UnitedHealth Group Reports Third Quarter Results

• Third Quarter Revenues Grew 27% Year-Over-Year to $41.5 Billion
• UnitedHealthcare Grew to Serve 1.7 Million More People Domestically in the Past Year, Including 290,000 People in the Third Quarter
• Optum Revenues Grew to $19.3 Billion; Optum Operating Earnings Increased 32%
• Third Quarter Net Earnings Were $1.65 Per Share; Cash Flows From Operations Were $2.8 Billion

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today reported third quarter results, highlighted by continuing, strong diversified growth.

Consolidated year-to-date results reflected continued steady growth and balanced performance across the Company. Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 grew 17 percent year-over-year to $113.5 billion, net earnings to common shareholders grew 12 percent to $4.6 billion and cash flows from operations were $6.2 billion, exceeding net earnings by $1.6 billion. UnitedHealthcare and Optum each produced double digit percentage increases in revenues and earnings from operations over the nine-month period. The Company continues to project 2015 net earnings in a range of $6.25 to $6.35 per share, and cash flows from operations of $8.4 billion to $8.6 billion.

“Our 2015 results are reflecting balanced growth across a diversity of businesses and product categories. We believe this growth will continue because we are serving people more effectively, simplifying their health care experiences, and offering practical innovations that help deliver more value to the consumer and the health care system as a whole,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group.

• UnitedHealth Group’s third quarter 2015 revenues of $41.5 billion grew 27 percent or $8.7 billion year-over-year. Revenue growth was broad-based, with UnitedHealthcare’s revenues up 9 percent and Optum’s revenues growing by double digit percentages in total and in each reporting segment.
• Third quarter earnings from operations were $3.0 billion and net earnings to common shareholders were $1.65 per share. The after-tax margin of 3.8 percent declined year-over-year due to business mix, as expected, from increased pharmacy care services revenues and greater levels of government-sponsored benefits business.
• Third quarter 2015 cash flows from operations of $2.8 billion exceeded 170 percent of net earnings in the quarter.
• The consolidated medical care ratio of 80.6 percent in the third quarter of 2015 increased 90 basis points year-over-year due to increased medical spending for Medicare Star quality performance, an increased mix of government-sponsored benefits business and lower levels of reserve development. The medical care ratio decreased 80 basis points sequentially from 81.4 percent in the second quarter of 2015 and medical cost trends remained consistent with expectations. Reserves developed favorably by a total of $150 million in the quarter, including $100 million for medical services provided in 2014, as compared to a total of $270 million in reserve development recognized in the third quarter of 2014.
• The third quarter 2015 operating cost ratio of 15.2 percent improved 140 basis points year-over-year due to shifts in business mix and improvements in productivity.
• The third quarter 2015 tax rate of 42.0 percent increased 20 basis points year-over-year due to higher levels of nondeductible ACA fees.
• Third quarter 2015 days claims payable of 50 days increased 2 days sequentially and by 1 day year-over-year; days sales outstanding of 15 days were consistent with second quarter.
• The Company’s balance sheet remained strong, with a debt to total capital ratio of 49 percent at September 30, 2015, compared to 35 percent at June 30, 2015, due to the issuance of debt to fund the Catamaran acquisition in July 2015. Third quarter 2015 return on equity was 19.3 percent.
• UnitedHealth Group repurchased $177 million in stock in the third quarter, bringing year-to-date repurchases to more than 10 million shares for $1.1 billion. As previously disclosed, the Company has moderated its repurchase activity in connection with the Catamaran acquisition.

UnitedHealthcare provides health care benefits, serving individuals and employers ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multi-site and national and international organizations; delivers health and well-being benefits to Medicare beneficiaries and retirees; manages health care benefit programs on behalf of state Medicaid and community programs; and serves the nation’s military service members, retirees and their families through the TRICARE program.

UnitedHealthcare continues to grow steadily across its diverse health benefits markets. Year-to-date revenues and earnings from operations have both grown by 10 percent, and operating margins through nine months were stable year-over-year at 5.9 percent.

• UnitedHealthcare’s third quarter 2015 revenues of $32.8 billion grew $2.8 billion or 9 percent year-over-year, with 12 percent growth in domestic revenues. The number of people served across the U.S. medical benefits markets grew by 1.7 million year-over-year, all organically, with balanced growth across commercial, Medicare and Medicaid offerings. In the third quarter of 2015, UnitedHealthcare grew to serve 290,000 additional people domestically.
• Third quarter 2015 earnings from operations for UnitedHealthcare of $1.9 billion decreased from the third quarter of 2014, with an operating margin of 5.7 percent, reflecting lower levels of reserve development, as well as the performance of public exchange products and increased investments in and medical costs resulting from advancing Medicare Stars performance.

UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual

• UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual grew to serve 775,000 more people year-over-year at September 30, 2015, including 130,000 more people served in the third quarter.
• Third quarter revenues of $11.9 billion grew 12 percent year-over-year, reflecting growth in the number of people served and price increases, partially offset by a continuing market trend toward lower price point products, including public exchange offerings.

UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement

• UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement continues to lead in serving the health and well-being needs of seniors, serving nearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries through its balanced portfolio of high-value health benefit offerings.
• Third quarter 2015 UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement revenues of $12.3 billion grew $790 million or 7 percent year-over-year.
  • In Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare grew to serve 230,000 more seniors year-over-year, an increase of 8 percent, including growth of 20,000 seniors in the third quarter.
  • Medicare Supplement products grew 8 percent to serve 295,000 more seniors since September 30, 2014, including 45,000 people in the third quarter of 2015.
  • UnitedHealthcare’s stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan participation remained unchanged in the third quarter.

UnitedHealthcare Community & State

• Third quarter 2015 UnitedHealthcare Community & State revenues of $7.4 billion grew $1.3 billion or 21 percent year-over-year, due to continued strong membership growth and an increasing mix of higher acuity members, such as those served through long-term care programs.
• UnitedHealthcare grew its Medicaid programs to serve 385,000 more people year-over-year, an increase of 8 percent, including growth of 95,000 people in the third quarter.

UnitedHealthcare Global

• UnitedHealthcare Global’s third quarter 2015 revenues of $1.3 billion decreased 29 percent or $534 million year-over-year. Using 2015 exchange rates for all periods, revenues grew 9 percent year-over-year in the third quarter and 11 percent year-to-date.

Optum is a health services business serving the broad health care marketplace, including payers, care providers, employers, governments, life sciences companies and consumers. Using advanced data analytics and technology, Optum’s people help improve overall health system performance: optimizing care quality, reducing costs and improving the consumer experience and care provider performance.

Optum’s year-to-date revenues of $45.7 billion have grown 31 percent and earnings from operations of $2.7 billion were up more than $0.5 billion or 23 percent year-over-year. All segments have double-digit percentage growth in revenues and earnings year-to-date.

• Optum’s revenues for the third quarter of 2015 grew 61 percent or $7.3 billion year-over-year to $19.3 billion as each reporting segment again grew revenues by a double-digit percentage. Optum’s third quarter earnings from operations of $1.14 billion grew 32 percent or $277 million year-over-year. The operating margin of 5.9 percent included strong double-digit margins in both OptumHealth and OptumInsight and a 3.4 percent margin in pharmacy care services, reflecting the acquisition of Catamaran and related integration and amortization expenses.
  • OptumHealth revenues of $3.5 billion grew 24 percent year-over-year due to growth in its health care delivery businesses, as well as business expansion in care centers and population health management services. In total, OptumHealth served 77 million people in the third quarter of 2015.
  • OptumInsight revenues grew to $1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2015, advancing 27 percent year-over-year, driven by expansion and growth in care provider revenue management services, payment integrity and government exchange services. OptumInsight’s quarter end revenue backlog exceeded $10 billion, driven by 34 percent year-over-year growth in external backlog.
  • OptumRx revenues grew 80 percent year-over-year to $14.4 billion, as third quarter script volumes increased 59 percent to 226 million adjusted scripts, driven by the acquisition of Catamaran and strong organic growth.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

Earnings Conference Call

As previously announced, UnitedHealth Group will discuss the Company’s results, strategy and future outlook on a conference call with investors at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time today. UnitedHealth Group will host a live webcast of this conference call from the Investors page of the Company’s website (www.unitedhealthgroup.com). Following the call, a webcast replay will be available on the same site through October 29, 2015. The conference call replay can also be accessed by dialing 1-800-839-5496. This earnings release and the Form 8-K dated October 15, 2015 may also be accessed from the Investors page of the Company’s website.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements, estimates, projections, guidance or outlook contained in this document include “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). These statements are intended to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions of the PSLRA. Generally the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “project,” “should” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions and trends and involve risks and uncertainties. We caution that actual results could differ materially from those that management expects, depending on the outcome of certain factors.

Some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements include: our ability to effectively estimate, price for and manage our medical costs, including the impact of any new coverage requirements; new laws or regulations, or changes in existing laws or regulations, or their enforcement or application, including increases in medical, administrative, technology or other costs or decreases in enrollment resulting from U.S., Brazilian and other jurisdictions’ regulations affecting the health care industry; assessments for insolvent payers under state guaranty fund laws; our ability to achieve improvement in CMS Star ratings and other quality scores that impact revenue; reductions in revenue or delays to cash flows received under Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE programs, including sequestration and the effects of a prolonged U.S. government shutdown or debt ceiling constraints; changes in Medicare, including changes in payment methodology, the CMS Star ratings program or the application of risk adjustment data validation audits; our participation in federal and state health insurance exchanges which entail uncertainties associated with mix and volume of business; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; failure to comply with privacy and data security regulations; regulatory and other risks and uncertainties of the pharmacy benefits management industry; competitive pressures, which could affect our ability to maintain or increase our market share; challenges to our public sector contract awards; our ability to execute contracts on competitive terms with physicians, hospitals and other service providers; failure to achieve targeted operating cost productivity improvements, including savings resulting from technology enhancement and administrative modernization; increases in costs and other liabilities associated with increased litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; failure to manage successfully our strategic alliances or complete or receive anticipated benefits of acquisitions and other strategic transactions, including our acquisition of Catamaran; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on our reported shareholders equity and results of operations; downgrades in our credit ratings; adverse economic conditions, including decreases in enrollment resulting from increases in the unemployment rate and commercial attrition; the performance of our investment portfolio; impairment of the value of our goodwill and intangible assets in connection with dispositions or if estimated future results do not adequately support goodwill and intangible assets recorded for our existing businesses or the businesses that we acquire; increases in health care costs resulting from large-scale medical emergencies; failure to maintain effective and efficient information systems or if our technology products do not operate as intended; and our ability to obtain sufficient funds from our regulated subsidiaries or the debt or capital markets to fund our obligations, to maintain our debt to total capital ratio at targeted levels, to maintain our quarterly dividend payment cycle or to continue repurchasing shares of our common stock.

This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain risk factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Any or all forward-looking statements we make may turn out to be wrong, and can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict or quantify. Actual future results may vary materially from expectations expressed or implied in this document or any of our prior communications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.

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UnitedHealth Group
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Vice President
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Senior Vice President
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Source: UnitedHealth Group

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