Elevance Health Inc.
04/22/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/22/2026 08:09
Quarterly Report for Quarter Ending March 31, 2026 (Form 10-Q)
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 litigation challenging the legality of those provisions. Also, in September 2025, CMS issued guidance modifying eligibility requirements for ACA catastrophic plans.
In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 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 through 2025 included provisions affecting Medicaid eligibility enrollment and program financing, which may influence state Medicaid policies and beneficiary coverage dynamics over time.
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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 cost of Public Exchange coverage premiums has increased for those individuals previously receiving the enhanced PTCs, which may negatively impact our 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, see Part I, Item 1, "Business - Regulation," Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and the "Regulatory Trends and Uncertainties" section of 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.
Other Significant Items
Business and Operational Matters
In the first quarter of 2026, based on a strategic review of our operations, assets and investments, management implemented the 2026 - 2027 Operating Model Transformation Program (the "Transformation Program") to streamline decision-making, simplify organizational structures, and enhance the use of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, across the enterprise. The Transformation Program includes initiatives to reduce organizational layers, realign roles and responsibilities, and design workflows to support more efficient, technology-enabled operations. These actions also include the modernization of certain information technology platforms, targeted workforce reductions and role realignments. Actions to be taken under the Transformation Program were ongoing as of March 31, 2026.
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 Star 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.
CMS Notice
As previously communicated, on February 27, 2026, the Company was notified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") of its intent to impose intermediate sanctions on the Company based on alleged noncompliance by the Company with certain Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data submission requirements related to diagnosis codes previously disclosed to CMS.
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On March 13, 2026, CMS notified the Company that it was granting the Company's request for an extension of the effective date of the sanctions from March 31, 2026 to May 30, 2026 and also removed certain of the Company's MA-PD plans from the threatened sanctions and granted a waiver for various Employee Group Waiver Plans. CMS subsequently modified the compliance timeline. The Company now has until July 31, 2026 to complete a series of steps required by the agency to avoid sanctions. While the Company is working with CMS to complete these steps to reach a resolution that avoids the imposition of sanctions or other remedies, there can be no assurance that such a resolution can be achieved. The Company is also currently contesting CMS' action through an administrative process.
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 10, "Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Selected Operating Performance
For the twelve months ended March 31, 2026, total medical membership declined by 0.9%. This was primarily driven by attrition in Medicaid membership, primarily as a result of eligibility redeterminations, and decreases in our Medicare Advantage, Employer Group Risk-Based and FEP® businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Employer Group Fee-Based business.
Operating revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $49,494, an increase of $729, or 1.5%, from the three months ended March 31, 2025. The increase for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was primarily a result of premium rate increases in our Health Benefits segment in recognition of medical cost trends and growth in CarelonRx product revenues, partially offset by membership attrition.
Shareholders' net income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $1,764, a decrease of $419, or 19.2%, from the three months ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in net income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was primarily due to decreased operating gain in all lines of business and increased interest expense. These decreases were partially offset
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by decreased net losses on financial instruments, increased net investment income, decreased income tax expense and decreased amortization of other intangible assets.
Our fully-diluted shareholders' earnings per share ("EPS") was $8.00 for the three months ended March 31, 2026, which represented a 16.8% decrease from EPS of $9.61 for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2026 resulted primarily from decreased shareholders' net income, partially offset by the impact of fewer diluted shares outstanding.
Operating cash flow for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 was $4,332 and $1,017, respectively. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to favorable working capital impacts.
Membership and Other Metrics
The following table presents our medical membership by customer type as of March 31, 2026 and 2025. 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. For a more detailed description of our medical membership, see the "Membership" section of 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.
| March 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | % Change | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medical Membership (in thousands)
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| Individual | 1,424 | 1,423 | 1 | 0.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Employer Group Risk-Based | 3,439 | 3,638 | (199) | (5.5) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial Risk-Based | 4,863 | 5,061 | (198) | (3.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
|
BlueCard®
|
6,579 | 6,608 | (29) | (0.4) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Employer Group Fee-Based | 21,170 | 20,522 | 648 | 3.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial Fee-Based | 27,749 | 27,130 | 619 | 2.3 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Medicare Advantage | 1,899 | 2,255 | (356) | (15.8) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Medicare Supplement | 888 | 876 | 12 | 1.4 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total Medicare | 2,787 | 3,131 | (344) | (11.0) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Medicaid | 8,456 | 8,862 | (406) | (4.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Federal Employee Program®
|
1,563 | 1,649 | (86) | (5.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total Medical Membership | 45,418 | 45,833 | (415) | (0.9) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
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Other Membership (in thousands)
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| Dental Members | 7,556 | 7,394 | 162 | 2.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dental Administration Members | 1,944 | 1,966 | (22) | (1.1) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Vision Members | 11,975 | 10,817 | 1,158 | 10.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Medicare Part D Standalone Members | 77 | 221 | (144) | (65.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
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Other Metrics (in millions)
|
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| CarelonRx Quarterly Adjusted Scripts | 80.3 | 83.9 | (3.6) | (4.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services Consumers Served | 92.9 | 99.5 | (6.6) | (6.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medical Membership
The decrease in medical membership was primarily driven by attrition in Medicaid membership, primarily as a result of eligibility redeterminations, and decreases in our Medicare Advantage, Employer Group Risk-Based and FEP® businesses. These decreases were partially offset by increases in our Employer Group Fee-Based business.
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 decreased primarily due to unfavorable in-group change within other BCBSA plans. Vision membership increased due to higher sales in our Medicaid, Employer Group and Individual health plans, partially offset by lower sales in our Medicare business.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Our consolidated summarized results of operations and other financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 are as follows:
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Three Months Ended March 31 |
Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Three Months Ended
March 31
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| 2026 vs. 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | $ | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 49,494 | $ | 48,765 | $ | 729 | 1.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net investment income | 765 | 590 | 175 | 29.7 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net losses on financial instruments | (78) | (464) | 386 | 83.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 50,181 | 48,891 | 1,290 | 2.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Benefit expense | 35,615 | 35,312 | 303 | 0.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of products sold | 5,463 | 4,983 | 480 | 9.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Operating expense
|
6,330 | 5,300 | 1,030 | 19.4 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Other expense1
|
469 | 499 | (30) | (6.0) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total expenses | 47,877 | 46,094 | 1,783 | 3.9 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 2,304 | 2,797 | (493) | (17.6) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense | 544 | 613 | (69) | (11.3) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income | 1,760 | 2,184 | (424) | (19.4) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Net loss (gain) attributable to noncontrolling interests
|
4 | (1) | 5 | NM | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shareholders' net income | $ | 1,764 | $ | 2,183 | $ | (419) | (19.2) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Average diluted shares outstanding | 220.4 | 227.2 | (6.8) | (3.0) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Diluted shareholders' earnings per share | $ | 8.00 | $ | 9.61 | $ | (1.61) | (16.8) | % | ||||||||||||||||||
| Effective tax rate | 23.6 | % | 21.9 | % |
170 bp3
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Benefit expense ratio2
|
86.8 | % | 86.4 | % |
40 bp3
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Operating expense ratio4
|
12.8 | % | 10.9 | % |
190 bp3
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| Income before income tax expense as a percentage of total revenues | 4.6 | % | 5.7 | % |
(110) bp3
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| Shareholders' net income as a percentage of total revenues | 3.5 | % | 4.5 | % |
(100) bp3
|
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Certain of the following definitions are also applicable to all other results of operations tables in this discussion:
NM Not meaningful.
1 Includes interest expense and amortization of other intangible assets.
2 Benefit expense ratio represents benefit expense as a percentage of premium revenue. Premiums for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 were $41,024 and $40,887, respectively.
3 bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
4 Operating expense ratio represents operating expense as a percentage of total operating revenue.
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Total operating revenue increased primarily as a result of premium rate increases in our Health Benefits segment in recognition of medical cost trends and growth in CarelonRx product revenues, partially offset by membership attrition.
Net investment income increased primarily due to higher income from alternative investments, partially offset by lower income from fixed maturity securities.
Net losses on financial instruments decreased due to lower impairment on other invested assets and lower realized losses on sales of financial instruments.
Benefit expense increased primarily due to higher medical costs across all lines of business within our Health Benefits segment, with the exception of Medicare. These increases were partially offset by decreases in Carelon Services benefit expense related to the partial termination and modification of a care delivery services contract with an unaffiliated customer.
Our benefit expense ratio increased primarily as a result of expected elevated medical cost trend in our Medicaid business, partially offset by improved performance in Medicare Advantage.
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 a higher cost per prescription in 2026, reflecting pricing impacts and product mix, despite lower adjusted prescription volumes.
Operating expense increased primarily due to the loss contingency accrual for our best estimate of the identified potential exposure for the resubmission of certain historical Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data and increased corporate expenses, primarily associated with the Operating Model Transformation Program.
Our operating expense ratio increased primarily due to the loss contingency accrual for our best estimate of the identified potential exposure for the resubmission of certain historical Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data and increased corporate expense, primarily associated with the Operating Model Transformation Program.
Other expense decreased primarily due to a decrease in amortization of other intangible assets due to assets being amortized under an accelerated depreciation method, which results in higher expense recognition in earlier periods and progressively lower amortization in later periods, partially offset by an increase in interest expense.
Our effective tax rate increased primarily due to an increase in our reserve for uncertain tax positions and a prior year favorable resolution of uncertain tax positions that did not recur in 2026.
Our shareholders' net income as a percentage of total revenues decreased in the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025 as a result of all factors discussed above.
Reportable Segments Results of Operations
Our results of operations discussed throughout this MD&A are determined in accordance with U.S. 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 and comparing them among periods. We define operating revenue as premium income, product revenue and service fees. Operating gain is calculated as total operating revenue less benefit expense, cost of products sold and operating expense. It does not include net investment income, net losses on financial instruments, loss/gain on sale of business, interest expense, amortization of other intangible assets or income taxes, as these items are managed in our corporate shared service environment and are not the responsibility of operating segment
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management. Operating margin is calculated as operating gain divided by operating revenue. 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, shareholders' net income or EPS prepared in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. For a reconciliation of reportable segments' operating revenue to the amounts of total revenue included in the consolidated statements of income and a reconciliation of income before income tax expense to reportable segments' operating gain, 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.
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.
The following table presents a summary of the reportable segment financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025:
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Three Months Ended March 31 |
Three Months Ended
March 31
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2026 vs. 2025 Change
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| 2026 | 2025 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Revenue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 42,490 | $ | 41,431 | $ | 1,059 | 2.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 10,600 | 10,116 | 484 | 4.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 7,365 | 6,536 | 829 | 12.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 4 | 165 | (161) | (97.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eliminations | (10,965) | (9,483) | (1,482) | 15.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating revenue | $ | 49,494 | $ | 48,765 | $ | 729 | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Gain (Loss) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | $ | 2,157 | $ | 2,217 | $ | (60) | (2.7) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 582 | 602 | (20) | (3.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 470 | 491 | (21) | (4.3) | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | (1,123) | (140) | (983) | 702.1 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating gain | $ | 2,086 | $ | 3,170 | $ | (1,084) | (34.2) | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating Margin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health Benefits | 5.1 | % | 5.4 | % | (30) bp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CarelonRx | 5.5 | % | 6.0 | % | (50) bp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carelon Services | 6.4 | % | 7.5 | % | (110) bp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total operating margin | 4.2 | % | 6.5 | % | (230) bp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
bp = basis point; one hundred basis points = 1%.
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The following table summarizes the operating revenues for our Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and FEP® lines of business within our Health Benefits segment for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025:
|
Three Months Ended
March 31
|
Three Months Ended
March
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2026 vs. 2025 Change
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | $ | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Health Benefits Operating Revenue
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Commercial 1
|
$ | 13,238 | $ | 12,352 | $ | 886 | 7.2 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medicare
|
10,991 | 11,406 | (415) | (3.6) | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medicaid
|
14,280 | 14,043 | 237 | 1.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FEP®
|
3,981 | 3,630 | 351 | 9.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Total Health Benefits operating revenue
|
$ | 42,490 | $ | 41,431 | $ | 1,059 | 2.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||
1 Operating revenue within our Commercial line of business related to our Individual ACA plans was $2,540 and $2,361 for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Health Benefits
Operating revenue increased primarily as a result of higher premium yields driven by premium increases in all of our lines of business, partially offset by deliberate repositioning in our Medicare Advantage business and Medicaid membership attrition.
Operating gain decreased primarily as a result of higher overall medical and operating costs, partially offset by higher operating revenue.
CarelonRx
Operating revenue increased primarily due to higher average revenue per prescription, partially offset by a negative change in product mix and lower prescription volumes.
The decrease in operating gain was primarily driven by lower health plan membership and normal timing variations in the recognition of performance-related adjustments, partially offset by improved specialty pharmacy profitability and lower operating expenses.
Carelon Services
Operating revenue increased primarily due to the continued expansion of risk-based capabilities in our specialty care solutions and behavioral health services, partially offset by fewer post-acute solutions services provided as a result of lower Medicare membership.
The decrease in operating gain was primarily driven by lower health plan membership and seasonality related to the launch of risk-based capabilities in our specialty care solutions business, partially offset by improved performance in our behavioral health business.
Corporate & Other
Operating revenue decreased primarily due to lower affiliate revenues.
Operating loss increased primarily due to increased unallocated corporate expenses, primarily associated with the loss contingency accrual for our best estimate of the identified potential exposure for the resubmission of certain historical Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data and Operating Model Transformation Program.
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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. Our accounting policies related to these items are discussed in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K in Note 2, "Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies," to our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025, as well as in the "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates" section of Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." As of March 31, 2026, our critical accounting policies and estimates have not changed from those described in our 2025 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. Our accounting policies related to medical claims payable are discussed in the references cited above. As of March 31, 2026, our critical accounting policies and estimates related to medical claims payable have not changed from those described in our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balance for medical claims payable for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, see Note 8, "Medical Claims Payable," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
The following table provides a summary of the two key assumptions having the most significant impact on our incurred but not paid liability estimates for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, which are the trend and completion factors. 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.
|
Favorable Developments by Changes in Key Assumptions |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Three Months Ended March 31 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed trend factors | $ | 625 | $ | 164 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed completion factors | 499 | 861 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,124 | $ | 1,025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The favorable development recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2026 resulted from trend factors in late 2025 developing more favorably than originally expected as well as from faster than expected development of completion factors from the latter part of 2025.
The ratio of current year medical claims paid as a percent of current year net medical claims incurred was 64.5% and 66.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. This ratio serves as an indicator of claims processing speed whereby speed for claims payments was slightly slower during the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current period as a percent of prior year net medical claims payable less prior year redundancies in the current period in order to demonstrate the development of prior year reserves. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, this metric was 7.2%, which was mainly driven by both favorable completion factor
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development from 2025 and favorable trend factor development at the end of 2025. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, this metric was 7.1%, mainly driven by favorable completion factor development from 2024, with favorable trend development at the end of 2024 also contributing.
We calculate the percentage of prior year redundancies in the current period 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 three months ended March 31, 2026, this metric was 0.8%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,124. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the comparable metric was also 0.8%, which was calculated using the redundancy of $1,025. We believe these metrics demonstrate an appropriate and consistent level of reserve conservatism.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Capital
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.
For a more detailed overview of our liquidity and capital resources management, see the "Introduction" section included in the "Liquidity and Capital Resources" section of 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.
For additional information regarding our sources and uses of capital during the three months ended March 31, 2026, see Note 4, "Investments," Note 5, "Derivative Financial Instruments," Note 9, "Debt," and Note 11, "Capital Stock - Use of Capital - Dividends and Stock Repurchase Program," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
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Liquidity
A summary of our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 is as follows:
|
Three Months Ended March 31 |
|||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | |||||||||||||||
| Sources of Cash: | |||||||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 4,332 | $ | 1,017 | $ | 3,315 | |||||||||||
| Proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions of investments, net of purchases | - | 610 | (610) | ||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee stock plans | 37 | 23 | 14 | ||||||||||||||
| Changes in bank overdrafts | - | 546 | (546) | ||||||||||||||
| Total sources of cash | 4,369 | 2,196 | 2,173 | ||||||||||||||
| Uses of Cash: | |||||||||||||||||
| Purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions | (1,089) | - | (1,089) | ||||||||||||||
| Repurchase and retirement of common stock | (1,124) | (880) | (244) | ||||||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (235) | (196) | (39) | ||||||||||||||
| Repayments of short- and long-term debt, net of issuances | (176) | (1,365) | 1,189 | ||||||||||||||
| Cash dividends | (376) | (386) | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Changes in bank overdrafts | (1,152) | - | (1,152) | ||||||||||||||
| Other uses of cash, net | (42) | (158) | 116 | ||||||||||||||
| Total uses of cash | (4,194) | (2,985) | (1,209) | ||||||||||||||
| Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (9) | 1 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
$ | 166 | $ | (788) | $ | 954 | |||||||||||
The increase in net cash provided by operating activities was primarily due favorable working capital impacts.
Other significant changes in cash year-over-year included (a) decreased usage of cash to repay short-and long-term debt, net of issuances, and (b) uses of cash related to increased cash outflow from changes in bank overdrafts, increased purchases of investments, net of proceeds from sales, maturities, calls and redemptions and increased repurchases and retirements of common stock.
We maintained a strong financial condition and liquidity position, with consolidated cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities of $38,187 at March 31, 2026. Since December 31, 2025, total cash, cash equivalents and investments in fixed maturity and equity securities increased by $951, primarily due to increased investments in equity securities, net of purchases and increased cash generated from operations. This increase was partially offset by increased amounts for changes in bank overdrafts, decreased cash generated by issuances of short- and long-term debt, net of repayments, increased amounts for the repurchase and retirement of common stock and increased purchases of property and equipment.
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 March 31, 2026, we held $2,164 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.
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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 9, "Debt," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
We calculate our consolidated debt-to-capital ratio, a non-GAAP measure, from the amounts presented on our consolidated balance sheets included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. 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 42.0% and 42.1% as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, 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, 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 $5,000 and matures in September 2030. 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 March 31, 2026, our debt-to-capital ratio, as defined and calculated under the 5-Year Facility, was 42.0%. We do not believe the restrictions contained in our 5-Year Facility covenants materially affect our financial or operating flexibility. As of March 31, 2026, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants under the 5-Year Facility.
We have an authorized commercial paper program of up to $5,000, 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 to redeem any outstanding commercial paper upon maturity. We had $724 and $0 of outstanding commercial paper at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
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. We had $0 and $150 of outstanding short-term borrowings from the FHLBs as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
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.
For additional information regarding our sources and uses of capital at March 31, 2026, see Note 4, "Investments," Note 5, "Derivative Financial Instruments," Note 9, "Debt," and Note 11, "Capital Stock - Use of Capital - Dividends and Stock
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Repurchase Program," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
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 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, insurance, interest rate 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, 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 21, "Statutory Information," in our audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 included in Part II, Item 8 of our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Future Sources and Uses of Liquidity
We believe that cash on hand, future operating cash receipts, investments and funds 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.
There have been no material changes to our long-term liquidity requirements as disclosed in Part II, Item 7 of our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional updates regarding our estimated long-term liquidity requirements, see Note 5, "Derivative Financial Instruments," Note 9, "Debt," and the "Other Contingencies" and "Contractual Obligations and Commitments" sections of Note 10, "Commitments and Contingencies," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We believe that funds from future operating cash flows, cash and investments and funds available under our 5-Year Facility and/or from public or private financing sources will be sufficient for future operations and commitments, and for capital acquisitions and other strategic transactions.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect our views about future events and financial performance and are generally not historical facts. Words such as "expect," "feel," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "predict," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to: financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions; statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services; and statements regarding future performance. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. You are also urged to carefully review and consider the various risks and other disclosures discussed in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, which attempt to advise interested parties of the factors that affect our business. Except to the extent required by law, we do not update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: trends in healthcare costs and utilization rates; reduced enrollment; our ability to secure and implement sufficient premium rates; the impact of large scale medical emergencies, such as public health epidemics and pandemics, and other catastrophes; the impact of new or changes in existing federal, state and international laws or regulations, including laws and regulations impacting healthcare, insurance, pharmacy services and other diversified products and services, or their enforcement or application; the impact of cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents or our failure to comply with any privacy, data or security laws or regulations, including any investigations, claims or litigation related thereto; failure to effectively maintain and modernize our information systems, or failure of our information systems or technology, including artificial intelligence, to operate as intended; failure to effectively maintain the availability and integrity of our data; changes in economic and market conditions, as well as regulations that may negatively affect our liquidity and investment portfolios; competitive pressures and our ability to adapt to changes in the industry and develop and implement strategic growth opportunities; risks and uncertainties regarding Medicare and Medicaid programs, including those related to non-compliance with the complex regulations imposed thereon; our ability to maintain and achieve improvement in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Star Ratings and other quality scores and funding risks with respect to revenue received from participation therein; a negative change in our healthcare product mix; costs and other liabilities associated with litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; our ability to contract with providers on cost-effective and competitive terms; risks associated with providing healthcare, pharmacy and other diversified products and services, including medical malpractice or professional liability claims and non-compliance by any party with the pharmacy services agreement between us and CaremarkPCS Health, L.L.C.; the effects of any negative publicity or sentiment related to the health benefits industry in general or us in particular; risks associated with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances; possible impairment of the value of our intangible assets if future results do not adequately support goodwill and other intangible assets; possible restrictions in the payment of dividends from our subsidiaries and increases in required minimum levels of capital; our ability to repurchase shares of our common stock and pay dividends on our common stock due to the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings and other considerations; the potential negative effect from our substantial amount of outstanding indebtedness and the risk that increased interest rates or market volatility could impact our access to or further increase the cost of financing; a downgrade in our financial strength ratings; events that may negatively affect our licenses with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; intense competition to attract and retain employees; risks associated with our international operations; and various laws and provisions in our governing documents that may prevent or discourage takeovers and business combinations.
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Elevance Health Inc. published this content on April 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on April 22, 2026 at 14:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]