The following table lists, by state, the number of medical centers and administrative offices we owned or leased at December 31, 2018:
Our principal executive office is located in the Humana Building, 500 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202. In addition to the headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, we maintain other principal operating facilities used for customer service, enrollment, and/or claims processing and certain other corporate functions in Louisville, Kentucky; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Tampa, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; San Antonio, Texas; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We manage our business with four reportable segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, Healthcare Services, and Individual Commercial. In addition, the Other Businesses category includes businesses that are not individually reportable because they do not meet the quantitative thresholds required by generally accepted accounting principles. These segments are based on a combination of the type of health plan customer and adjacent businesses centered on well-being solutions for our health plans and other customers, as described below. These segment groupings are consistent with information used by our Chief Executive Officer to assess performance and allocate resources. See Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for segment financial information.
certain corporate income and expenses are not allocated to the segments, including the portion of investment income not supporting segment operations, interest expense on corporate debt, and certain other corporate expenses. These items are managed at a corporate level. These corporate amounts are reported separately from our reportable segments and are included with intersegment eliminations.
On July 2, 2018 and July 11, 2018, we along with TPG Capital, or TPG, and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, or WCAS, collectively, the Sponsors, completed the acquisitions of Kindred and Curo, respectively, merging Curo with the hospice business of Kindred at Home. As part of these transactions, we acquired a 40% minority interest in the combined business, Kindred at Home, a for total cash consideration of approximately $1.1 billion.
On April 10, 2018, we acquired Family Physicians Group, or FPG, for cash consideration of approximately $185 million, net of cash received. FPG is one of the largest at-risk providers serving Medicare Advantage and Managed
These transactions are more fully discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements.
Our consolidated pretax income was $2.06 billion for 2018 compared to $4.02 billion in 2017. A number of significant items effected our year-over-year comparisons including the following:
The net gain associated with the terminated Merger Agreement, mainly the break-up fee of $936 million in 2017.
Charges in 2017 of $219 million associated with voluntary and involuntary workforce reduction programs, the Penn Treaty guaranty fund assessment and costs associated with the early retirement of debt.
Individual and Group Medicare Advantage membership increased 259,600 members, or 7.9%, in 2018 to 3,561,800 members December 31, 2018.
On January 30, 2019, after the stock market closed, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its preliminary 2020 Medicare Advantage and Part D payment rates and proposed policy changes (collectively, the Advance Notice). CMS has invited public comment on the Advance Notice before publishing final rates on April 1, 2019 (the Final Notice). In the Advance Notice, CMS estimates Medicare Advantage plans across the sector will, on average, experience a 1.59 percent increase in benchmark funding based on proposals included therein. As indicated by CMS, its estimate excludes the impact of fee-for-service county rebasing/re-pricing since the related impact is dependent upon finalization of certain data, which will be available with the publication of the Final Notice. Based on our preliminary analysis using the same factors CMS included in its estimate, the components of which are detailed on CMS’ website, we anticipate the proposals in the Advance Notice would result in a change to our benchmark funding relatively in line with CMS’ estimate. We will be drawing upon our program expertise to provide CMS formal commentary on the impact of the Advance Notice and the related impact upon Medicare beneficiaries’ quality of care and service to our members through the Medicare Advantage program.
In October 2018, CMS published its updated Star quality ratings for bonus year 2020. We received a 5-star rating on CMS' 5-star rating system for two MA contracts offered in Florida and Tennessee. In addition, we received a 4.5-star rating for two MA contracts offered in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Oregon. We have 12 contracts rated 4-star or above and 3 million members in 4-star or above rated contracts to be offered in 2019, representing 84% of our MA membership as of July 2018. The achievement of a 5-star rating for two MA contracts in Florida and Tennessee provides us the ability to market for these contracts throughout the year, creating an opportunity for increased penetration in these important geographies. We cannot guarantee, however, our ability to maintain or improve our star ratings.
During 2018, we transitioned to the new, larger T2017 East Region contract increasing membership 2,846,800 or 92.4%.The T2017 East Region contract is a consolidation of the former T3 North and South Regions, comprising thirty-two states and approximately 6 million TRICARE beneficiaries, under which delivery of health care services commenced on January 1, 2018. The T2017 East Region contract is a 5-year contract set
open enrollment period. Although we previously participated in these exchanges by offering on-exchange individual
On November 2, 2017, we filed suit against the United States of America in the United States Court of Federal Claims, on behalf of our health plans seeking recovery from the federal government of approximately $611 million in payments under the risk corridor premium stabilization program established under the Health Care Reform Law, for years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Our case has been stayed by the Court, pending resolution of similar cases filed by other insurers.
clinical care services, to our Retail and Group and Specialty segment customers and are described in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this 2018 Form 10-K.
Consolidated benefits expense was $45.9 billion for 2018, an increase of $2.4 billion, or 5.5%, from 2017 reflecting an increase in the Retail and Group and Specialty segments benefits expense as discussed in the detailed segment results discussion that follows. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in the Individual Commercial segment benefits expense. As more fully described herein under the section entitled “Benefits Expense Recognition”, actuarial standards require the use of assumptions based on moderately adverse experience, which generally results in favorable reserve development, or reserves that are considered redundant. We experienced favorable medical claims reserve development related to prior fiscal years of $503 million in 2018 and $483 million in 2017.
The consolidated operating cost ratio for 2018 was 13.3%, increasing 100 basis points from 12.3% in 2017 primarily due to the reinstatement of the health insurance industry fee in 2018, and long term sustainability investments made in 2018 as a result of the Tax Reform Law. Our long-term sustainability investments include the continuation of investments in our associate workforce, primarily the establishment of an annual incentive program for a broader range of employees, together with additional investments in the communities of our members, technology and our integrated care delivery model to drive more affordable healthcare and better clinical outcomes, and an increase in incentive compensation costs under the expanded program noted above. The ratio was further impacted by the growth in our military services business, which carries a higher operating ratio than our other products, due to the previously disclosed transition to the T2017 East Region contract effective January 1, 2018. These items were partially offset by the favorable impact of significant operating cost efficiencies in 2018 driven by productivity initiatives implemented in 2017, the impact of the charges recorded in 2017 associated with the voluntary and involuntary workforce reduction program, and the favorable year-over-year comparison of the impact of the guaranty fund assessment expense to support policyholder obligations of Penn Treaty in 2017, as well as the exit of the Individual Commercial business effective January 1, 2018, which carried a higher operating cost ratio than our other products. The nondeductible health insurance industry fee impacted the operating cost ratio by approximately 180 basis points in 2018.
Our effective tax rate during 2018 was 18.9% compared to the effective tax rate of 39.1% in 2017. This decrease is primarily due to the Tax Reform Law and the tax benefit resulting from the sale of KMG, partially offset by the impact of the reinstatement of the non-deductible health insurance industry fee in 2018. See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for a complete reconciliation of the federal statutory rate to the effective tax rate.
Group Medicare Advantage membership increased 56,400 members, or 12.8%, from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018 reflecting increased sales to our existing group accounts during last year's AEP for Medicare beneficiaries. For full year 2019, we anticipate net membership growth in our group Medicare Advantage offerings of approximately 30,000.
Medicare stand-alone PDP membership decreased 303,800 members, or 5.7%, from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018 reflecting net declines during last year's AEP for Medicare beneficiaries. These declines primarily resulted from the previously disclosed loss of auto assigned members in Florida and South Carolina due to pricing over the CMS low income benchmark and continued membership declines in our Enhanced Plan. In addition, growth in our co-branded Walmart plan was significantly lower than historical levels due to the introduction of additional low-priced competitor offerings in many regions. For the full year 2019, we anticipate a net membership decline in our Medicare stand-alone PDP offerings of 700,000 to 750,000.
State-based Medicaid membership decreased 19,000 members, or 5.3%, from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018, primarily driven by our election not to participate in Illinois' Medicaid Integrated Care Program and the Virginia Long Term Support Services contract that replaced the state's previous stand-alone dual eligible demonstration program in December 2017. Year-over-year decline was also impacted by lower membership associated with our Florida Medicaid contract due to overall strengthening economic conditions, partially offset by the addition of members associated with the new Florida Managed Medical Assistance program from the contract phase-in for certain regions that began December 1, 2018.
Retail segment premiums increased $3.5 billion, or 7.8%, from 2017 to 2018 primarily reflecting individual and group Medicare Advantage membership growth in last year's AEP as well as increased per-member premiums for certain of the segment's products, partially offset by declines in stand-alone PDP and state-based contracts revenues resulting from year-over-year membership declines discussed above. Average group and individual Medicare Advantage membership increased 7.6% in 2018. Average membership is calculated by summing the ending membership for each month in a period and dividing the result by the number of months in a period. Premiums revenue reflects changes in membership and average per-member premiums. Items impacting average per-member premiums include changes in premium rates as well as changes in the geographic mix of membership, the mix of product offerings, and the mix of benefit plans selected by our membership.
Fully-insured commercial group medical membership decreased 93,000 members, or 8.5% from December 31, 2017 primarily reflecting lower membership in small group accounts due in part to more small group accounts selecting level-funded ASO products in 2018. The portion of group fully-insured commercial medical membership in small group accounts was approximately 61% at December 31, 2018 and 64% at December 31, 2017.
Group ASO commercial medical membership increased 23,200 members, or 5.1%, from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018 reflecting more small group accounts selecting level-funded ASO products in 2018, partially offset by the loss of certain large group accounts as a result of continued discipline in pricing of services for self-funded accounts amid a highly competitive environment.
with the sale of KMG, as well as the loss of some large group accounts offering stand-alone dental and vision products. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in individual dental and vision membership.
Group and Specialty segment premiums increased $31 million, or 0.5%, from 2017 to 2018 primarily due to higher stop-loss premiums related to our level funded ASO accounts resulting from membership growth in this product, and higher per-member premiums across the commercial fully-insured business, partially offset by the exit of our voluntary benefits and financial protection lines of business in connection with the sale of KMG, as well as declines in average group fully-insured commercial medical membership.
Services revenue increased $269 million, or 79.6%, from 2017 to $607 million for 2018 primarily due to service revenue growth from our provider services and pharmacy solutions business.
The Healthcare Services segment operating cost ratio of 96.3% for 2018 increased from 95.5% for 2017 primarily due to an increase in incentive compensation costs under the expanded program resulting from the strategic investments made in 2018 as a result of the Tax Reform Law and the lag in operating cost reduction associated with improving the effectiveness of our chronic care management programs as compared to the timing of reduction in revenue. These items were partially offset by significant operating cost efficiencies in 2018 driven by productivity initiatives implemented in 2017.
As previously disclosed, in the third quarter of 2018, we completed the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary KMG, as discussed further in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data in this 2018 Form 10-K.
Certain financial data on a consolidated basis and for our segments was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:
Net income was $2.4 billion, or $16.81 per diluted common share, in 2017 compared to $614 million, or $4.07 per diluted common share, in 2016. Net income in 2017 includes a net gain of $4.31 per diluted common share associated with the terminated Merger Agreement consisting primarily of the break-up fee, and the beneficial effect of the lower effective tax rate in light of pricing and benefit design assumptions with the temporary suspension of the health insurance industry fee of $2.15 per diluted common share, excluding the Individual Commercial business impact. The year-over-year comparison was also favorably impacted by a write-off of $2.43 per diluted common share in receivables associated with the commercial risk corridor premium stabilization program, and the reserve strengthening for our non-strategic closed block of long-term care insurance business of $2.11 per common diluted share recorded in 2016. These items were partially offset by the impact of the tax reform law enacted on December 22, 2017, or the Tax Reform Law, which resulted in the reduction of our net income due to the remeasurement of deferred tax assets at lower enacted corporate tax rates of $0.92 per diluted common share, $0.64 per common diluted share in charges associated with both voluntary and involuntary workforce reduction programs in 2017, as well as the estimated guaranty fund assessment expense to support the policyholder obligations of Penn Treaty (an unaffiliated long-term care insurance company) of $0.24 per diluted common share. Excluding the impacts of the items above, the increase in net income primarily was due to year-over-year improvements in earnings for our Individual Commercial, Retail, and Group and Specialty segments, partially offset by lower earnings in the Healthcare Services segment.
Consolidated services revenue increased $13 million, or 1.3%, from 2016 for 2017 primarily due to an increase in services revenue in the Healthcare Services segment, partially offset by a decrease in services revenue in the Group and Specialty segment as discussed in the detailed segment results discussion that follows.
Group and Specialty segment earnings were $412 million in 2017, an increase of $68 million, or 19.8%, from $344 million in 2016 primarily reflecting the impact of higher pretax earnings associated with our fully-insured commercial business as well as higher earnings from our military services business resulting from higher performance incentives earned under the TRICARE contract.
Group ASO commercial medical membership decreased 114,500 members, or 20.0%, from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017 primarily due to the loss of certain large group accounts as a result of continued discipline in pricing of services for self-funded accounts amid a highly competitive environment, partially offset by more small group accounts selecting ASO products in 2017.
Humana Pharmacy Solutions® script volumes for the Retail and Group and Specialty segment membership increased to approximately 433 million in 2017, up 2% versus scripts of approximately 426 million in 2016. The increase primarily reflects growth associated with higher Medicare membership for 2017 than in 2016, partially offset by the decline in Individual Commercial membership.
For additional information on our liquidity risk, please refer to Item 1A. - Risk Factors in this 2018 Form 10-K.
The change in operating cash flows over the three year period primarily results from the corresponding change in the timing of working capital items, earnings, and enrollment activity as discussed below. The decrease in operating cash flows in 2018 primarily was due to the receipt of the merger termination fee in 2017, net of related expenses and taxes paid, funding the reinsurance of certain voluntary benefit and financial protection products to a third party in connection with the sale of KMG in 2018, and the timing of working capital items.
The increase in operating cash flows in 2017 primarily was due to the receipt of the merger termination fee, net of related expenses and taxes paid, higher earnings and the timing of working capital items.
The detail of benefits payable was as follows at December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
Premium deficiency reserve recognized for our individual commercial medical business compliant with the Health Care Reform Law associated with the 2016 coverage year.
The detail of total net receivables was as follows at December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
The decrease in commercial and other receivables in 2018 as compared to 2017, as well as the decrease in 2017 as compared to 2016, was due primarily to a decrease in our receivable associated with the commercial risk adjustment provision of the Health Care Reform Law. This decrease corresponds with our exit from the Individual Commercial business.
Military services receivables at December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 primarily consist of administrative services only fees owed from the federal government for administrative services provided under our TRICARE contracts. The 2017 balance also includes transition-in receivables under our T2017 East Region contract collected in 2018.
Many provisions of the Health Care Reform Law became effective in 2014, including the commercial risk adjustment, risk corridor, and reinsurance provisions as well as the non-deductible health insurance industry fee. The effect of the commercial risk adjustment, risk corridor, and reinsurance provisions of the Health Care Reform law, also known as the 3R's, has impacted our operating cash flows over the last three years, but more significantly in 2017 and 2016 as the temporary risk corridor and reinsurance program provisions phased out in 2016. The timing of payments and receipts associated with these provisions impacted our operating cash flows as we built receivables for each coverage year that were expected to be collected in subsequent coverage years. Net collections under the 3Rs associated with prior coverage years were $8 million in 2018, $440 million in 2017 and $383 million in 2016. The annual health insurance industry fee was suspended for the calendar year 2017, but resumed in calendar year 2018. The annual health insurance industry fee was also suspended for the calendar year 2019 and, under current law, is scheduled to resume in calendar year 2020. We paid the federal government annual health insurance industry fees of $1.04 billion in 2018 and $916 million in 2016.
In addition to the timing of payments of benefits expense, receipts for premiums and services revenues, and amounts due under the risk limiting and health insurance industry fee provisions of the Health Care Reform Law, other items impacting operating cash flows include income tax payments and the timing of payroll cycles.
Our ongoing capital expenditures primarily relate to our information technology initiatives, support of services in our provider services operations including medical and administrative facility improvements necessary for activities such as the provision of care to members, claims processing, billing and collections, wellness solutions, care
coordination, regulatory compliance and customer service. Total capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions, were $612 million in 2018, $524 million in 2017, and $527 million in 2016.
Our financing cash flows are significantly impacted by the timing of claims payments and the related receipts from CMS associated with Medicare Part D claim subsidies for which we do not assume risk. Monthly prospective payments from CMS for reinsurance and low-income cost subsidies are based on assumptions submitted with our annual bid. Settlement of the reinsurance and low-income cost subsidies is based on a reconciliation made approximately 9 months after the close of each calendar year. Claims payments were $653 million higher than receipts from CMS associated with Medicare Part D claim subsidies for which we do not assume risk during 2018. Receipts from CMS associated with Medicare Part D claims subsidies for which we do not assume risk were $1.9 billion higher than claims payments during 2017 and were $1.1 billion higher than claims payments during 2016. Our net payable for CMS subsidies and brand name prescription drug discounts was $331 million at December 31, 2018 compared to a net payable of $1.0 billion at December 31, 2017.
Under our administrative services only TRICARE contract, reimbursements from the federal government exceeded health care cost payments for which we do not assume risk by $38 million in 2018 and by $11 million in 2017. Health care cost payments for which we do not assume risk exceeded reimbursements from the federal government by $25 million in 2016.
As discussed further below, we paid dividends to stockholders of $265 million in 2018, $220 million in 2017, and $177 million in 2016.
Adverse changes in our credit rating may increase the rate of interest we pay and may impact the amount of credit available to us in the future. Our investment-grade credit rating at December 31, 2018 was BBB+ according to Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, or S&P, and Baa3 according to Moody’s Investors Services, Inc., or Moody’s. A downgrade by S&P to BB+ or by Moody’s to Ba1 triggers an interest rate increase of 25 basis points with respect to $250 million of our senior notes. Successive one notch downgrades increase the interest rate an additional 25 basis points, or annual interest expense by $1 million, up to a maximum 100 basis points, or annual interest expense by $3 million.
In addition, we operate as a holding company in a highly regulated industry. Humana Inc., our parent company, is dependent upon dividends and administrative expense reimbursements from our subsidiaries, most of which are subject to regulatory restrictions. We continue to maintain significant levels of aggregate excess statutory capital and surplus in our state-regulated operating subsidiaries. Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at the parent company decreased to $578 million at December 31, 2018 from $688 million at December 31, 2017. This decrease primarily reflects acquisitions, common stock repurchases, insurance subsidiaries' capital contributions and capital expenditures, partially offset by insurance subsidiaries dividends, non-insurance subsidiaries' profits and net proceeds from debt issuance. Our use of operating cash derived from our non-insurance subsidiaries, such as our Healthcare Services segment, is generally not restricted by Departments of Insurance (or comparable state regulatory agencies). Our regulated insurance subsidiaries paid dividends to the parent of $2.3 billion in 2018, $1.4 billion in 2017, and $0.8 billion in 2016. Refer to our parent company financial statements and accompanying notes in Schedule I - Parent Company Financial Information. The amount of ordinary dividends that may be paid to our parent company in 2019 is approximately $1 billion, in the aggregate. Actual dividends paid may vary due to consideration of excess statutory
capital and surplus and expected future surplus requirements related to, for example, premium volume and product mix.
We lease facilities, computer hardware, and other furniture and equipment under long-term operating leases that are noncancelable and expire on various dates through 2046. We sublease facilities or partial facilities to third party tenants for space not used in our operations which partially mitigates our operating lease commitments. See also Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
As of December 31, 2018, we were not involved in any special purpose entity, or SPE, transactions. For a detailed discussion of off-balance sheet arrangements, please refer to Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Benefits expense is recognized in the period in which services are provided and includes an estimate of the cost of services which have been incurred but not yet reported, or IBNR. IBNR represents a substantial portion of our benefits payable as follows:
Our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best point estimate within a level of confidence required by actuarial standards. For further discussion of our reserving methodology, including our use of completion and claims per member per month trend factors to estimate IBNR, refer to Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The completion and claims per member per month trend factors are the most significant factors impacting the IBNR estimate. The portion of IBNR estimated using completion factors for claims incurred prior to the most recent two months is generally less variable than the portion of IBNR estimated using trend factors. The following table illustrates the sensitivity of these factors assuming moderately adverse experience and the estimated potential impact on our operating results caused by reasonably likely changes in these factors based on December 31, 2018 data:
Reflects estimated potential changes in benefits payable at December 31, 2018 caused by changes in annualized claims trend used for the estimation of per member per month incurred claims for the most recent two months.
The following table summarizes the changes in estimate for incurred claims related to prior years attributable to our key assumptions. As previously described, our key assumptions consist of trend and completion factors estimated using an assumption of moderately adverse conditions. The amounts below represent the difference between our original estimates and the actual benefits expense ultimately incurred as determined from subsequent claim payments.
As previously discussed, our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best estimate of our ultimate liability for claims. Actuarial standards require the use of assumptions based on moderately adverse experience, which generally results in favorable reserve development, or reserves that are considered redundant. We experienced favorable medical claims reserve development related to prior fiscal years of $503 million in 2018, $483 million in 2017, and $582 million in 2016. The table below details our favorable medical claims reserve development related to prior fiscal years by segment for 2018, 2017, and 2016.
The favorable medical claims reserve development for 2018, 2017, and 2016 primarily reflects the consistent application of trend and completion factors estimated using an assumption of moderately adverse conditions. Our favorable development for each of the years presented above is discussed further in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
We continually adjust our historical trend and completion factor experience with our knowledge of recent events that may impact current trends and completion factors when establishing our reserves. Because our reserving practice is to consistently recognize the actuarial best point estimate using an assumption of moderately adverse conditions as required by actuarial standards, there is a reasonable possibility that variances between actual trend and completion factors and those assumed in our December 31, 2018 estimates would fall towards the middle of the ranges previously presented in our sensitivity table.
In 2016, we increased our existing premium deficiency reserve, initially recorded in 2015, for our individual commercial medical business compliant with the Health Care Reform Law associated with the 2016 coverage year.
The higher benefits expense associated with future policy benefits payable during 2016 primarily relates to reserve strengthening for our closed block of long-term care insurance policies, which were sold in 2018, as more fully described below and in Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
We generally establish one-year commercial membership contracts with employer groups, subject to cancellation by the employer group on 30-day written notice. Our Medicare contracts with CMS renew annually. Our military services contracts with the federal government and certain contracts with various state Medicaid programs generally are multi-year contracts subject to annual renewal provisions.
enrolled in the government’s Medicare FFS program. We generally rely on providers, including certain providers in our network who are our employees, to code their claim submissions with appropriate diagnoses, which we send to CMS as the basis for our payment received from CMS under the actuarial risk-adjustment model. We also rely on providers to appropriately document all medical data, including the diagnosis data submitted with claims. CMS is phasing-in the process of calculating risk scores using diagnoses data from the Risk Adjustment Processing System, or RAPS, to diagnoses data from the Encounter Data System, or EDS. The RAPS process requires MA plans to apply a filter logic based on CMS guidelines and only submit diagnoses that satisfy those guidelines. For submissions through EDS, CMS requires MA plans to submit all the encounter data and CMS will apply the risk adjustment filtering logic to determine the risk scores. For 2018, 15% of the risk score was calculated from claims data submitted through EDS. In 2019 and 2020 CMS will increase that percentage to 25% and 50%, respectively. The phase-in from RAPS to EDS could result in different risk scores from each dataset as a result of plan processing issues, CMS processing issues, or filtering logic differences between RAPS and EDS, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. We estimate risk-adjustment revenues based on medical diagnoses for our membership. The risk-adjustment model, including CMS changes to the submission process, is more fully described in Item 1. - Business under the section titled “Individual Medicare,” and in Item 1A. - Risk Factors.
Investment securities totaled $10.4 billion, or 41% of total assets at December 31, 2018, and $12.3 billion, or 45% of total assets at December 31, 2017. Debt securities, detailed below, comprised this entire investment portfolio at December 31, 2018 and 2017. The fair value of debt securities were as follows at December 31, 2018 and 2017:
Approximately 97% of our debt securities were investment-grade quality, with a weighted average credit rating of AA by S&P at December 31, 2018. Most of the debt securities that were below investment-grade were rated BB, the higher end of the below investment-grade rating scale. Our investment policy limits investments in a single issuer and requires diversification among various asset types.
During the third quarter of 2017, we initiated a voluntary early retirement program and an involuntary workforce reduction program. These programs impacted approximately 3,600 associates, or 7.8% of our workforce. As a result, in 2017 we recorded charges of $148 million, or $0.64 per diluted common share. At December 31, 2017, $140 million was classified as a current liability, included in our consolidated balance sheet in the trade accounts payable and accrued expenses line. Payments under these programs are being made upon termination during the early retirement or severance pay period. The remaining workforce optimization liability at December 31, 2018, was $12 million and is expected to be paid in 2019.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (which we collectively refer to as the Health Care Reform Law) enacted significant reforms to various aspects of the U.S. health insurance industry. Certain of these reforms became effective January 1, 2014, including an annual insurance industry premium-based fee and the establishment of federally-facilitated or state-based exchanges. Operating results for our individual commercial medical business compliant with the Health Care Reform Law were challenged primarily due to unanticipated modifications in the program subsequent to the passing of the Health Care Reform Law, resulting in higher covered population morbidity and the ensuing enrollment and claims issues causing volatility in claims experience. As a result of these and other factors, we exited our individual commercial medical business effective January 1, 2018.
When we do not intend to sell a security in an unrealized loss position, potential other-than-temporary impairment is considered using a variety of factors, including the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than cost; adverse conditions specifically related to the industry, geographic area or financial condition of the issuer or underlying collateral of a security; payment structure of the security; changes in credit rating of the security by the rating agencies; the volatility of the fair value changes; and changes in fair value of the security after the balance sheet date. For debt securities, we take into account expectations of relevant market and economic data. For example, with respect to mortgage and asset-backed securities, such data includes underlying loan level data and structural features such as seniority and other forms of
credit enhancements. A decline in fair value is considered other-than-temporary when we do not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security. We estimate the amount of the credit loss component of a debt security as the difference between the amortized cost and the present value of the expected cash flows of the security. The present value is determined using the best estimate of future cash flows discounted at the implicit interest rate at the date of purchase.
Reinsurance and low-income cost subsidies represent funding from CMS in connection with the Medicare Part D program for which we assume no risk. Reinsurance subsidies represent funding from CMS for its portion of prescription drug costs which exceed the member’s out-of-pocket threshold, or the catastrophic coverage level. Low-income cost subsidies represent
funding from CMS for all or a portion of the deductible, the coinsurance and co-payment amounts above the out-of-pocket threshold for low-income beneficiaries. Monthly prospective payments from CMS for reinsurance and low-income cost subsidies are based on assumptions submitted with our annual bid. A reconciliation and related settlement of CMS’s prospective subsidies against actual prescription drug costs we paid is made after the end of the year. The Health Care Reform Law mandates consumer discounts of 50% on brand name prescription drugs for Part D plan participants in the coverage gap. These discounts are funded by CMS and pharmaceutical manufacturers while we administer the application of these funds. We account for these subsidies and discounts as a deposit in our consolidated balance sheets and as a financing activity under receipts (withdrawals) from contract deposits in our consolidated statements of cash flows. For 2018, subsidy and discount payments of $10.3 billion exceeded reimbursements of $9.6 billion by $0.7 billion. For 2017, subsidy and discount reimbursements of $12.1 billion exceeded payments of $10.2 billion by $1.9 billion. For 2016, subsidy and discount reimbursements of $11.1 billion exceeded payments of $10.0 billion by $1.1 billion. We do not recognize premiums revenue or benefit expenses for these subsidies or discounts. Receipt and payment activity is accumulated at the contract level and recorded in our consolidated balance sheets in other current assets or trade accounts payable and accrued expenses depending on the contract balance at the end of the reporting period.
approximately $5.6 billion, with reimbursements exceeding payments by $38 million for the year. For 2017, health care cost reimbursements and payments were each approximately $3.4 billion, with reimbursements exceeding payments by $11 million for the year. For 2016, health care cost reimbursements and payments were each approximately $3.3 billion with payments exceeding reimbursements by $25 million for the year.
We periodically review long-lived assets, including property and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever adverse events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. Losses are recognized for a long-lived asset to be held and used in our operations when the undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset are less than its carrying value. We recognize an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying value over the fair value of the asset. A long-lived asset held for sale is reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Depreciation expense is not recognized on assets held for sale. Losses are
We use the equity method of accounting for equity investments in companies where we are able to exercise significant influence, but not control, over operating and financial policies of the investee. Judgment regarding the level of influence over each equity method investment includes considering key factors such as our ownership interest, representation on the board of directors, organizational structure, participation in policy-making decisions and material intra-entity transactions.
Generally, under the equity method, original investments in these entities are recorded at cost and subsequently adjusted by our share of equity in income or losses after the date of acquisition as well as capital contributions to and distributions from these companies. Our proportionate share of the net income or loss of these companies is included in consolidated net income. Investment amounts in excess of our share of an investee's net assets are amortized over the life of the related asset creating the excess. Excess goodwill is not amortized.
We develop our estimate for IBNR using actuarial methodologies and assumptions, primarily based upon historical claim experience. Depending on the period for which incurred claims are estimated, we apply a different method in determining our estimate. For periods prior to the most recent two months, the key assumption used in estimating our IBNR is that the completion factor pattern remains consistent over a rolling 12-month period after adjusting for known changes in claim inventory levels and known changes in claim payment processes. Completion factors result from the calculation of the percentage of claims incurred during a given period that have historically been adjudicated as of the reporting period. For the most recent two months, the incurred claims are estimated primarily from a trend analysis based upon per member per month claims trends developed from our historical experience in the preceding months, adjusted for known changes in estimates of recent hospital and drug utilization data, provider contracting changes, changes in benefit levels, changes in member cost sharing, changes in medical management processes, product mix, and weekday seasonality.
Future policy benefits payable include liabilities for long-duration insurance policies including life insurance, annuities, certain health and other supplemental, and prior to its sale in 2018, long-term care policies sold to individuals for which some of the premium received in the earlier years is intended to pay anticipated benefits to be incurred in future years. At policy issuance, these reserves are recognized on a net level premium method based on interest rates, mortality, morbidity, and maintenance expense assumptions. Interest rates are based on our expected net investment returns on the investment portfolio supporting the reserves for these blocks of business. Mortality, a measure of expected death, and morbidity, a measure of health status, assumptions are based on industry actuarial tables, modified based upon actual experience. Changes in estimates of these reserves are recognized as an adjustment to benefits expense in the period the changes occur. We perform loss recognition tests at least annually in the fourth quarter, and more frequently if adverse events or changes in circumstances indicate that the level of the liability, together with the present value of future gross premiums, may not be adequate to provide for future expected policy benefits and maintenance costs. During 2016, we recorded a loss for a premium deficiency as discussed further in Note 18.
We adjust future policy benefits payable for the additional liability that would have been recorded if investment securities backing the liability had been sold at their stated aggregate fair value and the proceeds reinvested at current yields. We include the impact of this adjustment, if any, net of applicable deferred taxes, with the change in unrealized investment gain (loss) in accumulated other comprehensive income in stockholders’ equity. Health policies sold to individuals that conform to the Health Care Reform Law are accounted for under a short-duration model under which policy reserves are not established because premiums received in the current year are intended to pay anticipated benefits in that year. In addition, as previously underwritten members transition to plans compliant with the Health Care Reform Law, it results in policy lapses and the release of reserves for future policy benefits.
Level 2 - Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Level 2 assets and liabilities include debt securities with quoted prices that are traded less frequently than
exchange-traded instruments as well as debt securities whose value is determined using a pricing model with inputs that are observable in the market or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data.
In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued new guidance that amends the accounting for revenue recognition. The amendments are intended to provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improve comparability of revenue recognition practices, and improve disclosure requirements. Insurance contracts are not included in the scope of this new guidance. Accordingly, our premiums revenue and investment income, collectively representing approximately 97% of our consolidated external revenues for the year ended December 31, 2018, are not included in the scope of the new guidance. We adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach. As the majority of our revenues are not subject to the new guidance and the remaining revenues’ accounting treatment did not materially differ from pre-existing accounting treatment, the adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, or related disclosures.
On July 11, 2018, we, along with the same Kindred at Home Sponsors, TPG and WCAS completed the acquisition of privately-held Curo Health Services, or Curo, one of the nation's leading hospice operators providing care to patients at 245 locations in 22 states. The transaction was structured as a merger of Curo with the hospice business of Kindred at Home, and we thereby purchased a 40% minority interest in Curo for cash consideration of approximately $250 million.
We entered into a shareholders agreement with the Sponsors that provides for certain rights and obligations of each party. The shareholders agreement with the Sponsors includes a put option under which they have the right to require us to purchase their interest in the joint venture starting at the end of year three and ending at the end of year four following the closing. Likewise, we have a call option under which we have the right to require the Sponsors to sell their interest in the joint venture to Humana beginning at the end of 2022 and ending at the end of 2023 following the closing. The put and call options, which are exercisable at a fixed EBITDA multiple and provide a minimum return on the Sponsor's investment if exercised, are measured at fair value each period using a Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation relies on assumptions around Kindred at Home's equity value, risk free interest rates, volatility, and the details specific to the put and call options. The final purchase price allocation resulted in approximately $1 billion being allocated to the investment and $236 million and $291 million allocated to the put and call options, respectively. The fair values of the put option and call option were $224 million and $246 million, respectively, at December 31, 2018. The put option is included within other long-term liabilities and the call option is included within other long-term assets. The change in fair value of the put and call options is reflected as "Other expense, net" in our consolidated statements of income.
On August 9, 2018, we completed the sale of our wholly-owned subsidiary, KMG America Corporation, or KMG, to Continental General Insurance Company, or CGIC, a Texas-based insurance company wholly owned by HC2 Holdings, Inc., a diversified holding company. KMG's subsidiary, Kanawha Insurance Company, or KIC, includes our closed block of non-strategic commercial long-term care policies. Upon closing, we funded the transaction with approximately $190 million of parent company cash contributed into KMG, subject to customary adjustments, in addition to the transfer of approximately $160 million of statutory capital with the sale. In connection with the sale of KMG, we recognized a pretax loss, including transaction costs, of $786 million and a corresponding $452 million tax benefit.
Prior to the sale of KMG, we entered into reinsurance contracts to transfer the risk associated with certain voluntary benefit and financial protection products previously issued primarily by KIC to a third party. We transferred approximately $245 million of cash to the third party and recorded a commensurate reinsurance recoverable as a result of these transactions. The reinsurance recoverable was included as part of the net assets disposed. There was no material impact to operating results from these reinsurance transactions.
KMG revenues and net income for the 2018 period prior to the date of sale was $182 million and $47 million, respectively. KMG revenues and net loss were $261 million and $117 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $249 million and $336 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2016.
On March 1, 2018, we acquired the remaining equity interest in MCCI Holdings, LLC, or MCCI, a privately held management service organization and healthcare provider headquartered in Miami, Florida, that primarily coordinates medical care for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Florida and Texas. The purchase price consisted primarily of $169 million cash, as well as our existing investment in MCCI and a note receivable and a revolving note with an aggregate balance of $383 million. This resulted in a preliminary purchase price allocation to goodwill of $483 million, definite-lived intangible assets of $80 million, and net tangible assets of $24 million. The goodwill was assigned to the Retail and Healthcare Services segments. The definite-lived intangible assets, which primarily consist of customer contracts, have an estimated weighted average useful life of 8 years.
On April 10, 2018, we acquired Family Physicians Group, or FPG, for cash consideration of approximately $185 million, net of cash received. FPG serves Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid HMO patients in Greater Orlando, Florida with a footprint that includes clinics located in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. This resulted in a preliminary purchase price allocation to goodwill of $133 million, definite-lived intangible assets of $38 million and net tangible assets of $14 million. The goodwill was assigned to the Retail and Healthcare Services segments. The other intangible assets, which primarily consist of customer contracts, have an estimated weighted average useful life of 5 years.
The purchase price allocations for MCCI and FPG are preliminary, subject to receipt and validation of certain tax related analyses.
Our unrealized loss from all securities was generated from approximately 1,210 positions out of a total of approximately 1,500 positions at December 31, 2018. All issuers of securities we own that were trading at an unrealized loss at December 31, 2018 remain current on all contractual payments. After taking into account these and other factors previously described, we believe these unrealized losses primarily were caused by an increase in market interest rates in the current markets since the time the securities were purchased. At December 31, 2018, we did not intend to sell the securities with an unrealized loss position in accumulated other comprehensive income, and it is not likely that we
The detail of realized gains (losses) related to investment securities and included within investment income was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:
Property and equipment was comprised of the following at December 31, 2018 and 2017.
Depreciation expense was $444 million in 2018, $410 million in 2017, and $388 million in 2016, including amortization expense for capitalized internally developed and purchased software of $298 million in 2018, $287 million in 2017, and $255 million in 2016.
Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for our reportable segments for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
The following table presents our estimate of amortization expense for each of the five next succeeding fiscal years:
On a consolidated basis, activity in benefits payable, excluding military services, was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
The favorable medical claims reserve development for 2018, 2017, and 2016 primarily reflects the consistent application of trend and completion factors estimated using an assumption of moderately adverse conditions. Favorable prior period development primarily resulted from our Medicare Advantage and individual commercial medical businesses.
The following discussion provides information about incurred and paid claims development for our segments as of December 31, 2018, net of reinsurance, as well as cumulative claim frequency and the total of IBNR included within the net incurred claims amounts. The information about incurred and paid claims development for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017 is presented as supplementary information.
At December 31, 2018, benefits payable for our Retail segment included IBNR of approximately $2.9 billion, primarily associated with claims incurred in 2018. The cumulative number of reported claims as of December 31, 2018 was approximately 104.3 million for claims incurred in 2018, 102.1 million for claims incurred in 2017, and 96.2 million for claims incurred in 2016.
The following tables provide information about incurred and paid claims development for the Retail segment as of December 31, 2018, net of reinsurance.
Activity in benefits payable for our Group and Specialty segment, excluding military services, was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
At December 31, 2018, benefits payable for our Individual Commercial segment included IBNR of approximately $1 million, associated with claims prior to 2018. The cumulative number of reported claims as of December 31, 2017 was approximately 2.2 million for claims incurred in 2017 and 9.5 million for claims incurred in 2016.
The provision for income taxes consisted of the following for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:
Principal components of our net deferred tax balances at December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
At December 31, 2018, we had approximately $104 million of net operating losses and $64 million of capital losses to carry forward. These loss carryforwards, if not used to offset future taxable income or capital gain, will expire from 2019 through 2037. Due to limitations and uncertainty regarding our ability to use some of the loss carryforwards and certain other deferred tax assets, a valuation allowance of $54 million was established. For the remainder of the net operating loss carryforwards and other cumulative temporary differences, based on our historical record of producing taxable income and profitability, we have concluded that future operating income will be sufficient to give rise to tax expense to recover these deferred tax assets.
The terms of the credit agreement include standard provisions related to conditions of borrowing which could limit our ability to borrow additional funds. In addition, the credit agreement contains customary restrictive covenants and a financial covenant regarding maximum debt to capitalization of 50% as well as customary events of default. We are in compliance with this financial covenant, with an actual debt to capitalization of 37% as measured in accordance with the credit agreement as of December 31, 2018. Upon our agreement with one or more financial institutions, we may expand the aggregate commitments under the credit agreement to a maximum of $2.5 billion, through a $500 million incremental loan facility.
At December 31, 2018, we had no borrowings and no letters of credit outstanding under the credit agreement. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2018, we had $2 billion of remaining borrowing capacity (which excludes the uncommitted $500 million incremental loan facility under the credit agreement), none of which would be restricted by our financial covenant compliance requirement. We have other customary, arms-length relationships, including financial advisory and banking, with some parties to the credit agreement.
In November 2018, we entered into a $1.0 billion term note agreement with a bank at a variable rate of interest due within one year. We may elect to incur interest at either the bank's base rate or LIBOR plus 115 basis points. The base rate is defined as the higher of the daily federal funds rate plus 50 basis points; or the bank's prime rate; or LIBOR plus 100 basis points. The interest rate in effect at December 31, 2018 was 3.67%. The note is prepayable without penalty. Proceeds were primarily used to fund the November 2018 accelerated stock repurchase agreement. We repaid $350 million prior to December 31, 2018. The term note shares the customary terms and provisions as well as financial covenants of our Credit Agreement, as discussed above.
The compensation expense that has been charged against income for these plans was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016:
The tax benefit recognized in our consolidated financial statements is based on the amount of compensation expense recorded for book purposes, subject to limitations on the deductibility of annual compensation in excess of $500,000 per employee as mandated by the Health Care Reform Law. The actual tax benefit realized in our tax return is based on the intrinsic value, or the excess of the market value over the exercise or purchase price, of stock options exercised and restricted stock vested during the period, subject to limitations on the deductibility of annual compensation in excess of $500,000 per employee as mandated by the Health Care Reform Law. The actual tax benefit realized for the deductions taken on our tax returns from option exercises and restricted stock vesting totaled $49 million in 2018, $68 million in 2017, and $53 million in 2016. There was no capitalized stock-based compensation expense during these years.
Restricted stock is granted with a fair value equal to the market price of our common stock on the date of grant and generally vests in equal annual tranches over a three year period from the date of grant. Certain of our restricted stock grants also include performance-based conditions generally associated with return on invested capital and strategic membership growth. Restricted stock units have forfeitable dividend equivalent rights equal to the dividend paid on common stock. The weighted-average grant date fair value of our restricted stock was $276.62 in 2018, $222.35 in 2017, and $168.12 in 2016. Activity for our restricted stock was as follows for the year ended December 31, 2018:
Activity for our option plans was as follows for the year ended December 31, 2018:
As of December 31, 2018, outstanding stock options, substantially all of which are expected to vest, had an aggregate intrinsic value of $48 million, and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 5 years. As of December 31, 2018, exercisable stock options had an aggregate intrinsic value of $19 million, and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 4.1 years. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during 2018 was $43 million, compared with $44 million during 2017 and $18 million during 2016. Cash received from stock option exercises totaled $50 million in 2018, $63 million in 2017, and $14 million in 2016.
Total compensation expense not yet recognized related to nonvested options was $14 million at December 31, 2018. We expect to recognize this compensation expense over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.7 years.
The following table provides details of dividend payments, excluding dividend equivalent rights, in 2016, 2017, and 2018 under our Board approved quarterly cash dividend policy:
On February 16, 2017, we entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement, the February 2017 ASR, with Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC, or Goldman Sachs, to repurchase $1.5 billion of our common stock as part of the $2.25 billion share repurchase authorized on February 14, 2017. On February 22, 2017, we made a payment of $1.5 billion to Goldman Sachs from available cash on hand and received an initial delivery of 5.83 million shares of our common stock from Goldman Sachs based on the then current market price of Humana common stock. The payment to Goldman Sachs was recorded as a reduction to stockholders’ equity, consisting of a $1.2 billion increase in treasury stock, which reflected the value of the initial 5.83 million shares received upon initial settlement, and a $300 million decrease in capital in excess of par value, which reflected the value of stock held back by Goldman Sachs pending final settlement of the February 2017 ASR. Upon settlement of the February 2017 ASR on August 28, 2017, we received an additional 0.84 million shares as determined by the average daily volume weighted-average share price of our common stock during the term of the agreement of $224.81, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms and conditions of the February 2017 ASR, bringing the total shares received under this program to 6.67 million. In addition, upon settlement we reclassified the $300 million value of stock initially held back by Goldman Sachs from capital in excess of par value to treasury stock. Subsequent to settlement of the February 2017 ASR, we repurchased an additional 3.04 million shares in the open market, utilizing the remaining $750 million of the $2.25 billion authorization prior to expiration.
On December 21, 2017, we entered into an accelerated stock repurchase agreement, the December 2017 ASR, with Bank of America, N.A., or BofA, to repurchase $1.0 billion of our common stock as part of the $3.0 billion share repurchase program authorized on December 14, 2017. On December 22, 2017, we made a payment of $1.0 billion to BofA from available cash on hand and received an initial delivery of 3.28 million shares of our common stock from BofA based on the then current market price of Humana common stock. The payment to BofA was recorded as a reduction to stockholders’ equity, consisting of an $800 million increase in treasury stock, which reflected the value of the initial 3.28 million shares received upon initial settlement, and a $200 million decrease in capital in excess of par value, which reflected the value of stock held back by BofA pending final settlement of the December 2017 ASR. Upon settlement of the ASR on March 26, 2018, we received an additional 0.46 million shares as determined by the average daily volume weighted-average share price of our common stock during the term of the ASR Agreement of $267.55, bringing the total shares received under this program to 3.74 million. In addition, upon settlement we reclassified the $200 million value of stock initially held back by BofA from capital in excess of par value to treasury stock.
Excluding shares acquired in connection with employee stock plans, share repurchases were as follows during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.
In connection with employee stock plans, we acquired 0.4 million common shares for $116 million in 2018, 0.5 million common shares for $115 million in 2017, and 0.6 million common shares for $104 million in 2016.
We have agreements to purchase services, primarily information technology related services, or to make improvements to real estate, in each case that are enforceable and legally binding on us and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum levels of service to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the appropriate timing of the transaction. We have purchase obligation commitments of $240 million in 2019, $201 million in 2020, $136 million in 2021, $98 million in 2022, and $61 million in 2023. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty.
As part of our ongoing business, we do not participate or knowingly seek to participate in transactions that generate relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, or SPEs, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. As of December 31, 2018, we were not involved in any SPE transactions.
Through indemnity agreements approved by the state regulatory authorities, certain of our regulated subsidiaries generally are guaranteed by Humana Inc., our parent company, in the event of insolvency for (1) member coverage for which premium payment has been made prior to insolvency; (2) benefits for members then hospitalized until discharged; and (3) payment to providers for services rendered prior to insolvency. Our parent also has guaranteed the obligations of our military services subsidiaries and funding to maintain required statutory capital levels of certain regulated subsidiaries.
providers to document appropriately all medical data, including the diagnosis data submitted with claims. In addition, we conduct medical record reviews as part of our data and payment accuracy compliance efforts, to more accurately reflect diagnosis conditions under the risk adjustment model. These compliance efforts include the internal contract level audits described in more detail below, as well as ordinary course reviews of our internal business processes.
CMS is phasing-in the process of calculating risk scores using diagnoses data from the Risk Adjustment Processing System, or RAPS, to diagnoses data from the Encounter Data System, or EDS. The RAPS process requires MA plans to apply a filter logic based on CMS guidelines and only submit diagnoses that satisfy those guidelines. For submissions through EDS, CMS requires MA plans to submit all the encounter data and CMS will apply the risk adjustment filtering logic to determine the risk scores. For 2018, 15% of the risk score was calculated from claims data submitted through EDS. In 2019 and 2020 CMS will increase that percentage to 25% and 50%, respectively. The phase-in from RAPS to EDS could result in different risk scores from each dataset as a result of plan processing issues, CMS processing issues, or filtering logic differences between RAPS and EDS, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.
In 2012, CMS released a “Notice of Final Payment Error Calculation Methodology for Part C Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) Contract-Level Audits.” The payment error calculation methodology provided that, in calculating the economic impact of audit results for an MA contract, if any, the results of the RADV audit sample would be extrapolated to the entire MA contract after a comparison of the audit results to a similar audit of Medicare FFS (we refer to the process of accounting for errors in FFS claims as the "FFS Adjuster"). This comparison of RADV audit results to the FFS error rate is necessary to determine the economic impact, if any, of RADV audit results because the government used the Medicare FFS program data set, including any attendant errors that are present in that data set, to estimate the costs of various health status conditions and to set the resulting adjustments to MA plans’ payment rates in order to establish actuarial equivalence in payment rates as required under the Medicare statute. CMS already makes other adjustments to payment rates based on a comparison of coding pattern differences between MA plans and Medicare FFS data (such as for frequency of coding for certain diagnoses in MA plan data versus the Medicare FFS program dataset).
Rule as part of the notice-and-comment rulemaking process. We are also evaluating the potential impact of the Proposed Rule, and any related regulatory, industry or company reactions, all or any of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.
We believe that CMS' statements and policies regarding the requirement to report and return identified overpayments received by MA plans are inconsistent with CMS' 2012 RADV audit methodology, and the Medicare statute's requirements. These statements and policies, such as certain statements contained in the preamble to CMS’ final rule release regarding Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug benefit program regulations for Contract Year 2015 (which we refer to as the "Overpayment Rule"), and the Proposed Rule, appear to equate each Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data error with an “overpayment” without addressing the principles underlying the FFS Adjuster referenced above. On September 7, 2018, the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia vacated CMS's Overpayment Rule, concluding that it violated the Medicare statute, including the requirement for actuarial equivalence, and that the Overpayment Rule was also arbitrary and capricious in departing from CMS's RADV methodology without adequate explanation (among other reasons). CMS has filed a motion for reconsideration related to certain aspects of the Federal District Court's opinion and has simultaneously filed a notice to appeal the decision to the Circuit Court of Appeals.
At December 31, 2018, our military services business, which accounted for approximately 1% of our total premiums and services revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018, primarily consisted of the TRICARE T2017 East Region contract replacing the 5-year T3 South Region contract that expired on December 31, 2017. The T2017 East Region contract is a consolidation of the former T3 North and South Regions, comprising thirty-two states and approximately 6 million TRICARE beneficiaries, under which delivery of health care services commenced on January 1, 2018. The T2017 East Region contract is a 5-year contract set to expire on December 31, 2022 and is subject to renewals on January 1 of each year during its term at the government's option.
As previously disclosed, the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice provided us with an information request in December 2014, concerning our Medicare Part C risk adjustment practices. The request relates to our oversight and submission of risk adjustment data generated by providers in our Medicare Advantage network, as well as to our business and compliance practices related to risk adjustment data generated by our providers and by
us, including medical record reviews conducted as part of our data and payment accuracy compliance efforts, the use of health and well-being assessments, and our fraud detection efforts. We believe that this request for information is in connection with a wider review of Medicare Risk Adjustment generally that includes a number of Medicare Advantage plans, providers and vendors. We continue to cooperate with and voluntarily respond to the information requests from the Department of Justice. These matters are expected to result in additional qui tam litigation.
On November 2, 2017, we filed suit against the United States of America in the United States Court of Federal Claims, on behalf of our health plans seeking recovery from the federal government of approximately $611 million in payments under the risk corridor premium stabilization program established under Health Care Reform , for years 2014, 2015 and 2016. Our case has been stayed by the Court, pending resolution of similar cases filed by other insurers. We have not recognized revenue, nor have we recorded a receivable, for any amount due from the federal government for unpaid risk corridor payments as of December 31, 2018. We have fully recognized all liabilities due to the federal government that we have incurred under the risk corridor program, and have paid all amounts due to the federal government as required. There is no assurance that we will prevail in the lawsuit.
We also are involved in various other lawsuits that arise, for the most part, in the ordinary course of our business
As a government contractor, we may also be subject to qui tam litigation brought by individuals who seek to sue on behalf of the government, alleging that the government contractor submitted false claims to the government including, among other allegations, those resulting from coding and review practices under the Medicare risk adjustment model. Qui tam litigation is filed under seal to allow the government an opportunity to investigate and to decide if it wishes to intervene and assume control of the litigation. If the government does not intervene, the individual may continue to
We manage our business with four reportable segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, Healthcare Services, and Individual Commercial. In addition, the Other Businesses category includes businesses that are not individually reportable because they do not meet the quantitative thresholds required by generally accepted accounting principles. These segments are based on a combination of the type of health plan customer and adjacent businesses centered on well-being solutions for our health plans and other customers, as described below. These segment groupings are consistent with information used by our Chief Executive Officer to assess performance and allocate resources.
Our Healthcare Services intersegment revenues primarily relate to managing prescription drug coverage for members of our other segments through Humana Pharmacy Solutions®, or HPS, and includes the operations of Humana
In addition, our Healthcare Services intersegment revenues include revenues earned by certain owned providers derived from risk-based and non-risk-based managed care agreements with our health plans. Under risk based agreements, the provider receives a monthly capitated fee that varies depending on the demographics and health status of the member, for each member assigned to these owned providers by our health plans. The owned provider assumes the economic risk of funding the assigned members’ healthcare services. Under non risk-based agreements, our health plans retain the economic risk of funding the assigned members' healthcare services. Our Healthcare Services segment reports provider services revenues associated with risk-based agreements on a gross basis, whereby capitation fee revenue is recognized in the period in which the assigned members are entitled to receive healthcare services. Provider services revenues associated with non-risk-based agreements are presented net of associated healthcare costs.
We present our consolidated results of operations from the perspective of the health plans. As a result, the cost of providing benefits to our members, whether provided via a third party provider or internally through a stand-alone subsidiary, is classified as benefits expense and excludes the portion of the cost for which the health plans do not bear responsibility, including member co-share amounts and government subsidies of $13.4 billion in 2018, $13.5 billion in 2017, and $13.4 billion in 2016. In addition, depreciation and amortization expense associated with certain businesses in our Healthcare Services segment delivering benefits to our members, primarily associated with our provider services and pharmacy operations, are included with benefits expense. The amount of this expense was $129 million in 2018, $107 million in 2017, and $111 million in 2016.
Premium and services revenues derived from our contracts with the federal government, as a percentage of our total premium and services revenues, was approximately 81% for 2018, compared to 79% for 2017, and 75% for 2016.
The decline in the balances of the deferred acquisition costs and future benefits payable reflects the sale of KMG on August 9, 2018. In addition, future policy benefits payable include amounts of $217 million at December 31, 2018 and $199 million at December 31, 2017 which are subject to 100% coinsurance agreements as more fully described in Note 19.
All three years include the effect of the release of reserves and accelerating deferred acquisition amortization costs of existing previously underwritten individual commercial medical members transitioning to policies compliant with the Health Care Reform Law. Deferred acquisition costs included $3 million associated with our individual commercial
A reinsurance agreement between two entities transfers the underwriting risk of policyholder liabilities to a reinsurer while the primary insurer retains the contractual relationship with the ultimate insured. As such, these reinsurance agreements do not completely relieve us of our potential liability to the ultimate insured. However, given the transfer of underwriting risk, our potential liability is limited to the credit exposure which exists should the reinsurer be unable to meet its obligations assumed under these reinsurance agreements.
We evaluate the financial condition of our reinsurers on a regular basis. Protective Life Insurance Company with $177 million in reinsurance recoverables is well-known and well-established with a AM Best rating of A+ (superior) at December 31, 2018 . The remaining reinsurance recoverables of $137 million are divided between 10 other reinsurers, with $110 million subject to funds withheld accounts or other financial guarantees supporting the repayment of these amounts.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Humana Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018, including the related notes and financial statement schedules listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.