UnitedHealth Group Reports 2013 Results, Highlighted by Strong and Consistent Growth
<0> UnitedHealth GroupInvestors:Brett Manderfeld, 952-936-7216Vice PresidentJohn Penshorn, 952-936-7214Senior Vice PresidentorMedia:Don Nathan, 952-936-1885Senior Vice PresidentTyler Mason, 714-299-5730Vice President </0>
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today reported 2013 results, highlighted by Optum’s strong and well-diversified revenue growth and exceptional margin expansion and steady enrollment growth in each of UnitedHealthcare’s benefits businesses. Overall, the Company served nearly 90 million people in 2013.
“In 2013 the quality and diversity of our products and services across the health care system – and the distinctive value received from those services – drove exceptional growth,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, president and chief executive officer of UnitedHealth Group.
The Company continues to estimate 2014 revenues of $128 billion to $129 billion and net earnings in the range of $5.40 to $5.60 per share.
UnitedHealthcare provides network-based health care benefits for a full spectrum of customers and markets. UnitedHealthcare serves individuals and employers ranging from sole proprietorships to large, multi-site and national and international organizations; delivers health and well-being benefits to Medicare beneficiaries and retirees; manages health care benefit programs on behalf of state Medicaid and community programs and their participants and serves the nation’s active and retired military and their families through the TRICARE program.
Optum is a health services business serving the broad health care marketplace, including payers, care providers, employers, governments, life sciences companies and consumers. Using advanced data analytics and technology, Optum helps improve overall health system performance: optimizing care quality, reducing costs and improving the consumer experience and care provider performance.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better. With headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 85 million people worldwide. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at .
As previously announced, UnitedHealth Group will discuss the Company’s results, strategy and future outlook on a conference call with investors at 8:45 a.m. Eastern time today. UnitedHealth Group will host a live webcast of this conference call from the Investors page of the Company’s website (). The webcast replay of the call will be available on the same site through January 30, 2014, following the live call. The conference call replay can also be accessed by dialing 1-800-723-0549. This earnings release and the Form 8-K dated January 16, 2014 may also be accessed from the Investors page of the Company’s website.
The statements, estimates, projections, guidance or outlook contained in this press release include “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). These statements are intended to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions of the PSLRA. Generally the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” “plan,” “project,” “should” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. These statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions and trends and involve risks and uncertainties. We caution that actual results could differ materially from those that management expects, depending on the outcome of certain factors.
Some factors that could cause results to differ materially from results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements include: our ability to effectively estimate, price for and manage our medical costs, including the impact of any new coverage requirements; the potential impact that new laws or regulations, or changes in existing laws or regulations, or their enforcement or application could have on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows, including as a result of increases in medical, administrative, technology or other costs or decreases in enrollment resulting from U.S., Brazilian and other jurisdictions' regulations affecting the health care industry; the impact of any potential assessments for insolvent payers under state guaranty fund laws; the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows through reduced revenues, increased costs, new taxes and expanded liability, or require changes to the ways in which we conduct business or put us at risk for loss of business; potential reductions in revenue or delays to cash flows received under Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE programs, including sequestration and potential effects of a prolonged U.S. government shut-down or debt ceiling constraints; uncertainties regarding changes in Medicare, including potential changes in risk adjustment data validation audit and payment adjustment methodology; failure to comply with patient privacy and data security regulations; regulatory and other risks and uncertainties associated with the pharmacy benefits management industry and our ability to successfully repatriate our pharmacy benefits management business; competitive pressures, which could affect our ability to maintain or increase our market share; the impact of challenges to our public sector contract awards; our ability to execute contracts on competitive terms with physicians, hospitals and other service professionals; increases in costs and other liabilities associated with increased litigation, government investigations, audits or reviews; failure to complete or receive anticipated benefits of acquisitions and other strategic transactions, including the Amil acquisition; our ability to attract, retain and provide support to a network of independent producers (i.e., brokers and agents) and consultants; events that may adversely affect our relationship with AARP; the potential impact of adverse economic conditions on our revenues (including decreases in enrollment resulting from increases in the unemployment rate and commercial attrition) and results of operations; the performance of our investment portfolio; possible impairment of the value of our goodwill and intangible assets in connection with dispositions or if estimated future results do not adequately support goodwill and intangible assets recorded for our existing businesses or the businesses that we acquire; increases in health care costs resulting from large-scale medical emergencies; failure to maintain effective and efficient information systems or if our technology products otherwise do not operate as intended; misappropriation of our proprietary technology; our ability to obtain sufficient funds from our regulated subsidiaries or the debt or capital markets to fund our obligations, to maintain our debt to total capital ratio at targeted levels, to maintain our quarterly dividend payment cycle or to continue repurchasing shares of our common stock; the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates on our reported shareholders' equity and results of operations; potential downgrades in our credit ratings; and failure to achieve targeted operating cost productivity improvements, including savings resulting from technology enhancement and administrative modernization.
This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain risk factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our other periodic and current filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Any or all forward-looking statements we make may turn out to be wrong, and can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict or quantify. Actual future results may vary materially from expectations expressed or implied in this press release or any of our prior communications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws.