Quarter Ended Dec 31, 2024
N E W S R E L E A S E
Contact: Investor Relations Inquiries |
Media Inquiries |
|
|
Senior Vice President, Finance & Investor Relations |
Vice President, Media & Public Relations |
(212) 549-1306 |
(314) 445-0790 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CENTENE CORPORATION REPORTS 2024 RESULTS
-- 2024 Full Year Diluted EPS of
- 2024 adjusted diluted EPS of
$7.17 , up 7% from$6.68 in 2023. - Membership increases of 12% in Marketplace and 50% in Medicare PDP, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
- Executed on capital deployment with
$3.0 billion of share repurchases in 2024. - Increased 2025 premium and service revenues guidance by
$4.0 billion driven by Medicaid revenue and better than expected membership performance during the annual enrollment period in Medicare Advantage and PDP.
2024 Results
Q4 |
Full Year |
||||
Total revenues (in millions) |
$ |
40,805 |
$ |
163,071 |
|
Premium and service revenues (in millions) |
$ |
36,296 |
$ |
145,505 |
|
Health benefits ratio |
89.6 |
% |
88.3 |
% |
|
SG&A expense ratio |
8.9 % |
8.5 % |
|||
Adjusted SG&A expense ratio (1) |
8.9 % |
8.5 % |
|||
GAAP diluted EPS |
$ |
0.56 |
$ |
6.31 |
|
Adjusted diluted EPS (1) |
$ |
0.80 |
$ |
7.17 |
|
Total cash flow (used in) provided by operations (in millions) |
$ |
(587) |
$ |
154 |
- Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. A full reconciliation of the adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) and adjusted selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses is shown in the Non-GAAP Financial Presentation section of this release.
"Despite a year of unprecedented industry headwinds,
1
Other Events
- In November,
Centene's subsidiary, Buckeye Health Plan, was selected by theOhio Department of Medicaid to continue providing Medicare and Medicaid services for dually eligible individuals through a Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (FIDE SNP). The three-year contract is expected to commence inJanuary 2026 . - In October, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued 2025 Medicare Advantage Star Ratings on the Medicare Plan Finder. Based on the data as well as our successful appeal of the initial scoring of our TTY (Text-to- Voice teletypewriter services for the hearing impaired),Centene Corporation had approximately 55% of its Medicare Advantage membership enrolled in plans rated 3.5 stars or higher - compared to approximately 23% in the prior year. This represents meaningful progress despite higher than industry-anticipated cut point changes.
Awards & Community Engagement
- In December, the
Centene Foundation , the philanthropic arm ofCentene , made a commitment to enter into a partnership with theNational Association of Community Health Centers , a leading advocacy organization advancing community-based care, to strengthenCommunity Health Centers (CHCs) nationwide. The multi-year partnership aims to enhance value-based care adoption and improve maternal child health outcomes in CHCs. - In November,
Centene's subsidiary,Fidelis Care , awarded rural health grants to nine community-based organizations to assist them in addressing barriers to care across ruralNew York , such as health literacy, transportation, food insecurity, dental care, hygiene and other factors. - In November,
Centene's subsidiary, Meridian Health Plan ofIllinois , announced a partnership withLiberty Bank and Trust to support a loan program forIllinois small businesses. Under the partnership, Meridian granted seed funding to Liberty's Lighting Loan Program to unlock lending power - providing businesses with capital and education to improve operations and enhance their ability to deliver goods and services across the state. - In October,
Centene's subsidiary,Fidelis Care , distributed grants to eight organizations that support maternal health and wellness and a healthcare provider to support safe pregnancies and healthy babies, particularly for underserved, lower-income women and their families acrossNew York . - In October,
Centene was named to the 2024 Fortune 100 Best Large Workplaces for Women™ list for the second consecutive year. Ranking 66 out of 100 large companies, the list recognizesCentene for supporting employee well- being, fairness in compensation, and providing women in the workplace with ample opportunities for growth. - In October,
Centene's subsidiary,Oklahoma Complete Health , announced an investment in the recruitment, training and retention of foster and adoptive families. The funding allows theFoster Care Association of Oklahoma to continue to grow the Foster Parent Mentoring Program to provide support and resources to foster parents starting their journey.
2
Membership |
||||
The following table sets forth membership by line of business: |
||||
|
||||
2024 |
2023 |
|||
Traditional Medicaid (1) |
11,408,100 |
12,754,000 |
||
High Acuity Medicaid (2) |
1,595,400 |
1,718,000 |
||
Total Medicaid |
13,003,500 |
14,472,000 |
||
|
4,382,100 |
3,900,100 |
||
|
431,400 |
427,500 |
||
Total Commercial |
4,813,500 |
4,327,600 |
||
Medicare (3) |
1,110,900 |
1,284,200 |
||
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) |
6,925,700 |
4,617,800 |
||
Total at-risk membership |
25,853,600 |
24,701,600 |
||
TRICARE eligibles |
2,747,000 |
2,773,200 |
||
Total |
28,600,600 |
27,474,800 |
||
- Membership includes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid Expansion,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Foster Care andBehavioral Health . - Membership includes Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMP) Duals.
- Membership includes Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement.
Premium and Service Revenues
The following table sets forth supplemental revenue information ($ in millions):
Three Months Ended |
Year Ended |
||||||||||||||
2024 |
2023 |
% Change |
2024 |
2023 |
% Change |
||||||||||
Medicaid |
$ |
20,825 |
$ |
21,114 |
(1)% |
$ |
83,851 |
$ |
86,855 |
(3)% |
|||||
Commercial |
8,723 |
7,406 |
18 % |
33,702 |
24,845 |
36 % |
|||||||||
Medicare (1) |
5,476 |
5,290 |
4 % |
23,032 |
22,261 |
3 % |
|||||||||
Other |
1,272 |
1,528 |
(17)% |
4,920 |
6,134 |
(20)% |
|||||||||
Total premium and service revenues |
$ |
36,296 |
$ |
35,338 |
3 % |
$ |
145,505 |
$ |
140,095 |
4 % |
|||||
- Medicare includes Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and Medicare PDP.
Statement of Operations: Three Months Ended
- For the fourth quarter of 2024, premium and service revenues increased 3% to
$36.3 billion from$35.3 billion in the comparable period of 2023. The increase was primarily driven by Medicaid rate increases and membership growth in the Marketplace business due to strong product positioning as well as overall market growth, partially offset by lower Medicaid membership primarily due to redeterminations. - Health benefits ratio (HBR) of 89.6% for the fourth quarter of 2024 represents an increase from 89.5% in the comparable period in 2023. The increase was primarily driven by higher acuity in Medicaid resulting from the redetermination process as we continue to work with states to match rates with acuity. The increase in HBR was partially offset by the decrease in the Medicare Advantage premium deficiency reserve-related expenses in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. HBR in the fourth quarter of 2024 was also favorably impacted by a Marketplace cost sharing reduction (CSR) settlement related to prior years.
3
- The SG&A expense ratio was 8.9% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 9.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The adjusted SG&A expense ratio was 8.9% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 9.7% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The decreases were primarily driven by lower Medicare SG&A, the divestiture of
Circle Health Group (Circle Health ), which operated at a higher SG&A expense ratio, and continued leveraging of expenses over higher revenues. The decreases were partially offset by growth in the Marketplace business, which operates at a meaningfully higher SG&A expense ratio as compared to Medicaid. The SG&A expense ratio in the fourth quarter of 2023 was also impacted by severance costs due to a restructuring. - The effective tax rate was 19.2% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to (61.9)% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2024 reflects the release of uncertain tax positions resulting from the expiration of statutes of limitation. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2023 reflects lower state taxes and tax effects of divestitures. For the fourth quarter of 2024, our effective tax rate on adjusted earnings was 20.7%, compared to 30.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023.
- Cash flow used in operations for the fourth quarter of 2024 was
$587 million , primarily driven by timing of receipt of net Part D receivables and higher state premium receivables for recent rate increases, partially offset by net earnings.
Statement of Operations: Year Ended
- For the full year 2024, premium and service revenues increased 4% to
$145.5 billion from$140.1 billion in the comparable period of 2023 primarily driven by membership growth in the Marketplace business due to strong product positioning as well as overall market growth and outperformance in Marketplace risk adjustment for the 2023 benefit year, along with Medicaid rate increases. The increases were partially offset by lower Medicaid membership primarily due to redeterminations and divestitures in the Other segment. - HBR of 88.3% for the full year 2024 represents an increase compared to 87.7% in 2023. The increase was primarily driven by higher acuity in Medicaid resulting from the redetermination process as we continue to work with states to match rates with acuity. The increase was also driven by
Medicare Star rating impacts. The increases were partially offset by Marketplace membership growth and improved margin through strong 2024 product design and execution, outperformance in Marketplace risk adjustment for the 2023 benefit year as well as the Marketplace CSR settlement related to prior years. The 2024 HBR was also favorably impacted by the decrease in the Medicare Advantage premium deficiency reserve-related expenses compared to 2023. - The SG&A expense ratio was 8.5% for the full year 2024, compared to 9.0% for the full year 2023. The adjusted SG&A expense ratio was 8.5% for the full year 2024, compared to 8.9% for the full year 2023. The decrease in the adjusted SG&A expense ratio was primarily driven by the divestiture of
Circle Health , which operated at a higher SG&A expense ratio, lower Medicare SG&A, and continued leveraging of expenses over higher revenues. The decrease was partially offset by growth in the Marketplace business, which operates at a meaningfully higher SG&A expense ratio as compared to Medicaid. - The effective tax rate was 22.6% for 2024, compared to 25.0% for 2023. The effective tax rate for 2024 reflects tax effects of the
Circle Health divestiture, which closed during the first quarter, settlements with tax authorities and valuation allowance releases. The effective tax rate for 2023 reflects the tax effects of the distribution of long-term stock awards to the estate of the Company's former CEO, divestiture gains and losses, lower state taxes as well as the then pending divestiture ofCircle Health . For the full year 2024, our effective tax rate on adjusted earnings was 23.8%, compared to 24.9% in 2023. - Adjusted diluted EPS of
$7.17 , including a$0.29 net benefit for a Marketplace CSR settlement related to prior years. - Cash flow provided by operations for the full year 2024 was
$154 million , which was primarily driven by net earnings, partially offset by an increase in pharmacy receivables driven by pharmacy rebate remittance timing associated with our transition to a new third-party pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) inJanuary 2024 , a decrease in net risk adjustment payables and higher state premium receivables for recent rate increases.
4
Balance Sheet
At
During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased 14.4 million shares for
Outlook
The Company is increasing its 2025 premium and service revenues guidance range by
- outperformance in our PDP annual enrollment resulting in an additional
$1.5 billion premium revenue, - outperformance in our Medicare Advantage annual enrollment resulting in
$1.0 billion of additional premium revenue, and $1.5 billion of additional Medicaid premium revenue due to a program change adding behavioral health coverage in one of our state contracts.
The Company reiterates its 2025 GAAP diluted EPS guidance floor of greater than
Conference Call
As previously announced, the Company will host a conference call
Investors and other interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-883-0383 in the
A webcast replay will be available for on-demand listening shortly following the completion of the call for the next 12 months or until
5
Non-GAAP Financial Presentation
The Company is providing certain non-GAAP financial measures in this release as the Company believes that these figures are helpful in allowing investors to more accurately assess the ongoing nature of the Company's operations and measure the Company's performance more consistently across periods. The Company uses the presented non-GAAP financial measures internally in evaluating the Company's performance and for planning purposes, by allowing management to focus on period-to- period changes in the Company's core business operations, and in determining employee incentive compensation. Therefore, the Company believes that this information is meaningful in addition to the information contained in the GAAP presentation of financial information. The Company strongly encourages investors to review its consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and cautions investors that the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company may differ from similar measures used by other companies, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures. The presentation of non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.
The Company believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures that excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets, acquisition and divestiture related expenses, as well as other items, allows investors to develop a more meaningful understanding of the Company's core performance over time.
The tables below provide reconciliations of non-GAAP items ($ in millions, except per share data):
Three Months Ended |
Year Ended |
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
GAAP net earnings attributable to |
2024 |
2023 |
2024 |
2023 |
|||||||
$ |
283 |
$ |
45 |
$ |
3,305 |
$ |
2,702 |
||||
Amortization of acquired intangible assets |
173 |
176 |
692 |
718 |
|||||||
Acquisition and divestiture related expenses |
7 |
18 |
82 |
70 |
|||||||
Other adjustments (1) |
(20) |
119 |
(117) |
464 |
|||||||
Income tax effects of adjustments (2) |
(39) |
(118) |
(209) |
(308) |
|||||||
Adjusted net earnings |
$ |
404 |
$ |
240 |
$ |
3,753 |
$ |
3,646 |
|||
- Other adjustments include the following pre-tax items:
2024:
- for the three months ended
December 31, 2024 : gain on the sale ofCollaborative Health Systems (CHS) of$17 million and net gain on the sale of property of$3 million ; - for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2024 : net gain on the previously reported divestiture ofMagellan Specialty Health due to the achievement of contingent consideration and finalization of working capital adjustments of$83 million , net gain on the sale of property of$24 million , gain on the previously reported divestiture ofCircle Health of$20 million , gain on the sale of CHS of$17 million ,Health Net Federal Services asset impairment due to the 2024 final ruling on the TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract of$14 million , severance costs due to a restructuring of$13 million , an additional loss on the divestiture of our Spanish and Central European businesses of$7 million and gain on the previously reported divestiture of HealthSmart due to the finalization of working capital adjustments of$7 million .
2023:
- for the three months ended
December 31, 2023 : severance costs due to a restructuring of$57 million ,Circle Health impairment of$41 million , real estate impairments of$13 million , a reduction to the previously reported gain on the sale of Magellan Rx of$12 million , gain on the sale ofApixio of$2 million and gain on the divestiture ofOperose Health Group (Operose Health ) of$2 million ; - for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2023 :Circle Health impairment of$292 million ,Operose Health impairment of$140 million , real estate impairments of$105 million , gain on the sale ofApixio of$93 million , severance costs due to a restructuring of$79 million , gain on the sale ofMagellan Specialty Health of$79 million , a reduction to the previously reported gain on the sale of Magellan Rx of$22 million , gain on the previously reported divestiture of Centurion of$15 million and an additional loss on the divestiture of our Spanish and Central European businesses of$13 million .
6
- The income tax effects of adjustments are based on the effective income tax rates applicable to each adjustment. The twelve months ended
December 31, 2024 include a tax benefit of$1 million related to tax adjustments on previously reported divestitures. In addition, the three and twelve months endedDecember 31, 2023 include tax expense of$9 million and$3 million , respectively, related to tax adjustments on previously reported divestitures. The year endedDecember 31, 2023 , also includes a one-time income tax benefit of$69 million resulting from the distribution of long-term stock awards to the estate of the Company's former CEO.
Three Months Ended |
Year Ended |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
2024 |
2023 |
2024 |
2023 |
Annual Guidance |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
GAAP diluted EPS attributable to |
$ |
0.56 |
$ |
0.08 |
$ |
6.31 |
$ |
4.95 |
greater than |
||||
Amortization of acquired intangible assets |
0.34 |
0.33 |
1.32 |
1.32 |
|
||||||||
Acquisition and divestiture related expenses |
0.01 |
0.03 |
0.16 |
0.13 |
~$- |
||||||||
Other adjustments (3) |
(0.04) |
0.22 |
(0.22) |
0.85 |
~$- |
||||||||
Income tax effects of adjustments (4) |
(0.07) |
(0.21) |
(0.40) |
(0.57) |
|
||||||||
Adjusted diluted EPS |
$ |
0.80 |
$ |
0.45 |
$ |
7.17 |
$ |
6.68 |
greater than |
||||
- Other adjustments include the following pre-tax items:
2024:
- for the three months ended
December 31, 2024 : gain on the sale of CHS of$0.03 per share ($0.02 after-tax) and net gain on the sale of property of$0.01 per share ($0.01 after-tax); - for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2024 : net gain on the previously reported divestiture ofMagellan Specialty Health due to the achievement of contingent consideration and finalization of working capital adjustments of$0.16 per share ($0.12 after-tax), net gain on the sale of property of$0.04 per share ($0.03 after- tax), gain on the previously reported divestiture ofCircle Health of$0.04 per share ($0.12 after-tax), gain on the sale of CHS of$0.03 per share ($0.02 after-tax),Health Net Federal Services asset impairment due to the 2024 final ruling on the TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract of$0.03 per share ($0.02 after-tax), severance costs due to a restructuring of$0.02 per share ($0.01 after-tax), an additional loss on the divestiture of our Spanish and Central European businesses of$0.01 per share ($0.01 after-tax) and gain on the previously reported divestiture of HealthSmart due to the finalization of working capital adjustments of$0.01 per share ($0.01 after-tax).
2023:
-
- for the three months ended
December 31, 2023 : severance costs due to a restructuring of$0.11 per share ($0.08 after-tax),Circle Health impairment of$0.08 per share ($0.02 after-tax), real estate impairments of$0.02 per share ($0.02 after-tax), a reduction to the previously reported gain on the sale of Magellan Rx of$0.02 per share ($0.02 after-tax), gain on the sale ofApixio of$0.01 per share ($0.01 after-tax) and gain on the divestiture ofOperose Health of$0.00 per share ($0.01 after-tax); - for the twelve months ended
December 31, 2023 :Circle Health impairment of$0.53 per share ($0.47 after-tax),Operose Health impairment of$0.26 per share ($0.24 after-tax), real estate impairments of$0.19 per share ($0.16 after-tax), gain on the sale ofApixio of$0.17 per share ($0.12 after-tax), severance costs due to a restructuring of$0.15 per share ($0.11 after-tax), gain on the sale ofMagellan Specialty Health of$0.14 per share ($0.11 after-tax), a reduction to the previously reported gain on the sale of Magellan Rx of$0.04 per share ($0.02 after-tax), gain on the previously reported divestiture of Centurion of$0.03 per share ($0.02 after-tax) and an additional loss on the divestiture of our Spanish and Central European businesses of$0.02 per share ($0.01 after-tax).
- for the three months ended
- The income tax effects of adjustments are based on the effective income tax rates applicable to each adjustment. The three and twelve months ended
December 31, 2023 include tax expense of$0.02 and$0.01 , respectively, related to tax adjustments on previously reported divestitures. The year endedDecember 31, 2023 also includes a one-time income tax benefit of$0.13 resulting from the distribution of long-term stock awards to the estate of the Company's former CEO.
7
Three Months |
Year Ended |
||||||||||
Ended |
|
||||||||||
2024 |
2023 |
2024 |
2023 |
||||||||
GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses |
$ |
3,231 |
$ |
3,488 |
$ |
12,400 |
$ |
12,563 |
|||
Less: |
|||||||||||
Acquisition and divestiture related expenses |
7 |
17 |
82 |
69 |
|||||||
Restructuring costs |
- |
57 |
13 |
79 |
|||||||
Real estate optimization |
- |
1 |
- |
8 |
|||||||
Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses |
$ |
3,224 |
$ |
3,413 |
$ |
12,305 |
$ |
12,407 |
|||
To provide clarity on the way management defines certain key metrics and ratios, the Company is providing a description of how the metric or ratio is calculated as follows:
- Health Benefits Ratio (HBR) (GAAP) = Medical costs divided by premium revenues.
- SG&A Expense Ratio (GAAP) = Selling, general and administrative expenses divided by premium and service revenues.
- Adjusted SG&A Expense Ratio(non-GAAP) = Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses divided by premium and service revenues.
- Adjusted Effective Tax Rate(non-GAAP) = GAAP income tax expense (benefit) excluding the income tax effects of adjustments to net earnings divided by adjusted earnings (loss) before income tax expense.
- Adjusted Net Earnings(non-GAAP) = Net earnings less amortization of acquired intangible assets, less acquisition and divestiture related expenses, as well as adjustments for other items, net of the income tax effect of the adjustments.
- Adjusted Diluted EPS(non-GAAP) = Adjusted net earnings divided by weighted average common shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis.
- Debt to Capitalization Ratio (GAAP) = Total debt, divided by total debt plus total stockholder's equity.
- Average Medical Claims Expense (GAAP) = Medical costs for the period divided by number of days in such period. Average medical claims expense is most often calculated for the quarterly reporting period.
- Days in Claims Payable (GAAP) = Medical claims liabilities divided by average medical claims expense. Days in claims payable is most often calculated for the quarterly reporting period.
In addition, the following terms are defined as follows:
- State-directedPayments: Payments directed by a state that have minimal risk but are administered as a premium adjustment. These payments are recorded as premium revenue and medical costs at close to a 100% HBR. In many instances, the Company has little visibility to the timing of these payments until they are paid by a state.
- Pass-throughPayments: Non-risk supplemental payments from a state that the Company is required to pass through to designated contracted providers. These payments are recorded as premium tax revenue and premium tax expense.
8
About
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "guidance," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof).
9
including the timing and terms of renewal or modification of the enhanced advance premium tax credits or program integrity initiatives that could have the effect of reducing membership or profitability of our products; uncertainty concerning government shutdowns, debt ceilings or funding; tax matters; disasters, climate-related incidents, acts of war or aggression or major epidemics; changes in expected contract start dates and terms; changes in provider, broker, vendor, state, federal and other contracts and delays in the timing of regulatory approval of contracts, including due to protests and our ability to timely comply with any such changes to our contractual requirements or manage any unexpected delays in regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including, but not limited to, Medicaid, Medicare or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of legal or regulatory audits, investigations, proceedings or matters, including, but not limited to, our ability to resolve claims and/or allegations made by states with regard to past practices on acceptable terms, or at all, or whether additional claims, reviews or investigations will be brought by states, the federal government or shareholder litigants, or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other data security incidents or our failure to comply with applicable privacy, data or security laws and regulations; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the terms of our contracts and the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental, or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions or dispositions; any changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price, or accretion for acquisitions or dispositions; losses in our investment portfolio; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; a downgrade of our corporate family rating, issuer rating or credit rating of our indebtedness; the availability of debt and equity financing on terms that are favorable to us and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that
10
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