Agreement of $666 in September 2024.
For additional information regarding the BCBSA Litigation, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings – Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Selected Operating Performance
During the year ended December 31, 2024, total medical membership decreased by 1.1 million, or 2.3%. The decrease in medical membership was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid membership, including as a result of eligibility redeterminations and certain market exits, and decreases in our Employer Group risk-based and Medicare Supplement businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Employer Group fee-based, Individual and FEP® businesses.
Operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $175,204, an increase of $4,995, or 2.9%, from the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in operating revenue was primarily driven by premium rate increases in all of our lines of business in recognition of medical cost trends, growth in CarelonRx product revenue and recent acquisitions. These increases were partially offset by declines in premiums driven by Medicaid membership attrition.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $5,971, a decrease of $20, or 0.3%, from the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net income was primarily due to a net decrease in our operating gain in our reportable segments and higher income tax expense, partially offset by increased net investment income, gain on the sale of our life and disability businesses and lower amortization of other intangible assets.
Our fully-diluted shareholders’ EPS for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $25.68, an increase of $0.46, or 1.8%, from the year ended December 31, 2023. Our diluted shares for the year ended December 31, 2024 were 232.9, a decrease of 4.5, or 1.9%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in EPS resulted from fewer diluted shares outstanding.
Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $5,808, or approximately 1.0 times net income. Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $8,061, or approximately 1.3 times net income. The decrease in operating cash flow was primarily due to the impact of the membership decline in our Medicaid business and working capital changes.
Membership and Other Metrics
Our medical membership includes the following customer types: Individual, Employer Group risk-based, Employer Group fee-based, BlueCard®, Medicare, Medicaid and our FEP®. We refer to members in our service areas licensed by the BCBSA as our BCBS-branded, or Anthem BCBS, business. Non-BCBS-branded business refers to members in our non-BCBS-branded plans, which include Wellpoint, MMM and Simply Healthcare plans. In addition to the above medical membership, we also serve customers who purchase one or more of our other products or services that are often ancillary to our health business.
•Individual consists of individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Individual policies are generally sold through independent agents and brokers, retail partnerships, our in-house sales force or via the Public Exchanges. Individual business is sold on a risk-based basis. We offer on-exchange products through Public Exchanges and off-exchange products. Federal premium subsidies are available only for certain Public Exchange Individual products. Unsubsidized Individual customers are generally more sensitive to product pricing and, to a lesser extent, the configuration of the network and the efficiency of administration. Customer turnover is generally higher with Individual as compared to Employer Group risk-based. Individual business accounted for 2.8%, 2.2% and 1.7% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
•Employer Group risk-based consists of employer customers who purchase products on a full-risk basis, which are products for which we charge a premium and indemnify our policyholders against costs for health benefits. Employer Group risk-based accounts include Local Group customers and National Accounts. Local Group consists of those employer customers with less than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state, as
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well as customers with more than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state with up to 5,000 eligible employees. In addition, Local Group includes Student Health members. National Accounts generally consist of multi-state employer groups primarily headquartered in an Elevance Health service area with at least 5% of the eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state and with more than 5,000 eligible employees. Some exceptions are allowed based on broker and consultant relationships. Employer Group risk-based accounts are generally sold through brokers or consultants who work with industry specialists from our in-house sales force and are offered both on and off the Public Exchanges. Employer Group risk-based accounted for 8.1%, 8.0% and 8.4% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
•Employer Group fee-based customers represent employer groups, Local Group, and National Accounts, who purchase fee-based products and elect to retain most or all of the financial risk associated with their employees’ healthcare costs. Some fee-based customers choose to purchase stop loss coverage to limit their retained risk. Employer Group fee-based accounts are generally sold through independent brokers or consultants retained by the customer working with our in-house sales force. Employer Group fee-based accounted for 45.0%, 43.2% and 42.4% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
•BlueCard® host customers represent enrollees of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans not owned by Elevance Health who receive healthcare services in our BCBSA licensed markets. BlueCard® membership consists of estimated host members using the national BlueCard® program. Host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which an Elevance Health subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer-sponsored health plan issued by a non-Elevance Health controlled BCBSA licensee (the “home plan”). We perform certain functions, including claims pricing and administration, for BlueCard® members, for which we receive service fees from the BlueCard® members’ home plans. Other administrative functions, including maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. Host members are computed using, among other things, the average number of BlueCard® claims received per month. BlueCard® host membership accounted for 14.5%, 14.3% and 13.8% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
•Medicare customers are Medicare-eligible individual members age 65 and over who have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans (“SNPs”), also known as Medicare Advantage SNPs; dual-eligible programs through Medicare-Medicaid Plans (“MMPs”); Medicare Supplement plans; and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (“Medicare Part D”). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, our Medicare Advantage SNPs provide tailored benefits to special needs individuals who are institutionalized or have severe or disabling chronic conditions and to dual-eligible customers, who are low-income seniors and persons under age 65 with disabilities. Medicare Advantage SNPs are coordinated care plans specifically designed to provide targeted care, covering all the healthcare services considered medically necessary for members and often providing professional care coordination services, with personal guidance and programs that help members maintain their health. Medicare Advantage membership also includes Medicare Advantage members in our Group Retiree Solutions business who are retired members of commercial accounts or retired members of groups who are not affiliated with our commercial accounts who have selected a Medicare Advantage product through us. Medicare Supplement plans typically pay the difference between healthcare costs incurred by a beneficiary and amounts paid by Medicare. Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and MMP beneficiaries. MMP, which was established as a result of the passage of the ACA, is focused on serving members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage products are marketed in the same manner, primarily through independent agents and brokers. Medicare program business accounted for 6.5%, 6.3% and 6.1% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
•Medicaid membership represents eligible members who receive health benefits through publicly funded healthcare programs, including Medicaid, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and specialty programs such as those focused on long-term services and support, HIV/AIDS, foster care, behavioral health and/or substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, among others. Total Medicaid program business accounted for 19.5%, 22.4% and 24.3% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
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•FEP® members consist of United States government employees and their dependents who receive health benefits within our geographic markets. FEP® business accounted for 3.6%, 3.5% and 3.4% of our medical members at December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The following table presents our medical membership by customer type as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. Also included below is other membership by product and other metrics. The membership data and other metrics presented are unaudited and in certain instances include estimates of the number of members represented by each contract at the end of the period. The CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts metric represents adjusted script volume based on the number of days a prescription covers. On an adjusted basis, one 90-day script counts the same as three 30-day scripts. The Carelon Services Consumers Served metric represents the number of consumers receiving one or more healthcare related services from Carelon Services who are members of our affiliated health plans as well as those who are members of non-affiliated health plans.
| 2024 vs. 2023 | 2023 vs. 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | Change | % Change | Change | % Change | ||||||||||||||
| Medical Membership (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual | 1,287 | 1,025 | 789 | 262 | 25.6 | % | 236 | 29.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Risk-Based | 3,713 | 3,756 | 3,988 | (43) | (1.1) | % | (232) | (5.8) | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 5,000 | 4,781 | 4,777 | 219 | 4.6 | % | 4 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| BlueCard®1 | 6,630 | 6,706 | 6,555 | (76) | (1.1) | % | 151 | 2.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Fee-Based | 20,569 | 20,227 | 20,174 | 342 | 1.7 | % | 53 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 27,199 | 26,933 | 26,729 | 266 | 1.0 | % | 204 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 2,066 | 2,047 | 1,977 | 19 | 0.9 | % | 70 | 3.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 891 | 923 | 947 | (32) | (3.5) | % | (24) | (2.5) | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 2,957 | 2,970 | 2,924 | (13) | (0.4) | % | 46 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicaid | 8,917 | 10,503 | 11,571 | (1,586) | (15.1) | % | (1,068) | (9.2) | % | |||||||||||
| Federal Employee Program® | 1,661 | 1,642 | 1,623 | 19 | 1.2 | % | 19 | 1.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 45,734 | 46,829 | 47,624 | (1,095) | (2.3) | % | (795) | (1.7) | % | |||||||||||
| Other Membership (in thousands)2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Dental Members | 7,282 | 6,820 | 6,692 | 462 | 6.8 | % | 128 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,887 | 1,729 | 1,586 | 158 | 9.1 | % | 143 | 9.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Vision Members | 10,419 | 9,944 | 9,813 | 475 | 4.8 | % | 131 | 1.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 256 | 260 | 271 | (4) | (1.5) | % | (11) | (4.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Other Metrics (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts | 82.9 | 78.0 | 82.0 | 4.9 | 6.3 | % | (4.0) | (4.9) | % | |||||||||||
| Carelon Services Consumers Served | 101.1 | 103.3 | 105.0 | (2.2) | (2.1) | % | (1.7) | (1.6) | % |
1 BlueCard® membership at December 31, 2023 and 2022 has been restated lower by 132 and higher by 93, respectively, to align to our current reporting, which is the BCBSA reporting methodology.
2 We are no longer presenting our Life and Disability membership following the sale of that business on April 1, 2024.
December 31, 2024 Compared to December 31, 2023
Medical Membership
Total medical membership declined during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. This was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid membership, including as a result of eligibility redeterminations and certain market exits, decreases in our Employer Group risk-based and Medicare Supplement businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Employer Group fee-based, Individual and FEP® businesses.
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Other Membership
Our other membership has the potential to be impacted by changes in our medical membership, as our medical members often purchase our other products that are ancillary to our health business. Dental membership increased primarily due to favorable sales in our Individual, Employer Group fee-based and FEP® businesses. Dental Administration membership increased primarily due to favorable in-group change with our other BCBSA plans associated with the FEP®. Vision membership increased due to increased sales in our Employer Group fee-based and Individual businesses and increased sales associated with our Medicare Advantage plans.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other information for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2024 vs. 2023 | 2023 vs. 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 175,204 | $ | 170,209 | $ | 155,660 | $ | 4,995 | 2.9 | % | $ | 14,549 | 9.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Net investment income | 2,051 | 1,825 | 1,485 | 226 | 12.4 | % | 340 | 22.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net losses on financial instruments | (445) | (694) | (550) | 249 | (35.9) | % | (144) | 26.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Gain on sales of business | 201 | — | — | 201 | 100.0 | % | — | — | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 177,011 | 171,340 | 156,595 | 5,671 | 3.3 | % | 14,745 | 9.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 127,567 | 124,330 | 116,642 | 3,237 | 2.6 | % | 7,688 | 6.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 19,750 | 17,293 | 13,035 | 2,457 | 14.2 | % | 4,258 | 32.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense | 20,025 | 20,087 | 17,700 | (62) | (0.3) | % | 2,387 | 13.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other expense1 | 1,765 | 1,915 | 1,618 | (150) | (7.8) | % | 297 | 18.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 169,107 | 163,625 | 148,995 | 5,482 | 3.4 | % | 14,630 | 9.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 7,904 | 7,715 | 7,600 | 189 | 2.4 | % | 115 | 1.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,933 | 1,724 | 1,712 | 209 | 12.1 | % | 12 | 0.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 5,971 | 5,991 | 5,888 | (20) | (0.3) | % | 103 | 1.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss (gain) attributable to noncontrolling interests | 9 | (4) | 6 | 13 | NM | (10) | NM | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income | $ | 5,980 | $ | 5,987 | $ | 5,894 | $ | (7) | (0.1) | % | $ | 93 | 1.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 232.9 | 237.4 | 242.8 | (4.5) | (1.9) | % | (5.4) | (2.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders’ earnings per share | $ | 25.68 | $ | 25.22 | $ | 24.28 | $ | 0.46 | 1.8 | % | $ | 0.94 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 24.5 | % | 22.3 | % | 22.5 | % | 200 bp3 | (20) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense ratio2 | 88.5 | % | 87.0 | % | 87.6 | % | 150 bp3 | (60) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense ratio4 | 11.4 | % | 11.8 | % | 11.4 | % | (40) bp3 | 40 bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 4.5 | % | 4.5 | % | 4.9 | % | 0 bp3 | (40) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues | 3.4 | % | 3.5 | % | 3.8 | % | (10) bp3 | (30) bp3 |
Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes interest expense and amortization of other intangible assets.
2Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 were $144,166, $142,854 and $133,229, respectively. Premiums are included in total operating revenue presented above.
3bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4Operating expense ratio represents operating expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
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Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of premium rate increases in all of our lines of business in recognition of medical cost trends, growth in CarelonRx product revenue and recent acquisitions. These increases were partially offset by declines in premiums driven by Medicaid membership attrition.
Net investment income increased primarily due to higher income from fixed maturity securities and alternative investments.
Net losses on financial instruments decreased due to increased gains on fixed maturity securities, partially offset by losses on strategic investments and equity securities.
During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, we experienced a gain on sale of business due to the sale of our life and disability business.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to increases in medical cost trends in our Health Business segment due to Medicaid membership eligibility redeterminations. These increases were partially offset by declines driven by Medicaid membership attrition.
Our benefit expense ratio increased, primarily driven by higher Medicaid membership cost trends due to Medicaid rates being inadequate to cover medical cost trends that were well in excess of historical averages, primarily due to the Medicaid membership redeterminations.
Cost of products sold reflects the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers. Cost of products sold increased as a result of higher script utilization.
Operating expense decreased primarily due to disciplined cost management, enhanced efficiency and lower business optimization charges, partially offset by the accrual for the Provider Settlement Agreement associated with the BCBSA Litigation.
Our operating expense ratio decreased primarily due to disciplined cost management, enhanced efficiency, lower business optimization charges and the favorable impact of operating revenue growth, partially offset by the accrual for the Provider Settlement Agreement associated with the BCBSA Litigation.
Other expense decreased primarily due to decreased amortization of intangible assets during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, we had increased amortization of other intangible assets as the amortization period of certain assets was shortened to align with the dates our new branding took place.
Our effective income tax rate increased from 22.3% to 24.5%, primarily due to the impact of geographic changes in the mix of our 2024 earnings.
Our shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues slightly decreased in 2024 as compared to 2023 as a result of all the factors discussed above.
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Reportable Segments Results of Operations
The following table presents a summary of our reportable segment financial information for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 vs. 2023 | 2023 vs. 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 150,275 | $ | 148,571 | $ | 138,484 | $ | 1,704 | 1.1 | % | $ | 10,087 | 7.3 | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx | 35,961 | 33,835 | 28,526 | 2,126 | 6.3 | % | 5,309 | 18.6 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 17,961 | 14,147 | 12,860 | 3,814 | 27.0 | % | 1,287 | 10.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 309 | 479 | 399 | (170) | (35.5) | % | 80 | 20.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (29,302) | (26,823) | (24,609) | (2,479) | 9.2 | % | (2,214) | 9.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 175,204 | $ | 170,209 | $ | 155,660 | $ | 4,995 | 2.9 | % | $ | 14,549 | 9.3 | % | |||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 6,243 | $ | 6,888 | $ | 6,022 | $ | (645) | (9.4) | % | $ | 866 | 14.4 | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx | 2,172 | 1,975 | 1,868 | 197 | 10.0 | % | 107 | 5.7 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 717 | 680 | 535 | 37 | 5.4 | % | 145 | 27.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | (1,270) | (1,044) | (142) | (226) | 21.6 | % | (902) | 635.2 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | 4.2 | % | 4.6 | % | 4.3 | % | (40) bp | 30 bp | |||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 6.0 | % | 5.8 | % | 6.5 | % | 20 bp | (70) bp | |||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 4.0 | % | 4.8 | % | 4.2 | % | (80) bp | 60 bp |
The following table summarizes Health Benefits operating revenues by Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and FEP® lines of business for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 vs. 2023 | 2023 vs. 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits Operating Revenue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | $ | 46,816 | $ | 43,266 | $ | 41,674 | $ | 3,550 | 8.2 | % | $ | 1,592 | 3.8 | % | ||||||||||||
| Medicare | 36,795 | 35,067 | 31,604 | 1,728 | 4.9 | % | 3,463 | 11.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Medicaid | 51,937 | 56,601 | 52,886 | (4,664) | (8.2) | % | 3,715 | 7.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Federal Employee Program® | 14,727 | 13,637 | 12,320 | 1,090 | 8.0 | % | 1,317 | 10.7 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Health Benefits operating revenues | $ | 150,275 | $ | 148,571 | $ | 138,484 | $ | 1,704 | 1.1 | % | $ | 10,087 | 7.3 | % |
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
Health Benefits
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium yields driven by premium rate increases in all of our lines of business in recognition of medical cost trends, partially offset by membership attrition in our Medicaid business.
The decrease in operating gain was primarily a result of Medicaid rates being inadequate to cover medical cost trends that were well in excess of historical averages due to Medicaid membership eligibility redeterminations, partially offset by improved premium yields in our other Health Benefits businesses.
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CarelonRx
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher prescription volume associated with growth in external pharmacy members and the recent acquisition of Paragon, partially offset by the impact of Medicaid membership attrition.
The increase in operating gain was primarily a result of the growth in product revenue, partially offset by expenses associated with the launch of additional services by CarelonRx.
Carelon Services
Operating revenue increased primarily due to the continued expansion of our medical benefit management, behavioral health and post-acute care services, as well as acquisitions completed in 2024.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by improved performance in Carelon Services businesses, partially offset by increased medical cost trends in our post-acute business and the impact of Medicaid membership attrition.
Corporate & Other
The increase in operating loss was primarily due to the accrual recorded for the Provider Settlement Agreement associated with the BCBSA Litigation, partially offset by disciplined cost management and lower business optimization charges.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to liabilities for medical claims payable, goodwill and other intangible assets and investments, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment, and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Medical Claims Payable
The most subjective accounting estimate in our consolidated financial statements is our liability for medical claims payable. At December 31, 2024, this liability was $15,746 and represented 20.9% of our total liabilities. We record this liability and the corresponding benefit expense for incurred but not paid claims, including the estimated costs of processing such claims. Incurred but not paid claims include (1) an estimate for claims that are incurred but not reported; as well as (2) claims reported to us but not yet processed through our systems, which approximated 97.5%, or $15,347, of our total medical claims liability as of December 31, 2024; and (3) claims reported to us and processed through our systems but not yet paid, which approximated 2.5%, or $399 of the total medical claims payable as of December 31, 2024. The level of claims payable processed through our systems but not yet paid may fluctuate from one period-end to the next, from approximately 2% to 6% of our total medical claims liability, due to timing of when claim payments are made.
Liabilities for claims incurred but not reported and reported but not yet processed through our systems are determined in the aggregate, employing actuarial methods that are commonly used by health insurance actuaries and meet Actuarial Standards of Practice. Our reserving practice for claim liabilities is to consistently recognize the appropriate amount of reserve within a level of confidence required by Actuarial Standards of Practice. We determine the amount of the liability for incurred but not yet reported or processed claims by following a detailed actuarial process that uses both historical claim payment patterns as well as emerging medical cost trends to project our best estimate of claim liabilities. Under this process, historical paid claims data is formatted into “claim triangles,” which compare claim incurred dates to the dates of claim
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payments. This information is analyzed to create “completion factors” that represent the average percentage of total incurred claims that have been paid through a given date after being incurred. Completion factors are applied to claims paid through the period-end date to estimate the ultimate claim expense incurred for the period. Actuarial estimates of incurred but not paid claim liabilities are then determined by subtracting the actual paid claims from the estimate of the ultimate incurred claims.
For the most recent incurred months (typically the most recent two months), the percentage of claims paid for claims incurred in those months is generally low. This makes the completion factor methodology less reliable for such months. Therefore, incurred claims for recent months are not projected from historical completion and payment patterns; rather, they are projected by estimating the claims expense for those months based on recent claims expense levels and healthcare trend levels (“trend factors”).
Our reserve methodology, which relies upon historical information, must be adjusted to account for known or suspected operational and environmental changes. Adjustments are carried out by our actuaries, drawing on expert knowledge and taking into account their estimate of emerging impacts to benefit costs and payment speed. Factors such as changes in levels of utilization, unit costs, business mix, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursements, processing system modifications, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations are considered when developing our reserve estimates. We also compare prior period liabilities to revised claim liabilities based on subsequent claim development. In these comparisons, methods and assumptions remain constant as reserves are recalculated; rather, the availability of additional paid claims information drives changes in the re-estimate of the unpaid claim liability. To the extent appropriate, changes in such development are recorded as a change to current period benefit expense.
On a regular basis, we review cost trends and utilization assumptions set upon initial establishment of claim liabilities. We utilize subsequent paid claims activity to monitor and continuously adjust the claims liability and benefit expense. If actual results are determined to be materially different than assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization, future periods of our income statement and overall financial position could be impacted. Adjustments made to prior year estimates may result in either an additional benefit expense or a reduction of benefit expense in the period the adjustment is made. The variability of healthcare costs necessitates that claim liabilities be adjusted each period and are sometimes significant compared to the net income recorded in that period. An actuary’s judgment that a portion of the prior period liability is no longer needed or that an additional liability should have been accrued triggers the immediate recognition of prior period development. Once sufficient information is available to ascertain that the re-estimate of the liability is reasonable, the determination is made.
While numerous factors contribute to our medical claims payable liability estimation, the two assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid claims liability as of December 31, 2024, were the completion and trend factors. These vital assumptions can be affected by variables such as utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations.
There is variation in the reasonable choice of completion factors by duration for durations of three months through twelve months where the completion factors have the most significant impact. As previously discussed, completion factors tend to be less reliable for the most recent months and therefore are not specifically utilized for months one and two. In our analysis for the claim liabilities at December 31, 2024, the variability in months three to five was estimated to be between 40 and 90 basis points, while months six through twelve have much lower estimated variability ranging from 0 to 30 basis points.
The difference in completion factor assumptions results in variability of 2%, or approximately $295, in the December 31, 2024 incurred but not paid claims liability, depending on the completion factors chosen. It is important to note that the completion factor methodology inherently assumes that historical completion rates will be reflective of the current period. However, it is possible that the actual completion rates for the current period will develop differently from historical patterns and therefore could fall outside the possible variations described herein.
The other major assumption used in the establishment of the December 31, 2024 incurred but not paid claim liability was the trend factors. In our analysis for the period ended December 31, 2024, there was a 380 basis point differential in the high and low trend factors. This range of trend factors would imply variability of 4%, or approximately $560, in the incurred but
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not paid claims liability, depending upon the trend factors used. Because historical trend factors are often not representative of current claim trends, the trend experience for the most recent six to nine months, plus knowledge of recent events likely affecting current trends, have been taken into consideration in establishing the incurred but not paid claims liability at December 31, 2024.
See Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. Components of the total incurred claims for each year include amounts accrued for current year estimated claims expense as well as adjustments to prior year estimated accruals. In Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” the line labeled “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” accounts for those adjustments made to prior year estimates. The impact of any reduction of “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” may be offset as we establish the estimate of “Net incurred medical claims: Current year”, or as we establish liabilities for premium refunds based upon the minimum medical loss ratio (“MLR”), the relative health risk of members, and other contractual or regulatory requirements. Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for our claims. When we recognize a release of the redundancy, we disclose the amount that is not in the ordinary course of business, if material.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 88.5% for 2024, 88.0% for 2023 and 87.3% for 2022. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby 2024 claims were processed at a similar speed to 2023 and 2022.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current year in order to demonstrate the development of the prior year reserves. For the year ended December 31, 2024, this metric was 12.3%, largely driven by favorable completion factor development from 2023 as well as favorable trend factor development at the end of 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, this metric was 11.4% and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2022 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, this metric was 7.0% and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2021.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred medical claims to indicate the percentage of redundancy included in the preceding year calculation of current year net incurred medical claims. We believe this calculation supports the reasonableness of our prior year estimate of incurred medical claims. For the year ended December 31, 2024, this metric was 1.4%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,731. This metric was 1.4% for 2023 and 0.9% for 2022.
The following table shows the variance between total net incurred medical claims as reported in Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for each of 2023 and 2022 and the incurred claims for such years had it been determined retrospectively (computed as the difference between “net incurred medical claims – current year” for the year shown and “net incurred medical claims – prior years redundancies” for the immediately following year):
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Total net incurred medical claims, as reported | $ | 120,227 | $ | 112,545 | ||
| Retrospective basis, as described above | 120,067 | 111,843 | ||||
| Variance | $ | 160 | $ | 702 | ||
| Variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported | 0.1 | % | 0.6 | % |
Given that our business is primarily short tailed (which means that medical claims are generally paid within twelve months of the member receiving service from the provider), the variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported above, is used to assess the reasonableness of our estimate of ultimate incurred medical claims for a given calendar year with the benefit of one year of experience. We expect that substantially all of the development of the 2024 estimate of medical claims payable will be known during 2025.
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The 2023 variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported, of 0.1% was less than the 2022 percentage of 0.6%. This was primarily driven by the fact that the change in prior year redundancy reported for 2023 as compared to 2022 was less than the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2022 as compared to 2021.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Our total goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31, 2024 were $40,371, and represented 34.5% of our total assets and 97.5% of our total equity at December 31, 2024.
We follow FASB guidance for business combinations and goodwill and other intangible assets, which specifies the types of acquired intangible assets that are required to be recognized and reported separately from goodwill. Under the guidance, goodwill and other intangible assets (with indefinite lives) are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, goodwill and other intangible assets are allocated to reporting units for purposes of the annual impairment test. Our impairment tests require us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, which include goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately.
We complete our annual impairment tests of existing goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives during the fourth quarter of each year. These tests involve the use of estimates related to the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, and require a significant degree of management judgment and the use of subjective assumptions. Certain interim impairment tests are also performed when potential impairment indicators exist or changes in our business or other triggering events occur. We have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, which is an indication that our goodwill may be impaired. These qualitative impairment tests include assessing events and factors that could affect the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our procedures include assessing our financial performance, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, various asset specific factors and entity specific events. If we determine that a reporting unit’s goodwill may be impaired after utilizing these qualitative impairment analysis procedures, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
Our quantitative impairment test utilizes the projected income and market valuation approaches for goodwill and the projected income approach for our indefinite lived intangible assets. Use of the projected income and market valuation approaches for our goodwill impairment test reflects our view that both valuation methodologies provide a reasonable estimate of fair value. The projected income approach is developed using assumptions about future revenue, expenses and net income derived from our internal planning process. These estimated future cash flows are then discounted. Our assumed discount rate is based on our industry’s weighted-average cost of capital. Market valuations are based on observed multiples of certain measures including revenue; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; and book value of invested capital (debt and equity) and include market comparisons to publicly traded companies in our industry.
We did not incur any impairment losses as a result of our 2024 annual impairment tests, as it was determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair values of our reporting units were substantially in excess of the carrying values as of December 31, 2024. Additionally, we do not believe that the estimated fair values of our reporting units are at risk of becoming impaired in the next twelve months.
If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives in future annual impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions and Divestitures,” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Investments
Current and long-term marketable investment securities were $27,428 at December 31, 2024 and represented 23.5% of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2024. We classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” and report those securities at fair value. Most fixed maturity securities are available to support current
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operations and, accordingly, we classify such investments as current assets without regard to their contractual maturity. Investments used to satisfy contractual, regulatory or other requirements are classified as long-term, without regard to contractual maturity.
Our impairment review is subjective and requires a high degree of judgment. We conduct this review on a quarterly basis, using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Such factors considered include the extent to which a security’s market value has been less than its cost, the reasons for the decline in value (i.e., credit event compared to liquidity, general credit spread widening, currency exchange rate or interest rate factors), financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, including the credit ratings and changes in the credit ratings of the issuer, recommendations of investment advisors, and forecasts of economic, market or industry trends.
If a fixed maturity security is in an unrealized loss position and we have the intent to sell the fixed maturity security, or it is more likely than not that we will have to sell the fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, we write down the fixed maturity security’s cost basis to fair value and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. For impaired fixed maturity securities that we do not intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that we will not have to sell such securities, but we expect that we will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, we recognize the credit component of the impairment as an allowance for credit loss in our consolidated balance sheets and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. The non-credit component of the impairment is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. Furthermore, unrealized losses entirely caused by non-credit-related factors related to fixed maturity securities for which we expect to fully recover the amortized cost basis continue to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
The credit component of an impairment is determined primarily by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. The net present value is calculated by discounting our best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security at the date of purchase. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates are based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral, including prepayment speeds, vintage, type of underlying asset, geographic concentrations, default rates, recoveries and changes in value. For all other securities, cash flow estimates are driven by assumptions regarding probability of default, including changes in credit ratings and estimates regarding timing and amount of recoveries associated with a default.
We have a committee of accounting and investment associates and management that is responsible for managing the impairment review process. We believe that we have adequately reviewed our investment securities for impairment and that our investment securities are carried at fair value. We have established an allowance for credit loss and recorded credit loss expense as a reflection of our expected impairment losses. Given the inherent uncertainty of changes in market conditions and the significant judgments involved, there is continuing risk that declines in fair value may occur and additional impairment losses on investments may be recorded in future periods.
In addition to marketable investment securities, we held additional long-term investments of $9,749, or 8.3% of total consolidated assets, at December 31, 2024. These long-term investments consisted primarily of certain other equity investments, the cash surrender value of corporate-owned life insurance policies, notes receivables and mortgage loans. Due to their less liquid nature, these investments are classified as long-term.
Through our investing activities, we are exposed to financial market risks, including those resulting from changes in interest rates and changes in equity market valuations. We manage market risks through our investment policy, which establishes credit quality limits and limits on investments in individual issuers. Ineffective management of these risks could have an impact on our future results of operations and financial condition. Our investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $26,236 at December 31, 2024. The weighted-average credit rating of these securities was “A” as of December 31, 2024. Included in this balance are investments in fixed maturity securities of states, municipalities and political subdivisions of $835 that are guaranteed by third parties. With the exception of 14 securities with a fair value of $8, these securities are all investment-grade and carry a weighted-average credit rating of “AA” as of December 31, 2024. The securities are guaranteed by a number of different guarantors, and we do not have any material exposure to any single guarantor, neither indirectly through the guarantees, nor directly through investment in the guarantor. Further, the weighted-average credit rating of the fixed maturity securities without a guarantee, for which such information is available, was “A” as of December 31, 2024.
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Fair values of fixed maturity and equity securities are based on quoted market prices, where available. These fair values are obtained primarily from third-party pricing services, which generally use Level I or Level II inputs for the determination of fair value in accordance with FASB guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures. We have controls in place to review the pricing services’ qualifications and procedures used to determine fair values. In addition, we periodically review the pricing services’ pricing methodologies, data sources and pricing inputs to ensure the fair values obtained are reasonable.
We obtain quoted market prices for each security from the pricing services, which are derived through recently reported trades for identical or similar securities, making adjustments through the reporting date based upon available market observable information. For securities not actively traded, the pricing services may use quoted market prices of comparable instruments or discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating inputs that are currently observable in the markets for similar securities. Inputs that are often used in these valuation methodologies include, but are not limited to, broker quotes, benchmark yields, credit spreads, default rates and prepayment speeds. As we are responsible for the determination of fair value, we perform analysis on the prices received from the pricing services to determine whether the prices are reasonable estimates of fair value. Our analysis includes procedures such as a review of month-to-month price fluctuations and price comparisons to secondary pricing services. There were no adjustments to quoted market prices obtained from the pricing services during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to derive pricing model inputs from observable market activity, and therefore, such inputs are estimated internally. Such securities are designated Level III in accordance with FASB guidance. Securities designated Level III at December 31, 2024 totaled $872 and represented approximately 2.6% of our total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Our Level III securities primarily consisted of certain corporate securities and equity securities for which observable inputs were not always available and the fair values of these securities were estimated using inputs including, but not limited to, prepayment speeds, credit spreads, default rates and benchmark yields.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 5, “Investments,” and Note 7, “Fair Value,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2024 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance” and “Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Introduction
Our cash receipts result primarily from premiums, product revenue, service fees, investment income, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from business divestitures, proceeds from borrowings and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, operating expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. Cash outflows fluctuate with the amount and timing of settlement of these transactions. Any future decline in our profitability would likely have an unfavorable impact on our liquidity.
We manage our cash, investments and capital structure so that we are able to meet the short-term and long-term obligations of our business while maintaining financial flexibility and liquidity. We forecast, analyze and monitor our cash flows to enable investment and financing within the overall constraints of our financial strategy.
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A substantial portion of the assets held by our regulated subsidiaries are in the form of cash and cash equivalents and investments. After considering expected cash flows from operating activities, we generally invest cash that exceeds our near-term obligations in longer term marketable fixed maturity securities to improve our overall investment income returns. Our investment strategy is to make investments consistent with insurance statutes and other regulatory requirements, while preserving our asset base. Our investments are generally available-for-sale to meet liquidity and other needs. Our subsidiaries pay out excess capital annually in the form of dividends to their respective parent companies for general corporate use, as permitted by applicable regulations.
The availability of financing in the form of debt or equity is influenced by many factors, including our profitability, operating cash flows, debt levels, debt ratings, contractual restrictions, regulatory requirements and market conditions. The securities and credit markets have in the past experienced higher than normal volatility. Interest rates on fixed debt income securities have increased since the beginning of 2022, which may increase our borrowing costs if we elect to issue debt. During recent years, the federal government and various governmental agencies have taken a number of steps to strengthen the regulation of the financial services market. In addition, governments around the world have developed their own plans to provide stability and security in the credit markets and to ensure adequate capital in certain financial institutions.
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31 | $ Change | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2024 vs. 2023 | 2023 vs. 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 5,808 | $ | 8,061 | $ | 8,399 | $ | (2,253) | $ | (338) | ||||||||
| Proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions of investments, net of purchases | 586 | — | — | 586 | — | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments | 6,200 | 626 | 862 | 5,574 | (236) | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of common stock under employee stock plans | 221 | 152 | 182 | 69 | (30) | |||||||||||||
| Other sources of cash, net | — | — | 762 | — | (762) | |||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 12,815 | 8,839 | 10,205 | 3,976 | (1,366) | |||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | — | (2,700) | (2,338) | 2,700 | (362) | |||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (2,900) | (2,676) | (2,316) | (224) | (360) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired | (4,809) | (1,552) | (649) | (3,257) | (903) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (1,256) | (1,296) | (1,152) | 40 | (144) | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (1,508) | (1,395) | (1,229) | (113) | (166) | |||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | (508) | (80) | — | (428) | (80) | |||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (10,981) | (9,699) | (7,684) | (1,282) | (2,015) | |||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (6) | (1) | (14) | (5) | 13 | |||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,828 | $ | (861) | $ | 2,507 | $ | 2,689 | $ | (3,368) |
Liquidity—Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
The decline in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to the impact of the membership decline in our Medicaid business and working capital changes.
Other significant changes in sources and uses of cash year-over-year included (a) additional sources of cash from issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments, proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions of investments, net of purchases, and issuances of common stock under employee stock plans and (b) increased uses of cash from purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired, the repurchase and retirement of common stock, the purchase of property and equipment, cash dividends, and other uses of cash, net.
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Financial Condition
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $35,716 at December 31, 2024. Since December 31, 2023, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities decreased by $1,529, primarily due to cash used for common stock repurchases, purchases of subsidiaries net of cash acquired, purchases of property and equipment and cash dividends paid to shareholders. This decrease was partially offset by cash generated from operations, issuances of short-and-long term debt, net of repayment, proceeds from sales, maturities, calls, and redemptions, and issuances of common stock.
Many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to their respective parent companies. Certain accounting practices prescribed by insurance regulatory authorities, or statutory accounting practices, differ from GAAP. Changes that occur in statutory accounting practices, if any, or other regulatory requirements, could impact our subsidiaries’ future dividend capacity. In addition, we have agreed to certain undertakings to regulatory authorities, including the requirement to maintain certain capital levels in certain of our subsidiaries.
At December 31, 2024, we held $2,357 of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the parent company, which are available for general corporate use, including investment in our businesses, acquisitions, potential future common stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders, repurchases of debt securities and debt and interest payments.
Periodically, we access capital markets and issue debt (“Notes”) for long-term borrowing purposes, for example, to refinance debt, to finance acquisitions or for share repurchases. Certain of these Notes may have a call feature that allows us to redeem the Notes at any time at our option and/or a put feature that allows a Note holder to redeem the Notes upon the occurrence of both a change in control event and a downgrade of the Notes below an investment grade rating. For more information on our debt, including redemptions and issuances, see Note 13, “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our audited consolidated balance sheets included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as total debt divided by total debt plus total equity. Total debt is the sum of short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, less current portion. We believe our debt-to-capital ratio assists investors and rating agencies in measuring our overall leverage and additional borrowing capacity. In addition, our bank covenants include a maximum debt-to-capital ratio that we cannot and did not exceed. Our debt-to-capital ratio may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 43.0% and 38.9% as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Our senior debt is rated “A” by S&P Global Ratings, “BBB+” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., “Baa2” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and “bbb+” by AM Best Company, Inc. We intend to maintain our senior debt investment grade ratings. If our credit ratings are downgraded, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs.
Capital Resources
We have a shelf registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register an unlimited amount of any combination of debt or equity securities in one or more offerings. Specific information regarding terms and securities being offered will be provided at the time of an offering. Proceeds from future offerings are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, the repayment of debt, investments in or extensions of credit to our subsidiaries and the financing of possible acquisitions or business expansions.
We have a senior revolving credit facility (the “5-Year Facility”) with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. The 5-Year Facility provides credit of up to $4,000 and matures in April 2027. Our ability to borrow under the 5-Year Facility is subject to compliance with certain covenants, including covenants requiring us to maintain a defined debt-to-capital ratio of not more than 60%, subject to increase in certain circumstances set forth in the credit agreement for the 5-Year Facility. As of December 31, 2024, our debt-to-capital ratio, as defined and calculated under the 5-Year Facility, was 43.0%. We do not believe the restrictions contained in our 5-Year Facility covenants materially affect our financial or operating
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flexibility. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants under the 5-Year Facility. There were no amounts outstanding under the 5-Year Facility at December 31, 2024.
We have an authorized commercial paper program of up to $4,000, the proceeds of which may be used for general corporate purposes. Should commercial paper issuance become unavailable, we have the ability to use a combination of cash on hand and/or our 5-Year Facility, which provides for credit in the amount of $4,000, to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. At December 31, 2024, we had $0 outstanding under our commercial paper program. Beginning June 30, 2023, we have reclassified our commercial paper balances from long-term debt to short-term debt as our intent is to not replace short-term commercial paper outstanding at expiration with additional short-term commercial paper for an uninterrupted period extending for more than one year.
While there is no assurance in the current economic environment, we believe the lenders participating in our 5-Year Facility, if market conditions allow, would be willing to provide financing in accordance with their legal obligations.
We are a member, through certain subsidiaries, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (collectively the “FHLBs”). As a member, we have the ability to obtain short-term cash advances, subject to certain minimum collateral requirements. At December 31, 2024, we had $365 of outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs.
As discussed in “Financial Condition” above, many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid. Based upon these requirements, we currently estimate that approximately $2,700 of dividends will be paid to us by our subsidiaries during 2025. During 2024, we received $6,322 of dividends from our subsidiaries.
In addition to regulations regarding the timing and amount of dividends, our regulated subsidiaries’ states of domicile have statutory risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements for health and other insurance companies and health maintenance organizations largely based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC”) Risk-Based Capital (RBC) for Health Organizations Model Act (the “RBC Model Act”). These RBC requirements are intended to measure capital adequacy, taking into account the risk characteristics of an insurer’s investments and products. The NAIC sets forth the formula for calculating the RBC requirements, which are designed to take into account asset risks, insurance risks, interest rate risks and other relevant risks with respect to an individual insurance company’s business. In general, under the RBC Model Act, an insurance company must submit a report of its RBC level to the state insurance department or insurance commissioner, as appropriate, at the end of each calendar year. Our regulated subsidiaries’ respective RBC levels as of December 31, 2024 were in excess of all applicable mandatory RBC requirements. In addition to exceeding these RBC requirements, we are in compliance with the liquidity and capital requirements for a licensee of the BCBSA and with the tangible net worth requirements applicable to certain of our California subsidiaries. For additional information, see Note 22, “Statutory Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Short-Term Liquidity Requirements
As previously described, our cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. We believe cash on hand, operating cash receipts, investments and amounts available under our commercial paper program, our 5-Year Facility and borrowings available from the FHLBs will be adequate to fund our expected cash disbursements over the next twelve months.
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Long-Term Liquidity Requirements
As of December 31, 2024, our long-term cash disbursements required under various contractual obligations and commitments were:
•Debt and interest expense: Future debt and estimated interest payments are $52,073, with $2,855 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 13, “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Operating leases: We lease office space and certain computer equipment, for which the future estimated payments were $886, with $184 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Other liabilities: These liabilities primarily consist of future policy reserves, projected other postretirement benefits, deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plan liabilities and certain other miscellaneous long-term obligations. Amounts due within twelve months were $35, with $1,956 due in future periods. Estimated future payments for funded pension benefits have been excluded from these numbers, as we had no funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, at December 31, 2024, as a result of the value of the assets in the plans. In addition, gross liabilities for uncertain tax positions and interest for which we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of the resolutions with the respective taxing authorities have not been included. For further information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Purchase obligations: These obligations include estimated payments for future services under contractual arrangements from third-party service vendors. Amounts due within the next twelve months for these purchase obligations were $995, while longer term payments were $3,891. For further information, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Investment commitments: These include unfunded capital commitments for alternative investments and low-income housing tax credits. Estimated amounts due were $1,444, including $409 due within the next twelve months.
In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments discussed above, we have a variety of other contractual agreements related to acquiring materials and services used in our operations. However, we do not believe these other agreements contain material noncancelable commitments.
We regularly review the appropriate use of capital, including acquisitions, common stock and debt security repurchases and dividends to shareholders. The declaration and payment of any dividends or repurchases of our common stock or debt is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon our financial condition, results of operations, future liquidity needs, regulatory and capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.
On January 22, 2025, our Audit Committee declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $1.71 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 25, 2025 to the shareholders of record as of March 10, 2025.
Under our Board of Directors’ authorization, we maintain a common stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2024, we had Board authorization of $9,300 to repurchase our common stock. No duration has been placed on our common stock repurchase program, and we reserve the right to discontinue the program at any time. We intend to utilize this authorization over a multi-year period, subject to market and industry conditions.
We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our credit facilities and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
Other than disclosed in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we do not have any off-balance sheet derivative instruments, guarantee transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements or any indemnification agreements that will require funding in future periods. We have not transferred assets to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not hold any variable interest in an unconsolidated entity where such entity provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or
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credit risk support. See Note 2, “Subsidiary Transactions,” of the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements (Parent Company Only) included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional detail on the Elevance Health, Inc. parent guarantees of certain subsidiaries.
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001156039-24-000015.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or As Otherwise Stated Herein)
References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Elevance Health” or the “Company” used throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) refer to Elevance Health, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This MD&A generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. A detailed discussion of 2021 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 included in Exhibit 99.1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Overview
Elevance Health is a health company with the purpose of improving the health of humanity. We are one of the largest health insurers in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving approximately 47 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of December 31, 2023. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We also conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees, as well as other strategic partners. In addition, we serve members in numerous states as Amerigroup, Freedom Health, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum Healthcare, Simply Healthcare and/or Wellpoint. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries. Through various subsidiaries, we also offer pharmacy services through our CarelonRx business, and other healthcare related services as Carelon Insights, Carelon Health, Carelon Behavioral Health and CareMore.
As we announced in 2022, we are organizing our brand portfolio into the following core go-to-market brands:
•Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — represents our existing Anthem-branded and affiliated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensed plans;
•Wellpoint — we are uniting select non-BCBSA licensed Medicare, Medicaid and commercial plans under the Wellpoint name; and
•Carelon — this brand brings together our healthcare related services and capabilities, including our CarelonRx and Carelon Services businesses, under a single brand name.
Our branding strategy reflects the evolution of our business from a traditional health insurance company to a lifetime, trusted health partner. Given this evolution, we reviewed and modified how we manage our business, monitor our performance and allocate resources, and made changes to our reportable segments beginning in the first quarter of 2023. We now report our results of operations in the following four reportable segments: Health Benefits (aggregates our previously reported Commercial & Specialty Business and Government Business segments), CarelonRx, Carelon Services (previously included in our Other segment) and Corporate & Other (our businesses that do not individually meet the quantitative
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thresholds for an operating segment, as well as corporate expenses not allocated to our other reportable segments). During the fourth quarter of 2023, we moved our Carelon Global Solutions international businesses from the Corporate & Other reportable segment to the Carelon Services reportable segment. All prior period reportable segment information has been reclassified for comparability to conform to the current presentation.
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We also calculate operating gain and operating margin to further aid investors in understanding and analyzing our core operating results. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and operating expense. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. Our definition of operating gain and operating margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We use these measures as a basis for evaluating segment performance, allocating resources, forecasting future operating periods and setting incentive compensation targets. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income before income tax expense, net income or fully-diluted shareholders’ earnings per share (“EPS”) prepared in accordance with GAAP. For additional details on operating gain, see our “Reportable Segments Results of Operations” discussion included in this MD&A. For a reconciliation of reportable segment operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of reportable segment operating gain to income before income tax expense, see Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our operating revenue consists of premiums, product revenue, and service fees. Premium revenue is generated from risk-based contracts where we indemnify our policyholders against costs for covered health and life insurance benefits. Product revenue represents services performed by CarelonRx for unaffiliated pharmacy customers and includes ingredient costs (net of any rebates or discounts), including co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, and service fees. Unaffiliated pharmacy customers include our fee-based employer groups that contract with CarelonRx for pharmacy services and external customers outside of the health plans we own. Service fees are generated from our fee-based customers for the processing of transactions or network discount savings realized, revenues from our Medicare processing business and revenues from other health-related businesses, including care management programs and miscellaneous other income.
Our benefit expense primarily includes costs of care for health services consumed by our risk-based members, such as outpatient care, inpatient hospital care, professional services (primarily physician care) and pharmacy benefit costs. All four components are affected both by unit costs and utilization rates. Unit costs include the cost of outpatient medical procedures per visit, inpatient hospital care per admission, physician fees per office visit and prescription drug prices. Utilization rates represent the volume of consumption of health services and typically vary with the age and health status of our members and their social and lifestyle choices, along with clinical protocols and medical practice patterns in each of our markets. A portion of benefit expense recognized in each reporting period consists of actuarial estimates of claims incurred but not yet paid by us. Any changes in these estimates are recorded in the period the need for such an adjustment arises. While we offer a diversified mix of managed care products and services through our managed care plans, our aggregate cost of care can fluctuate based on a change in the overall mix of these products and services. Our managed care plans include: Preferred Provider Organizations; Health Maintenance Organizations; Point-of-Service plans; traditional indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including Consumer-Driven Health Plans; and hospital only and limited benefit products.
We classify certain quality improvement costs as benefit expense. Quality improvement activities are those designed to improve member health outcomes, prevent hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. They also include expenses for wellness and health promotion provided to our members. These quality improvement costs may be comprised of expenses incurred for: (i) medical management, including care coordination and case management; (ii) health and wellness, including disease management services for such conditions as diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, congestive heart failure and asthma management and wellness initiatives like weight-loss programs and smoking cessation treatments; and (iii) clinical health policy, such as identification and use of best clinical practices to avoid harm, identifying clinical errors and safety concerns, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
Our cost of products sold represents the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers (net of rebates or discounts), including any co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, per-claim administrative fees for prescription fulfillment and certain direct costs related to sales and administration of customer contracts.
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Our operating expenses consist of fixed and variable costs. Examples of fixed costs are depreciation, amortization and certain facilities expenses. Certain variable costs, such as premium taxes, vary directly with premium volume. Commission expense generally varies with premium or membership volume. Other variable costs, such as salaries and benefits, do not vary directly with changes in premium but are more aligned with changes in membership or services provided to our customers. The acquisition or loss of a significant block of business would likely impact staffing levels and thus, associated compensation expense. Other variable costs include professional and consulting expenses and advertising. Other factors can impact our administrative cost structure, including systems efficiencies, inflation and changes in productivity.
Our results of operations depend in large part on our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage healthcare costs through effective contracting with providers of care to our members, product pricing, medical management and health and wellness programs, innovative product design and our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in our Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star ratings. Several economic factors related to healthcare costs, such as regulatory mandates of coverage as well as direct-to-consumer advertising by providers and pharmaceutical companies, have a direct impact on the volume of care consumed by our members. The potential effect of escalating healthcare costs, any changes in our ability to negotiate competitive rates with our providers and any regulatory or market-driven restrictions on our ability to obtain adequate premium rates to offset overall inflation in healthcare costs, including increases in unit costs and utilization resulting from the aging of the population and other demographics, the impact of epidemics and pandemics, as well as advances in medical technology and pharmaceuticals, may impose further risks to our ability to profitably underwrite our business and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We intend to expand through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and efficient use of capital in both existing and new markets. Our growth strategy is designed to enable us to take advantage of additional economies of scale, as well as provide us access to new and evolving technologies and products. In addition, we believe geographic and product diversity reduces our exposure to local or regional regulatory, economic and competitive pressures and provides us with increased opportunities for growth. We market and offer pharmacy services through CarelonRx and other subsidiaries, and we expect CarelonRx to continue to improve our ability to integrate pharmacy benefits within our medical and specialty platform. We have continued growing our government-sponsored business through organic growth and acquisitions. In all other markets, we intend to maintain our position by delivering excellent service, offering competitively priced products, providing access to high-quality provider networks and effectively capitalizing on the brand strength of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks.
For additional information about our business and reportable segments, see Part I, Item 1 “Business” and Note 20, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Trends
In 2023, we made the decision to expand our participation in the Individual state- or federally-facilitated marketplaces (the “Public Exchange”) for 2024. For 2024, we are offering Individual Public Exchange products in 141 of the 143 rating regions in which we operate, in comparison to 138 of the 143 rating regions in 2023. Changes to our business environment are likely to continue as elected officials at the national and state levels continue to enact, and both elected officials and candidates for election continue to propose, significant modifications to existing laws and regulations, including changes to taxes and fees. In addition, the continuing growth in our government-sponsored business exposes us to increased regulatory oversight.
CarelonRx markets and offers pharmacy services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country, as well as to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive pharmacy services portfolio includes all core pharmacy services, such as home delivery and specialty pharmacies, claims adjudication, formulary management, pharmacy networks, rebate administration, a prescription drug database and member services. CarelonRx delegates certain core pharmacy services to CVS, pursuant to the CVS Agreement that is set to terminate on December 31, 2025. CarelonRx also operates a specialty pharmacy and beginning in 2024, will assume responsibility for pharmacy mail order front-end intake and member services.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions
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taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. Product pricing remains competitive.
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by increases in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost increases of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high-cost prescription drugs, provider contracting inflation, labor costs and healthcare provider or member fraud.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1 “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, Congress decoupled Medicaid eligibility redeterminations from the Public Health Emergency initially declared in January 2020 relating to COVID-19 (the “PHE”). As a result, states were permitted to begin removing ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid programs starting April 1, 2023, and the majority of our Medicaid markets began doing so as of June 30, 2023. This process is anticipated to take up to 14 months to complete, although most states are expected to complete the redetermination process by June 30, 2024. As redeterminations have resumed, we have experienced a decline in our Medicaid membership. Over time, we expect growth in our commercial plans, including through the Public Exchanges, as members who are no longer eligible for Medicaid coverage in our 14 commercial states seek coverage elsewhere. On May 11, 2023, the PHE ended in accordance with the Biden Administration’s January 30, 2023 announcement.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was signed into law in August 2022, contains a variety of provisions that impact our business including an extension of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021's enhanced Premium Tax Credits (“PTC”) through 2025; imposing a new corporate alternative minimum tax; providing a one percent excise tax on repurchases of stock made after December 31, 2022; allowing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to negotiate prices on a limited set of prescription drugs in Medicare Parts B and D beginning in 2026; instituting caps on insulin cost sharing in Medicare Parts B and D; redesigning of the Medicare Part D benefit; adding a requirement that drug manufacturers pay rebates if prices increase beyond inflation; and delaying the implementation of the Trump Administration Medicare drug rebate rule to 2032. The extension of the enhanced PTC has allowed for growth in Individual Public Exchange enrollment as Medicaid eligibility redeterminations have resumed, supporting continuity of coverage for more people.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “2021 Appropriations Act”) has impacted and in the future may have a material effect upon our business, including procedures and coverage requirements related to surprise medical bills and new mandates for continuity of care for certain patients, price comparison tools, disclosure of broker compensation, mental health parity reporting and reporting on pharmacy benefits and drug costs. The requirements of the 2021 Appropriations Act applicable to us had varying effective dates, some of which were effective in December 2021 and during 2022, and others which were extended into 2023 since the enactment of the 2021 Appropriations Act.
The health plan price transparency regulations issued by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury required us in 2022 to begin disclosing detailed pricing information regarding negotiated rates for all covered items and services between the plan or issuer and in-network providers and historical payments to, and billed charges from, out-of-network providers. Additionally, beginning in 2023, we were required to make available to members personalized out-of-pocket cost information and the underlying negotiated rates for 500 covered healthcare items and services, including prescription drugs. Effective January 1, 2024, this requirement has expanded to include all items and services.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended (collectively, the “ACA”), continues to impact our business and results of operations, including pricing, minimum medical loss ratios and the geographies in which our products are available. We also expect further and ongoing regulatory guidance on a number of issues related to Medicare, including evolving methodology for ratings and quality bonus payments. CMS also frequently proposes changes to its program that audits data submitted under the risk adjustment programs in ways that could increase financial recoveries from plans.
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For additional discussion regarding regulatory trends and uncertainties, and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Part I, Item 1 “Business — Regulation” and Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors.”
Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
During the third quarter of 2023, based on a strategic review of our operations, assets and investments, management implemented the “2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program” to refine the focus of our investments, and optimize our physical footprint. The 2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program includes the write-off of certain information technology assets and contract exit costs, a reduction in staff including the relocation of certain job functions, and the impairment of assets associated with the closure or partial closure of data centers and offices. The 2023-2024 Business Efficiency Program is expected to be substantially complete by the end of the third quarter of 2024. For additional information, see Note 4, “Business Optimization Initiatives,” and Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Pursuant to CMS’s Medicare Advantage Star ratings system, CMS annually awards between 1.0 and 5.0 Stars to Medicare Advantage plans based on performance in several categories. Plans must have a Star rating of 4.0 or higher to qualify for bonus payments. CMS released our 2024 Star ratings in October 2023, which will be used to determine our Medicare Advantage plans’ Star quality bonus payments beginning in 2025. Based on our membership at September 1, 2023, 34% of our Medicare Advantage members were in plans with 2024 Star ratings of at least 4.0 Stars, compared to 64% of our Medicare Advantage members being in plans with 2023 Star ratings of at least 4.0 Stars based on our membership at September 1, 2022. This change in our 2024 Star ratings is expected to impact our Star quality bonus payments and plan level rebates beginning in 2025. We expect a reduction to our 2025 operating revenue of approximately $500, net of offsets from contracting provisions due to this change in Star ratings. Further, we expect to partially mitigate the financial impact to our 2025 operating gain and net income through various strategies such as contract diversification, operating expense efficiencies, capital deployment alternatives and network enhancements.
On January 4, 2024, we announced our entrance into an agreement to acquire Paragon Healthcare, Inc., a company providing infusion services and injectable therapies through its omnichannel model of ambulatory infusion centers, home infusion pharmacies, and other specialty pharmacy services. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2024 and is subject to standard closing conditions and customary approvals.
On December 31, 2023, we entered into an agreement to acquire Centers Plan for Healthy Living LLC and Centers for Specialty Care Group IPA, LLC (“Centers”). Centers is a managed long-term care plan that serves New York state Medicaid and dually-eligible Medicaid/Medicare members, enabling adults with long-term care needs and disabilities to live safely and independently in their own home. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024 and is subject to standard closing conditions and customary approvals.
On March 28, 2023, we announced our entrance into an agreement to sell our life and disability businesses to StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. (“The Standard”), a provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals. Upon closing, we and The Standard will enter into a product distribution partnership. The divestiture is expected to close in the first half of 2024 and is subject to standard closing conditions and customary approvals.
On February 15, 2023, we completed our acquisition of BioPlus Parent, LLC and subsidiaries (“BioPlus”) from CarepathRx Aggregator, LLC. Prior to the acquisition, BioPlus was one of the largest independent specialty pharmacy organizations in the United States. BioPlus, which operates as part of CarelonRx, seeks to connect payors and providers of specialty pharmaceuticals to meet the medication therapy needs of patients with complex medical conditions. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that aim to improve the lives of the people we serve.
On January 23, 2023, we announced our entrance into an agreement to acquire Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company, d/b/a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, or BCBSLA, an independent licensee of the BCBSA that provides
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healthcare plans to the Individual, Employer Group, Medicaid and Medicare markets, primarily in the State of Louisiana. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable, and inclusive healthcare partner as we bring our innovative whole-health solutions to BCBSLA’s members. The acquisition is subject to closing conditions and approvals.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions and Divestitures,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Litigation Matters
In the consolidated multi-district proceeding in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (the “Court”) captioned In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (“BCBSA Litigation”), the BCBSA and Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensees, including us (the “Blue plans”) previously approved a settlement agreement and release with the plaintiffs representing a putative nationwide class of health plan subscribers (the “Subscriber Settlement Agreement”), which agreement required the Court’s approval to become effective. Generally, the lawsuits in the BCBSA Litigation challenge elements of the licensing agreements between the BCBSA and the independently owned and operated Blue plans. The cases were brought by two putative nationwide classes of plaintiffs, health plan subscribers and providers. The Subscriber Settlement Agreement applies only to the subscriber class. The defendants continue to contest the consolidated cases brought by the provider plaintiffs.
In August 2022, the Court issued a final order approving the Subscriber Settlement Agreement (the “Final Approval Order”). In compliance with the Subscriber Settlement Agreement, the Company paid $506 into an escrow account in September 2022, for an aggregate and full settlement payment by the Company of $596, which amount was accrued in 2020. Four notices of appeal of the Final Approval Order were filed prior to the September 2022 appeal deadline. Those appeals were heard by a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (the “Eleventh Circuit”) in September 2023. In October 2023, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Final Approval Order. Petitions for rehearing filed by certain appellants in November 2023 and December 2023 remain pending. In the event all appellate rights are exhausted in a manner that affirms the Court’s Final Approval Order, the defendants’ payment and non-monetary obligations under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement will become effective and the funds held in escrow will be distributed in accordance with the Subscriber Settlement Agreement. For additional information regarding the BCBSA Litigation, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings – Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Selected Operating Performance
During the year ended December 31, 2023, total medical membership decreased by 0.6 million, or 1.2%. The decrease in medical membership was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid due to the resumption of eligibility redeterminations and declines in our Employer Group risk-based business, partially offset by growth in BlueCard, Individual Public Exchange health plans and Medicare Advantage membership.
Operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $170,209, an increase of $14,549, or 9.3%, from the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in operating revenue was primarily driven by higher premium revenues in our Health Benefits business resulting from premium rate increases to more accurately reflect the cost of care. The increase was further attributable to growth in our CarelonRx pharmacy product revenue driven by growth in external pharmacy members and the acquisition of BioPlus in the first quarter of 2023.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $5,991, an increase of $103, or 1.7%, from the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in net income was primarily due to higher premium revenues in our Health Benefits business resulting from premium rate increases to more accurately reflect the cost of care. The increase was further attributable to growth in our CarelonRx pharmacy product revenue driven by growth in external pharmacy members and the acquisition of BioPlus in the first quarter of 2023. These increases were partially offset by the business optimization charges recorded in the third quarter of 2023.
Our fully-diluted shareholders’ earnings per share (“EPS”) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $25.22, an increase of $0.94, or 3.9%, from the year ended December 31, 2022. Our diluted shares for the year ended December 31, 2023 were 237.4, a decrease of 5.4, or 2.2%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in EPS resulted from fewer diluted shares outstanding, as well as increased shareholders’ net income.
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Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $8,061, or approximately 1.3 times net income. Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $8,399, or approximately 1.4 times net income. The decrease in operating cash flow was primarily due to the timing of working capital changes, partially offset by higher net income in 2023, when excluding the non-cash impact of the business optimization charges recorded in the third quarter of 2023, as well as the non-recurrence of the Subscriber Settlement Agreement payment made in September 2022.
Membership
Our medical membership includes the following customer types: Individual, Employer Group risk-based, Employer Group fee-based, BlueCard®, Medicare, Medicaid and our Federal Employees Health Benefits (“FEHB”) Program. We refer to members in our service areas licensed by the BCBSA as our BCBS-branded, or Anthem BCBS, business. Non-BCBS-branded business refers to members in our non-BCBS-branded, or Wellpoint plans, which include Amerigroup, Freedom Health, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum Healthcare and Simply Healthcare plans. In addition to the above medical membership, we also serve customers who purchase one or more of our other products or services that are often ancillary to our health business.
•Individual consists of individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Individual policies are generally sold through independent agents and brokers, retail partnerships, our in-house sales force or via the Public Exchanges. Individual business is sold on a risk-based basis. We offer on-exchange products through Public Exchanges and off-exchange products. Federal premium subsidies are available only for certain Public Exchange Individual products. Unsubsidized Individual customers are generally more sensitive to product pricing and, to a lesser extent, the configuration of the network and the efficiency of administration. Customer turnover is generally higher with Individual as compared to Employer Group risk-based. Individual business accounted for 2.2%, 1.7% and 1.7% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
•Employer Group risk-based consists of employer customers who purchase products on a full-risk basis, which are products for which we charge a premium and indemnify our policyholders against costs for health benefits. Employer Group risk-based accounts include Local Group customers and National Accounts. Local Group consists of those employer customers with less than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state, as well as customers with more than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state with up to 5,000 eligible employees. In addition, Local Group includes Student Health members. National Accounts generally consist of multi-state employer groups primarily headquartered in an Elevance Health service area with at least 5% of the eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state and with more than 5,000 eligible employees. Some exceptions are allowed based on broker and consultant relationships. Employer Group risk-based accounts are generally sold through brokers or consultants who work with industry specialists from our in-house sales force and are offered both on and off the Public Exchanges. Employer Group risk-based accounted for 8.0%, 8.4% and 8.8% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
•Employer Group fee-based customers represent employer groups, Local Group, and National Accounts, who purchase fee-based products and elect to retain most or all of the financial risk associated with their employees’ healthcare costs. Some fee-based customers choose to purchase stop loss coverage to limit their retained risk. Employer Group fee-based accounts are generally sold through independent brokers or consultants retained by the customer working with our in-house sales force. Employer Group fee-based accounted for 43.1%, 42.4% and 42.7% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
•BlueCard® host customers represent enrollees of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans not owned by Elevance Health who receive healthcare services in our BCBSA licensed markets. BlueCard® membership consists of estimated host members using the national BlueCard® program. Host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which an Elevance Health subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer-sponsored health plan issued by a non-Elevance Health controlled BCBSA licensee (the “home plan”). We perform certain functions, including claims pricing and administration, for BlueCard® members, for which we receive service fees from the BlueCard® members’ home plans. Other administrative functions, including maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. Host members are computed using, among other things, the average number of BlueCard® claims received per month. BlueCard® host membership accounted for 14.6%, 13.6% and 13.6% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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•Medicare customers are Medicare-eligible individual members age 65 and over who have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans (“SNPs”), also known as Medicare Advantage SNPs; dual-eligible programs through Medicare-Medicaid Plans (“MMPs”); Medicare Supplement plans; and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (“Medicare Part D”). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, our Medicare Advantage SNPs provide tailored benefits to special needs individuals who are institutionalized or have severe or disabling chronic conditions and to dual-eligible customers, who are low-income seniors and persons under age 65 with disabilities. Medicare Advantage SNPs are coordinated care plans specifically designed to provide targeted care, covering all the healthcare services considered medically necessary for members and often providing professional care coordination services, with personal guidance and programs that help members maintain their health. Medicare Advantage membership also includes Medicare Advantage members in our Group Retiree Solutions business who are retired members of commercial accounts or retired members of groups who are not affiliated with our commercial accounts who have selected a Medicare Advantage product through us. Medicare Supplement plans typically pay the difference between healthcare costs incurred by a beneficiary and amounts paid by Medicare. Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and MMP beneficiaries. MMP, which was established as a result of the passage of the ACA, is focused on serving members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage products are marketed in the same manner, primarily through independent agents and brokers. Medicare program business accounted for 6.3%, 6.2% and 6.2% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
•Medicaid membership represents eligible members who receive health benefits through publicly funded healthcare programs, including Medicaid, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and specialty programs such as those focused on long-term services and support, HIV/AIDS, foster care, behavioral health and/or substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, among others. Total Medicaid program business accounted for 22.4%, 24.3% and 23.4% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
•FEHB members consist of United States government employees and their dependents who receive health benefits within our geographic markets through our participation in the national contract between the BCBSA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FEHB business accounted for 3.5%, 3.4% and 3.6% of our medical members at December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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The following table presents our medical membership by customer type as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Also included below is other membership by product and other metrics. The membership data and other metrics presented are unaudited and in certain instances include estimates of the number of members represented by each contract at the end of the period. The CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts metric represents adjusted script volume based on the number of days a prescription covers. On an adjusted basis, one 90-day script counts the same as three 30-day scripts. The Carelon Services Consumers Served metric represents the number of consumers receiving one or more healthcare related services from Carelon Services who are members of our affiliated health plans as well as those who are members of non-affiliated health plans.
| 2023 vs. 2022 | 2022 vs. 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | Change | % Change | ||||||||||||||
| Medical Membership (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual | 1,025 | 789 | 759 | 236 | 29.9 | % | 30 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Risk-Based | 3,756 | 3,988 | 4,006 | (232) | (5.8) | % | (18) | (0.4) | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 4,781 | 4,777 | 4,765 | 4 | 0.1 | % | 12 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| BlueCard® | 6,838 | 6,462 | 6,178 | 376 | 5.8 | % | 284 | 4.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Employer Group Fee-Based | 20,227 | 20,174 | 19,395 | 53 | 0.3 | % | 779 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 27,065 | 26,636 | 25,573 | 429 | 1.6 | % | 1,063 | 4.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 2,047 | 1,977 | 1,859 | 70 | 3.5 | % | 118 | 6.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 923 | 947 | 952 | (24) | (2.5) | % | (5) | (0.5) | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 2,970 | 2,924 | 2,811 | 46 | 1.6 | % | 113 | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicaid | 10,503 | 11,571 | 10,600 | (1,068) | (9.2) | % | 971 | 9.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Federal Employees Health Benefits | 1,642 | 1,623 | 1,625 | 19 | 1.2 | % | (2) | (0.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 46,961 | 47,531 | 45,374 | (570) | (1.2) | % | 2,157 | 4.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Other Membership (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Life and Disability Members | 4,629 | 4,834 | 4,782 | (205) | (4.2) | % | 52 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Members | 6,820 | 6,692 | 6,674 | 128 | 1.9 | % | 18 | 0.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,729 | 1,586 | 1,491 | 143 | 9.0 | % | 95 | 6.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Vision Members | 9,944 | 9,813 | 8,031 | 131 | 1.3 | % | 1,782 | 22.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 260 | 271 | 438 | (11) | (4.1) | % | (167) | (38.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Other Metrics (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts | 78.0 | 82.0 | (4.0) | (4.9) | % | |||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services Consumers Served | 103.3 | 105.0 | (1.7) | (1.6) | % |
December 31, 2023 Compared to December 31, 2022
Medical Membership
Total medical membership declined during the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. This was driven primarily by attrition in Medicaid due to the resumption of eligibility redeterminations and declines in our Employer Group risk-based business, partially offset by growth in BlueCard, Individual Public Exchange health plans and Medicare Advantage membership.
Other Membership
Our other membership can be impacted by changes in our medical membership, as our medical members often purchase our other products that are ancillary to our health business. Life and disability membership decreased primarily due to lapses associated with our Employer Group risk-based accounts. Dental membership increased primarily due to favorable sales in our FEHB, Individual and National businesses, partially offset by lapses in our Employer Group risked-based accounts. Dental administration membership increased primarily due to favorable in-group change with other BCBSA plans associated
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with the FEHB program. Vision membership increased due to sales exceeding lapses in our Individual and Medicare Advantage businesses.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other information for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2023 vs. 2022 | 2022 vs. 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 170,209 | $ | 155,660 | $ | 136,943 | $ | 14,549 | 9.3 | % | $ | 18,717 | 13.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Net investment income | 1,825 | 1,485 | 1,378 | 340 | 22.9 | % | 107 | 7.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net (losses) gains on financial instruments | (694) | (550) | 318 | (144) | 26.2 | % | (868) | (273.0) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 171,340 | 156,595 | 138,639 | 14,745 | 9.4 | % | 17,956 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 124,330 | 116,642 | 102,571 | 7,688 | 6.6 | % | 14,071 | 13.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 17,293 | 13,035 | 10,895 | 4,258 | 32.7 | % | 2,140 | 19.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense | 20,087 | 17,700 | 15,918 | 2,387 | 13.5 | % | 1,782 | 11.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other expense1 | 1,915 | 1,618 | 1,260 | 297 | 18.4 | % | 358 | 28.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 163,625 | 148,995 | 130,644 | 14,630 | 9.8 | % | 18,351 | 14.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 7,715 | 7,600 | 7,995 | 115 | 1.5 | % | (395) | (4.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,724 | 1,712 | 1,846 | 12 | 0.7 | % | (134) | (7.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 5,991 | 5,888 | 6,149 | 103 | 1.7 | % | (261) | (4.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net (gain) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | (4) | 6 | 9 | (10) | NM | (3) | NM | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income | $ | 5,987 | $ | 5,894 | $ | 6,158 | $ | 93 | 1.6 | % | $ | (264) | (4.3) | % | |||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 237.4 | 242.8 | 246.8 | (5.4) | (2.2) | % | (4.0) | (1.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders’ earnings per share | $ | 25.22 | $ | 24.28 | $ | 24.95 | $ | 0.94 | 3.9 | % | $ | (0.67) | (2.7) | % | |||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 22.3 | % | 22.5 | % | 23.1 | % | (20) bp3 | (60) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense ratio2 | 87.0 | % | 87.6 | % | 87.4 | % | (60) bp3 | 20 bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expense ratio4 | 11.8 | % | 11.4 | % | 11.6 | % | 40 bp3 | (20) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 4.5 | % | 4.9 | % | 5.8 | % | (40) bp3 | (90) bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues | 3.5 | % | 3.8 | % | 4.4 | % | (30) bp3 | (60) bp3 |
Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes interest expense, amortization of other intangible assets and loss on extinguishment of debt.
2Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $142,854, $133,229 and $117,373, respectively. Premiums are included in total operating revenue presented above.
3bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4Operating expense ratio represents operating expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium revenues in our Health Benefits business resulting from premium rate increases to more accurately reflect the cost of care. The increase was further attributable to growth in our CarelonRx pharmacy product revenue driven by growth in external pharmacy members and the acquisition of BioPlus in the first quarter of 2023.
Net investment income increased primarily due to higher income from fixed maturity securities, partially offset by reduced income from alternative investments and lower dividends on equity securities.
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Net losses on financial instruments increased due to increased losses on other invested assets, partially offset by higher gains on marketable equity securities.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to medical cost trends.
Our benefit expense ratio decreased slightly, primarily driven by premium rate increases in our Health Benefit segment to more accurately reflect the cost of care.
Cost of products sold reflects the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated pharmacy customers. Cost of products sold increased as the corresponding pharmacy product revenues increased.
Operating expense increased primarily due to the business optimization charges recorded in the third quarter of 2023, including internally developed software impairment and severance costs, as well as expenses incurred for anticipated future growth.
Our operating expense ratio increased primarily due to the business optimization charges recorded in 2023, partially offset by the favorable impact of operating revenue growth.
Other expense increased primarily due to increased interest expense and increased amortization of other intangible assets. Interest expense increased as we issued additional debt at higher interest rates. The amortization of intangible assets increased due to recent acquisitions as well as the rebranding of our products. The amortization period of certain intangible assets was shortened to align with anticipated dates the new branding will take place.
Our effective income tax rate decreased from 22.5% to 22.3%, primarily due to the impact of geographic changes in our mix of earnings in 2023.
Our shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues decreased in 2023 as compared to 2022 as a result of all the factors discussed above.
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Reportable Segments Results of Operations
The following table presents a summary of our reportable segment financial information for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 vs. 2022 | 2022 vs. 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | Restated | Restated | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 148,571 | $ | 138,484 | $ | 121,728 | $ | 10,087 | 7.3 | % | $ | 16,756 | 13.8 | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx | 33,835 | 28,526 | 25,431 | 5,309 | 18.6 | % | 3,095 | 12.2 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 14,147 | 12,860 | 10,130 | 1,287 | 10.0 | % | 2,730 | 26.9 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 479 | 399 | 95 | 80 | 20.1 | % | 304 | 320.0 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (26,823) | (24,609) | (20,441) | (2,214) | 9.0 | % | (4,168) | 20.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 170,209 | $ | 155,660 | $ | 136,943 | $ | 14,549 | 9.3 | % | $ | 18,717 | 13.7 | % | |||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits1 | $ | 6,888 | $ | 6,022 | $ | 5,850 | $ | 866 | 14.4 | % | $ | 172 | 2.9 | % | |||||||||
| CarelonRx2 | 1,975 | 1,868 | 1,684 | 107 | 5.7 | % | 184 | 10.9 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services3 | 680 | 535 | 187 | 145 | 27.1 | % | 348 | 186.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other4 | (1,044) | (142) | (162) | (902) | 635.2 | % | 20 | (12.3) | % | ||||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | 4.6 | % | 4.3 | % | 4.8 | % | 30 bp5 | (50) bp5 | |||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 5.8 | % | 6.5 | % | 6.6 | % | (70) bp5 | (10) bp5 | |||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 4.8 | % | 4.2 | % | 1.8 | % | 60 bp5 | 240 bp5 |
1Includes expenses of $36 for business optimization initiatives in 2022 and $153 for business optimization initiatives in 2021.
2 Includes expenses of $1 for business optimization initiatives in 2021.
3 Includes expenses of $5 for business optimization initiatives in 2022 and $33 for business optimization initiatives in 2021.
4 Includes expense of $753 for business optimization initiatives in 2023 and (credit) of $(2) for business optimization initiatives in 2022.
5 bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
The following table summarizes Health Benefits operating revenues by Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and FEHB lines of business for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:
| Years Ended December 31 | Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 vs. 2022 | 2022 vs. 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits Operating Revenue | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | $ | 43,266 | $ | 41,674 | $ | 38,809 | $ | 1,592 | 3.8 | % | $ | 2,865 | 7.4 | % | ||||||||||||
| Medicare | 35,067 | 31,604 | 26,611 | 3,463 | 11.0 | % | 4,993 | 18.8 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Medicaid | 56,601 | 52,886 | 44,106 | 3,715 | 7.0 | % | 8,780 | 19.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| FEHB | 13,637 | 12,320 | 12,202 | 1,317 | 10.7 | % | 118 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Health Benefits operating revenues | $ | 148,571 | $ | 138,484 | $ | 121,728 | $ | 10,087 | 7.3 | % | $ | 16,756 | 13.8 | % |
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022
Health Benefits
Operating revenue and operating gain increased primarily as a result of higher premium revenues due to premium rate increases to more accurately reflect the cost of care.
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CarelonRx
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher prescription volumes associated with growth in external pharmacy members served and the acquisition of BioPlus in the first quarter of 2023.
The increase in operating gain was primarily a result of higher prescription volumes associated with growth in external pharmacy members served and the acquisition of BioPlus in the first quarter of 2023, partially offset by lower service fees and expenses incurred for anticipated future growth.
Carelon Services
Operating revenue increased primarily due to the continued expansion of our post-acute care services performed for our Medicare business and behavioral health services performed for our Medicaid business.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by the continued expansion of our post-acute care services and improved performance in our medical management business, partially offset by medical cost trends.
Corporate & Other
The increase in operating loss was primarily due to the business optimization charges recorded in the third quarter of 2023, as well as an increase in unallocated corporate expenses.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to liabilities for medical claims payable, goodwill and other intangible assets and investments, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment, and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Medical Claims Payable
The most subjective accounting estimate in our consolidated financial statements is our liability for medical claims payable. At December 31, 2023, this liability was $16,111 and represented 23.2% of our total consolidated liabilities. We record this liability and the corresponding benefit expense for incurred but not paid claims, including the estimated costs of processing such claims. Incurred but not paid claims include (1) an estimate for claims that are incurred but not reported, as well as claims reported to us but not yet processed through our systems, which approximated 93.9%, or $15,123, of our total medical claims liability as of December 31, 2023; and (2) claims reported to us and processed through our systems but not yet paid, which approximated 6.1%, or $988, of the total medical claims payable as of December 31, 2023. The level of claims payable processed through our systems but not yet paid may fluctuate from one period-end to the next, from approximately 1% to 6% of our total medical claims liability, due to timing of when claim payments are made.
Liabilities for both claims incurred but not reported and reported but not yet processed through our systems are determined in the aggregate, employing actuarial methods that are commonly used by health insurance actuaries and meet Actuarial Standards of Practice. Our reserving practice for claim liabilities is to consistently recognize the appropriate amount of reserve within a level of confidence required by Actuarial Standards of Practice. We determine the amount of the liability for incurred but not paid claims by following a detailed actuarial process that uses both historical claim payment patterns as well as emerging medical cost trends to project our best estimate of claim liabilities. Under this process, historical paid claims data is formatted into “claim triangles,” which compare claim incurred dates to the dates of claim payments. This information
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is analyzed to create “completion factors” that represent the average percentage of total incurred claims that have been paid through a given date after being incurred. Completion factors are applied to claims paid through the period-end date to estimate the ultimate claim expense incurred for the period. Actuarial estimates of incurred but not paid claim liabilities are then determined by subtracting the actual paid claims from the estimate of the ultimate incurred claims.
For the most recent incurred months (typically the most recent two months), the percentage of claims paid for claims incurred in those months is generally low. This makes the completion factor methodology less reliable for such months. Therefore, incurred claims for recent months are not projected from historical completion and payment patterns; rather, they are projected by estimating the claims expense for those months based on recent claims expense levels and healthcare trend levels (“trend factors”).
Our reserve methodology, which relies upon historical information, must be adjusted to account for known or suspected operational and environmental changes. Adjustments are carried out by our actuaries, drawing on expert knowledge and taking into account their estimate of emerging impacts to benefit costs and payment speed. Factors such as changes in levels of utilization, unit costs, business mix, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursements, processing system modifications, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations are considered when developing our reserve estimates. We also compare prior period liabilities to revised claim liabilities based on subsequent claim development. In these comparisons, methods and assumptions remain constant as reserves are recalculated; rather, the availability of additional paid claims information drives changes in the re-estimate of the unpaid claim liability. To the extent appropriate, changes in such development are recorded as a change to current period benefit expense.
On a regular basis, we review cost trends and utilization assumptions set upon initial establishment of claim liabilities. We utilize subsequent paid claims activity to monitor and continuously adjust the claims liability and benefit expense. If actual results are determined to be materially different than assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization, future periods of our income statement and overall financial position could be impacted. Adjustments made to prior year estimates may result in either an additional benefit expense or a reduction of benefit expense in the period the adjustment is made. The variability of healthcare costs necessitates that claim liabilities be adjusted each period and are sometimes significant compared to the net income recorded in that period. An actuary’s judgment that a portion of the prior period liability is no longer needed or that an additional liability should have been accrued triggers the immediate recognition of prior period development. Once sufficient information is available to ascertain that the re-estimate of the liability is reasonable, the determination is made.
While numerous factors contribute to our medical claims payable liability estimation, the two assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid claims liability as of December 31, 2023, were the completion and trend factors. These vital assumptions can be affected by variables such as utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing and submission patterns, and operational changes resulting from business combinations.
There is variation in the reasonable choice of completion factors by duration for durations of three months through twelve months where the completion factors have the most significant impact. As previously discussed, completion factors tend to be less reliable for the most recent months and therefore are not specifically utilized for months one and two. In our analysis for the claim liabilities at December 31, 2023, the variability in months three to five was estimated to be between 40 and 90 basis points, while months six through twelve have much lower estimated variability ranging from 0 to 30 basis points.
The difference in completion factor assumptions results in variability of 2%, or approximately $289, in the December 31, 2023 incurred but not paid claims liability, depending on the completion factors chosen. It is important to note that the completion factor methodology inherently assumes that historical completion rates will be reflective of the current period. However, it is possible that the actual completion rates for the current period will develop differently from historical patterns and therefore could fall outside the possible variations described herein.
The other major assumption used in the establishment of the December 31, 2023 incurred but not paid claim liability was the trend factors. In our analysis for the period ended December 31, 2023, there was a 330 basis point differential in the high and low trend factors. This range of trend factors would imply variability of 3%, or approximately $545, in the incurred but
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not paid claims liability, depending upon the trend factors used. Because historical trend factors are often not representative of current claim trends, the trend experience for the most recent six to nine months, plus knowledge of recent events likely affecting current trends, have been taken into consideration in establishing the incurred but not paid claims liability at December 31, 2023.
See Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. Components of the total incurred claims for each year include amounts accrued for current year estimated claims expense as well as adjustments to prior year estimated accruals. In Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” the line labeled “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” accounts for those adjustments made to prior year estimates. The impact of any reduction of “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” may be offset as we establish the estimate of “Net incurred medical claims: Current year”, or as we establish liabilities for premium refunds based upon the minimum medical loss ratio (“MLR”), the relative health risk of members, and other contractual or regulatory requirements. Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for our claims. When we recognize a release of the redundancy, we disclose the amount that is not in the ordinary course of business, if material.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 88.0% for 2023, 87.3% for 2022 and 87.8% for 2021. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby 2023 claims were processed at a similar speed to 2022 and 2021.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current year in order to demonstrate the development of the prior year reserves. For the year ended December 31, 2023, this metric was 11.4%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2022 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, this metric was 7.0% and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, this metric was 18.1%, reflecting the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19 at the end of 2020, and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2020 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2020.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred medical claims to indicate the percentage of redundancy included in the preceding year calculation of current year net incurred medical claims. We believe this calculation supports the reasonableness of our prior year estimate of incurred medical claims. For the year ended December 31, 2023, this metric was 1.4%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,571. This metric was 0.9% for 2022 and 2.0% for 2021. The 2021 metric was impacted by the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19.
The following table shows the variance between total net incurred medical claims as reported in Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for each of 2022 and 2021 and the incurred claims for such years had it been determined retrospectively (computed as the difference between “net incurred medical claims – current year” for the year shown and “net incurred medical claims – prior years redundancies” for the immediately following year):
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Total net incurred medical claims, as reported | $ | 112,545 | $ | 98,737 | ||
| Retrospective basis, as described above | 111,843 | 99,571 | ||||
| Variance | $ | 702 | $ | (834) | ||
| Variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported | 0.6 | % | (0.8) | % |
Given that our business is primarily short tailed (which means that medical claims are generally paid within twelve months of the member receiving service from the provider), the variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported above, is used to assess the reasonableness of our estimate of ultimate incurred medical claims for a given calendar year with
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the benefit of one year of experience. We expect that substantially all of the development of the 2023 estimate of medical claims payable will be known during 2024.
The 2022 variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported of 0.6% was more than the 2021 percentage of (0.8)%. This was primarily driven by the fact that the change in prior year redundancy reported for 2022 as compared to 2021 increased, whereas the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2021 as compared to 2020 decreased.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Our consolidated goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31, 2023 were $35,590, and represented 32.7% of our total consolidated assets and 90.5% of our consolidated shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2023.
We follow FASB guidance for business combinations and goodwill and other intangible assets, which specifies the types of acquired intangible assets that are required to be recognized and reported separately from goodwill. Under the guidance, goodwill and other intangible assets (with indefinite lives) are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, goodwill and other intangible assets are allocated to reporting units for purposes of the annual impairment test. Our impairment tests require us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, which include goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately.
We complete our annual impairment tests of existing goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives during the fourth quarter of each year. These tests involve the use of estimates related to the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, and require a significant degree of management judgment and the use of subjective assumptions. Certain interim impairment tests are also performed when potential impairment indicators exist or changes in our business or other triggering events occur. We have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, which is an indication that our goodwill may be impaired. These qualitative impairment tests include assessing events and factors that could affect the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our procedures include assessing our financial performance, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, various asset specific factors and entity specific events. If we determine that a reporting unit’s goodwill may be impaired after utilizing these qualitative impairment analysis procedures, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
Our quantitative impairment test utilizes the projected income and market valuation approaches for goodwill and the projected income approach for our indefinite lived intangible assets. Use of the projected income and market valuation approaches for our goodwill impairment test reflects our view that both valuation methodologies provide a reasonable estimate of fair value. The projected income approach is developed using assumptions about future revenue, expenses and net income derived from our internal planning process. These estimated future cash flows are then discounted. Our assumed discount rate is based on our industry’s weighted-average cost of capital. Market valuations are based on observed multiples of certain measures including revenue; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; and book value of invested capital (debt and equity) and include market comparisons to publicly traded companies in our industry.
We did not incur any impairment losses as a result of our 2023 annual impairment tests, as it was determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair values of our reporting units were substantially in excess of the carrying values as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, we do not believe that the estimated fair values of our reporting units are at risk of becoming impaired in the next twelve months.
If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives in future annual impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions and Divestitures,” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Investments
Current and long-term marketable investment securities were $30,719 at December 31, 2023 and represented 28.2% of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2023. We classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” and report those securities at fair value. Certain fixed maturity securities are available to support current operations and, accordingly, we classify such investments as current assets without regard to their contractual maturity. Investments used to satisfy contractual, regulatory or other requirements are classified as long-term, without regard to contractual maturity.
Our impairment review is subjective and requires a high degree of judgment. We conduct this review on a quarterly basis, using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Such factors considered include the extent to which a security’s market value has been less than its cost, the reasons for the decline in value (i.e., credit event compared to liquidity, general credit spread widening, currency exchange rate or interest rate factors), financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, including the credit ratings and changes in the credit ratings of the issuer, recommendations of investment advisors, and forecasts of economic, market or industry trends.
If a fixed maturity security is in an unrealized loss position and we have the intent to sell the fixed maturity security, or it is more likely than not that we will have to sell the fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, we write down the fixed maturity security’s cost basis to fair value and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. For impaired fixed maturity securities that we do not intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that we will not have to sell such securities, but we expect that we will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, we recognize the credit component of the impairment as an allowance for credit loss in our consolidated balance sheets and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. The non-credit component of the impairment is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. Furthermore, unrealized losses entirely caused by non-credit-related factors related to fixed maturity securities for which we expect to fully recover the amortized cost basis continue to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
The credit component of an impairment is determined primarily by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. The net present value is calculated by discounting our best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security at the date of purchase. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates are based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral, including prepayment speeds, vintage, type of underlying asset, geographic concentrations, default rates, recoveries and changes in value. For all other securities, cash flow estimates are driven by assumptions regarding probability of default, including changes in credit ratings and estimates regarding timing and amount of recoveries associated with a default.
We have a committee of accounting and investment associates and management that is responsible for managing the impairment review process. We believe that we have adequately reviewed our investment securities for impairment and that our investment securities are carried at fair value. We have established an allowance for credit loss and recorded credit loss expense as a reflection of our expected impairment losses. Given the inherent uncertainty of changes in market conditions and the significant judgments involved, there is continuing risk that declines in fair value may occur and additional impairment losses on investments may be recorded in future periods.
In addition to marketable investment securities, we held additional long-term investments of $6,107, or 5.6% of total consolidated assets, at December 31, 2023. These long-term investments consisted primarily of certain other equity investments, the cash surrender value of corporate-owned life insurance policies and mortgage loans. Due to their less liquid nature, these investments are classified as long-term.
Through our investing activities, we are exposed to financial market risks, including those resulting from changes in interest rates and changes in equity market valuations. We manage market risks through our investment policy, which establishes credit quality limits and limits on investments in individual issuers. Ineffective management of these risks could have an impact on our future results of operations and financial condition. Our investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $30,490 at December 31, 2023. The weighted-average credit rating of these securities was “A” as of December 31, 2023. Included in this balance are investments in fixed maturity securities of states, municipalities and political subdivisions and asset-backed assets of $993 and $0, respectively, that are guaranteed by third parties. With the
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exception of 17 securities with a fair value of $9, these securities are all investment-grade and carry a weighted-average credit rating of “AA” as of December 31, 2023. The securities are guaranteed by a number of different guarantors, and we do not have any material exposure to any single guarantor, neither indirectly through the guarantees, nor directly through investment in the guarantor. Further, due to the high underlying credit rating of the issuers, the weighted-average credit rating of the fixed maturity securities without a guarantee, for which such information is available, was “A” as of December 31, 2023.
Fair values of fixed maturity and equity securities are based on quoted market prices, where available. These fair values are obtained primarily from third-party pricing services, which generally use Level I or Level II inputs for the determination of fair value in accordance with FASB guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures. We have controls in place to review the pricing services’ qualifications and procedures used to determine fair values. In addition, we periodically review the pricing services’ pricing methodologies, data sources and pricing inputs to ensure the fair values obtained are reasonable.
We obtain quoted market prices for each security from the pricing services, which are derived through recently reported trades for identical or similar securities, making adjustments through the reporting date based upon available market observable information. For securities not actively traded, the pricing services may use quoted market prices of comparable instruments or discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating inputs that are currently observable in the markets for similar securities. Inputs that are often used in these valuation methodologies include, but are not limited to, broker quotes, benchmark yields, credit spreads, default rates and prepayment speeds. As we are responsible for the determination of fair value, we perform analysis on the prices received from the pricing services to determine whether the prices are reasonable estimates of fair value. Our analysis includes procedures such as a review of month-to-month price fluctuations and price comparisons to secondary pricing services. There were no adjustments to quoted market prices obtained from the pricing services during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to derive pricing model inputs from observable market activity, and therefore, such inputs are estimated internally. Such securities are designated Level III in accordance with FASB guidance. Securities designated Level III at December 31, 2023 totaled $665 and represented approximately 1.9% of our total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Our Level III securities primarily consisted of certain corporate securities and equity securities for which observable inputs were not always available and the fair values of these securities were estimated using inputs including, but not limited to, prepayment speeds, credit spreads, default rates and benchmark yields.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 5, “Investments,” and Note 7, “Fair Value,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2023 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance” and “Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Introduction
Our cash receipts result primarily from premiums, product revenue, service fees, investment income, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from borrowings, and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, operating expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. Cash outflows fluctuate with the amount and timing of settlement of these transactions. Any future decline in our profitability would likely have an unfavorable impact on our liquidity.
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We manage our cash, investments and capital structure so we are able to meet the short-term and long-term obligations of our business while maintaining financial flexibility and liquidity. We forecast, analyze and monitor our cash flows to enable investment and financing within the overall constraints of our financial strategy.
A substantial portion of the assets held by our regulated subsidiaries are in the form of cash and cash equivalents and investments. After considering expected cash flows from operating activities, we generally invest cash that exceeds our near term obligations in longer term marketable fixed maturity securities to improve our overall investment income returns. Our investment strategy is to make investments consistent with insurance statutes and other regulatory requirements, while preserving our asset base. Our investments are generally available-for-sale to meet liquidity and other needs. Our subsidiaries pay out excess capital annually in the form of dividends to their respective parent companies for general corporate use, as permitted by applicable regulations.
The availability of financing in the form of debt or equity is influenced by many factors, including our profitability, operating cash flows, debt levels, debt ratings, contractual restrictions, regulatory requirements and market conditions. The securities and credit markets have in the past experienced higher than normal volatility. Interest rates on fixed debt income securities have increased since the beginning of 2022, which may increase our borrowing costs if we elect to issue debt. During recent years, the federal government and various governmental agencies have taken a number of steps to strengthen the regulation of the financial services market. In addition, governments around the world have developed their own plans to provide stability and security in the credit markets and to ensure adequate capital in certain financial institutions.
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31 | $ Change | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2023 vs. 2022 | 2022 vs. 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 8,061 | $ | 8,399 | $ | 8,364 | $ | (338) | $ | 35 | ||||||||
| Issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments | 626 | 862 | 2,719 | (236) | (1,857) | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of common stock under employee stock plans | 152 | 182 | 203 | (30) | (21) | |||||||||||||
| Other sources of cash, net | — | 762 | — | (762) | 762 | |||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 8,839 | 10,205 | 11,286 | (1,366) | (1,081) | |||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | (2,700) | (2,338) | (4,056) | (362) | 1,718 | |||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (2,676) | (2,316) | (1,900) | (360) | (416) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired | (1,552) | (649) | (3,476) | (903) | 2,827 | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (1,296) | (1,152) | (1,087) | (144) | (65) | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (1,395) | (1,229) | (1,104) | (166) | (125) | |||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | (80) | — | (514) | (80) | 514 | |||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (9,699) | (7,684) | (12,137) | (2,015) | 4,453 | |||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (1) | (14) | (10) | 13 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (861) | $ | 2,507 | $ | (861) | $ | (3,368) | $ | 3,368 |
Liquidity—Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
The decline in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to the timing of working capital changes, partially offset by higher net income in 2023, when excluding the non-cash impact of the business optimization charges recorded in the third quarter of 2023, as well as the non-recurrence of the Subscriber Settlement Agreement payment made in September 2022.
Other significant changes in sources and uses of cash year-over-year included a) lower sources of cash from other sources of cash, net, issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments and issuances of common stock under
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employee stock plans and b) increased uses of cash from purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired, purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions, the repurchase and retirement of common stock, cash dividends, the purchase of property and equipment and other uses of cash, net.
Financial Condition
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $37,245 at December 31, 2023. Since December 31, 2022, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities increased by $2,201, primarily due to cash generated from operations. This increase was partially offset by cash used for common stock repurchases, acquisitions, purchases of property and equipment and cash dividends paid to shareholders.
Many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to their respective parent companies. Certain accounting practices prescribed by insurance regulatory authorities, or statutory accounting practices, differ from GAAP. Changes that occur in statutory accounting practices, if any, or other regulatory requirements, could impact our subsidiaries’ future dividend capacity. In addition, we have agreed to certain undertakings to regulatory authorities, including the requirement to maintain certain capital levels in certain of our subsidiaries.
At December 31, 2023, we held $1,564 of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the parent company, which are available for general corporate use, including investment in our businesses, acquisitions, potential future common stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders, repurchases of debt securities and debt and interest payments.
Periodically, we access capital markets and issue debt (“Notes”) for long-term borrowing purposes, for example, to refinance debt, to finance acquisitions or for share repurchases. Certain of these Notes may have a call feature that allows us to redeem the Notes at any time at our option and/or a put feature that allows a Note holder to redeem the Notes upon the occurrence of both a change in control event and a downgrade of the Notes below an investment grade rating. For more information on our debt, including redemptions and issuances, see Note 13, “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our audited consolidated balance sheets included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as total debt divided by total debt plus total shareholders’ equity. Total debt is the sum of short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, less current portion. We believe our debt-to-capital ratio assists investors and rating agencies in measuring our overall leverage and additional borrowing capacity. In addition, our bank covenants include a maximum debt-to-capital ratio that we cannot and did not exceed. Our debt-to-capital ratio may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 38.9% and 39.9% as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Our senior debt is rated “A” by S&P Global Ratings, “BBB+” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., “Baa2” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. and “bbb+” by AM Best Company, Inc. We intend to maintain our senior debt investment grade ratings. If our credit ratings are downgraded, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs.
Capital Resources
We have a shelf registration statement on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register an unlimited amount of any combination of debt or equity securities in one or more offerings. Specific information regarding terms and securities being offered will be provided at the time of an offering. Proceeds from future offerings are expected to be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, the repayment of debt, investments in or extensions of credit to our subsidiaries and the financing of possible acquisitions or business expansions.
We have a senior revolving credit facility (the “5-Year Facility”) with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. The 5-Year Facility provides credit of up to $4,000 and matures in April 2027. Our ability to borrow under the 5-Year Facility is subject to compliance with certain covenants, including covenants requiring us to maintain a defined debt-to-capital ratio of not more than 60%, subject to increase in certain circumstances set forth in the credit agreement for the 5-Year
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Facility. As of December 31, 2023, our debt-to-capital ratio, as defined and calculated under the 5-Year Facility, was 39.1%. We do not believe the restrictions contained in our 5-Year Facility covenants materially affect our financial or operating flexibility. As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants under the 5-Year Facility. There were no amounts outstanding under the 5-Year Facility at December 31, 2023.
We have an authorized commercial paper program of up to $4,000, the proceeds of which may be used for general corporate purposes. Should commercial paper issuance become unavailable, we have the ability to use a combination of cash on hand and/or our 5-Year Facility, which provides for credit in the amount of $4,000, to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. At December 31, 2023, we had $0 outstanding under our commercial paper program. Beginning in 2023, we have reclassified our commercial paper balances from long-term debt to short-term debt as our intent is to not replace short-term commercial paper outstanding at expiration with additional short-term commercial paper for an uninterrupted period extending for more than one year.
While there is no assurance in the current economic environment, we believe the lenders participating in our 5-Year Facility, if market conditions allow, would be willing to provide financing in accordance with their legal obligations.
We are a member, through certain subsidiaries, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (collectively the “FHLBs”). As a member, we have the ability to obtain short-term cash advances, subject to certain minimum collateral requirements. At December 31, 2023, we had $225 of outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs.
As discussed in “Financial Condition” above, many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid. Based upon these requirements, we currently estimate that approximately $4,400 of dividends will be paid to us by our subsidiaries during 2024. During 2023, we received $4,909 of dividends from our subsidiaries.
In addition to regulations regarding the timing and amount of dividends, our regulated subsidiaries’ states of domicile have statutory risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements for health and other insurance companies and health maintenance organizations largely based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) Risk-Based Capital (RBC) for Health Organizations Model Act (the “RBC Model Act”). These RBC requirements are intended to measure capital adequacy, taking into account the risk characteristics of an insurer’s investments and products. The NAIC sets forth the formula for calculating the RBC requirements, which are designed to take into account asset risks, insurance risks, interest rate risks and other relevant risks with respect to an individual insurance company’s business. In general, under the RBC Model Act, an insurance company must submit a report of its RBC level to the state insurance department or insurance commissioner, as appropriate, at the end of each calendar year. Our regulated subsidiaries’ respective RBC levels as of December 31, 2023 were in excess of all applicable mandatory RBC requirements. In addition to exceeding these RBC requirements, we are in compliance with the liquidity and capital requirements for a licensee of the BCBSA and with the tangible net worth requirements applicable to certain of our California subsidiaries. For additional information, see Note 22, “Statutory Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Short-Term Liquidity Requirements
As previously described, our cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. We believe cash on hand, operating cash receipts, investments and amounts available under our commercial paper program, our 5-Year Facility and borrowings available from the FHLBs will be adequate to fund our expected cash disbursements over the next twelve months.
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Long-Term Liquidity Requirements
As of December 31, 2023, our long-term cash disbursements required under various contractual obligations and commitments were:
•Debt and interest expense: Future debt and estimated interest payments were $40,491, with $2,661 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 13 “Debt,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Operating leases: We lease office space and certain computer equipment, for which the future estimated payments were $956, with $195 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Other liabilities: These liabilities primarily consist of future policy reserves, projected other postretirement benefits, deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plan liabilities and certain other miscellaneous long-term obligations. Amounts due within twelve months were $31, with $1,210 due in future periods. Estimated future payments for funded pension benefits have been excluded from these numbers, as we had no funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, at December 31, 2023, as a result of the value of the assets in the plans. In addition, gross liabilities for uncertain tax positions and interest for which we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of the resolutions with the respective taxing authorities have not been included. For further information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Purchase obligations: These obligations include estimated payments for future services under contractual arrangements from third-party service vendors. Amounts due within the next twelve months for these purchase obligations were $2,188, while longer term payments were $1,580. For further information, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Investment commitments: These include unfunded capital commitments for alternative investments and low-income housing tax credits. Estimated amounts due were $1,321, including $298 due within the next twelve months.
In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments discussed above, we have a variety of other contractual agreements related to acquiring materials and services used in our operations. However, we do not believe these other agreements contain material noncancelable commitments.
We regularly review the appropriate use of capital, including acquisitions, common stock and debt security repurchases and dividends to shareholders. The declaration and payment of any dividends or repurchases of our common stock or debt is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon our financial condition, results of operations, future liquidity needs, regulatory and capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.
On January 23, 2024, our Audit Committee declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $1.63 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 22, 2024 to the shareholders of record as of March 8, 2024.
Under our Board of Directors’ authorization, we maintain a common stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2023, we had Board authorization of $4,200 to repurchase our common stock. No duration has been placed on our common stock repurchase program, and we reserve the right to discontinue the program at any time. We intend to utilize this authorization over a multi-year period, subject to market and industry conditions.
We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our credit facilities and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
We do not have any off-balance sheet derivative instruments, guarantee transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements or any indemnification agreements that will require funding in future periods. We have not transferred assets to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not hold any variable interest in an unconsolidated entity where such entity provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support.
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See Note 2 “Subsidiary Transactions,” of the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements (Parent Company Only) included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional detail on the Elevance Health, Inc. parent guarantees of certain subsidiaries.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001156039-23-000007.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or As Otherwise Stated Herein)
On May 18, 2022, our shareholders approved a proposal to amend our amended and restated articles of incorporation to change our name from Anthem, Inc. to Elevance Health, Inc. This amendment and name change went into effect on June 27, 2022. We began operating as Elevance Health, Inc. and trading under our new ticker symbol “ELV” on June 28, 2022. References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Elevance Health” or the “Company” used throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) refer to Elevance Health, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. A detailed discussion of 2020 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Overview
Elevance Health is a health company with the purpose of improving the health of humanity. We are one of the largest health insurers in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving approximately 47.5 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of December 31, 2022. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield or Empire Blue Cross. In addition, we conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees as well as other strategic partners. Through our subsidiaries, we also serve customers in numerous states across the country as AIM Specialty Health, Amerigroup, Aspire Health, Beacon, CareMore, Freedom Health, HealthLink, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum Healthcare, Simply Healthcare, Unicare and/or Wellpoint. We offer pharmacy benefits management (“PBM”) services through our CarelonRx, Inc. (“CarelonRx”) subsidiary, which was known as IngenioRx, Inc. prior to January 1, 2023. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries.
As part of our name change to Elevance Health, in June 2022, we announced that over the next several years we will organize our brand portfolio into the following core go-to-market brands:
•Anthem Blue Cross/Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — represents our existing Anthem-branded and affiliated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensed plans;
•Wellpoint — we intend to unite select non-BCBSA licensed Medicare, Medicaid and Commercial plans under the Wellpoint name; and
•Carelon — this brand brings together our healthcare-related services and capabilities, including our formerly named Diversified Business Group and IngenioRx businesses, under a single brand name.
In 2022, we managed our operations by customer type through four reportable segments: Commercial & Specialty Business, Government Business, CarelonRx (formerly known as IngenioRx) and Other. As we continue our journey to evolve our business from a traditional health insurance company into a lifetime, trusted health partner, we are evaluating and making changes to how we manage our business. This included a review of the products in each of our operating segments, which resulted in restructurings between some of our operating segments. Therefore, our reportable segment presentation in 2023
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and its composition will reflect how we began managing our operations and monitoring performance, aligning strategies and allocating resources on January 1, 2023. As a result of these changes, beginning with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2023, we will report our results in the following four reportable segments: (i) Health Benefits, which will combine our existing Commercial & Specialty Business and Government Business segments; (ii) our existing CarelonRx segment; (iii) Carelon Services (our former Diversified Business Group), which will be carved out from our existing Other segment; and (iv) Corporate and Other, which will include businesses that do not individually meet the quantitative thresholds for an operating segment, as well as corporate expenses not allocated to our other reportable segments. We expect to reclassify previously reported information to conform to the new presentation.
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We also calculate operating gain and operating margin to further aid investors in understanding and analyzing our core operating results. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and selling, general and administrative expense. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. Our definition of operating gain and operating margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We use these measures as a basis for evaluating segment performance, allocating resources, forecasting future operating periods and setting incentive compensation targets. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income before income tax expense, net income or fully-diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) prepared in accordance with GAAP. For additional details on operating gain, see our “Reportable Segments Results of Operations” discussion included in this MD&A. For a reconciliation of reportable segment operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of reportable segment operating gain to income before income tax expense, see Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our operating revenue consists of premiums, product revenue, and administrative fees and other revenue. Premium revenue is generated from risk-based contracts where we indemnify our policyholders against costs for covered health and life insurance benefits. Product revenue represents services performed by CarelonRx for unaffiliated PBM customers and includes ingredient costs (net of any rebates or discounts), including co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, and administrative fees. Unaffiliated PBM customers include our fee-based groups that contract with CarelonRx for PBM services and external customers outside of the health plans we own. Administrative fees and other revenue come from fees from our fee-based customers for the processing of transactions or network discount savings realized, revenues from our Medicare processing business and revenues from other health-related businesses, including care management programs and miscellaneous other income.
Our benefit expense primarily includes costs of care for health services consumed by our risk-based members, such as outpatient care, inpatient hospital care, professional services (primarily physician care) and pharmacy benefit costs. All four components are affected both by unit costs and utilization rates. Unit costs include the cost of outpatient medical procedures per visit, inpatient hospital care per admission, physician fees per office visit and prescription drug prices. Utilization rates represent the volume of consumption of health services and typically vary with the age and health status of our members and their social and lifestyle choices, along with clinical protocols and medical practice patterns in each of our markets. A portion of benefit expense recognized in each reporting period consists of actuarial estimates of claims incurred but not yet paid by us. Any changes in these estimates are recorded in the period the need for such an adjustment arises. While we offer a diversified mix of managed care products and services through our managed care plans, our aggregate cost of care can fluctuate based on a change in the overall mix of these products and services. Our managed care plans include: Preferred Provider Organizations; Health Maintenance Organizations; Point-of-Service plans; traditional indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including Consumer-Driven Health Plans; and hospital only and limited benefit products.
We classify certain quality improvement costs as benefit expense. Quality improvement activities are those designed to improve member health outcomes, prevent hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. They also include expenses for wellness and health promotion provided to our members. These quality improvement costs may be comprised of expenses incurred for: (i) medical management, including care coordination and case management; (ii) health and wellness, including disease management services for such conditions as diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, congestive heart failure and asthma management and wellness initiatives like weight-loss programs and smoking cessation treatments; and (iii) clinical health policy, such as identification and use of best clinical practices to avoid harm, identifying clinical errors and safety concerns, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
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Our cost of products sold represents the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated PBM customers (net of rebates or discounts), including any co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, per-claim administrative fees for prescription fulfillment and certain direct costs related to sales and administration of customer contracts.
Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist of fixed and variable costs. Examples of fixed costs are depreciation, amortization and certain facilities expenses. Certain variable costs, such as premium taxes, vary directly with premium volume. Commission expense generally varies with premium or membership volume. Other variable costs, such as salaries and benefits, do not vary directly with changes in premium but are more aligned with changes in membership. The acquisition or loss of a significant block of business would likely impact staffing levels and thus, associated compensation expense. Other variable costs include professional and consulting expenses and advertising. Other factors can impact our administrative cost structure, including systems efficiencies, inflation and changes in productivity.
Our results of operations depend in large part on our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage healthcare costs through effective contracting with providers of care to our members, product pricing, medical management and health and wellness programs, innovative product design and our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in our Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star ratings. Several economic factors related to healthcare costs, such as regulatory mandates of coverage as well as direct-to-consumer advertising by providers and pharmaceutical companies, have a direct impact on the volume of care consumed by our members. The potential effect of escalating healthcare costs, any changes in our ability to negotiate competitive rates with our providers and any regulatory or market-driven restrictions on our ability to obtain adequate premium rates to offset overall inflation in healthcare costs, including increases in unit costs and utilization resulting from the aging of the population and other demographics, the impact of epidemics and pandemics, as well as advances in medical technology, may impose further risks to our ability to profitably underwrite our business and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We intend to expand through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and efficient use of capital in both existing and new markets. Our growth strategy is designed to enable us to take advantage of additional economies of scale, as well as provide us access to new and evolving technologies and products. In addition, we believe geographic and product diversity reduces our exposure to local or regional regulatory, economic and competitive pressures and provides us with increased opportunities for growth. We use our subsidiary CarelonRx (formerly IngenioRx) to market and offer PBM services, and we expect CarelonRx to continue to improve our ability to integrate pharmacy benefits within our medical and specialty platform. We continued growing our government-sponsored business through organic growth and the acquisitions of MMM Holdings, LLC (“MMM”) in 2021 and Integra MLTC, Inc. (“Integra”) in 2022. In all other markets, we intend to maintain our position by delivering excellent service, offering competitively priced products, providing access to high-quality provider networks and effectively capitalizing on the brand strength of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks.
For additional information about our business and reportable segments, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” and Note 20, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, putting pressure on the healthcare system, and it has impacted, and may continue to impact, our membership, benefit expense and member behavior. The full extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will depend on future developments, which remain uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic as well as resulting legislative and regulatory changes to manage our response and assess and mitigate potential adverse impacts to our business. For additional discussion regarding the impact of and our risks and trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic, see “Business Trends” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Trends
In 2022, we made the decision to modestly expand our participation in the Individual state- or federally-facilitated marketplaces (the “Public Exchange”) for 2023 after also expanding in 2022. As a result, for 2023 we are offering Individual Public Exchange products in 138 of the 143 rating regions in which we operate, in comparison to 122 of 143 rating regions in 2022. Our strategy has been, and will continue to be, to only participate in rating regions where we have an appropriate level
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of confidence that these markets are on a path toward sustainability, including, but not limited to, factors such as expected financial performance, regulatory environment and underlying market characteristics. Changes to our business environment are likely to continue as elected officials at the national and state levels continue to enact, and both elected officials and candidates for election continue to propose, significant modifications to existing laws and regulations, including changes to taxes and fees. In addition, the continuing growth in our government-sponsored business exposes us to increased regulatory oversight.
Our CarelonRx subsidiary markets and offers PBM services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country, as well as to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive PBM services portfolio includes features such as formulary management, pharmacy networks, a prescription drug database, member services and mail order capabilities. CarelonRx delegates certain PBM administrative functions, such as claims processing and prescription fulfillment, to CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation, pursuant to a five-year agreement that is set to terminate on December 31, 2024. With CarelonRx, we retain the responsibilities for clinical and formulary strategy and development, member and employer experiences, operations, sales, marketing, account management and retail network strategy.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic (including new COVID-19 variants, which may be more contagious or severe, or less responsive to treatment or vaccines) and the impacts it may have on our pricing, such as surges in COVID-19 related hospitalizations, infection rates, the cost of COVID-19 vaccines, testing and treatment and the return of non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization to our estimate of normal levels, based on historical utilization patterns. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Product pricing in our Commercial & Specialty Business segment remains competitive. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) imposed an annual Health Insurance Provider Fee (“HIP Fee”) on health insurers that write certain types of health insurance on U.S. risks. We priced our affected products to cover the impact of the HIP Fee when it was in effect. The HIP Fee was in effect for 2020 but was permanently repealed beginning in 2021.
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by increases in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost increases of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high cost prescription drugs, provider contracting inflation, labor costs and healthcare provider or member fraud.
At its onset, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a decrease in utilization of non-COVID-19 health services, which decreased our claim costs in 2020. As the pandemic continued through 2021, our non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization experience gradually increased and largely normalized, and our COVID-19 related healthcare expenses increased as new variants (Delta and Omicron) emerged and vaccinations and boosters became available.
The Omicron variant increased confirmed COVID-19 cases to significant levels at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. The COVID-19 surge quickly declined during the first quarter of 2022, with COVID-19 inpatient hospitalizations, provider-based tests, visits and vaccinations all decreasing to lower levels by the end of the first half of 2022; concurrently, non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization recovered from lower levels earlier in the year. Omicron sub-variant viruses as well as costs associated with updated bivalent vaccinations drove modest increases in COVID-19 related healthcare expenses in the second half of 2022, but the expected paid claims impact for the second half of 2022 are significantly lower than the winter surge experienced in each of the prior two years. The ongoing cost and volume of covered services related to the COVID-19 pandemic and a future shift of government supplied vaccinations and treatments to privatized, full cost price points may have an adverse effect on our future claim costs. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our medical cost trends.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
With the declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency (“PHE”), the federal and state governments enacted, and may continue to enact, legislation and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that have had, and we expect will continue to have, a significant impact on health benefits, consumer eligibility for public programs and our cash flows for all of our lines of business and which have introduced increased uncertainty around our cost structure. These actions, which are or have been in effect for various durations, provide, among other things: mandates to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing, vaccines and related services; financial support to healthcare providers; and mandates related to prior authorizations, payment levels to providers, consumer enrollment windows and telehealth services. The Biden administration renewed the PHE on January 11, 2023 and has indicated that they intend for the PHE to expire on May 11, 2023.
Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the “2023 Appropriations Act”), Congress decoupled Medicaid eligibility recertification from the PHE. As a result, states may begin removing ineligible beneficiaries from their Medicaid programs starting April 1, 2023. When recertifications resume, we expect a decline in our Medicaid membership. At the same time, we expect growth in our Commercial risk-based and fee-based plans and Medicare, including through the Public Exchanges, as members exiting Medicaid in our 14 Commercial states seek coverage elsewhere.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was signed into law in August 2022, contains a variety of provisions that impact our business including an extension of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021's enhanced Premium Tax Credits (“PTC”) through 2025; imposing a new corporate alternative minimum tax; providing a one percent excise tax on repurchases of stock made after December 31, 2022; allowing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to negotiate prices on a limited set of prescription drugs in Medicare Parts B and D beginning in 2026; instituting caps on insulin cost sharing in Medicare Parts B and D; redesigning of the Medicare Part D benefit; adding a requirement that drug manufacturers pay rebates if prices increase beyond inflation; and delaying the implementation of the Trump Administration Medicare drug rebate rule to 2032. The extension of the enhanced PTC will likely allow for growth in Individual exchange market enrollment as Medicaid eligibility recertifications resume, supporting continuity of coverage for more people.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “2021 Appropriations Act”) has impacted and in the future may have a material effect upon our business, including procedures and coverage requirements related to surprise medical bills and new mandates for continuity of care for certain patients, price comparison tools, disclosure of broker compensation, mental health parity reporting and reporting on pharmacy benefits and drug costs. The requirements of the 2021 Appropriations Act applicable to us have varying effective dates, some of which were effective in December 2021 and during 2022, and others of which have been extended into 2023 since the enactment of the 2021 Appropriations Act.
The health plan price transparency regulations issued in October 2020 by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury required us to begin disclosing in July 2022, on a monthly basis, detailed pricing information regarding negotiated rates for all covered items and services between the plan or issuer and in-network providers and historical payments to, and billed charges from, out-of-network providers. Additionally, beginning in 2023, we are now required to make available to members personalized out-of-pocket cost information and the underlying negotiated rates for 500 covered healthcare items and services, including prescription drugs. In 2024, this requirement will expand to all items and services.
Since its enactment in 2010, the ACA has introduced new risks, regulatory challenges and uncertainties, has impacted our business model and strategy and has required changes in the way our products are designed, underwritten, priced, distributed and administered. We expect the ACA will continue to significantly impact our business and results of operations, including pricing, minimum medical loss ratios and the geographies in which our products are available. We also expect further and ongoing regulatory guidance on a number of issues related to Medicare, including evolving methodology for ratings and quality bonus payments. CMS also frequently proposes changes to its program that audits data submitted under the risk adjustment programs in ways that could increase financial recoveries from plans. We will continue to evaluate the impact of the ACA as any further developments occur.
For additional discussion regarding regulatory trends and uncertainties, and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Part I, Item 1, “Business — Regulation” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
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Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
As mentioned above, we began operating as Elevance Health on June 28, 2022. This name change is intended to better reflect our business and our journey from a traditional health benefits organization to a lifetime, trusted health partner. Elevance Health supports health at every stage, offering health plans and clinical, behavioral, pharmacy and complex-care solutions that promote whole health.
On January 23, 2023, we announced our entrance into an agreement to acquire Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company, d/b/a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, an independent licensee of the BCBSA that provides healthcare plans to the Individual, Group, Medicaid and Medicare markets, primarily in the State of Louisiana. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable, and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the fourth quarter of 2023 and is subject to standard closing conditions and customary approvals.
On November 9, 2022, we announced our entrance into an agreement with CarepathRx Aggregator, LLC to acquire its specialty pharmacy division, which includes BioPlus Parent, LLC (“BioPlus”) and subsidiaries. BioPlus is one of the largest independent specialty pharmacy organizations in the United States and seeks to connect payors and providers of specialty pharmaceuticals to meet the medication therapy needs of patients with complex medical conditions. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve. The acquisition closed on February 15, 2023, and initial purchase accounting has not been finalized.
On May 5, 2022, we completed our acquisition of Integra. Integra is a managed long-term care plan that serves New York state Medicaid members, enabling adults with long-term care needs and disabilities to live safely and independently in their own homes.
On June 29, 2021, we completed our acquisition of MMM, including its Medicare Advantage plan, Medicaid plan and other affiliated companies. MMM is a Puerto Rico-based integrated healthcare organization and seeks to provide its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members with a whole health experience through its network of specialized clinics and wholly owned independent physician associations. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
On April 28, 2021, we completed our acquisition of myNEXUS, Inc. (“myNEXUS”). myNEXUS is a comprehensive home-based nursing management company for payors and, at the time of acquisition, delivered integrated clinical support services for Medicare Advantage members across twenty states. This acquisition aligns with our strategy to manage integrated, whole person multi-site care and support by providing national, large-scale expertise to manage nursing services in the home and facilitate transitions of care.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In 2020, we introduced enterprise-wide initiatives to optimize our business and as a result, recorded a charge of $653 in selling, general and administrative expenses. We believe these initiatives largely represent the next step forward in our progression towards becoming a more agile organization, including process automation and a reduction in our office space footprint. In the fourth quarters of 2022 and 2021, we identified additional office space reductions and related fixed asset impairments due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and recorded net charges of $39 and $202, respectively, in selling, general and administrative expenses. For additional information, see Note 4, “Business Optimization Initiatives” and Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Litigation Matters
In the consolidated multi-district proceeding in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (the “Court”) captioned In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (“BCBSA Litigation”), the BCBSA and Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensees, including us (the “Blue plans”) previously approved a settlement agreement and release with the
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plaintiffs representing a putative nationwide class of health plan subscribers (the “Subscriber Settlement Agreement”), which agreement required the Court’s approval to become effective. Generally, the lawsuits in the BCBSA Litigation challenge elements of the licensing agreements between the BCBSA and the independently owned and operated Blue plans. The cases were brought by two putative nationwide classes of plaintiffs, health plan subscribers and providers. The Subscriber Settlement Agreement applies only to the subscriber class. The defendants continue to contest the consolidated cases brought by the provider plaintiffs.
In August 2022, the Court issued a final order approving the Subscriber Settlement Agreement (the “Final Approval Order”). In compliance with the Subscriber Settlement Agreement, the Company paid $506 into an escrow account in September 2022, for an aggregate and full settlement payment by the Company of $596, which was previously accrued in 2020. Four notices of appeal of the Final Approval Order were filed by the September 2022 appeal deadline. Those appeals are proceeding in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In the event all appellate rights are exhausted in a manner that affirms the Court’s Final Approval Order, the defendants’ payment and non-monetary obligations under the Subscriber Settlement Agreement will become effective and the funds held in escrow will be distributed in accordance with the Subscriber Settlement Agreement. For additional information regarding the BCBSA Litigation, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings – Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Selected Operating Performance
During the year ended December 31, 2022, total medical membership increased by 2.2 million, or 4.8%. The increase in medical membership was driven primarily by organic growth in our Government Business segment primarily driven by the continued temporary suspension of Medicaid eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as organic growth in our Commercial & Specialty Business segment, and in particular in our Group fee-based membership.
Operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $155,660, an increase of $18,717, or 13.7%, from the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in operating revenue was primarily driven by higher premium revenue in our Medicaid business due to organic membership growth from the continued temporary suspension of Medicaid eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic, the acquisition of Integra in the second quarter of 2022 and the acquisition of Ohio Medicaid members through the purchase of a Medicaid contract in the first quarter of 2022. Membership growth in our Medicare Advantage and Commercial & Specialty Business risk-based businesses, as well as premium rate increases to cover medical cost trends, also generated higher premium revenue. Finally, the increase in operating revenue was further attributable to increased pharmacy product revenue in our CarelonRx segment, resulting from growth in membership and higher script volume.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $6,019, a decrease of $76, or 1.2%, from the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in net income was primarily due to realized losses on financial instruments in 2022, as compared to gains in 2021, and increased intangible amortization in 2022 related to recent acquisitions and the rebranding of our products, as we expect to retire certain trade names in the future. These items were partially offset by operating gain increases in all of our business segments.
Our fully-diluted shareholders' earnings per share (“EPS”) for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $24.81, an increase of $0.08, or 0.3%, from the year ended December 31, 2021. Our diluted shares for the year ended December 31, 2022 were 242.8, a decrease of 4.0, or 1.6%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in EPS resulted from lower average shares outstanding in 2022, partially offset by the decrease in net income.
Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $8,399, or approximately 1.4 times net income. Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $8,364, or approximately 1.4 times net income. The slight increase in operating cash flow was primarily due to higher net income in 2022, when adjusted for the impact of investment losses and gains, partially offset by the timing of working capital changes and the payment pursuant to the Subscriber Settlement Agreement made in September 2022.
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Membership
Our medical membership includes the following customer types: Individual, Group risk-based, Group fee-based, BlueCard®, Medicare, Medicaid and our Federal Employees Health Benefits (“FEHB”) Program. We refer to members in our service areas licensed by the BCBSA as our BCBS-branded, or Anthem BCBS, business. Non-BCBS-branded business refers to members in our non-BCBS-branded, or Wellpoint plans, which include Amerigroup, Freedom Health, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum Healthcare and Simply Healthcare plans, as well as HealthLink and UniCare members. In addition to the above medical membership, we also serve customers who purchase one or more of our other products or services that are often ancillary to our health business.
•Individual consists of individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Individual policies are generally sold through independent agents and brokers, retail partnerships, our in-house sales force or via the Public Exchanges. Individual business is sold on a risk-based basis. We offer on-exchange products through Public Exchanges and off-exchange products. Federal premium subsidies are available only for certain Public Exchange Individual products. Unsubsidized Individual customers are generally more sensitive to product pricing and, to a lesser extent, the configuration of the network and the efficiency of administration. Customer turnover is generally higher with Individual as compared to Group risk-based. Individual business accounted for 1.7%, 1.7% and 1.6% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•Group risk-based consists of employer customers who purchase products on a full-risk basis, which are products for which we charge a premium and indemnify our policyholders against costs for health benefits. Group risk-based accounts include Local Group customers and National Accounts. Local Group consists of those employer customers with less than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state, as well as customers with more than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state with up to 5,000 eligible employees. In addition, Local Group includes Student Health members. National Accounts generally consist of multi-state employer groups primarily headquartered in an Elevance Health service area with at least 5% of the eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state and with more than 5,000 eligible employees. Some exceptions are allowed based on broker and consultant relationships. Group risk-based accounts are generally sold through brokers or consultants who work with industry specialists from our in-house sales force and are offered both on and off the Public Exchanges. Group risk-based accounted for 8.4%, 8.8% and 8.9% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•Group fee-based customers represent employer groups, Local Group, including UniCare members, and National Accounts, who purchase fee-based products and elect to retain most or all of the financial risk associated with their employees’ healthcare costs. Some fee-based customers choose to purchase stop loss coverage to limit their retained risk. Group fee-based accounts are generally sold through independent brokers or consultants retained by the customer working with our in-house sales force. Group fee-based accounted for 42.4%, 42.7% and 45.5% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•BlueCard® host customers represent enrollees of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans not owned by Elevance Health who receive healthcare services in our BCBSA licensed markets. BlueCard® membership consists of estimated host members using the national BlueCard® program. Host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which an Elevance Health subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer-sponsored health plan issued by a non-Elevance Health controlled BCBSA licensee (the “home plan”). We perform certain functions, including claims pricing and administration, for BlueCard® members, for which we receive administrative fees from the BlueCard® members’ home plans. Other administrative functions, including maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. Host members are computed using, among other things, the average number of BlueCard® claims received per month. BlueCard® host membership accounted for 13.6%, 13.6% and 14.1% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•Medicare customers are Medicare-eligible individual members age 65 and over who have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans (“SNPs”), also known as Medicare Advantage SNPs; dual-eligible programs through Medicare-Medicaid Plans (“MMPs”); Medicare Supplement plans; and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (“Medicare Part D”). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, our
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Medicare Advantage SNPs provide tailored benefits to special needs individuals who are institutionalized or have severe or disabling chronic conditions and to dual-eligible customers, who are low-income seniors and persons under age 65 with disabilities. Medicare Advantage SNPs are coordinated care plans specifically designed to provide targeted care, covering all the healthcare services considered medically necessary for members and often providing professional care coordination services, with personal guidance and programs that help members maintain their health. Medicare Advantage membership also includes Medicare Advantage members in our Group Retiree Solutions business who are retired members of Commercial accounts or retired members of groups who are not affiliated with our Commercial accounts who have selected a Medicare Advantage product through us. Medicare Supplement plans typically pay the difference between healthcare costs incurred by a beneficiary and amounts paid by Medicare. Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and MMP beneficiaries. MMP, which was established as a result of the passage of the ACA, is a demonstration program focused on serving members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage products are marketed in the same manner, primarily through independent agents and brokers. Medicare program business accounted for 6.2%, 6.2% and 5.5% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•Medicaid membership represents eligible members who receive health benefits through publicly funded healthcare programs, including Medicaid, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and specialty programs such as those focused on long-term services and support, HIV/AIDS, foster care, behavioral health and/or substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, among others. Total Medicaid program business accounted for 24.3%, 23.4% and 20.6% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
•FEHB members consist of United States government employees and their dependents who receive health benefits within our geographic markets through our participation in the national contract between the BCBSA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FEHB business accounted for 3.4%, 3.6% and 3.8% of our medical members at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
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The following table presents our medical membership by reportable segment and customer type as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. Also included below is other membership by product. The medical membership and other membership presented are unaudited and in certain instances include estimates of the number of members represented by each contract at the end of the period.
| December 31 | 2022 vs. 2021 | 2021 vs. 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | Change | % Change | Change | % Change | |||||||||||||
| Medical Membership | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual | 789 | 759 | 680 | 30 | 4.0 | % | 79 | 11.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Group Risk-Based | 3,988 | 4,006 | 3,799 | (18) | (0.4) | % | 207 | 5.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 4,777 | 4,765 | 4,479 | 12 | 0.3 | % | 286 | 6.4 | % | |||||||||||
| BlueCard® | 6,462 | 6,178 | 6,059 | 284 | 4.6 | % | 119 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Group Fee-Based | 20,174 | 19,395 | 19,551 | 779 | 4.0 | % | (156) | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 26,636 | 25,573 | 25,610 | 1,063 | 4.2 | % | (37) | (0.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Total Commercial & Specialty Business | 31,413 | 30,338 | 30,089 | 1,075 | 3.5 | % | 249 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Government Business: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 1,977 | 1,859 | 1,428 | 118 | 6.3 | % | 431 | 30.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 947 | 952 | 933 | (5) | (0.5) | % | 19 | 2.0 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 2,924 | 2,811 | 2,361 | 113 | 4.0 | % | 450 | 19.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicaid | 11,571 | 10,600 | 8,852 | 971 | 9.2 | % | 1,748 | 19.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Federal Employees Health Benefits | 1,623 | 1,625 | 1,623 | (2) | (0.1) | % | 2 | 0.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Government Business | 16,118 | 15,036 | 12,836 | 1,082 | 7.2 | % | 2,200 | 17.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 47,531 | 45,374 | 42,925 | 2,157 | 4.8 | % | 2,449 | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Other Membership | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Life and Disability Members | 4,834 | 4,782 | 5,064 | 52 | 1.1 | % | (282) | (5.6) | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Members | 6,692 | 6,674 | 6,385 | 18 | 0.3 | % | 289 | 4.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,586 | 1,491 | 1,316 | 95 | 6.4 | % | 175 | 13.3 | % | |||||||||||
| Vision Members | 9,813 | 8,031 | 7,536 | 1,782 | 22.2 | % | 495 | 6.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 271 | 438 | 413 | (167) | (38.1) | % | 25 | 6.1 | % |
December 31, 2022 Compared to December 31, 2021
Medical Membership
Total medical membership increased in both our Government Business and Commercial & Specialty Business segments primarily due to organic growth. Our Government Business segment’s organic growth was primarily driven by the continued temporary suspension of Medicaid eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Medicaid membership was positively impacted by the acquisition of Ohio Medicaid members through the purchase of a Medicaid contract in the first quarter of 2022 and the acquisition of Integra in the second quarter of 2022. Medicare Advantage organic growth due to sales exceeding lapses also contributed to the overall Government Business segment growth. Our Commercial & Specialty Business segment growth included Group fee-based membership increases due to sales exceeding lapses and positive in-group changes. BlueCard® membership increased due to membership activity at other BCBSA plans whose members reside in or travel to our licensed areas. Individual membership increased due to our Public Exchange expansion in 2022.
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Other Membership
Our other membership can be impacted by changes in our medical membership, as our medical members often purchase our other products that are ancillary to our health business. Life and disability membership increased primarily due to new sales of disability products, partially offset by declines in our life membership. Dental membership increased primarily due to new sales in our Group risk-based accounts and penetration increases in our FEHB program, partially offset by the loss of a significant Group fee-based account. Dental administration membership increased primarily due to increased sales to other BCBS plans associated with the FEHB program. Vision membership increased primarily due to the launch of a new entry-level vision product in our Group markets. Medicare Part D Standalone membership declined as we discontinued certain legacy products.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other information for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2022 vs. 2021 | 2021 vs. 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 155,660 | $ | 136,943 | $ | 120,808 | $ | 18,717 | 13.7 | % | $ | 16,135 | 13.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Net investment income | 1,485 | 1,378 | 877 | 107 | 7.8 | % | 501 | 57.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net (losses) gains on financial instruments | (550) | 318 | 182 | (868) | (273.0) | % | 136 | 74.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 156,595 | 138,639 | 121,867 | 17,956 | 13.0 | % | 16,772 | 13.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 116,487 | 102,645 | 88,045 | 13,842 | 13.5 | % | 14,600 | 16.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 13,035 | 10,895 | 8,953 | 2,140 | 19.6 | % | 1,942 | 21.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 17,686 | 15,914 | 17,450 | 1,772 | 11.1 | % | (1,536) | (8.8) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other expense1 | 1,618 | 1,260 | 1,181 | 358 | 28.4 | % | 79 | 6.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 148,826 | 130,714 | 115,629 | 18,112 | 13.9 | % | 15,085 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 7,769 | 7,925 | 6,238 | (156) | (2.0) | % | 1,687 | 27.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,750 | 1,830 | 1,666 | (80) | (4.4) | % | 164 | 9.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 6,019 | 6,095 | 4,572 | (76) | (1.2) | % | 1,523 | 33.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | 6 | 9 | — | (3) | (33.3) | % | 9 | — | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income | $ | 6,025 | $ | 6,104 | $ | 4,572 | $ | (79) | (1.3) | % | $ | 1,532 | 33.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 242.8 | 246.8 | 254.3 | (4.0) | (1.6) | % | (7.5) | (2.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders' net income per share | $ | 24.81 | $ | 24.73 | $ | 17.98 | $ | 0.08 | 0.3 | % | $ | 6.75 | 37.5 | % | |||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 22.5 | % | 23.1 | % | 26.7 | % | (60)bp3 | (360)bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense ratio2 | 87.4 | % | 87.5 | % | 84.6 | % | (10)bp3 | 290bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense ratio4 | 11.4 | % | 11.6 | % | 14.4 | % | (20)bp3 | (280)bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 5.0 | % | 5.7 | % | 5.1 | % | (70)bp3 | 60bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income as a percentage of total revenues | 3.8 | % | 4.4 | % | 3.8 | % | (60)bp3 | 60bp3 |
Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes interest expense, amortization of other intangible assets and loss on extinguishment of debt.
2Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $133,229, $117,373 and $104,109, respectively. Premiums are included in total operating revenue presented above.
3bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4Selling, general and administrative expense ratio represents selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
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Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium revenue in our Medicaid business due to organic membership growth from the continued temporary suspension of Medicaid eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic, the acquisition of Integra in the second quarter of 2022 and the acquisition of Ohio Medicaid members through the purchase of a Medicaid contract in the first quarter of 2022. Membership growth in our Medicare Advantage and our Commercial & Specialty Business risk-based businesses, as well as premium rate increases to cover medical cost trends also generated higher premium revenue. Finally, the increase in operating revenue was further attributable to increased pharmacy product revenue in our CarelonRx segment, resulting from growth in membership and higher script volume.
Net investment income increased primarily due to higher income from fixed maturity securities, partially offset by reduced investment income from alternative investments.
We had net losses on financial instruments in 2022, as compared to net gains in 2021, as a result of increased net losses on the sale of fixed maturity securities, reduced gains on the sale of equity securities and lower net gains on other invested assets. These losses were partially offset by lower mark-to-market losses on equity securities still held.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to healthcare costs associated with organic membership growth in our Medicaid and Medicare businesses and the acquisition of MMM in the second quarter of 2021. Membership growth and higher healthcare costs in our Commercial risk-based business, the acquisition of Integra in the second quarter of 2022 and the acquisition of Ohio Medicaid members through the purchase of a Medicaid contract in the first quarter of 2022 also contributed to higher benefit expense.
Our benefit expense ratio decreased slightly primarily due to the realignment during 2022 of certain quality improvement costs, from benefit expenses to administrative expenses, due to regulatory clarification. This decline was partially offset by the impact of continued membership increases in our Government Business segment, which has a higher benefit expense ratio than our Commercial & Specialty Business segment.
Cost of products sold reflects the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by CarelonRx for our unaffiliated PBM customers. Cost of products sold increased as the corresponding pharmacy product revenues increased.
Selling, general and administrative expense increased primarily due to increased costs to support membership growth and from our acquisitions, partially offset by lower business optimization charges in 2022 as compared to 2021.
Our selling, general and administrative expense ratio decreased primarily due to operating revenue growth in 2022 and lower business optimization charges in 2022 as compared to 2021, partially offset by increased costs to support membership growth and the impact of the realignment of certain quality improvement costs described above.
Other expense increased primarily due to additional amortization of intangible assets related to recent acquisitions and the rebranding of our products. The amortization period of certain intangible assets was shortened to align with anticipated dates the new branding will take place. In addition, certain indefinite-lived intangible assets have been reclassified as definite-lived, and therefore, are now being amortized. For additional information regarding intangible asset amortization, see Note 10, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets" of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our effective income tax rate decreased primarily due to the impact of geographic changes in our mix of earnings in 2022.
Our shareholders' net income as a percentage of total revenues decreased in 2022 as compared to 2021 as a result of all the factors discussed above.
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Reportable Segments Results of Operations
The following table presents a summary of our reportable segment financial information for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2022 vs. 2021 | 2021 vs. 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business | $ | 41,674 | $ | 38,809 | $ | 36,699 | $ | 2,865 | 7.4 | % | $ | 2,110 | 5.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Government Business | 96,810 | 82,919 | 71,572 | 13,891 | 16.8 | % | 11,347 | 15.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 28,526 | 25,431 | 21,911 | 3,095 | 12.2 | % | 3,520 | 16.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other | 13,294 | 10,250 | 6,057 | 3,044 | 29.7 | % | 4,193 | 69.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (24,644) | (20,466) | (15,431) | (4,178) | 20.4 | % | (5,035) | 32.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 155,660 | $ | 136,943 | $ | 120,808 | $ | 18,717 | 13.7 | % | $ | 16,135 | 13.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business1 | $ | 2,933 | $ | 2,753 | $ | 2,681 | $ | 180 | 6.5 | % | $ | 72 | 2.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Government Business2 | 3,297 | 3,061 | 2,444 | 236 | 7.7 | % | 617 | 25.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx3 | 1,868 | 1,684 | 1,361 | 184 | 10.9 | % | 323 | 23.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other4 | 354 | (9) | (126) | 363 | NM | 117 | NM | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business | 7.0 | % | 7.1 | % | 7.3 | % | (10)bp5 | (20)bp5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Government Business | 3.4 | % | 3.7 | % | 3.4 | % | (30)bp5 | 30bp5 | |||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 6.5 | % | 6.6 | % | 6.2 | % | (10)bp5 | 40bp5 |
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes expenses of $20 for business optimization initiatives in 2022; $106 for business optimization initiatives in 2021; $311 for business optimization initiatives and $524 for the BCBSA Litigation in 2020.
2 Includes expenses of $16 for business optimization initiatives in 2022; $47 for business optimization initiatives in 2021; $205 for business optimization initiatives and $24 for the BCBSA Litigation in 2020.
3 Includes expenses of $2 for business optimization initiatives in 2021; $4 for business optimization initiatives in 2020.
4 Includes expenses of $3 for business optimization initiatives in 2022; $32 for business optimization initiatives in 2021; $133 for business optimization initiatives in 2020.
5 bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Commercial & Specialty Business
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher premiums in our Commercial risk-based business due to membership growth, premium rate increases in our Commercial risk-based business to cover medical cost trends and increased administrative fees in our Commercial fee-based business.
The increase in operating gain was primarily due to improved medical underwriting performance in our Commercial risk-based business and reduced business optimization charges in 2022 as compared to 2021. These items were partially offset by increased costs to support membership growth.
Government Business
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher premium revenue in our Medicaid business, including due to organic membership growth from the continued temporary suspension of Medicaid eligibility recertification during the
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COVID-19 pandemic, the acquisition of MMM at the end of the second quarter of 2021, the acquisition of Integra during the second quarter of 2022 and the acquisition of Ohio Medicaid members through the purchase of a Medicaid contract in the first quarter of 2022. Membership growth and premium rate increases to cover medical cost trends in our Medicare Advantage business also contributed to higher premium revenue.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by premium rate increases to cover medical cost trends in our Medicare business, organic membership growth in our Medicaid business from the continued suspension of eligibility recertifications during the COVID-19 pandemic and the acquisition of MMM in the second quarter of 2021. These increases were partially offset by additional administrative spend to support the growth in our Government business.
CarelonRx
Operating revenue increased as a result of growth in membership and higher script volume.
The increase in operating gain was primarily a result of higher script volume, driven by growth in integrated medical and pharmacy members in 2022 and favorable out-of-period adjustments to fee-based revenue in the second half of 2022.
Other
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher revenue for expanded services performed by Carelon Services for our Commercial & Specialty Business segment in 2022 and the acquisition of myNEXUS in the second quarter of 2021. These increases were partially offset by the reduction of external revenue due to the loss of a behavioral health contract in 2022.
The increase in operating gain was driven by improved performance in Carelon Services, the acquisition of myNEXUS in the second quarter of 2021, and a decline in unallocated corporate expenses in 2022.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to liabilities for medical claims payable, income taxes, goodwill and other intangible assets, investments and retirement benefits, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment, and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Medical Claims Payable
The most subjective accounting estimate in our consolidated financial statements is our liability for medical claims payable. At December 31, 2022, this liability was $15,596 and represented 23% of our total consolidated liabilities. We record this liability and the corresponding benefit expense for incurred but not paid claims, including the estimated costs of processing such claims. Incurred but not paid claims include (1) an estimate for claims that are incurred but not reported, as well as claims reported to us but not yet processed through our systems, which approximated 94%, or $14,736, of our total medical claims liability as of December 31, 2022; and (2) claims reported to us and processed through our systems but not yet paid, which approximated 6%, or $860, of the total medical claims payable as of December 31, 2022. The level of claims payable processed through our systems but not yet paid may fluctuate from one period-end to the next, from approximately 1% to 6% of our total medical claims liability, due to timing of when claim payments are made.
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Liabilities for both claims incurred but not reported and reported but not yet processed through our systems are determined in the aggregate, employing actuarial methods that are commonly used by health insurance actuaries and meet Actuarial Standards of Practice. Our reserving practice for claim liabilities is to consistently recognize the appropriate amount of reserve within a level of confidence required by Actuarial Standards of Practice. We determine the amount of the liability for incurred but not paid claims by following a detailed actuarial process that uses both historical claim payment patterns as well as emerging medical cost trends to project our best estimate of claim liabilities. Under this process, historical paid claims data is formatted into “claim triangles,” which compare claim incurred dates to the dates of claim payments. This information is analyzed to create “completion factors” that represent the average percentage of total incurred claims that have been paid through a given date after being incurred. Completion factors are applied to claims paid through the period-end date to estimate the ultimate claim expense incurred for the period. Actuarial estimates of incurred but not paid claim liabilities are then determined by subtracting the actual paid claims from the estimate of the ultimate incurred claims.
For the most recent incurred months (typically the most recent two months), the percentage of claims paid for claims incurred in those months is generally low. This makes the completion factor methodology less reliable for such months. Therefore, incurred claims for recent months are not projected from historical completion and payment patterns; rather, they are projected by estimating the claims expense for those months based on recent claims expense levels and healthcare trend levels (“trend factors”).
Because the reserve methodology is based upon historical information, it must be adjusted for known or suspected operational and environmental changes. These adjustments are made by our actuaries based on their knowledge and their estimate of emerging impacts to benefit costs and payment speed. Circumstances to be considered in developing our best estimate of reserves include changes in utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing patterns, claim submission patterns and operational changes resulting from business combinations. A comparison of prior period liabilities to re-estimated claim liabilities based on subsequent claims development is also considered in making the liability determination. In our comparison to prior periods, the methods and assumptions are not changed as reserves are recalculated; rather, the availability of additional paid claims information drives changes in the re-estimate of the unpaid claim liability. To the extent appropriate, changes in such development are recorded as a change to current period benefit expense. We had increased estimation uncertainty on our incurred but not reported liability at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. Slowdowns in claims submission patterns and increases in utilization levels for COVID-19 testing and treatment are the primary factors that lead to the increased estimation uncertainty.
We regularly review and set assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization when initially establishing claim liabilities. We continually monitor and adjust the claims liability and benefit expense based on subsequent paid claims activity. If it is determined that our assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization are materially different than actual results, our income statement and financial position could be impacted in future periods. Adjustments of prior year estimates may result in additional benefit expense or a reduction of benefit expense in the period an adjustment is made. Further, due to the considerable variability of healthcare costs, adjustments to claim liabilities occur each period and are sometimes significant as compared to the net income recorded in that period. Prior period development is recognized immediately upon the actuary’s judgment that a portion of the prior period liability is no longer needed or that an additional liability should have been accrued. That determination is made when sufficient information is available to ascertain that the re-estimate of the liability is reasonable.
Although there are many factors that are used as a part of the estimation of our medical claims payable liability, the two key assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid claims liability as of December 31, 2022 were the completion and trend factors. As discussed above, these two key assumptions can be influenced by utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing patterns, claim submission patterns and operational changes resulting from business combinations.
There is variation in the reasonable choice of completion factors by duration for durations of three months through twelve months where the completion factors have the most significant impact. As previously discussed, completion factors tend to be less reliable for the most recent months and therefore are not specifically utilized for months one and two. In our analysis for the claim liabilities at December 31, 2022, the variability in months three to five was estimated to be between 40
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and 90 basis points, while months six through twelve have much lower estimated variability ranging from 0 to 30 basis points.
The difference in completion factor assumptions results in variability of 2%, or approximately $266, in the December 31, 2022 incurred but not paid claims liability, depending on the completion factors chosen. It is important to note that the completion factor methodology inherently assumes that historical completion rates will be reflective of the current period. However, it is possible that the actual completion rates for the current period will develop differently from historical patterns and therefore could fall outside the possible variations described herein.
The other major assumption used in the establishment of the December 31, 2022 incurred but not paid claim liability was the trend factors. In our analysis for the period ended December 31, 2022, there was a 310 basis point differential in the high and low trend factors. This range of trend factors would imply variability of 3%, or approximately $522, in the incurred but not paid claims liability, depending upon the trend factors used. Because historical trend factors are often not representative of current claim trends, the trend experience for the most recent six to nine months, plus knowledge of recent events likely affecting current trends, have been taken into consideration in establishing the incurred but not paid claims liability at December 31, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on claim costs for recent dates of service, which could have an influence on our trend factors. We will continue to monitor emerging experience in order to better understand the possible implications to our reserves.
See Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. Components of the total incurred claims for each year include amounts accrued for current year estimated claims expense as well as adjustments to prior year estimated accruals. In Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” the line labeled “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” accounts for those adjustments made to prior year estimates. The impact of any reduction of “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” may be offset as we establish the estimate of “Net incurred medical claims: Current year.” Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for our claims. When we recognize a release of the redundancy, we disclose the amount that is not in the ordinary course of business, if material.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 87.3% for 2022, 87.8% for 2021 and 87.7% for 2020. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby 2022 claims were processed at a slightly slower speed than 2021 and 2020.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current year in order to demonstrate the development of the prior year reserves. For the year ended December 31, 2022, this metric was 7.0%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, this metric was 18.1%, reflecting the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19 at the end of 2020, and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2020 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this metric was 8.0%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2019 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2019.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred medical claims to indicate the percentage of redundancy included in the preceding year calculation of current year net incurred medical claims. We believe this calculation supports the reasonableness of our prior year estimate of incurred medical claims and the consistency in our methodology. For the year ended December 31, 2022, this metric was 0.9%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $869. This metric was 2.0% for 2021 and 0.8% for 2020. We believe these metrics support the reasonableness of our estimates. The 2021 metric was impacted by the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19.
The following table shows the variance between total net incurred medical claims as reported in Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for each of 2021 and 2020 and the incurred claims for such years had it been determined retrospectively (computed as
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the difference between “net incurred medical claims – current year” for the year shown and “net incurred medical claims – prior years redundancies” for the immediately following year):
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Total net incurred medical claims, as reported | $ | 98,737 | $ | 84,457 | ||
| Retrospective basis, as described above | 99,571 | 83,391 | ||||
| Variance | $ | (834) | $ | 1,066 | ||
| Variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported | (0.8) | % | 1.3 | % |
Given that our business is primarily short tailed (which means that medical claims are generally paid within twelve months of the member receiving service from the provider), the variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported above, is used to assess the reasonableness of our estimate of ultimate incurred medical claims for a given calendar year with the benefit of one year of experience. We expect that substantially all of the development of the 2022 estimate of medical claims payable will be known during 2023.
The 2021 variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported of (0.8)% was less than the 2020 percentage of 1.3%. This was primarily driven by the fact that the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2021 as compared to 2020 was less than the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2020 as compared to 2019.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance, which requires, among other things, the separate recognition of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. Such deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities represent the tax effect of temporary differences between financial reporting and tax reporting measured at tax rates enacted at the time the deferred tax asset or liability is recorded. A valuation allowance must be established for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion may be unrealized. Our judgment is required in determining an appropriate valuation allowance.
At each financial reporting date, we assess the adequacy of the valuation allowance by evaluating each of our deferred tax assets based on the following:
•the types of temporary differences that created the deferred tax asset;
•the amount of taxes paid in prior periods and available for a carry-back claim;
•the tax rate at which the deferred tax assets will likely be utilized in the future;
•the forecasted future taxable income, and therefore, likely future deduction of the deferred tax item;
•the implementation of tax planning strategies to recover those deferred tax assets; and
•any significant other issues impacting the likely realization of the benefit of the temporary differences.
Although realization is not assured, we believe it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized.
We, like other companies, frequently face challenges from tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include questions regarding the timing and amount of deductions that we have taken on our tax returns. In evaluating any additional tax liability associated with various positions taken in our tax return filings, we record additional liabilities for potential adverse tax outcomes. Based on our evaluation of our tax positions, we believe we have appropriately accrued for uncertain tax benefits, as required by the applicable guidance. To the extent we prevail in matters we have accrued for, our future effective tax rate would be reduced and net income would increase. If we are required to pay more than accrued, our future effective tax rate would increase and net income would decrease. Our effective tax rate and net income in any given future period could be materially impacted.
In the ordinary course of business, we are regularly audited by federal and other tax authorities, and from time to time, these audits result in proposed assessments. We believe our tax positions comply with applicable tax law, and we intend to defend our positions vigorously through the federal, state and local, and foreign appeals processes. We believe we have
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adequately provided for any reasonably foreseeable outcome related to these matters. Accordingly, although their ultimate resolution may require additional tax payments, we do not anticipate any material impact on our results of operations or financial condition from these matters.
For additional information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Our consolidated goodwill at December 31, 2022 was $24,383 and other intangible assets were $10,315. The sum of goodwill and other intangible assets represented 33.8% of our total consolidated assets and 95.6% of our consolidated shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2022.
We follow FASB guidance for business combinations and goodwill and other intangible assets, which specifies the types of acquired intangible assets that are required to be recognized and reported separately from goodwill. Under the guidance, goodwill and other intangible assets (with indefinite lives) are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, goodwill and other intangible assets are allocated to reporting units for purposes of the annual impairment test. Our impairment tests require us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, which include goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately.
We complete our annual impairment tests of existing goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives during the fourth quarter of each year. These tests involve the use of estimates related to the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, and require a significant degree of management judgment and the use of subjective assumptions. Certain interim impairment tests are also performed when potential impairment indicators exist or changes in our business or other triggering events occur. We have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, which is an indication that our goodwill may be impaired. These qualitative impairment tests include assessing events and factors that could affect the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our procedures include assessing our financial performance, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, various asset specific factors and entity specific events. If we determine that a reporting unit’s goodwill may be impaired after utilizing these qualitative impairment analysis procedures, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
Our quantitative impairment test utilizes the projected income and market valuation approaches for goodwill and the projected income approach for our indefinite lived intangible assets. Use of the projected income and market valuation approaches for our goodwill impairment test reflects our view that both valuation methodologies provide a reasonable estimate of fair value. The projected income approach is developed using assumptions about future revenue, expenses and net income derived from our internal planning process. These estimated future cash flows are then discounted. Our assumed discount rate is based on our industry’s weighted-average cost of capital. Market valuations are based on observed multiples of certain measures including revenue; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; and book value of invested capital (debt and equity) and include market comparisons to publicly traded companies in our industry.
We did not incur any impairment losses as a result of our 2022 annual impairment tests, as it was determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair values of our reporting units were substantially in excess of the carrying values as of December 31, 2022. Additionally, we do not believe that the estimated fair values of our reporting units are at risk of becoming impaired in the next twelve months.
If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives in future annual impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Investments
Current and long-term marketable investment securities were $27,657 at December 31, 2022 and represented 26.9% of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2022. We classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” and report those securities at fair value. Certain fixed maturity securities are available to support current operations and, accordingly, we classify such investments as current assets without regard to their contractual maturity. Investments used to satisfy contractual, regulatory or other requirements are classified as long-term, without regard to contractual maturity.
Our impairment review is subjective and requires a high degree of judgment. We conduct this review on a quarterly basis, using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Such factors considered include the extent to which a security’s market value has been less than its cost, the reasons for the decline in value (i.e., credit event compared to liquidity, general credit spread widening, currency exchange rate or interest rate factors), financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, including the credit ratings and changes in the credit ratings of the issuer, recommendations of investment advisors, and forecasts of economic, market or industry trends.
If a fixed maturity security is in an unrealized loss position and we have the intent to sell the fixed maturity security, or it is more likely than not that we will have to sell the fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, we write down the fixed maturity security’s cost basis to fair value and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. For impaired fixed maturity securities that we do not intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that we will not have to sell such securities, but we expect that we will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, we recognize the credit component of the impairment as an allowance for credit loss in our consolidated balance sheets and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. The non-credit component of the impairment is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. Furthermore, unrealized losses entirely caused by non-credit-related factors related to fixed maturity securities for which we expect to fully recover the amortized cost basis continue to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income.
The credit component of an impairment is determined primarily by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. The net present value is calculated by discounting our best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security at the date of purchase. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates are based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral, including prepayment speeds, vintage, type of underlying asset, geographic concentrations, default rates, recoveries and changes in value. For all other securities, cash flow estimates are driven by assumptions regarding probability of default, including changes in credit ratings and estimates regarding timing and amount of recoveries associated with a default.
We have a committee of accounting and investment associates and management that is responsible for managing the impairment review process. We believe that we have adequately reviewed our investment securities for impairment and that our investment securities are carried at fair value. We have established an allowance for credit loss and recorded credit loss expense as a reflection of our expected impairment losses. Given the inherent uncertainty of changes in market conditions and the significant judgments involved, there is continuing risk that declines in fair value may occur and additional impairment losses on investments may be recorded in future periods.
In addition to marketable investment securities, we held additional long-term investments of $5,685, or 5.5% of total consolidated assets, at December 31, 2022. These long-term investments consisted primarily of certain other equity investments, the cash surrender value of corporate-owned life insurance policies and mortgage loans. Due to their less liquid nature, these investments are classified as long-term.
Through our investing activities, we are exposed to financial market risks, including those resulting from changes in interest rates and changes in equity market valuations. We manage market risks through our investment policy, which establishes credit quality limits and limits on investments in individual issuers. Ineffective management of these risks could have an impact on our future results of operations and financial condition. Our investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $26,704 at December 31, 2022. The weighted-average credit rating of these securities was “A” as of December 31, 2022. Included in this balance are investments in fixed maturity securities of states, municipalities and political subdivisions of $890 that are guaranteed by third parties. With the exception of 16 securities with a fair value of $9,
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these securities are all investment-grade and carry a weighted-average credit rating of “AA” as of December 31, 2022. The securities are guaranteed by a number of different guarantors, and we do not have any material exposure to any single guarantor, neither indirectly through the guarantees, nor directly through investment in the guarantor. Further, due to the high underlying credit rating of the issuers, the weighted-average credit rating of the fixed maturity securities without a guarantee, for which such information is available, was “A” as of December 31, 2022.
Fair values of fixed maturity and equity securities are based on quoted market prices, where available. These fair values are obtained primarily from third-party pricing services, which generally use Level I or Level II inputs for the determination of fair value in accordance with FASB guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures. We have controls in place to review the pricing services’ qualifications and procedures used to determine fair values. In addition, we periodically review the pricing services’ pricing methodologies, data sources and pricing inputs to ensure the fair values obtained are reasonable.
We obtain quoted market prices for each security from the pricing services, which are derived through recently reported trades for identical or similar securities, making adjustments through the reporting date based upon available market observable information. For securities not actively traded, the pricing services may use quoted market prices of comparable instruments or discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating inputs that are currently observable in the markets for similar securities. Inputs that are often used in these valuation methodologies include, but are not limited to, broker quotes, benchmark yields, credit spreads, default rates and prepayment speeds. As we are responsible for the determination of fair value, we perform analysis on the prices received from the pricing services to determine whether the prices are reasonable estimates of fair value. Our analysis includes procedures such as a review of month-to-month price fluctuations and price comparisons to secondary pricing services. There were no adjustments to quoted market prices obtained from the pricing services during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to derive pricing model inputs from observable market activity, and therefore, such inputs are estimated internally. Such securities are designated Level III in accordance with FASB guidance. Securities designated Level III at December 31, 2022 totaled $581 and represented approximately 1.7% of our total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Our Level III securities primarily consisted of certain corporate securities and equity securities for which observable inputs were not always available and the fair values of these securities were estimated using inputs including, but not limited to, prepayment speeds, credit spreads, default rates and benchmark yields.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk,” and Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 5, “Investments,” and Note 7, “Fair Value,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Retirement Benefits
Pension Benefits
We sponsor defined benefit pension plans for some of our employees. These plans are accounted for in accordance with FASB guidance for retirement benefits, which requires that amounts recognized in financial statements be determined on an actuarial basis. As permitted by the guidance, we calculate the value of plan assets as described below. Further, the difference between our expected rate of return and the actual performance of plan assets, as well as certain changes in pension liabilities, are amortized over future periods.
An important factor in determining our pension expense is the assumption for expected long-term return on plan assets. As of our December 31, 2022 measurement date, we selected a weighted-average long-term rate of return on plan assets of 6.58%. We use a total portfolio return analysis in the development of our assumption. Factors such as past market performance, the long-term relationship between fixed maturity and equity securities, interest rates, inflation and asset allocations are considered in the assumption. The assumption includes an estimate of the additional return expected from active management of the investment portfolio. Peer data and an average of historical returns are also reviewed for appropriateness of the selected assumption. We believe our assumption of future returns is reasonable. However, if we lower our expected long-term return on plan assets, future contributions to the pension plan and pension expense would likely increase.
This assumed long-term rate of return on assets is applied to a calculated value of plan assets, which recognizes changes in the fair value of plan assets in a systematic manner over three years, producing the expected return on plan assets that is
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included in the determination of pension expense. We apply a corridor approach to amortize unrecognized actuarial gains or losses. Under this approach, only accumulated net actuarial gains or losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the fair value of plan assets are amortized over the average remaining service or lifetime of the workforce as a component of pension expense. The net deferral of past asset gains or losses affects the calculated value of plan assets and, ultimately, future pension expense.
The discount rate reflects the current rate at which the pension liabilities could be effectively settled at the end of the year based on our most recent measurement date. We use the annual spot rate approach for setting our discount rate. Under the spot rate approach, individual spot rates from a full yield curve of published rates are used to discount each plan’s cash flows to determine the plan’s obligation. At the December 31, 2022 measurement date, the weighted-average discount rate under the annual spot rate approach was 5.18%, compared to 2.70% at the December 31, 2021 measurement date. The net effect of changes in the discount rate, as well as the net effect of other changes in actuarial assumptions and experience, have been deferred and amortized as a component of pension expense in accordance with FASB guidance.
In managing the plan assets, our objective is to be a responsible fiduciary while minimizing financial risk. Plan assets include a diversified mix of equity securities, investment grade fixed maturity securities and other types of investments across a range of sectors and levels of capitalization to maximize long-term return for a prudent level of risk. In addition to producing a reasonable return, the investment strategy seeks to minimize the volatility in our expense and cash flow.
Other Postretirement Benefits
We provide some associates with certain medical, vision and dental benefits upon retirement. We use various actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate and the expected trend in healthcare costs, to estimate the costs and benefit obligations for our retiree benefits.
At our December 31, 2022 measurement date, the selected discount rate for all plans was 5.12%, compared to a discount rate of 2.49% at the December 31, 2021 measurement rate. We developed this rate using the annual spot rate approach as described above.
The assumed healthcare cost trend rates used to measure the expected cost of pre-Medicare (those who are not currently eligible for Medicare benefits) other benefits at our December 31, 2022 measurement date was 8.00% for 2023 with a gradual decline to 4.50% by the year 2035. The assumed healthcare cost trend rates used to measure the expected cost of post-Medicare (those who are currently eligible for Medicare benefits) other benefits at our December 31, 2022 measurement date was 6.50% for 2023 with a gradual decline to 4.50% by the year 2035. These estimated trend rates are subject to change in the future.
For additional information regarding our retirement benefits, see Note 11, “Retirement Benefits,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2022 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance” and “Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Introduction
Our cash receipts result primarily from premiums, product revenue, administrative fees and other revenue, investment income, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from borrowings, and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. Cash outflows
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fluctuate with the amount and timing of settlement of these transactions. Any future decline in our profitability would likely have an unfavorable impact on our liquidity.
We manage our cash, investments and capital structure so we are able to meet the short-term and long-term obligations of our business while maintaining financial flexibility and liquidity. We forecast, analyze and monitor our cash flows to enable investment and financing within the overall constraints of our financial strategy.
A substantial portion of the assets held by our regulated subsidiaries are in the form of cash and cash equivalents and investments. After considering expected cash flows from operating activities, we generally invest cash that exceeds our near term obligations in longer term marketable fixed maturity securities to improve our overall investment income returns. Our investment strategy is to make investments consistent with insurance statutes and other regulatory requirements, while preserving our asset base. Our investments are generally available-for-sale to meet liquidity and other needs. Our subsidiaries pay out excess capital annually in the form of dividends to their respective parent companies for general corporate use, as permitted by applicable regulations.
The availability of financing in the form of debt or equity is influenced by many factors, including our profitability, operating cash flows, debt levels, debt ratings, contractual restrictions, regulatory requirements and market conditions. The securities and credit markets have in the past experienced higher than normal volatility. Interest rates on fixed debt income securities increased in 2022 and may continue to do so in 2023, which could increase our borrowing costs if we elect to issue debt. During recent years, the federal government and various governmental agencies have taken a number of steps to strengthen the regulation of the financial services market. In addition, governments around the world have developed their own plans to provide stability and security in the credit markets and to ensure adequate capital in certain financial institutions.
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31 | $ Change | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 vs. 2021 | 2021 vs. 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 8,399 | $ | 8,364 | $ | 10,688 | $ | 35 | $ | (2,324) | ||||||||
| Issuances of commercial paper and short- and long-term debt, net of repayments | 862 | 2,719 | — | (1,857) | 2,719 | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of common stock under employee stock plans | 182 | 203 | 176 | (21) | 27 | |||||||||||||
| Other sources of cash, net | 762 | — | 315 | 762 | (315) | |||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 10,205 | 11,286 | 11,179 | (1,081) | 107 | |||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | (2,338) | (4,056) | (3,433) | 1,718 | (623) | |||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (2,316) | (1,900) | (2,700) | (416) | 800 | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired | (649) | (3,476) | (1,976) | 2,827 | (1,500) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (1,152) | (1,087) | (1,021) | (65) | (66) | |||||||||||||
| Repayments of commercial paper and short- and long-term debt, net of issuances | — | — | (298) | — | 298 | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (1,229) | (1,104) | (954) | (125) | (150) | |||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | — | (514) | — | 514 | (514) | |||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (7,684) | (12,137) | (10,382) | 4,453 | (1,755) | |||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (14) | (10) | 7 | (4) | (17) | |||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 2,507 | $ | (861) | $ | 804 | $ | 3,368 | $ | (1,665) |
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Liquidity—Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
The slight increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to higher net income in 2022, when adjusted for the impact of investment losses and gains, partially offset by the timing of working capital changes and the payment pursuant to the Subscriber Settlement Agreement made in September 2022.
Other significant changes in sources and uses of cash year-over-year included lower amounts used for purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired and reduced cash used for purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions. These decreased uses of cash were partially offset by reduced net proceeds received from the issuance of commercial paper and short-term and long-term debt and increased use of cash for share repurchases.
Financial Condition
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $35,044 at December 31, 2022. Since December 31, 2021, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities increased by $1,384, primarily due to cash generated from operations. This increase was partially offset by cash used for acquisitions, common stock repurchases, purchases of property and equipment and cash dividends paid to shareholders.
Many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to their respective parent companies. Certain accounting practices prescribed by insurance regulatory authorities, or statutory accounting practices, differ from GAAP. Changes that occur in statutory accounting practices, if any, or other regulatory requirements, could impact our subsidiaries’ future dividend capacity. In addition, we have agreed to certain undertakings to regulatory authorities, including the requirement to maintain certain capital levels in certain of our subsidiaries.
At December 31, 2022, we held $1,209 of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the parent company, which are available for general corporate use, including investment in our businesses, acquisitions, potential future common stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders, repurchases of debt securities and debt and interest payments.
Periodically, we access capital markets and issue debt (“Notes”) for long-term borrowing purposes, for example, to refinance debt, to finance acquisitions or for share repurchases. Certain of these Notes may have a call feature that allows us to redeem the Notes at any time at our option and/or a put feature that allows a Note holder to redeem the Notes upon the occurrence of both a change in control event and a downgrade of the Notes below an investment grade rating. For more information on our debt, including redemptions and issuances, see Note 13, “Debt” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our audited consolidated balance sheets included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as total debt divided by total debt plus total shareholders’ equity. Total debt is the sum of short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, less current portion. We believe our debt-to-capital ratio assists investors and rating agencies in measuring our overall leverage and additional borrowing capacity. In addition, our bank covenants include a maximum debt-to-capital ratio that we cannot and did not exceed. Our debt-to-capital ratio may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 39.9% and 38.9% as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Our senior debt is rated “A” by S&P Global Ratings, “BBB” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., “Baa2” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. and “bbb+” by AM Best Company, Inc. We intend to maintain our senior debt investment grade ratings. If our credit ratings are downgraded, our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs.
Capital Resources
We have a shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register an unlimited amount of any combination of debt or equity securities in one or more offerings. Specific information regarding terms and securities being offered will be provided at the time of an offering. Proceeds from future offerings are expected to be used for
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general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, the repayment of debt, investments in or extensions of credit to our subsidiaries and the financing of possible acquisitions or business expansions.
We have a senior revolving credit facility (the “5-Year Facility”) with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. In April 2022, we amended and restated the credit agreement for the 5-Year Facility to, among other things, extend the maturity date of the 5-Year Facility from June 2024 to April 2027 and increase the amount of credit available under the 5-Year Facility from $2,500 to $4,000. Also in April 2022, concurrently with the amendment and restatement of the 5-Year Facility, we terminated our 364-day senior revolving credit facility that provided for credit in the amount of $1,000, which was scheduled to mature in June 2022. Our ability to borrow under the 5-Year Facility is subject to compliance with certain covenants, including covenants requiring us to maintain a defined debt-to-capital ratio of not more than 60%, subject to increase in certain circumstances set forth in the credit agreement for the 5-Year Facility. We do not believe the restrictions contained in our 5-Year Facility covenants materially affect our financial or operating flexibility. As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants under the 5-Year Facility. There were no amounts outstanding under the 5-Year Facility at December 31, 2022.
Through certain subsidiaries, we have entered into multiple 364-day lines of credit (the “Subsidiary Credit Facilities”) with separate lenders for general corporate purposes. The Subsidiary Credit Facilities provide combined credit up to $200. Our ability to borrow under the Subsidiary Credit Facilities is subject to compliance with certain covenants. At December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings under the Subsidiary Credit Facilities.
We have an authorized commercial paper program of up to $4,000, the proceeds of which may be used for general corporate purposes. In July 2022, we increased the amount available under the commercial paper program from $3,500 to $4,000. Should commercial paper issuance become unavailable, we have the ability to use a combination of cash on hand and/or our 5-Year Facility, which provides for credit in the amount of $4,000, to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. At December 31, 2022, we had $0 outstanding under our commercial paper program.
While there is no assurance in the current economic environment, we believe the lenders participating in our 5-Year Facility and Subsidiary Credit Facilities, if market conditions allow, would be willing to provide financing in accordance with their legal obligations.
We are a member, through certain subsidiaries, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (collectively the “FHLBs”). As a member, we have the ability to obtain short-term cash advances, subject to certain minimum collateral requirements. At December 31, 2022, we had $265 of outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs.
As discussed in “Financial Condition” above, many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid. Based upon these requirements, we currently estimate that approximately $3,500 of dividends will be paid to us by our subsidiaries during 2023. During 2022, we received $3,097 of dividends from our subsidiaries.
In addition to regulations regarding the timing and amount of dividends, our regulated subsidiaries’ states of domicile have statutory risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements for health and other insurance companies and health maintenance organizations largely based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) Risk-Based Capital (RBC) For Health Organizations Model Act (“RBC Model Act”). These RBC requirements are intended to measure capital adequacy, taking into account the risk characteristics of an insurer’s investments and products. The NAIC sets forth the formula for calculating the RBC requirements, which are designed to take into account asset risks, insurance risks, interest rate risks and other relevant risks with respect to an individual insurance company’s business. In general, under the RBC Model Act, an insurance company must submit a report of its RBC level to the state insurance department or insurance commissioner, as appropriate, at the end of each calendar year. Our regulated subsidiaries’ respective RBC levels as of December 31, 2022, which was the most recent date for which reporting was required, were in excess of all applicable mandatory RBC requirements. In addition to exceeding these RBC requirements, we are in compliance with the liquidity and capital requirements for a licensee of the BCBSA and with the tangible net worth requirements applicable to certain of our California subsidiaries. For additional information, see Note 22, “Statutory Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Short-Term Liquidity Requirements
As previously described, our cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. We believe cash on hand, operating cash receipts, investments and amounts available under our commercial paper program, our 5-Year Facility and our Subsidiary Credit Facilities and borrowings available from the FHLBs will be adequate to fund our expected cash disbursements over the next twelve months.
Long-Term Liquidity Requirements
As of December 31, 2022, our long-term cash disbursements required under various contractual obligations and commitments were:
•Debt and interest expense: Future debt and estimated interest payments were $25,804, with $2,674 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 13 “Debt” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Operating leases: We lease office space and certain computer equipment, for which the future estimated payments were $1,028, with $206 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 18 “Leases” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Other liabilities: These liabilities primarily consist of future policy reserves, projected other postretirement benefits, deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plan liabilities and certain other miscellaneous long-term obligations. Amounts due within twelve months were $26, with $1,040 due in future periods. Estimated future payments for funded pension benefits have been excluded from these numbers, as we had no funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, at December 31, 2022, as a result of the value of the assets in the plans. In addition, gross liabilities for uncertain tax positions and interest for which we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of the resolutions with the respective taxing authorities have not been included. For further information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Purchase obligations: These obligations include estimated payments for future services under contractual arrangements from third-party service vendors. Amounts due within the next twelve months for these purchase obligations were $1,124, while longer term payments were $2,927. For further information, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Investment commitments: These include unfunded capital commitments for alternative investments and low-income housing tax credits. Estimated amounts due were $1,504, including $314 due within the next twelve months.
In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments discussed above, we have a variety of other contractual agreements related to acquiring materials and services used in our operations. However, we do not believe these other agreements contain material noncancelable commitments.
We regularly review the appropriate use of capital, including acquisitions, common stock and debt security repurchases and dividends to shareholders. The declaration and payment of any dividends or repurchases of our common stock or debt is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon our financial condition, results of operations, future liquidity needs, regulatory and capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.
On January 24, 2023, our Audit Committee declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $1.48 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 24, 2023 to the shareholders of record as of March 10, 2023.
Under our Board of Directors’ authorization, we maintain a common stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2022, we had Board authorization of $1,876 to repurchase our common stock. On January 24, 2023, our Audit Committee,
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pursuant to authorization granted by the Board of Directors, authorized a $5,000 increase to our common stock repurchase program. No duration has been placed on our common stock repurchase program, and we reserve the right to discontinue the program at any time. We intend to utilize this authorization over a multi-year period, subject to market and industry conditions.
We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our credit facilities and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
We do not have any off-balance sheet derivative instruments, guarantee transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements or any indemnification agreements that will require funding in future periods. We have not transferred assets to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not hold any variable interest in an unconsolidated entity where such entity provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support. See Note 2 “Subsidiary Transactions” of the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements included in Part IV, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional detail on the Elevance Health, Inc. parent guarantees of certain subsidiaries.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001156039-22-000009.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(In Millions, Except Per Share Data or As Otherwise Stated Herein)
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”), should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. References to the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Anthem” or the “Company” used throughout this MD&A refer to Anthem, Inc., an Indiana corporation, and, unless the context otherwise requires, its direct and indirect subsidiaries. References to the “states” include the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, unless the context otherwise requires.
This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2021 and 2020 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020. A detailed discussion of 2019 items and year-over-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Overview
We are one of the largest health benefits companies in the United States in terms of medical membership, serving greater than 45 million medical members through our affiliated health plans as of December 31, 2021. We are an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (“BCBSA”), an association of independent health benefit plans. We serve our members as the Blue Cross licensee for California and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (“BCBS”) licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (in the New York City metropolitan area and upstate New York), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.) and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, we do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield or Empire Blue Cross. In addition, we conduct business through arrangements with other BCBS licensees as well as other strategic partners. Through our subsidiaries, we also serve customers in numerous states across the country as AIM Specialty Health, Amerigroup, Aspire Health, Beacon, CareMore, Freedom Health, HealthLink, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum HealthCare, Simply Healthcare, and/or UniCare. We offer pharmacy benefits management (“PBM”) services through our IngenioRx, Inc. (“IngenioRx”) subsidiary. We are licensed to conduct insurance operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through our subsidiaries.
We manage our operations by customer types through four reportable segments: Commercial & Specialty Business, Government Business, IngenioRx and Other.
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We also calculate operating gain and operating margin to further aid investors in understanding and analyzing our core operating results. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and selling, general and administrative expense. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. Our definition of operating gain and operating margin may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. We use these measures as a basis for evaluating segment performance, allocating resources, forecasting future operating periods and setting incentive compensation targets. This information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for income before income tax expense, net income or fully-diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) prepared in accordance with GAAP. For additional details on operating gain, see our “Reportable Segments Results of Operations” discussion included in this MD&A. For a reconciliation of reportable segment operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of reportable segment operating gain to income before income tax expense, see Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our operating revenue consists of premiums, product revenue, and administrative fees and other revenue. Premium revenue is generated from risk-based contracts where we indemnify our policyholders against costs for covered health and life insurance benefits. Product revenue represents services performed by IngenioRx for unaffiliated PBM customers and includes ingredient costs (net of any rebates or discounts), including co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, and
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administrative fees. Unaffiliated PBM customers include our fee-based groups that contract with IngenioRx for PBM services and external customers outside of the health plans we own. Administrative fees and other revenue come from fees from our fee-based customers for the processing of transactions or network discount savings realized, revenues from our Medicare processing business and revenues from other health-related businesses, including care management programs and miscellaneous other income.
Our benefit expense primarily includes costs of care for health services consumed by our risk-based members, such as outpatient care, inpatient hospital care, professional services (primarily physician care) and pharmacy benefit costs. All four components are affected both by unit costs and utilization rates. Unit costs include the cost of outpatient medical procedures per visit, inpatient hospital care per admission, physician fees per office visit and prescription drug prices. Utilization rates represent the volume of consumption of health services and typically vary with the age and health status of our members and their social and lifestyle choices, along with clinical protocols and medical practice patterns in each of our markets. A portion of benefit expense recognized in each reporting period consists of actuarial estimates of claims incurred but not yet paid by us. Any changes in these estimates are recorded in the period the need for such an adjustment arises. While we offer a diversified mix of managed care products and services through our managed care plans, our aggregate cost of care can fluctuate based on a change in the overall mix of these products and services. Our managed care plans include: Preferred Provider Organizations; Health Maintenance Organizations; Point-of-Service plans; traditional indemnity plans and other hybrid plans, including Consumer-Driven Health Plans; and hospital only and limited benefit products.
We classify certain quality improvement costs as benefit expense. Quality improvement activities are those designed to improve member health outcomes, prevent hospital readmissions and improve patient safety. They also include expenses for wellness and health promotion provided to our members. These quality improvement costs may be comprised of expenses incurred for: (i) medical management, including care coordination and case management; (ii) health and wellness, including disease management services for such conditions as diabetes, high-risk pregnancies, congestive heart failure and asthma management and wellness initiatives like weight-loss programs and smoking cessation treatments; and (iii) clinical health policy, such as identification and use of best clinical practices to avoid harm, identifying clinical errors and safety concerns, and identifying potential adverse drug interactions.
Our cost of products sold represents the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by IngenioRx for our unaffiliated PBM customers (net of rebates or discounts), including any co-payments made by or on behalf of the customer, per-claim administrative fees for prescription fulfillment and certain direct costs related to sales and administration of customer contracts.
Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist of fixed and variable costs. Examples of fixed costs are depreciation, amortization and certain facilities expenses. Certain variable costs, such as premium taxes, vary directly with premium volume. Commission expense generally varies with premium or membership volume. Other variable costs, such as salaries and benefits, do not vary directly with changes in premium but are more aligned with changes in membership. The acquisition or loss of a significant block of business would likely impact staffing levels and thus, associated compensation expense. Other variable costs include professional and consulting expenses and advertising. Other factors can impact our administrative cost structure, including systems efficiencies, inflation and changes in productivity.
Our results of operations depend in large part on our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage healthcare costs through effective contracting with providers of care to our members, product pricing, medical management and health and wellness programs, innovative product design and our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in our Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star ratings. Several economic factors related to healthcare costs, such as regulatory mandates of coverage as well as direct-to-consumer advertising by providers and pharmaceutical companies, have a direct impact on the volume of care consumed by our members. The potential effect of escalating healthcare costs, any changes in our ability to negotiate competitive rates with our providers and any regulatory or market-driven restrictions on our ability to obtain adequate premium rates to offset overall inflation in healthcare costs, including increases in unit costs and utilization resulting from the aging of the population and other demographics, the impact of epidemics and pandemics, as well as advances in medical technology, may impose further risks to our ability to profitably underwrite our business and may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We intend to expand through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and efficient use of capital in both existing and new markets. Our growth strategy is designed to enable us to take advantage of additional economies of scale, as
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well as provide us access to new and evolving technologies and products. In addition, we believe geographic and product diversity reduces our exposure to local or regional regulatory, economic and competitive pressures and provides us with increased opportunities for growth. In 2019, we began using our subsidiary IngenioRx to market and offer PBM services, and we expect IngenioRx to continue to improve our ability to integrate pharmacy benefits within our medical and specialty platform. In 2021, we continued growing our government-sponsored business through organic growth and the acquisition of MMM Holdings, LLC (“MMM”). In all other markets, we intend to maintain our position by delivering excellent service, offering competitively priced products, providing access to high-quality provider networks and effectively capitalizing on the brand strength of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and marks.
For additional information about our business and reportable segments, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” and Note 20, “Segment Information” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the global economy, cause market instability and uncertainty in the labor market and put pressure on the healthcare system, and it has impacted, and will likely continue to impact, our membership, our benefit expense and our member behavior, including how members access healthcare services. We continue to assist our customers, providers, members and communities in addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including by providing expanded benefit coverage for COVID-19 diagnostic tests, treatment and vaccine administration and taking steps to increase vaccinations by enabling, educating and encouraging vaccine acceptance among our members as well as in the communities in which we operate.
COVID-19 care, testing and vaccine administration, and the impact of new COVID-19 variants, have resulted in increased medical costs for us in 2021. In 2021, our Medicaid membership continued to grow as a result of the temporary suspension of eligibility recertification in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which we expect will remain suspended at least until the second quarter of 2022. Our Commercial fee-based membership decreased in 2021 due to in-group attrition likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. See “Business Trends - Medical Cost Trends” below for a discussion of the impact of COVID-19 on our healthcare costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and the full extent of its impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic as well as resulting legislative and regulatory changes to manage our response and assess and mitigate potential adverse impacts to our business. For additional discussion regarding our risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and our other risk factors, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Business Trends
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as amended (collectively, the “ACA”), has impacted our business model and strategy, and various legal challenges since its enactment have introduced increased uncertainty to our business. In June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion and dismissed the latest legal challenge to the constitutionality of the ACA, leaving the law intact. We expect that most of the ACA will continue to remain in place and continue to impact our business operations and results of operations, including pricing, minimum medical loss ratios and the geographies in which our products are available.
In 2021, we made the decision to modestly expand our participation in on-exchange products through state- or federally-facilitated market places (the “Public Exchange”) for 2022 after also expanding in 2021. As a result, for 2022 we are offering Public Exchange products in 122 of the 143 rating regions in which we operate, in comparison to 103 of 143 rating regions in 2021. Our strategy has been, and will continue to be, to only participate in rating regions where we have an appropriate level of confidence that these markets are on a path toward sustainability, including, but not limited to, factors such as expected financial performance, regulatory environment, and underlying market characteristics. Changes to our business environment are likely to continue as elected officials at the national and state levels continue to enact, and both elected officials and candidates for election continue to propose, significant modifications to existing laws and regulations, including changes to taxes and fees. In addition, the continuing growth in our government-sponsored business exposes us to increased regulatory oversight.
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Our IngenioRx subsidiary markets and offers PBM services to our affiliated health plan customers throughout the country, as well as to customers outside of the health plans we own. Our comprehensive PBM services portfolio includes features such as formulary management, pharmacy networks, a prescription drug database, member services and mail order capabilities. IngenioRx delegates certain PBM administrative functions, such as claims processing and prescription fulfillment, to CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C., which is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation, pursuant to a five-year agreement. With IngenioRx, we retain the responsibilities for clinical and formulary strategy and development, member and employer experiences, operations, sales, marketing, account management and retail network strategy.
Pricing Trends: We strive to price our health benefit products consistent with anticipated underlying medical cost trends. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic (including new COVID-19 variants, which may be more contagious or severe, or less responsive to treatment or vaccines) and the impacts it may have on our pricing, such as surges in COVID-19 related hospitalizations, infection rates, the cost of COVID-19 vaccines, testing and treatment and the return of non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization to our estimate of normal levels, based on historical utilization patterns. We frequently make adjustments to respond to legislative and regulatory changes as well as pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and new market entrants. Product pricing in our Commercial & Specialty Business segment, including our Individual and small group lines of business, remains competitive. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. The ACA imposed an annual Health Insurance Provider Fee (“HIP Fee”) on health insurers that write certain types of health insurance on U.S. risks. We priced our affected products to cover the impact of the HIP Fee when it was in effect. The HIP Fee was in effect for 2020 but was permanently repealed beginning in 2021.
Medical Cost Trends: Our medical cost trends are primarily driven by increases in the utilization of services across all provider types and the unit cost increases of these services. We work to mitigate these trends through various medical management programs such as care and condition management, program integrity and specialty pharmacy management and utilization management, as well as benefit design changes. There are many drivers of medical cost trends that can cause variance from our estimates, such as changes in the level and mix of services utilized, regulatory changes, aging of the population, health status and other demographic characteristics of our members, epidemics, pandemics, advances in medical technology, new high cost prescription drugs, and healthcare provider or member fraud.
The COVID-19 pandemic initially caused a decrease in utilization of non-COVID-19 health services, which decreased our claim costs in 2020. Over the course of the first half of 2021, our non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization experience gradually increased toward normalized levels, while COVID-19 related healthcare expenses declined and COVID-19 vaccination administration costs increased. During the second half of 2021, the COVID-19 Delta variant caused a significant increase in COVID-19 related healthcare utilization as a result of increased testing, treatment, and hospitalization costs, which was partially offset by a reduction in non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization. The reduction in non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization was particularly notable in the inpatient setting, as some regions limited elective surgeries to preserve limited resources to treat patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Costs related to child vaccinations and adult boosters were also incurred during the fourth quarter of 2021.
The COVID-19 Omicron variant increased confirmed COVID-19 cases to significant levels at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. This is expected to further increase COVID-19 costs related to testing, treatment and hospitalization costs, but is expected to be partially offset by a reduction in non-COVID-19 healthcare utilization. In 2022, we anticipate additional claim costs for new pharmaceutical treatments for COVID-19 and compliance with governmental regulations on COVID-19 testing reimbursement. We expect claims costs related to COVID-19 testing, treatment and hospitalizations to continue throughout 2022 even after the latest wave of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. subsides. The continued cost and volume of covered services related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on our future claim costs. We continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on our business, financial condition, results of operations and medical cost trends.
For additional discussion regarding business trends, see Part I, Item 1, “Business” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties
Federal and state governments have enacted, and may continue to enact, legislation and regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that have had, and we expect will continue to have, a significant impact on health benefits, consumer
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eligibility for public programs and our cash flows for all of our lines of business. These actions, which are or have been in effect for various durations, provide, among other things:
•mandates to waive cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing, treatment (including over-the-counter testing in accordance with state and federal requirements such as California SB 510 and the January 2022 federal requirements), vaccines and related services;
•reforms, including waiving Medicare originating site restrictions for qualified providers of telehealth services;
•financial support to healthcare providers, including expansion of the Medicare accelerated payment program to all providers receiving Medicare payments;
•mandated expansion of premium payment terms, including the time period for which claims can be denied for lack of payment; and
•mandates related to prior authorizations and payment levels to providers, additional consumer enrollment windows and an increased ability to provide telehealth services.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which was enacted in December 2020 (the “Appropriations Act”), contains a number of provisions that may have a material effect upon our business, including procedures and coverage requirements related to surprise medical bills and new mandates for continuity of care for certain patients, price comparison tools, disclosure of broker compensation and reporting on pharmacy benefits and drug costs. The health plan-related requirements of the Appropriations Act have varying effective dates beginning as early as December 2021, some of which have been extended since the enactment of the Appropriations Act.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, (the “Rescue Plan”), which was enacted in March 2021, contains several health-related provisions that have impacted our business, including expansion of premium tax credits for our Public Exchange business and full subsidization of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) continuation coverage for those who were involuntarily terminated or had their work hours reduced. The Rescue Plan’s premium tax provisions became effective in January 2021, while the COBRA premium subsidization extended from April through September 2021.
The ACA has evolved and various legal challenges since its enactment introduced increased uncertainty to our business. We expect that most of the ACA will remain in place and continue to significantly impact our business operations and results of operations; however, federal regulatory agencies continue to modify regulations and guidance related to the ACA and our businesses more broadly. We also expect further and ongoing regulatory guidance on a number of issues related to Medicare, including evolving methodology for ratings and quality bonus payments. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) is also proposing changes to its program that audits data submitted under the risk adjustment programs in a way that would increase financial recoveries from plans. We will continue to evaluate the impact of the ACA as any further developments or judicial rulings occur.
Beginning in July 2022, the Health Plan Transparency Rule will require us to disclose, on a monthly basis, detailed pricing information regarding negotiated rates for all covered items and services between the plan or issuer and in-network providers and historical payments to, and billed charges from, out-of-network providers. Additionally, beginning in 2023, we will be required to make available to members personalized out-of-pocket cost information and the underlying negotiated rates for 500 covered healthcare items and services, including prescription drugs. In 2024, this requirement will expand to all items and services.
The non-deductible HIP Fee was permanently eliminated beginning in 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recognized $1,570 as selling, general and administrative expense related to the HIP Fee. There was no corresponding expense for 2021 due to the elimination of the HIP Fee beginning in 2021.
For additional discussion regarding regulatory trends and uncertainties, and risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, see Part I, Item 1, “Business — Regulation” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
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Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
On November 10, 2021, we announced our entrance into an agreement with Personal Touch Holding Corporation to acquire Integra Managed Care (“Integra”). Integra is a managed long-term care plan that serves New York state Medicaid members, enabling adults with long-term care needs and disabilities to live safely and independently in their own homes. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2022 and is subject to standard closing conditions and customary approvals.
On June 29, 2021, we completed our acquisition of MMM and its Medicare Advantage plan, Medicaid plan and other affiliated companies from InnovaCare Health, L.P. MMM is a Puerto Rico-based integrated healthcare organization and seeks to provide its Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members with a whole health experience through its network of specialized clinics and wholly owned independent physician associations. This acquisition aligns with our vision to be an innovative, valuable and inclusive healthcare partner by providing care management programs that improve the lives of the people we serve.
On April 28, 2021, we completed our acquisition of myNEXUS, Inc. (“myNEXUS”) from WindRose Health Investors. myNEXUS is a comprehensive home-based nursing management company for payors and, at the time of acquisition, delivered integrated clinical support services for Medicare Advantage members across twenty states. This acquisition aligns with our strategy to manage integrated, whole person multi-site care and support by providing national, large-scale expertise to manage nursing services in the home and facilitate transitions of care.
On February 28, 2020, we completed our acquisition of Beacon Health Options, Inc. (“Beacon”), which was the largest independently held behavioral health organization in the country. At the time of acquisition, Beacon served more than thirty-four million individuals across all fifty states. This acquisition aligned with our strategy to diversify into health services and deliver both integrated solutions and care delivery models that personalize care for people with complex and chronic conditions.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
In 2020, we introduced enterprise-wide initiatives to optimize our business and as a result, recorded a charge of $653 in selling, general and administrative expenses. We believe these initiatives largely represent the next step forward in our progression towards becoming a more agile organization, including process automation and a reduction in our office space footprint. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we identified additional office space reductions and related fixed asset impairments due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and recorded a charge of $202 in selling general and administrative expenses. For additional information, see Note 4, “Business Optimization Initiatives” and Note 18, “Leases,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Litigation Matters
In the consolidated multi-district proceeding in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (the “Court”) captioned In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation (“BCBSA Litigation”), the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (the “BCBSA”), and Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensees, including us (the “Blue plans”) have approved a settlement agreement and release (the “Subscriber Settlement Agreement”) with the plaintiffs representing a putative nationwide class of health plan subscribers. Generally, the lawsuits in the BCBSA Litigation challenge elements of the licensing agreements between the BCBSA and the independently owned and operated Blue plans. The cases were brought by two putative nationwide classes of plaintiffs, health plan subscribers and providers, and the Subscriber Settlement Agreement applies only to the putative subscriber class. No settlement agreement has been reached with the provider plaintiffs at this time, and the defendants continue to contest the consolidated cases brought by the provider plaintiffs.
If approved by the Court, the Subscriber Settlement Agreement will require the defendants to make a monetary settlement payment, our portion of which is estimated to be $594, and will include certain terms imposing non-monetary obligations on the defendants. As of December 31, 2021, the liability balance accrued for our estimated remaining payment obligation was $507, net of payments made. All terms of the Subscriber Settlement Agreement are subject to approval by the
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Court before they become effective. For additional information regarding the BCBSA Litigation, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies – Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings – Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In January 2019, we exercised our contractual right to terminate our PBM agreement (the “ESI PBM Agreement”) with Express Scripts, Inc. (“Express Scripts”). We completed the transition of our members from Express Scripts to IngenioRx by January 1, 2020. Notwithstanding our termination of the ESI PBM Agreement, the litigation between us and Express Scripts regarding the ESI PBM Agreement continues. For additional information regarding this lawsuit, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Express Scripts, Inc. Pharmacy Benefit Management Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Selected Operating Performance
During the year ended December 31, 2021, total medical membership increased by 2 million, or 5.7%. The increase in medical membership was driven primarily by growth in our Government Business’ Medicaid membership, including organic growth resulting from the temporary suspension of eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic, growth resulting from our acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021 and the launch of our HealthyBlue managed care alliance in North Carolina. Our Medicare Advantage membership also increased due to organic growth and the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021. Increases in Group risk-based membership resulting from sales exceeding lapses, increases in Individual membership due to our Public Exchange expansion in 2021 and BlueCard® increases also contributed to overall membership increases. Declines in our Group fee-based membership relating to in-group attrition likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic partially offset the increases in our medical membership.
Operating revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $136,943, an increase of $16,135, or 13.4%, from the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in operating revenue was primarily driven by higher premium revenue due mainly to membership growth in our Government Business segment, including the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021, and increased product revenue in our IngenioRx segment. These increases were partially offset by the impact of lower premium revenue associated with the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $6,095, an increase of $1,523, or 33.3%, from the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in net income was primarily due to increased operating gain in all of our business units, as well as increased investment income. The increased operating gain in our business units was due to the absence of charges in 2021 for the BCBSA litigation accrual recognized in the third quarter of 2020 and reduced business optimization charges in 2021. The increase in our investment income resulted from an increase in income derived from our alternative investments in comparison to 2020, partially offset by reduced dividends received on our equity investments.
Our fully-diluted shareholders' earnings per share (“EPS”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $24.73, an increase of $6.75, or 37.5%, from the year ended December 31, 2020. Our diluted shares for the year ended December 31, 2021 were 246.8, a decrease of 7.5, or 2.9%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in EPS resulted from the increase in net income, as well as lower shares outstanding in 2021.
Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $8,364, or approximately 1.4 times net income. Operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $10,688, or approximately 2.3 times net income. The decrease in operating cash flow was primarily due to the impact of working capital changes year-over-year, including an increase in receivables and a decline in accounts payable and accrued expenses, partially offset by higher net income in 2021.
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Membership
In the first quarter of 2021, we updated our medical membership reporting to better align with how we view our business. Our medical membership now includes the following customer types: Individual, Group risk-based, Group fee-based, BlueCard®, Medicare, Medicaid and our Federal Employees Health Benefits (“FEHB”) Program. BCBS-branded business generally refers to members in our service areas licensed by the BCBSA. Non-BCBS-branded business refers to members in our non-BCBS-branded Amerigroup, Freedom Health, HealthSun, MMM, Optimum HealthCare and Simply Healthcare plans, as well as HealthLink and UniCare members. In addition to the above medical membership, we also serve customers who purchase one or more of our other products or services that are often ancillary to our health business.
•Individual consists of individual customers under age 65 and their covered dependents. Individual policies are generally sold through independent agents and brokers, retail partnerships, our in-house sales force or via the Public Exchanges. Individual business is sold on a risk-based basis. We offer on-exchange products through Public Exchanges and off-exchange products. Federal premium subsidies are available only for certain Public Exchange Individual products. Unsubsidized Individual customers are generally more sensitive to product pricing and, to a lesser extent, the configuration of the network and the efficiency of administration. Customer turnover is generally higher with Individual as compared to Group risk-based. Individual business accounted for 1.7%, 1.6% and 1.7% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•Group risk-based consists of employer customers who purchase products on a full-risk basis, which are products for which we charge a premium and indemnify our policyholders against costs for health benefits. Group risk-based accounts include Local Group customers and National Accounts. Local Group consists of those employer customers with less than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state, as well as customers with more than 5% of eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state with up to 5,000 eligible employees. In addition, Local Group includes Student Health members. National Accounts generally consist of multi-state employer groups primarily headquartered in an Anthem service area with at least 5% of the eligible employees located outside of the headquarter state and with more than 5,000 eligible employees. Some exceptions are allowed based on broker and consultant relationships. Group risk-based accounts are generally sold through brokers or consultants who work with industry specialists from our in-house sales force and are offered both on and off the Public Exchanges. Group risk-based accounted for 8.8%, 8.9% and 9.6% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•Group fee-based customers represent employer groups, Local Group, including UniCare members, and National Accounts, who purchase fee-based products and elect to retain most or all of the financial risk associated with their employees’ healthcare costs. Some fee-based customers choose to purchase stop loss coverage to limit their retained risk. Group fee-based accounts are generally sold through independent brokers or consultants retained by the customer working with our in-house sales force. Group fee-based accounted for 42.7%, 45.5% and 47.2% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•BlueCard® host customers represent enrollees of Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans not owned by Anthem who receive healthcare services in our BCBSA licensed markets. BlueCard® membership consists of estimated host members using the national BlueCard® program. Host members are generally members who reside in or travel to a state in which an Anthem subsidiary is the Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee and who are covered under an employer-sponsored health plan issued by a non-Anthem controlled BCBSA licensee (the “home plan”). We perform certain functions, including claims pricing and administration, for BlueCard® members, for which we receive administrative fees from the BlueCard® members’ home plans. Other administrative functions, including maintenance of enrollment information and customer service, are performed by the home plan. Host members are computed using, among other things, the average number of BlueCard® claims received per month. BlueCard® host membership accounted for 13.6%, 14.1% and 14.8% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•Medicare customers are Medicare-eligible individual members age 65 and over who have enrolled in Medicare Advantage, including Special Needs Plans (“SNPs”), also known as Medicare Advantage SNPs; dual-eligible programs through Medicare-Medicaid Plans (“MMPs”); Medicare Supplement plans; and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans (“Medicare Part D”). Medicare Advantage plans provide Medicare beneficiaries with a managed care alternative to traditional Medicare and often include a Medicare Part D benefit. In addition, our
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Medicare Advantage SNPs provide tailored benefits to special needs individuals who are institutionalized or have severe or disabling chronic conditions and to dual-eligible customers, who are low-income seniors and persons under age 65 with disabilities. Medicare Advantage SNPs are coordinated care plans specifically designed to provide targeted care, covering all the healthcare services considered medically necessary for members and often providing professional care coordination services, with personal guidance and programs that help members maintain their health. Medicare Advantage membership also includes Medicare Advantage members in our Group Retiree Solutions business who are retired members of Commercial accounts or retired members of groups who are not affiliated with our Commercial accounts who have selected a Medicare Advantage product through us. Medicare Supplement plans typically pay the difference between healthcare costs incurred by a beneficiary and amounts paid by Medicare. Medicare Part D offers a prescription drug plan to Medicare and MMP beneficiaries. MMP, which was established as a result of the passage of the ACA, is a demonstration program focused on serving members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage products are marketed in the same manner, primarily through independent agents and brokers. Medicare program business accounted for 6.2%, 5.5% and 5.2% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•Medicaid membership represents eligible members who receive health benefits through publicly funded healthcare programs, including Medicaid, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and specialty programs such as those focused on long-term services and support, HIV/AIDS, foster care, behavioral health and/or substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, among others. Total Medicaid program business accounted for 23.4%, 20.6% and 17.7% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
•FEHB members consist of United States government employees and their dependents within our geographic markets through our participation in the national contract between the BCBSA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FEHB business accounted for 3.6%, 3.8% and 3.9% of our medical members at December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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The following table presents our medical membership by reportable segment and customer type as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Also included below is other membership by product. The medical membership and other membership presented are unaudited and in certain instances include estimates of the number of members represented by each contract at the end of the period.
| December 31 | 2021 vs. 2020 | 2020 vs. 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | Change | % Change | Change | % Change | |||||||||||||
| Medical Membership | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Individual | 759 | 680 | 684 | 79 | 11.6 | % | (4) | (0.6) | % | |||||||||||
| Group Risk-Based | 4,006 | 3,799 | 3,938 | 207 | 5.4 | % | (139) | (3.5) | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 4,765 | 4,479 | 4,622 | 286 | 6.4 | % | (143) | (3.1) | % | |||||||||||
| BlueCard® | 6,178 | 6,059 | 6,060 | 119 | 2.0 | % | (1) | — | % | |||||||||||
| Group Fee-Based | 19,395 | 19,551 | 19,340 | (156) | (0.8) | % | 211 | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 25,573 | 25,610 | 25,400 | (37) | (0.1) | % | 210 | 0.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Commercial & Specialty Business | 30,338 | 30,089 | 30,022 | 249 | 0.8 | % | 67 | 0.2 | % | |||||||||||
| Government Business: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 1,859 | 1,428 | 1,214 | 431 | 30.2 | % | 214 | 17.6 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 952 | 933 | 905 | 19 | 2.0 | % | 28 | 3.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 2,811 | 2,361 | 2,119 | 450 | 19.1 | % | 242 | 11.4 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicaid | 10,600 | 8,852 | 7,265 | 1,748 | 19.7 | % | 1,587 | 21.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Federal Employees Health Benefits | 1,625 | 1,623 | 1,594 | 2 | 0.1 | % | 29 | 1.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Government Business | 15,036 | 12,836 | 10,978 | 2,200 | 17.1 | % | 1,858 | 16.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 45,374 | 42,925 | 41,000 | 2,449 | 5.7 | % | 1,925 | 4.7 | % | |||||||||||
| Other Membership | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Life and Disability Members | 4,782 | 5,064 | 5,259 | (282) | (5.6) | % | (195) | (3.7) | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Members | 6,674 | 6,385 | 6,263 | 289 | 4.5 | % | 122 | 1.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,491 | 1,316 | 5,516 | 175 | 13.3 | % | (4,200) | (76.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Vision Members | 8,031 | 7,536 | 7,261 | 495 | 6.6 | % | 275 | 3.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 438 | 413 | 283 | 25 | 6.1 | % | 130 | 45.9 | % |
December 31, 2021 Compared to December 31, 2020
Medical Membership
Total medical membership increased primarily due to growth in our Government Business’ Medicaid membership, including organic growth resulting from the temporary suspension of eligibility recertification during the COVID-19 pandemic, growth resulting from our acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021 and the launch of our HealthyBlue managed care alliance in North Carolina. Our Medicare Advantage membership also increased due to organic growth and our acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021. Increases in Group risk-based membership resulting from sales exceeding lapses, increases in Individual membership due to our Public Exchange expansion in 2021 and BlueCard® increases also contributed to overall membership increases. Declines in our Group fee-based membership relating to in-group attrition likely attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic partially offset the increases in our medical membership.
Other Membership
Our other membership can be impacted by changes in our medical membership, as our medical members often purchase our other products that are ancillary to our health business. Life and disability membership decreased primarily due to the loss of a Group risk-based account and membership decreases in our Group fee-based business. Dental membership increased
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primarily due to higher sales in our Individual and Group risk-based accounts and penetration increases in our FEHB program. Dental administration membership increased due to growth in our FEHB program. Vision membership increased primarily as a result of growth in our Medicare Advantage business.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other information for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2021 vs. 2020 | 2020 vs. 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 136,943 | $ | 120,808 | $ | 103,141 | $ | 16,135 | 13.4 | % | $ | 17,667 | 17.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Net investment income | 1,378 | 877 | 1,005 | 501 | 57.1 | % | (128) | (12.7) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net gains on financial instruments | 318 | 182 | 67 | 136 | 74.7 | % | 115 | 171.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 138,639 | 121,867 | 104,213 | 16,772 | 13.8 | % | 17,654 | 16.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 102,645 | 88,045 | 81,786 | 14,600 | 16.6 | % | 6,259 | 7.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 10,895 | 8,953 | 1,992 | 1,942 | 21.7 | % | 6,961 | NM | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense | 15,914 | 17,450 | 13,364 | (1,536) | (8.8) | % | 4,086 | 30.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Other expense1 | 1,260 | 1,181 | 1,086 | 79 | 6.7 | % | 95 | 8.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 130,714 | 115,629 | 98,228 | 15,085 | 13.0 | % | 17,401 | 17.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 7,925 | 6,238 | 5,985 | 1,687 | 27.0 | % | 253 | 4.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 1,830 | 1,666 | 1,178 | 164 | 9.8 | % | 488 | 41.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 6,095 | 4,572 | 4,807 | 1,523 | 33.3 | % | (235) | (4.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | 9 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders’ net income | $ | 6,104 | $ | 4,572 | $ | 4,807 | $ | 1,532 | 33.5 | % | $ | (235) | (4.9) | % | |||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 246.8 | 254.3 | 260.3 | (7.5) | (2.9) | % | (6.0) | (2.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders' net income per share | $ | 24.73 | $ | 17.98 | $ | 18.47 | $ | 6.75 | 37.5 | % | $ | (0.49) | (2.7) | % | |||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 23.1 | % | 26.7 | % | 19.7 | % | (360)bp3 | 700bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense ratio2 | 87.5 | % | 84.6 | % | 86.8 | % | 290bp3 | (220)bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expense ratio4 | 11.6 | % | 14.4 | % | 13.0 | % | (280)bp3 | 140bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 5.7 | % | 5.1 | % | 5.7 | % | 60bp3 | (60)bp3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Net income as a percentage of total revenues | 4.4 | % | 3.8 | % | 4.6 | % | 60bp3 | (80)bp3 |
Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes interest expense, amortization of other intangible assets and loss on extinguishment of debt.
2Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $117,373, $104,109 and $94,173, respectively. Premiums are included in total operating revenue presented above.
3bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4Selling, general and administrative expense ratio represents selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium revenue due mainly to membership growth in our Government Business segment, including related to the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021, and increased product revenue in our IngenioRx segment. These increases were partially offset by the impact of lower premium revenue associated with the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021.
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Net investment income increased primarily due to increases in net income from our alternative investments, partially offset by decreased dividends received on our equity investments.
Net gains on financial instruments increased primarily due to increased realized gains on our alternative investments and increased net realized gains on our fixed maturity securities, partially offset by declines in the fair value of equity securities still held.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to cost increases resulting from membership growth in our Medicaid and Medicare businesses, including related to our acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021, and increased COVID-19 healthcare costs for both our Commercial & Specialty Business and Government Business segments.
Our benefit expense ratio increased primarily due to the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021 and increased COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare costs for both our Commercial & Specialty Business and Government Business segments.
Cost of products sold reflects the cost of pharmaceuticals dispensed by IngenioRx for our unaffiliated PBM customers. Cost of products sold increased as the corresponding pharmacy product revenues increased due to growth in customers served by IngenioRx in 2021.
Selling, general and administrative expense decreased primarily due to the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021, the absence of charges in 2021 for the BCBSA litigation accrual recognized in the third quarter of 2020 and reduced business optimization charges in 2021. These items were partially offset by increased costs to support growth.
Our selling, general and administrative expense ratio decreased primarily due to increased operating revenue in 2021, the absence of charges in 2021 for the BCBSA litigation accrual recognized in the third quarter of 2020, reduced business optimization charges in 2021 and the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021. These items were partially offset by increased costs to support growth.
Our effective income tax rate decreased primarily due to the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021, which was non-deductible for tax purposes.
Our net income as a percentage of total revenue increased in 2021 as compared to 2020 as a result of all the factors discussed above.
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Reportable Segments Results of Operations
The following table presents a summary of our reportable segment financial information for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019:
| Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Ended December 31 | 2021 vs. 2020 | 2020 vs. 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | $ | % | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business | $ | 38,809 | $ | 36,699 | $ | 37,421 | $ | 2,110 | 5.7 | % | $ | (722) | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||
| Government Business | 82,919 | 71,572 | 62,632 | 11,347 | 15.9 | % | 8,940 | 14.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| IngenioRx | 25,431 | 21,911 | 5,402 | 3,520 | 16.1 | % | 16,509 | NM | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 10,250 | 6,057 | 2,293 | 4,193 | 69.2 | % | 3,764 | 164.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (20,466) | (15,431) | (4,607) | (5,035) | 32.6 | % | (10,824) | 234.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 136,943 | $ | 120,808 | $ | 103,141 | $ | 16,135 | 13.4 | % | $ | 17,667 | 17.1 | % | |||||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business1 | $ | 2,753 | $ | 2,681 | $ | 4,032 | 72 | 2.7 | % | (1,351) | (33.5) | % | |||||||||||||
| Government Business2 | 3,061 | 2,444 | 2,056 | 617 | 25.2 | % | 388 | 18.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| IngenioRx3 | 1,684 | 1,361 | — | 323 | 23.7 | % | 1,361 | NM | |||||||||||||||||
| Other4 | (9) | (126) | (89) | 117 | (92.9) | % | (37) | 41.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial & Specialty Business | 7.1 | % | 7.3 | % | 10.8 | % | (20)bp5 | (350)bp5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Government Business | 3.7 | % | 3.4 | % | 3.3 | % | 30bp5 | 10bp5 | |||||||||||||||||
| IngenioRx | 6.6 | % | 6.2 | % | NM | 40bp5 | NM |
NM Not meaningful.
1Includes expenses of $106 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2021; $311 for business optimization initiatives and $524 for the BCBSA Litigation recognized in 2020.
2 Includes expenses of $47 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2021; $205 for business optimization initiatives and $24 for the BCBSA Litigation recognized in 2020.
3 Includes expenses of $2 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2021; $4 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2020.
4 Includes expenses of $32 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2021; $133 for business optimization initiatives recognized in 2020.
5 bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Commercial & Specialty Business
Operating revenue increased primarily due to premium rate increases in our Commercial risk-based businesses designed to cover medical cost trends, increased membership in our Commercial risk-based businesses, administrative fee increases in our Group fee-based businesses and the absence in 2021 of premium credits provided to members enrolled in select Group and Individual health plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020. These increases were partially offset by the impact of lower premium revenue associated with the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021.
The increase in operating gain was primarily due to the absence of charges in 2021 for the BCBSA Litigation accrual recognized in the third quarter of 2020, reduced business optimization charges in 2021 and the non-recurring premium credits provided to members enrolled in select Group and Individual health plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020. These increases were partially offset by increased COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare costs in 2021.
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Government Business
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher premium revenue growth in our Medicaid business, driven by the temporary suspension of eligibility recertification, which we expect will remain suspended at least until the second quarter of 2022, and the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021. Medicare membership growth in our Medicare business and the impact of the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021 also contributed to operating revenue growth. These increases were partially offset by the impact of lower premium revenue associated with the repeal of the HIP Fee for 2021, increased experience-rated refunds in our Medicaid business and lower risk-based revenue in our Medicare business.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by membership increases in both our Medicaid and Medicare businesses, including due to the acquisition of MMM on June 29, 2021, and reduced business optimization charges in 2021. These increases were partially offset by an increase in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare costs, increased experience-rated refunds in our Medicaid business and lower risk-based revenue in our Medicare business.
IngenioRx
Operating revenue and operating gain increased as a result of higher drug spend from IngenioRx customers, including spend related to increased Medicaid membership within our Government Business segment.
The increase in operating gain was primarily driven by growth in integrated medical and pharmacy members in 2021.
Other
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher administrative fees and other revenue for services performed by our Diversified Business Group for our Commercial & Specialty Business and Government Business segments, primarily due to the implementation of affiliated behavioral health capitation contracts. In addition, unaffiliated revenues from Beacon, AIM and myNEXUS contributed to the overall increase.
The decrease in operating loss was driven by reduced business optimization charges in 2021 and a decline in unallocated corporate expenses in 2021.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to liabilities for medical claims payable, income taxes, goodwill and other intangible assets, investments and retirement benefits, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment, and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Medical Claims Payable
The most subjective accounting estimate in our consolidated financial statements is our liability for medical claims payable. At December 31, 2021, this liability was $13,518 and represented 22% of our total consolidated liabilities. We record this liability and the corresponding benefit expense for incurred but not paid claims, including the estimated costs of processing such claims. Incurred but not paid claims include (1) an estimate for claims that are incurred but not reported, as well as claims reported to us but not yet processed through our systems, which approximated 96%, or $12,998, of our total medical claims liability as of December 31, 2021; and (2) claims reported to us and processed through our systems but not yet paid, which approximated 4%, or $520, of the total medical claims payable as of December 31, 2021. The level of claims
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payable processed through our systems but not yet paid may fluctuate from one period-end to the next, from approximately 1% to 5% of our total medical claims liability, due to timing of when claim payments are made.
Liabilities for both claims incurred but not reported and reported but not yet processed through our systems are determined in the aggregate, employing actuarial methods that are commonly used by health insurance actuaries and meet Actuarial Standards of Practice. Our reserving practice for claim liabilities is to consistently recognize the appropriate amount of reserve within a level of confidence required by Actuarial Standards of Practice. We determine the amount of the liability for incurred but not paid claims by following a detailed actuarial process that uses both historical claim payment patterns as well as emerging medical cost trends to project our best estimate of claim liabilities. Under this process, historical paid claims data is formatted into “claim triangles,” which compare claim incurred dates to the dates of claim payments. This information is analyzed to create “completion factors” that represent the average percentage of total incurred claims that have been paid through a given date after being incurred. Completion factors are applied to claims paid through the period-end date to estimate the ultimate claim expense incurred for the period. Actuarial estimates of incurred but not paid claim liabilities are then determined by subtracting the actual paid claims from the estimate of the ultimate incurred claims.
For the most recent incurred months (typically the most recent two months), the percentage of claims paid for claims incurred in those months is generally low. This makes the completion factor methodology less reliable for such months. Therefore, incurred claims for recent months are not projected from historical completion and payment patterns; rather, they are projected by estimating the claims expense for those months based on recent claims expense levels and healthcare trend levels (“trend factors”).
Because the reserve methodology is based upon historical information, it must be adjusted for known or suspected operational and environmental changes. These adjustments are made by our actuaries based on their knowledge and their estimate of emerging impacts to benefit costs and payment speed. Circumstances to be considered in developing our best estimate of reserves include changes in utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing patterns, claim submission patterns and operational changes resulting from business combinations. A comparison of prior period liabilities to re-estimated claim liabilities based on subsequent claims development is also considered in making the liability determination. In our comparison to prior periods, the methods and assumptions are not changed as reserves are recalculated; rather, the availability of additional paid claims information drives changes in the re-estimate of the unpaid claim liability. To the extent appropriate, changes in such development are recorded as a change to current period benefit expense. The impact from COVID-19 on healthcare utilization and medical claims submission patterns has increased estimation uncertainty on our incurred but not reported liability at December 31, 2021. Slowdowns in claims submission patterns and increases in utilization levels for COVID-19 testing and treatment during 2021 are the primary factors that lead to the increased estimation uncertainty.
We regularly review and set assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization when initially establishing claim liabilities. We continually monitor and adjust the claims liability and benefit expense based on subsequent paid claims activity. If it is determined that our assumptions regarding cost trends and utilization are materially different than actual results, our income statement and financial position could be impacted in future periods. Adjustments of prior year estimates may result in additional benefit expense or a reduction of benefit expense in the period an adjustment is made. Further, due to the considerable variability of healthcare costs, adjustments to claim liabilities occur each period and are sometimes significant as compared to the net income recorded in that period. Prior period development is recognized immediately upon the actuary’s judgment that a portion of the prior period liability is no longer needed or that an additional liability should have been accrued. That determination is made when sufficient information is available to ascertain that the re-estimate of the liability is reasonable.
While there are many factors that are used as a part of the estimation of our medical claims payable liability, the two key assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid claims liability as of December 31, 2021 were the completion and trend factors. As discussed above, these two key assumptions can be influenced by utilization levels, unit costs, mix of business, benefit plan designs, provider reimbursement levels, processing system conversions and changes, claim inventory levels, claim processing patterns, claim submission patterns and operational changes resulting from business combinations.
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There is variation in the reasonable choice of completion factors by duration for durations of three months through twelve months where the completion factors have the most significant impact. As previously discussed, completion factors tend to be less reliable for the most recent months and therefore are not specifically utilized for months one and two. In our analysis for the claim liabilities at December 31, 2021, the variability in months three to five was estimated to be between 40 and 90 basis points, while months six through twelve have much lower estimated variability ranging from 0 to 30 basis points.
The difference in completion factor assumptions results in variability of 2%, or approximately $242, in the December 31, 2021 incurred but not paid claims liability, depending on the completion factors chosen. It is important to note that the completion factor methodology inherently assumes that historical completion rates will be reflective of the current period. However, it is possible that the actual completion rates for the current period will develop differently from historical patterns and therefore could fall outside the possible variations described herein.
The other major assumption used in the establishment of the December 31, 2021 incurred but not paid claim liability was the trend factors. In our analysis for the period ended December 31, 2021, there was a 320 basis point differential in the high and low trend factors. This range of trend factors would imply variability of 4%, or approximately $487, in the incurred but not paid claims liability, depending upon the trend factors used. Because historical trend factors are often not representative of current claim trends, the trend experience for the most recent six to nine months, plus knowledge of recent events likely affecting current trends, have been taken into consideration in establishing the incurred but not paid claims liability at December 31, 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on 2021 dates of service. Our expenses associated with COVID-19 accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2021, partially offset by the benefit from a lower volume of healthcare claims attributable to decreased utilization of non-COVID-19 health services. We will continue to monitor emerging experience in order to better understand the possible implications to our reserves.
See Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Components of the total incurred claims for each year include amounts accrued for current year estimated claims expense as well as adjustments to prior year estimated accruals. In Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” the line labeled “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” accounts for those adjustments made to prior year estimates. The impact of any reduction of “Net incurred medical claims: Prior years redundancies” may be offset as we establish the estimate of “Net incurred medical claims: Current year.” Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for our claims. When we recognize a release of the redundancy, we disclose the amount that is not in the ordinary course of business, if material.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 87.8% for 2021, 87.7% for 2020 and 89.3% for 2019. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby 2021 claims were processed at a similar speed to 2020, but slower than in 2019.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current year in order to demonstrate the development of the prior year reserves. For the year ended December 31, 2021, this metric was 18.1%, reflecting the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19 at the end of 2020, and was largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2020 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2020, this metric was 8.0%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2019 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2019, this metric was 7.4%, largely driven by favorable trend factor development at the end of 2018 as well as favorable completion factor development from 2018.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current year as a percent of prior year net incurred medical claims to indicate the percentage of redundancy included in the preceding year calculation of current year net incurred medical claims. We believe this calculation supports the reasonableness of our prior year estimate of incurred medical claims and the consistency in our methodology. For the year ended December 31, 2021, this metric was 2%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,703. This metric was 0.8% for 2020 and 0.7% for 2019. We believe these metrics support the reasonableness of our estimates. The 2021 metric was impacted by the estimation uncertainty due to COVID-19.
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The following table shows the variance between total net incurred medical claims as reported in Note 12, “Medical Claims Payable,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for each of 2020 and 2019 and the incurred claims for such years had it been determined retrospectively (computed as the difference between “net incurred medical claims – current year” for the year shown and “net incurred medical claims – prior years redundancies” for the immediately following year):
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | |||||
| Total net incurred medical claims, as reported | $ | 84,457 | $ | 78,195 | ||
| Retrospective basis, as described above | 83,391 | 78,058 | ||||
| Variance | $ | 1,066 | $ | 137 | ||
| Variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported | 1.3 | % | 0.2 | % |
Given that our business is primarily short tailed (which means that medical claims are generally paid within twelve months of the member receiving service from the provider), the variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported above, is used to assess the reasonableness of our estimate of ultimate incurred medical claims for a given calendar year with the benefit of one year of experience. We expect that substantially all of the development of the 2021 estimate of medical claims payable will be known during 2022.
The 2020 variance to total net incurred medical claims, as reported of 1.3% was greater than the 2019 percentage of 0.2%. This was driven by the fact that the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2020 as compared to 2019 was greater than the change in the prior year redundancy reported for 2019 as compared to 2018.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) guidance, which requires, among other things, the separate recognition of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. Such deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities represent the tax effect of temporary differences between financial reporting and tax reporting measured at tax rates enacted at the time the deferred tax asset or liability is recorded. A valuation allowance must be established for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that all or a portion may be unrealized. Our judgment is required in determining an appropriate valuation allowance.
At each financial reporting date, we assess the adequacy of the valuation allowance by evaluating each of our deferred tax assets based on the following:
•the types of temporary differences that created the deferred tax asset;
•the amount of taxes paid in prior periods and available for a carry-back claim;
•the tax rate at which the deferred tax assets will likely be utilized in the future;
•the forecasted future taxable income, and therefore, likely future deduction of the deferred tax item; and
•any significant other issues impacting the likely realization of the benefit of the temporary differences.
We, like other companies, frequently face challenges from tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include questions regarding the timing and amount of deductions that we have taken on our tax returns. In evaluating any additional tax liability associated with various positions taken in our tax return filings, we record additional liabilities for potential adverse tax outcomes. Based on our evaluation of our tax positions, we believe we have appropriately accrued for uncertain tax benefits, as required by the applicable guidance. To the extent we prevail in matters we have accrued for, our future effective tax rate would be reduced and net income would increase. If we are required to pay more than accrued, our future effective tax rate would increase and net income would decrease. Our effective tax rate and net income in any given future period could be materially impacted.
In the ordinary course of business, we are regularly audited by federal and other tax authorities, and from time to time, these audits result in proposed assessments. We believe our tax positions comply with applicable tax law, and we intend to defend our positions vigorously through the federal, state and local appeals processes. We believe we have adequately
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provided for any reasonably foreseeable outcome related to these matters. Accordingly, although their ultimate resolution may require additional tax payments, we do not anticipate any material impact on our results of operations or financial condition from these matters.
For additional information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Our consolidated goodwill at December 31, 2021 was $24,228 and other intangible assets were $10,615. The sum of goodwill and other intangible assets represented 35.8% of our total consolidated assets and 96.6% of our consolidated shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2021.
We follow FASB guidance for business combinations and goodwill and other intangible assets, which specifies the types of acquired intangible assets that are required to be recognized and reported separately from goodwill. Under the guidance, goodwill and other intangible assets (with indefinite lives) are not amortized but are tested for impairment at least annually. Furthermore, goodwill and other intangible assets are allocated to reporting units for purposes of the annual impairment test. Our impairment tests require us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, which include goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately.
We complete our annual impairment tests of existing goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives during the fourth quarter of each year. These tests involve the use of estimates related to the fair value of goodwill at the reporting unit level and other intangible assets with indefinite lives, and require a significant degree of management judgment and the use of subjective assumptions. Certain interim impairment tests are also performed when potential impairment indicators exist or changes in our business or other triggering events occur. We have the option of first performing a qualitative assessment for each reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, which is an indication that our goodwill may be impaired. These qualitative impairment tests include assessing events and factors that could affect the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. Our procedures include assessing our financial performance, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, various asset specific factors and entity specific events. If we determine that a reporting unit’s goodwill may be impaired after utilizing these qualitative impairment analysis procedures, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test.
Our quantitative impairment test utilizes the projected income and market valuation approaches for goodwill and the projected income approach for our indefinite lived intangible assets. Use of the projected income and market valuation approaches for our goodwill impairment test reflects our view that both valuation methodologies provide a reasonable estimate of fair value. The projected income approach is developed using assumptions about future revenue, expenses and net income derived from our internal planning process. These estimated future cash flows are then discounted. Our assumed discount rate is based on our industry’s weighted-average cost of capital. Market valuations are based on observed multiples of certain measures including revenue; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; and book value of invested capital (debt and equity) and include market comparisons to publicly traded companies in our industry.
We did not incur any impairment losses as a result of our 2021 annual impairment tests, as it was determined that it is more likely than not that the estimated fair values of our reporting units were substantially in excess of the carrying values as of December 31, 2021. Additionally, we do not believe that the estimated fair values of our reporting units are at risk of becoming impaired in the next twelve months.
If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives in future annual impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income.
For additional information, see Note 3, “Business Acquisitions” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Investments
Current and long-term marketable investment securities were $28,780 at December 31, 2021 and represented 29.5% of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2021. We classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” and report those securities at fair value. Certain fixed maturity securities are available to support current operations and, accordingly, we classify such investments as current assets without regard to their contractual maturity. Investments used to satisfy contractual, regulatory or other requirements are classified as long-term, without regard to contractual maturity.
Our impairment review is subjective and requires a high degree of judgment. We conduct this review on a quarterly basis, using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Such factors considered include the extent to which a security’s market value has been less than its cost, the reasons for the decline in value (i.e., credit event compared to liquidity, general credit spread widening, currency exchange rate or interest rate factors), financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, including the credit ratings and changes in the credit ratings of the issuer, recommendations of investment advisors, and forecasts of economic, market or industry trends.
Prior to 2020, our fixed maturity securities were evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment where credit-related impairments were presented within the other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in our consolidated statements of income with an adjustment to the security’s amortized cost basis. Effective January 1, 2020, if a fixed maturity security is in an unrealized loss position and we have the intent to sell the fixed maturity security, or it is more likely than not that we will have to sell the fixed maturity security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, we write down the fixed maturity security’s cost basis to fair value and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. For impaired fixed maturity securities that we do not intend to sell or if it is more likely than not that we will not have to sell such securities, but we expect that we will not fully recover the amortized cost basis, we recognize the credit component of the impairment as an allowance for credit loss in our consolidated balance sheets and record an impairment loss in our consolidated statements of income. The non-credit component of the impairment is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. Furthermore, unrealized losses entirely caused by non-credit-related factors related to fixed maturity securities for which we expect to fully recover the amortized cost basis continue to be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income.
The credit component of an impairment is determined primarily by comparing the net present value of projected future cash flows with the amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. The net present value is calculated by discounting our best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security at the date of purchase. For mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates are based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral, including prepayment speeds, vintage, type of underlying asset, geographic concentrations, default rates, recoveries and changes in value. For all other securities, cash flow estimates are driven by assumptions regarding probability of default, including changes in credit ratings and estimates regarding timing and amount of recoveries associated with a default.
We have a committee of accounting and investment associates and management that is responsible for managing the impairment review process. We believe that we have adequately reviewed our investment securities for impairment and that our investment securities are carried at fair value. We have established an allowance for credit loss and recorded credit loss expense as a reflection of our expected impairment losses. Given the inherent uncertainty of changes in market conditions and the significant judgments involved, there is continuing risk that declines in fair value may occur and additional impairment losses on investments may be recorded in future periods.
In addition to marketable investment securities, we held additional long-term investments of $5,225, or 5.4% of total consolidated assets, at December 31, 2021. These long-term investments consisted primarily of certain other equity investments, the cash surrender value of corporate-owned life insurance policies, mortgage loans and real estate. Due to their less liquid nature, these investments are classified as long-term.
Through our investing activities, we are exposed to financial market risks, including those resulting from changes in interest rates and changes in equity market valuations. We manage market risks through our investment policy, which establishes credit quality limits and limits on investments in individual issuers. Ineffective management of these risks could have an impact on our future results of operations and financial condition. Our investment portfolio includes fixed maturity securities with a fair value of $26,899 at December 31, 2021. The weighted-average credit rating of these securities was “A”
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as of December 31, 2021. Included in this balance are investments in fixed maturity securities of states, municipalities and political subdivisions of $1,095 that are guaranteed by third parties. With the exception of nineteen securities with a fair value of $27, these securities are all investment-grade and carry a weighted-average credit rating of “AA” as of December 31, 2021. The securities are guaranteed by a number of different guarantors, and we do not have any material exposure to any single guarantor, neither indirectly through the guarantees, nor directly through investment in the guarantor. Further, due to the high underlying credit rating of the issuers, the weighted-average credit rating of the fixed maturity securities without a guarantee, for which such information is available, was “A” as of December 31, 2021.
Fair values of fixed maturity and equity securities are based on quoted market prices, where available. These fair values are obtained primarily from third-party pricing services, which generally use Level I or Level II inputs for the determination of fair value in accordance with FASB guidance for fair value measurements and disclosures. We have controls in place to review the pricing services’ qualifications and procedures used to determine fair values. In addition, we periodically review the pricing services’ pricing methodologies, data sources and pricing inputs to ensure the fair values obtained are reasonable.
We obtain quoted market prices for each security from the pricing services, which are derived through recently reported trades for identical or similar securities, making adjustments through the reporting date based upon available market observable information. For securities not actively traded, the pricing services may use quoted market prices of comparable instruments or discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating inputs that are currently observable in the markets for similar securities. Inputs that are often used in these valuation methodologies include, but are not limited to, broker quotes, benchmark yields, credit spreads, default rates and prepayment speeds. As we are responsible for the determination of fair value, we perform analysis on the prices received from the pricing services to determine whether the prices are reasonable estimates of fair value. Our analysis includes procedures such as a review of month-to-month price fluctuations and price comparisons to secondary pricing services. There were no adjustments to quoted market prices obtained from the pricing services during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
In certain circumstances, it may not be possible to derive pricing model inputs from observable market activity, and therefore, such inputs are estimated internally. Such securities are designated Level III in accordance with FASB guidance. Securities designated Level III at December 31, 2021 totaled $449 and represented approximately 1.3% of our total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Our Level III securities primarily consisted of certain corporate securities and equity securities for which observable inputs were not always available and the fair values of these securities were estimated using inputs including, but not limited to, prepayment speeds, credit spreads, default rates and benchmark yields.
For additional information, see Part II, Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk,” and Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 5, “Investments,” and Note 7, “Fair Value,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Retirement Benefits
Pension Benefits
We sponsor defined benefit pension plans for some of our employees. These plans are accounted for in accordance with FASB guidance for retirement benefits, which requires that amounts recognized in financial statements be determined on an actuarial basis. As permitted by the guidance, we calculate the value of plan assets as described below. Further, the difference between our expected rate of return and the actual performance of plan assets, as well as certain changes in pension liabilities, are amortized over future periods.
An important factor in determining our pension expense is the assumption for expected long-term return on plan assets. As of our December 31, 2021 measurement date, we selected a weighted-average long-term rate of return on plan assets of 5.02%. We use a total portfolio return analysis in the development of our assumption. Factors such as past market performance, the long-term relationship between fixed maturity and equity securities, interest rates, inflation and asset allocations are considered in the assumption. The assumption includes an estimate of the additional return expected from active management of the investment portfolio. Peer data and an average of historical returns are also reviewed for appropriateness of the selected assumption. We believe our assumption of future returns is reasonable. However, if we lower our expected long-term return on plan assets, future contributions to the pension plan and pension expense would likely increase.
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This assumed long-term rate of return on assets is applied to a calculated value of plan assets, which recognizes changes in the fair value of plan assets in a systematic manner over three years, producing the expected return on plan assets that is included in the determination of pension expense. We apply a corridor approach to amortize unrecognized actuarial gains or losses. Under this approach, only accumulated net actuarial gains or losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the fair value of plan assets are amortized over the average remaining service or lifetime of the workforce as a component of pension expense. The net deferral of past asset gains or losses affects the calculated value of plan assets and, ultimately, future pension expense.
The discount rate reflects the current rate at which the pension liabilities could be effectively settled at the end of the year based on our most recent measurement date. We use the annual spot rate approach for setting our discount rate. Under the spot rate approach, individual spot rates from a full yield curve of published rates are used to discount each plan’s cash flows to determine the plan’s obligation. At the December 31, 2021 measurement date, the weighted-average discount rate under the annual spot rate approach was 2.70%, compared to 2.24% at the December 31, 2020 measurement date. The net effect of changes in the discount rate, as well as the net effect of other changes in actuarial assumptions and experience, have been deferred and amortized as a component of pension expense in accordance with FASB guidance.
In managing the plan assets, our objective is to be a responsible fiduciary while minimizing financial risk. Plan assets include a diversified mix of equity securities, investment grade fixed maturity securities and other types of investments across a range of sectors and levels of capitalization to maximize long-term return for a prudent level of risk. In addition to producing a reasonable return, the investment strategy seeks to minimize the volatility in our expense and cash flow.
Other Postretirement Benefits
We provide some associates with certain medical, vision and dental benefits upon retirement. We use various actuarial assumptions, including a discount rate and the expected trend in healthcare costs, to estimate the costs and benefit obligations for our retiree benefits.
At our December 31, 2021 measurement date, the selected discount rate for all plans was 2.49%, compared to a discount rate of 1.99% at the December 31, 2020 measurement rate. We developed this rate using the annual spot rate approach as described above.
The assumed healthcare cost trend rates used to measure the expected cost of pre-Medicare (those who are not currently eligible for Medicare benefits) other benefits at our December 31, 2021 measurement date was 7.00% for 2022 with a gradual decline to 4.50% by the year 2033. The assumed healthcare cost trend rates used to measure the expected cost of post-Medicare (those who are currently eligible for Medicare benefits) other benefits at our December 31, 2021 measurement date was 5.50% for 2022 with a gradual decline to 4.50% by the year 2033. These estimated trend rates are subject to change in the future.
For additional information regarding our retirement benefits, see Note 11, “Retirement Benefits,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2021 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance” and “Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 2, “Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Introduction
Our cash receipts result primarily from premiums, product revenue, administrative fees and other revenue, investment income, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from borrowings, and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments,
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administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. Cash outflows fluctuate with the amount and timing of settlement of these transactions. Any future decline in our profitability would likely have an unfavorable impact on our liquidity.
We manage our cash, investments and capital structure so we are able to meet the short-term and long-term obligations of our business while maintaining financial flexibility and liquidity. We forecast, analyze and monitor our cash flows to enable investment and financing within the overall constraints of our financial strategy.
A substantial portion of the assets held by our regulated subsidiaries are in the form of cash and cash equivalents and investments. After considering expected cash flows from operating activities, we generally invest cash that exceeds our near term obligations in longer term marketable fixed maturity securities to improve our overall investment income returns. Our investment strategy is to make investments consistent with insurance statutes and other regulatory requirements, while preserving our asset base. Our investments are generally available-for-sale to meet liquidity and other needs. Our subsidiaries pay out excess capital annually in the form of dividends to their respective parent companies for general corporate use, as permitted by applicable regulations.
The availability of financing in the form of debt or equity is influenced by many factors, including our profitability, operating cash flows, debt levels, debt ratings, contractual restrictions, regulatory requirements and market conditions. The securities and credit markets have in the past experienced higher than normal volatility, although current market conditions are more stable. Interest rates on fixed income securities are expected to rise in 2022, which could increase our borrowing costs if we elect to issue debt. During recent years, the federal government and various governmental agencies have taken a number of steps to strengthen the regulation of the financial services market. In addition, governments around the world have developed their own plans to provide stability and security in the credit markets and to ensure adequate capital in certain financial institutions. Further, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has established a number of programs to provide liquidity to the financial system that provides lending to states, municipalities, and eligible businesses.
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31 | $ Change | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2021 vs. 2020 | 2020 vs. 2019 | ||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 8,364 | $ | 10,688 | $ | 6,061 | $ | (2,324) | $ | 4,627 | ||||||||
| Issuances of commercial paper and short- and long-term debt, net of repayments | 2,719 | — | 608 | 2,719 | (608) | |||||||||||||
| Issuances of common stock under employee stock plans | 203 | 176 | 187 | 27 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| Other sources of cash, net | — | 315 | — | (315) | 315 | |||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 11,286 | 11,179 | 6,856 | 107 | 4,323 | |||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | (4,056) | (3,433) | (1,919) | (623) | (1,514) | |||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (1,900) | (2,700) | (1,701) | 800 | (999) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired | (3,476) | (1,976) | — | (1,500) | (1,976) | |||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (1,087) | (1,021) | (1,077) | (66) | 56 | |||||||||||||
| Repayments of commercial paper and short- and long-term debt, net of issuances | — | (298) | — | 298 | (298) | |||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (1,104) | (954) | (818) | (150) | (136) | |||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | (514) | — | (338) | (514) | 338 | |||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (12,137) | (10,382) | (5,853) | (1,755) | (4,529) | |||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (10) | 7 | — | (17) | 7 | |||||||||||||
| Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | $ | (861) | $ | 804 | $ | 1,003 | $ | (1,665) | $ | (199) |
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Liquidity—Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
The decrease in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to the impact of working capital changes year-over-year, including an increase in receivables and a decline in accounts payable and accrued expenses, partially offset by higher net income in 2021.
Other significant changes in sources and uses of cash year-over-year included an increase in net proceeds received from the issuance of commercial paper and short-term and long-term debt, net of repayments and reduced amounts for the repurchase and retirement of our common stock, partially offset by an increase in cash paid for the purchases of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired.
Financial Condition
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $33,660 at December 31, 2021. Since December 31, 2020, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities increased by $2,365, primarily due to cash generated from operations. This increase was partially offset by cash used for acquisitions, common stock repurchases, purchases of property and equipment and cash dividends paid to shareholders.
Many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid to their respective parent companies. Certain accounting practices prescribed by insurance regulatory authorities, or statutory accounting practices, differ from GAAP. Changes that occur in statutory accounting practices, if any, could impact our subsidiaries’ future dividend capacity. In addition, we have agreed to certain undertakings to regulatory authorities, including the requirement to maintain certain capital levels in certain of our subsidiaries.
At December 31, 2021, we held $1,194 of cash, cash equivalents and investments at the parent company, which are available for general corporate use, including investment in our businesses, acquisitions, potential future common stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders, repurchases of debt securities and debt and interest payments.
Periodically, we access capital markets and issue debt (“Notes”) for long-term borrowing purposes, for example, to refinance debt, to finance acquisitions or for share repurchases. Certain of these Notes may have a call feature that allows us to redeem the Notes at any time at our option and/or a put feature that allows a Note holder to redeem the Notes upon the occurrence of both a change in control event and a downgrade of the Notes below an investment grade rating. For more information on our debt, including redemptions and issuances, see Note 13, “Debt” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our audited consolidated balance sheets included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our debt-to-capital ratio is calculated as total debt divided by total debt plus total shareholders’ equity. Total debt is the sum of short-term borrowings, current portion of long-term debt and long-term debt, less current portion. We believe our debt-to-capital ratio assists investors and rating agencies in measuring our overall leverage and additional borrowing capacity. In addition, our bank covenants include a maximum debt-to-capital ratio that we cannot and did not exceed. Our debt-to-capital ratio may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio was 38.9% and 37.6% as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Our senior debt is rated “A” by S&P Global, “BBB” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., “Baa2” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. and “bbb+” by AM Best Company, Inc. We intend to maintain our senior debt investment grade ratings. If our credit ratings are downgraded, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs.
Capital Resources
We have a shelf registration statement on file with the SEC to register an unlimited amount of any combination of debt or equity securities in one or more offerings. Specific information regarding terms and securities being offered will be provided at the time of an offering. Proceeds from future offerings are expected to be used for general corporate purposes,
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including, but not limited to, the repayment of debt, investments in or extensions of credit to our subsidiaries and the financing of possible acquisitions or business expansions.
We have a senior revolving credit facility (the “5-Year Facility”) available in the amount of $2,500 with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. On June 3, 2021, we terminated our 364-day senior revolving credit facility, which was scheduled to mature in June 2021 (the “prior 364-Day Facility”), and entered into a new 364-day senior revolving credit facility (the “new 364-Day Facility” and together with the 5-Year Facility, the “Credit Facilities”) with a group of lenders for general corporate purposes. The new 364-Day Facility provides for credit in the amount of $1,000 and matures in June 2022. Our ability to borrow under these Credit Facilities is subject to compliance with certain covenants, including covenants requiring us to maintain a defined debt-to-capital ratio of not more than 60%, subject to increase in certain circumstances set forth in the applicable credit agreement. We do not believe the restrictions contained in these covenants materially affect our financial or operating flexibility. As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants. There were no amounts outstanding under the 5-Year Facility or the new 364-Day Facility at December 31, 2021.
Through certain subsidiaries, we have entered into multiple 364-day lines of credit (the “Subsidiary Credit Facilities”) with separate lenders for general corporate purposes. The Subsidiary Credit Facilities provide combined credit up to $200. Our ability to borrow under the Subsidiary Credit Facilities is subject to compliance with certain covenants. At December 31, 2021, we had no outstanding borrowings under the Subsidiary Credit Facilities.
We have a $3,500 commercial paper program, the proceeds of which may be used for general corporate purposes. Should commercial paper issuance be unavailable, we have the ability to use a combination of cash on hand and/or our Credit Facilities, which provide for combined credit in the amount of $3,500, to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. While there is no assurance in the current economic environment, we believe the lenders participating in our credit facilities, if market conditions allow, would be willing to provide financing in accordance with their legal obligations. At December 31, 2021, we had $300 outstanding under our commercial paper program.
We are a member, through certain subsidiaries, of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, collectively (the “FHLBs”). As a member, we have the ability to obtain short-term cash advances, subject to certain minimum collateral requirements. At December 31, 2021, we had $275 outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs.
As discussed in “Financial Condition” above, many of our subsidiaries are subject to various government regulations that restrict the timing and amount of dividends and other distributions that may be paid. Based upon these requirements, we currently estimate that approximately $3,000 of dividends will be paid to the parent company during 2022. During 2021, we received $3,134 of dividends from our subsidiaries.
In addition to regulations regarding the timing and amount of dividends, our regulated subsidiaries’ states of domicile have statutory risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements for health and other insurance companies and HMOs largely based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) Risk-Based Capital (RBC) For Health Organizations Model Act (“RBC Model Act”). These RBC requirements are intended to measure capital adequacy, taking into account the risk characteristics of an insurer’s investments and products. The NAIC sets forth the formula for calculating the RBC requirements, which are designed to take into account asset risks, insurance risks, interest rate risks and other relevant risks with respect to an individual insurance company’s business. In general, under the RBC Model Act, an insurance company must submit a report of its RBC level to the state insurance department or insurance commissioner, as appropriate, at the end of each calendar year. Our regulated subsidiaries’ respective RBC levels as of December 31, 2021, which was the most recent date for which reporting was required, were in excess of all applicable mandatory RBC requirements. In addition to exceeding these RBC requirements, we are in compliance with the liquidity and capital requirements for a licensee of the BCBSA and with the tangible net worth requirements applicable to certain of our California subsidiaries. For additional information, see Note 22, “Statutory Information,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Short-Term Liquidity Requirements
As previously described, our cash disbursements result mainly from claims payments, administrative expenses, taxes, purchases of investment securities, interest expense, payments on borrowings, acquisitions, capital expenditures, repurchases of our debt securities and common stock and the payment of cash dividends. We believe cash on hand, operating cash receipts, investments and amounts available under our commercial paper and Credit Facilities will be adequate to fund our expected cash disbursements over the next twelve months.
Long-Term Liquidity Requirements
As of December 31, 2021, our long-term cash disbursements required under various contractual obligations and commitments were:
•Debt and interest expense: Future debt and estimated interest payments were $24,412, with $2,935 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 13 “Debt” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Operating leases: We lease office space and certain computer equipment, for which the future estimated payments were $1,092, with $211 due within the next twelve months. For additional information, see Note 18 “Leases” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Other liabilities: These liabilities primarily consist of future policy reserves, projected other postretirement benefits, deferred compensation, supplemental executive retirement plan liabilities and certain other miscellaneous long-term obligations. Amounts due within twelve months were $29, with $1,233 due in future periods. Estimated future payments for funded pension benefits have been excluded from these numbers, as we had no funding requirements under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, at December 31, 2021, as a result of the value of the assets in the plans. In addition, gross liabilities for uncertain tax positions and interest for which we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of the resolutions with the respective taxing authorities have not been included. For further information, see Note 8, “Income Taxes,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Purchase obligations: These obligations include estimated payments for future services under contractual arrangements from third-party service vendors. Amounts due within the next twelve months for these purchase obligations were $886, while longer term payments were $5,048. For further information, see Note 14, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
•Investment commitments: These include unfunded capital commitments for alternative investments and low-income housing tax credits. Estimated amounts due were $1,558, including $249 due within the next twelve months.
In addition to the contractual obligations and commitments discussed above, we have a variety of other contractual agreements related to acquiring materials and services used in our operations. However, we do not believe these other agreements contain material noncancelable commitments.
We regularly review the appropriate use of capital, including acquisitions, common stock and debt security repurchases and dividends to shareholders. The declaration and payment of any dividends or repurchases of our common stock or debt is at the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon our financial condition, results of operations, future liquidity needs, regulatory and capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.
On January 25, 2022, our Audit Committee declared a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders of $1.28 per share on the outstanding shares of our common stock. This quarterly dividend is payable on March 25, 2022 to the shareholders of record as of March 10, 2022.
Under our Board of Directors’ authorization, we maintain a common stock repurchase program. On January 26, 2021, our Audit Committee, pursuant to authorization granted by the Board of Directors, authorized a $5,000 increase to our common stock repurchase program. As of December 31, 2021, we had Board authorization of $4,192 to repurchase our common stock.
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We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our senior revolving credit facilities and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
We do not have any off-balance sheet derivative instruments, guarantee transactions, agreements or other contractual arrangements or any indemnification agreements that will require funding in future periods. We have not transferred assets to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not hold any variable interest in an unconsolidated entity where such entity provides us with financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support. See Note 2 “Subsidiary Transactions” of the Notes to Condensed Financial Statements included in Part III, Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional detail on the Anthem, Inc. parent guarantees of certain subsidiaries.