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Significant Accounting Policies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Significant Accounting Policies Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible into known amounts of cash and have a maturity of three months or less on the date of purchase. The following table reconciles cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash and cash equivalents reported within the accompanying consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows. The restricted cash and cash equivalents presented below are included in “Restricted investments” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
| September 30,
| 2020 |  | 2019
| (In millions)
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,196 |  |  | $ | 2,679 |
Restricted cash and cash equivalents | 70 |  |  | 55 |
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash and cash equivalents presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows | $ | 3,266 |  |  | $ | 2,734 |
Investments Our investments are principally held in debt securities, which are grouped into two separate categories for accounting and reporting purposes: available-for-sale securities, and held-to-maturity securities. Available-for-sale (“AFS”) securities are recorded at fair value and unrealized gains and losses, if any, are recorded in stockholders’ equity as other comprehensive income (loss), net of applicable income taxes. Held-to-maturity (“HTM”) securities are recorded at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and unrealized holding gains or losses are not generally recognized. Realized gains and losses, and unrealized losses arising from credit-related factors with respect to AFS and HTM securities are included in the determination of net income. The cost of securities sold is determined using the specific-identification method. Our investment policy requires that all our investments have final maturities of less than 10 years, or less than 10 years average life for structured securities. Investments and restricted investments are subject to interest rate risk and will decrease in value if market rates increase. Declines in interest rates over time will reduce our investment income. In general, our AFS securities are classified as current assets without regard to the securities’ contractual maturity dates because they may be readily liquidated. We monitor our investments for credit-related impairment. For comprehensive discussions of the fair value and classification of our investments, see Note 5, “Fair Value Measurements,” and Note 6, “Investments.” Accrued interest receivable relating to our AFS and HTM securities is presented within “Prepaid expenses and other current assets” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and amounted to $9 million and $12 million at September 30, 2020, and December 31, 2019, respectively. We do not measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable. Instead, we write off accrued interest receivable that has not been collected within 90 days of the interest payment due date. We recognize such write offs as a reversal of interest income. No accrued interest was written off during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Premium Revenue Recognition and Premiums Receivable Premium revenue is generated from our Health Plans segment contracts related to our Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace programs. Premium revenue is generally received based on per member per month (“PMPM”) rates established in advance of the periods covered. These premium revenues are recognized in the month that members are entitled to receive healthcare services, and premiums collected in advance are deferred. The state Medicaid programs and the federal Medicare program periodically adjust premiums. Additionally, many of our contracts contain provisions that may adjust or limit revenue or profit, as described below. Consequently, we recognize premium revenue as it is earned under such provisions. Liabilities accrued for premiums to be returned under such provisions are recognized as “Amounts due government agencies” in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and included the following categories by program:
| September 30, 2020 |  | December 31, 2019
| (In millions)
Medicaid program: |  |  |
Minimum MLR and profit sharing | $ | 136 |  |  | $ | 92 |
Other | 83 |  |  | 95 |
Medicare program: |  |  |
Risk adjustment and Part D risk sharing | 38 |  |  | 14 |
Minimum MLR and profit sharing | 35 |  |  | 36 |
Other | 30 |  |  | 21 |
Marketplace program: |  |  |
Risk adjustment | 265 |  |  | 368 |
Minimum MLR | 33 |  |  | 15 |
Other | 20 |  |  | 23 |
Total amounts due government agencies | $ | 640 |  |  | $ | 664 |
Contractual Provisions That May Adjust or Limit Revenue or Profit Medicaid Program Minimum MLR and Medical Cost Corridors. A portion of our premium revenue may be returned if certain minimum amounts are not spent on defined medical care costs. Under certain medical cost corridor provisions, the health plans may receive additional premiums if amounts spent on medical care costs exceed a defined maximum threshold. Profit Sharing. Our contracts with certain states contain profit sharing provisions under which we refund amounts to the states if our health plans generate profit above a certain specified percentage. In some cases, we are limited in the amount of administrative costs that we may deduct in calculating the refund, if any. Retroactive Premium Adjustments. State Medicaid programs periodically adjust premium rates on a retroactive basis. In these cases, we adjust our premium revenue in the period in which we determine that the adjustment is probable and reasonably estimable, and is based on our best estimate of the ultimate premium we expect to realize for the period being adjusted. Various states have implemented temporary premium refunds and related actions in response to the reduced demand for medical services stemming from COVID-19, which are resulting in a reduction of our medical margin. In some cases, these premium actions are retroactive to earlier periods in 2020, or as early as the beginning of the states’ fiscal years in 2019. In the second quarter of 2020, we recognized approximately $75 million for certain of these retroactive premium actions that we believe to be probable, and where the ultimate premium amount is reasonably estimable. In most of those states, the refund period extended into the third quarter of 2020, and one additional state, Michigan, enacted a premium refund mechanism in the third quarter of 2020. Consequently, we recognized an additional $88 million related to these retroactive premium actions in the third quarter of 2020, resulting in $163 million recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. It is possible that certain states could increase the level of existing premium refunds, and it is also possible that other states could implement some form of retroactive premium refund during the fourth quarter of 2020. Due to these uncertainties, the ultimate outcomes could differ materially from our estimates as a result of changes in facts or further developments, which could have an adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Medicare Program Risk Adjustment. Our Medicare premiums are subject to retroactive increase or decrease based on the health status of our Medicare members (as measured by member risk score). We estimate our members’ risk scores and the related amount of Medicare revenue that will ultimately be realized for the periods presented based on our knowledge of our members’ health status, risk scores and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) practices. Minimum MLR. The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) established a minimum annual medical loss ratio (“Minimum MLR”) of 85% for Medicare. The medical loss ratio represents medical costs as a percentage of premium revenue. Federal regulations define what constitutes medical costs and premium revenue. If the Minimum MLR is not met, we may be required to pay rebates to the federal government. We recognize estimated rebates under the Minimum MLR as an adjustment to premium revenue in our consolidated statements of income. Marketplace Program Risk Corridor Settlement. In April 2020, the United States Supreme Court held that §1342 of the Affordable Care Act obligated the federal government to pay participating insurers the full Marketplace risk corridor amounts calculated by that statute, and that impacted insurers may sue the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to recover damages for breach of that obligation. In June 2020, the Claims Court granted us judgment in the amount of $128.1 million for our 2014, 2015, and 2016 Marketplace risk corridor claims, which we received in October 2020. Since we accounted for the judgment as a gain contingency at September 30, 2020, it will be recognized in our fourth quarter 2020 financial results. The judgment does not create additional Minimum MLR rebates. Risk Adjustment. Under this program, our health plans’ composite risk scores are compared with the overall average risk score for the relevant state and market pool. Generally, our health plans will make a risk adjustment payment into the pool if their composite risk scores are below the average risk score (risk adjustment payable), and will receive a risk adjustment payment from the pool if their composite risk scores are above the average risk score (risk adjustment receivable). We estimate our ultimate premium based on insurance policy year-to-date experience, and recognize estimated premiums relating to the risk adjustment program as an adjustment to premium revenue in our consolidated statements of income. As of September 30, 2020, Marketplace risk adjustment payables amounted to $265 million and related receivables amounted to $59 million, for a net payable of $206 million. This net payable consisted of $230 million in payables relating to 2020, and $24 million in receivables relating primarily to 2019. As of December 31, 2019, Marketplace risk adjustment payables amounted to $368 million and related receivables amounted to $63 million, for a net payable of $305 million, which related primarily to 2019 and prior periods. Minimum MLR. The ACA established a Minimum MLR of 80% for the Marketplace. If the Minimum MLR is not met, we may be required to pay rebates to our Marketplace policyholders. The Marketplace risk adjustment program is taken into consideration when computing the Minimum MLR. We recognize estimated rebates under the Minimum MLR as an adjustment to premium revenue in our consolidated statements of income. Quality Incentives At many of our health plans, revenue ranging from approximately 1% to 4% of certain health plan premiums is earned only if certain performance measures are met. Such performance measures are generally found in our Medicaid and MMP contracts. As described in Note 1, “Organization and Basis of Presentation–Use of Estimates,” recognition of quality incentive premium revenue is subject to the use of estimates. The following table quantifies the quality incentive premium revenue recognized for the periods presented, including the amounts earned in the periods presented and prior periods.
| Three Months Ended September 30, |  | Nine Months Ended September 30,
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
| (In millions)
Maximum available quality incentive premium - current period | $ | 69 |  |  | $ | 47 |  |  | $ | 195 |  |  | $ | 138 |
Quality incentive premium revenue recognized in current period: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Earned current period | $ | 63 |  |  | $ | 46 |  |  | $ | 180 |  |  | $ | 109 |
Earned prior periods | 19 |  |  | 5 |  |  | 23 |  |  | 35 |
Total | $ | 82 |  |  | $ | 51 |  |  | $ | 203 |  |  | 144 |
Quality incentive premium revenue recognized as a percentage of total premium revenue | 1.7 | % |  | 1.2 | % |  | 1.5 | % |  | 1.2 | %
Receivables Receivables consist primarily of amounts due from government agencies, which may be subject to potential retroactive adjustments. Because substantially all our receivable amounts are readily determinable and substantially all of our creditors are governmental authorities, our allowance for credit losses is insignificant.
| September 30, 2020 |  | December 31, 2019
| (In millions)
Government receivables | $ | 1,180 |  |  | $ | 1,056 |
Pharmacy rebate receivables | 175 |  |  | 150 |
Health insurer fee reimbursement receivables | 180 |  |  | 5 |
Other | 240 |  |  | 195 |
Total | $ | 1,775 |  |  | $ | 1,406 |
Reinsurance We bear underwriting and reserving risks associated with our health plan subsidiaries. Until the second quarter of 2020, we limited our risk of catastrophic losses solely by maintaining high deductible reinsurance coverage with a highly-rated, unaffiliated insurance company (the “third-party reinsurer”). Beginning in the second quarter of 2020, we now retain certain of these risks through our wholly-owned, captive insurance subsidiary (the “captive”). We continue to reduce our exposure to significant catastrophic losses by insuring levels of coverage, with the third-party reinsurer, for losses in excess of what we retain with the captive. Because we remain liable to our policyholders in the event the third-party reinsurer is unable to pay its portion of the losses, we continually monitor the third-party reinsurer’s financial condition, including its ability to maintain high credit ratings. We report reinsurance premiums as a reduction to premium revenue, while related reinsurance recoveries are reported as a reduction to medical care costs. Intercompany transactions with our captive are eliminated in consolidation. Premium Deficiency Reserves on Loss Contracts We assess the profitability of our medical care policies to identify groups of contracts where current operating results or forecasts indicate probable future losses. If anticipated future variable costs exceed anticipated future premiums and investment income, a premium deficiency reserve is recognized. In the third quarter of 2020, we recognized a premium deficiency reserve of $10 million for our Medicaid contract in Puerto Rico. As described in Note 1, “Organization and Basis of Presentation,” we will exit Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program when our current contract expires on October 31, 2020. No premium deficiency reserve was recorded as of December 31, 2019. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments, receivables, and restricted investments. Our investments and a portion of our cash equivalents are managed by professional portfolio managers operating under documented investment guidelines. Our portfolio managers must obtain our prior approval before selling investments where the loss position of those investments exceeds certain levels. Our investments consist primarily of investment-grade debt securities with final maturities of less than 10 years, or less than 10 years average life for structured securities. Restricted investments are invested principally in cash, cash equivalents, and U.S. Treasury securities. Concentration of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is limited because our payors consist principally of the federal government, and governments of each state or commonwealth in which our health plan subsidiaries operate. Health Insurer Fee Under the ACA, the federal government imposes an annual fee, or excise tax, on health insurers for each calendar year (the “HIF”). Public Law No. 115-120 provided for a HIF moratorium in 2019; therefore, there was no HIF incurred or reimbursed in that year. The HIF was reinstated in 2020, but the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, repealed the HIF effective for years after 2020. The HIF is allocated to health insurers based on each health insurer's share of net premiums for all U.S. health insurers in the year preceding the assessment. Our HIF liability for 2020 is $277 million, of which $271 million was accrued as of January 1, 2020 and an additional $6 million was accrued in the second quarter, with a corresponding deferred expense asset amortized to expense through December 31, 2020, on a straight-line basis. We settled the 2020 HIF liability in September 2020. The HIF is not deductible for income tax purposes. Due to the reinstatement of the HIF in 2020, our effective tax rate is higher in 2020 compared with 2019. Under the Medicaid program, we must secure additional reimbursement from our state partners for this added cost. We have obtained a contractual commitment or are receiving payments from all states in which we operate Medicaid programs to reimburse us for the HIF, and such HIF revenue is being recognized ratably throughout the year. Income Taxes The provision for income taxes is determined using an estimated annual effective tax rate, which generally differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate primarily because of foreign and state taxes, nondeductible expenses such as the HIF, certain compensation, and other general and administrative expenses. The effective tax rate may be subject to fluctuations during the year as new information is obtained. Such information may affect the assumptions used to estimate the annual effective tax rate, including projected pretax earnings, the mix of pretax earnings in the various tax jurisdictions in which we operate, valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, the recognition or the reversal of the recognition of tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions, and changes in or the interpretation of tax laws in jurisdictions where we conduct business. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of our assets and liabilities, along with net operating loss and tax credit carryovers. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted Credit Losses. In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which was subsequently modified by several ASUs issued in 2018 and 2019. We adopted Topic 326 effective January 1, 2020, using the modified retrospective approach. Under this method we recognized the cumulative effect of adopting the standard as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on January 1, 2020, which was immaterial. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted Reference Rate Reform. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by a change in the reference rate from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another reference rate expected to be discontinued, if certain conditions are met. ASU 2020-04 is effective immediately and expires after December 31, 2022. We are evaluating the effect of reference rate reform and this guidance on our contracts and other transactions. Other recent accounting pronouncements issued by the FASB (including its Emerging Issues Task Force), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) did not have, nor does management expect such pronouncements to have, a significant impact on our present or future consolidated financial statements.

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