CVS Health Reports Third Quarter Results With Diversified Assets Delivering Strong Enterprise Performance

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Nov. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Continued Responsiveness to COVID-19:

• Ongoing support for employees, consumers and communities across the country
• Doubled the number of test sites to more than 4,000 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide
• Selected to administer vaccines to long-term care facilities
• Consumer-driven health care model increases access to products and services

Third Quarter Highlights:

• Total revenues increased to $67.1 billion, up 3.5% compared to prior year
• GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.93 and GAAP operating income of $3.2 billion
• Adjusted EPS of $1.66 and adjusted operating income of $3.6 billion
• Results reflect significant planned investments benefiting our customers, members, clients and colleagues

Year-to-date Highlights:

• Generated cash flow from operations of $12.3 billion

2020 Full Year Guidance:

• Raised GAAP diluted EPS guidance range to $5.60 to $5.70 from $5.16 to $5.29
• Raised Adjusted EPS guidance range to $7.35 to $7.45 from $7.14 to $7.27
• Raised cash flow from operations guidance range to $12.75 billion to $13.25 billion from $11.0 billion to $11.5 billion

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) today announced operating results for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

CVS Health President and CEO Larry J. Merlo stated, "Our strong third quarter results demonstrate continued execution of our long-term strategic plan that is transforming the way health care is delivered. As an integrated health services provider, we're developing holistic and innovative solutions that meet the needs of our customers in the community, in the home or in the palm of their hand.

"Our comprehensive pandemic response shows the power of a diverse and agile enterprise. We've opened more than 4,000 COVID-19 test sites across the country since March, and have administered over six million tests. We're helping businesses and universities safely reopen and we were recently selected to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in long-term care facilities. We'll continue to play a vital role in our nation's recovery thanks to the tireless efforts of our nearly 300,000 employees."

A summary of the Company's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is included on page six.

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Consolidated Third Quarter Results

• Total revenues increased 3.5% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year driven by growth in the Health Care Benefits and Retail/LTC segments.
• Operating income increased 11.0% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily due to a $271 million pre-tax gain on the sale of the Company's Coventry Health Care Workers' Compensation business ("Workers' Compensation business"), which occurred on July 31, 2020, as well as the absence of a $205 million pre-tax loss on the sale of the Company's Brazilian subsidiary, Drogaria Onofre Ltda. ("Onofre") and a $96 million store rationalization charge, both recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2019. This increase was partially offset by the decrease in adjusted operating income described below.
• Adjusted operating income decreased 8.2% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year. The decrease in adjusted operating income was primarily due to declines in the Health Care Benefits segment, largely attributable to the impact of planned COVID-19 related investments benefiting customers and members, and continued reimbursement pressure in the Retail/LTC segment. These decreases were partially offset by improved purchasing economics in the Pharmacy Services segment and the favorable impact of enterprise-wide cost savings initiatives in the three months ended September 30, 2020.
• Net income decreased 20.3% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily due to an increase in the loss on early extinguishment of debt to $766 million in the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $79 million in the three months ended September 30, 2019. The decrease was partially offset by the higher operating income in the three months ended September 30, 2020 described above.
• The effective income tax rate was 32.5% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to 28.3% for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The increase in the effective income tax rate was primarily attributable to basis differences on the sale of the Workers' Compensation business in the three months ended September 30, 2020 and the reinstatement of the non-deductible Health Insurer Fee ("HIF") for 2020. These increases were partially offset by the absence of the impact of the sale of Onofre in the three months ended September 30, 2019.

Pharmacy Services Segment

The Pharmacy Services segment provides a full range of pharmacy benefit management solutions to employers, health plans, government employee groups and government sponsored programs. The segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

• Total revenues decreased 0.9% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by previously disclosed client losses and continued price compression, partially offset by growth in specialty pharmacy and brand inflation.
• Total pharmacy claims processed increased 3.7% on a 30-day equivalent basis in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by net new business, partially offset by reduced new therapy prescriptions in the three months ended September 30, 2020 as a result of COVID-19.
• Operating income and adjusted operating income increased 16.7% and 12.5%, respectively, in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by improved purchasing economics and growth in specialty pharmacy. The increase was partially offset by continued price compression and previously disclosed client losses. The increase in operating income also was driven by lower amortization expense in the three months ended September 30, 2020.

See the supplemental information on page 19 for additional information regarding the performance of the Pharmacy Services segment.

Retail/LTC Segment

The Retail/LTC segment fulfills prescriptions for medications, provides patient care programs, sells a wide assortment of general merchandise, provides health care services through walk-in medical clinics, provides medical diagnostic testing and provides services to long-term care facilities. The segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

• Total revenues increased 5.9% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by increased prescription volume, higher front store revenues, increased diagnostic testing and brand inflation. These increases were partially offset by continued reimbursement pressure and the impact of recent generic introductions.
• Front store revenues increased 2.7% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year. The increase was primarily due to strength in consumer health sales and an increase in basket size, partially offset by decreased customer traffic in the segment's retail pharmacies as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Prescriptions filled increased 4.6% on a 30-day equivalent basis in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by the continued adoption of patient care programs. Prescriptions filled in the three months ended September 30, 2020 were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in reduced new therapy prescriptions, partially offset by greater use of 90-day prescriptions and increased immunizations.
• Operating income increased 17.2% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by the absence of the $205 million pre-tax loss on the sale of Onofre and the $96 million store rationalization charge primarily related to operating lease right-of-use asset impairment charges in connection with the planned closure of underperforming retail pharmacy stores, both recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2019. This increase was partially offset by the decrease in adjusted operating income described below.
• Adjusted operating income decreased 6.9% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year. The decrease in adjusted operating income was primarily due to continued reimbursement pressure, incremental operating expenses associated with the Company's COVID-19 pandemic response efforts in the three months ended September 30, 2020 and declines in long-term care. These decreases were partially offset by the increased pharmacy and front store volume described above, improved generic drug purchasing and increased diagnostic testing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the three months ended September 30, 2020.

See the supplemental information on page 20 for additional information regarding the performance of the Retail/LTC segment.

Health Care Benefits Segment

The Health Care Benefits segment offers a full range of insured and self-insured ("ASC") medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health products and services. The segment results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

• Total revenues increased 8.8% in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by membership growth in the Health Care Benefits segment's Government products and the favorable impact of the reinstatement of the HIF for 2020. These increases were partially offset by the divestitures of Aetna's standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (which the Company retained the financial results of through 2019) and Workers Compensation business, membership declines in the segment's Commercial products and planned COVID-19 related investments benefiting customers and members in the three months ended September 30, 2020.
• Operating income and adjusted operating income decreased 8.4% and 24.1%, respectively, in the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the prior year. The decrease in both operating income and adjusted operating income was primarily driven by the planned COVID-19 related investments described above and the divestitures of Aetna's standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans ("PDPs") and Workers' Compensation business. The decrease in operating income was partially offset by the $271 million pre-tax gain on the sale of the Workers' Compensation business.
• The Health Care Benefits segment's MBR increased 70 basis points in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the prior year primarily driven by the planned COVID-19 related investments described above, shifts in business mix and the divestiture of Aetna's standalone PDPs, partially offset by the reinstatement of the HIF for 2020.
• Medical membership as of September 30, 2020 of 23.3 million decreased 316 thousand members compared with June 30, 2020, primarily reflecting a decline in Commercial products, partially offset by increases in Medicaid and Medicare products.
• The Health Care Benefits segment experienced favorable development of prior-periods' health care cost estimates during the three months ended September 30, 2020 driven by favorable development in its Government businesses, primarily attributable to second quarter 2020 performance, and development in its Commercial business largely in-line with its reserve estimated at June 30, 2020.
• Prior years' health care costs payable estimates developed favorably by $448 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. This development is reported on a basis consistent with the prior years' development reported in the health care costs payable table in the Company's annual audited financial statements and does not directly correspond to an increase in 2020 operating results.

See the supplemental information on page 21 for additional information regarding the performance of the Health Care Benefits segment.

COVID-19 Response

CVS Health is uniquely positioned to help the country through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has focused its resources on the wellbeing and safety of employees, consumers and the communities it serves. The following are key actions taken to date:

Employees

• Providing regular supply of personal protective equipment and adding safety features to retail stores.
• Provided enhanced benefits, including bonuses to frontline employees, dependent care, paid sick leave for part-time employees and paid time off to employees who test positive or are quarantined due to exposure.
• Hired over 76,000 new and existing full time, part time and temporary roles, to date.

Consumers and members

• Sent care packages to members diagnosed with COVID-19 through Aetna's Healing Better program and Caring for You kits to Medicare members enrolled on or before August 1, 2020.
• Proactively reached out to more than 825,000 most at-risk members for COVID-19.
• Waived member cost sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing for insured members.
• Opened crisis response line for members experiencing anxiety related to COVID-19 and expanded 24/7 access to Aetna Nurse Medical line for Aetna and Caremark members.
• Extended waivers for out-of-pocket costs for inpatient hospital admissions for treatment or health complications associated with COVID-19 for Commercial and Medicare Advantage members through December 31, 2020.
• Extended waivers for cost-sharing for in-network telemedicine visits by Commercial members for outpatient behavioral and mental health counseling services through December 31, 2020.
• Waived Medicare Advantage member out-of-pocket costs for all in-network primary care and specialist telehealth visits, including outpatient behavioral and mental health counseling services, whether done in-office or via telehealth through December 31, 2020.
• For Commercial members, waived cost sharing for minor acute care evaluation, care management services and certain behavioral health services rendered via telephone through December 31, 2020.
• Expanded telehealth options ("E-Clinic") offered by MinuteClinic to help patients access safe, affordable and convenient non-emergency care.
• Extended maintenance prescriptions and waived early refill limits to support medication adherence.
• Waived fees associated with prescription home delivery and associated front store products.

Plan Sponsors

• Launched Return Ready, a comprehensive configurable and integrated end-to-end COVID-19 testing solution to assist employers and universities with the return of their employees, students and staff.
• Provided assistance through premium credits.

Providers

• Waived advance approvals, streamlined credentialing process, relaxed telemedicine policies and removed prior authorization requirements. Offering flexible plan designs to help reduce financial burdens.

Communities

• Administered more than six million COVID-19 tests nationwide to date.
• Doubled the number of COVID-19 testing sites at CVS Pharmacy locations to more than 4,000, with more than 50% located in communities with significant need for support according to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index. Testing is available to children 10 years and older at these sites.
• In coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), opened 11 testing sites serving communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
• Selected to administer COVID-19 vaccines to long-term care facilities.
• Launched critical diagnostic testing for the vulnerable senior population in long-term care facilities in partnership with three states.
• Expanded Coram infusion services to help transition eligible IV-therapy patients to home-based care, freeing up hospital capacity.
• Investing more than $50 million directly and through the Company's foundations to address food insecurity, lack of access to telehealth services for the underserved, personal protective equipment, mental health support for front-line workers and community resilience.
• Donating nearly $40 million in products to community organizations around the country.
• Launched collaboration with Lyft through Aetna to provide access to rides for families to help get children safely to school during the pandemic.
• Served over one million meals to vulnerable populations.
• Working with public organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to boost awareness of CVS Health's preparedness efforts and capabilities.
• Returned all $43 million in funds received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provider relief fund to HHS.

2020 Full Year Guidance

The Company raised its full year 2020 GAAP diluted EPS guidance range to $5.60 to $5.70 from $5.16 to $5.29 and its full year 2020 Adjusted EPS guidance range to $7.35 to $7.45 from $7.14 to $7.27. The Company also raised its full year 2020 cash flow from operations guidance range to $12.75 billion to $13.25 billion from $11.0 billion to $11.5 billion. While providing these updates to its full year guidance, the Company continues to acknowledge the inherent and unprecedented uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.

The adjustments between GAAP diluted EPS and Adjusted EPS include adding back amortization of intangible assets, integration costs related to the Company's acquisition (the "Aetna Acquisition") of Aetna Inc. ("Aetna"), gain on divestiture of the Workers' Compensation business, receipt of amounts owed to the Company under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the "ACA") risk corridor program during October 2020 that were previously fully reserved and loss on early extinguishment of debt.

Teleconference and Webcast

The Company will be holding a conference call today for investors at 8:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss its third quarter results. An audio webcast of the call will be broadcast simultaneously for all interested parties through the Investor Relations section of the CVS Health website at http://investors.cvshealth.com. This webcast will be archived and available on the website for a one-year period following the conference call.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is a different kind of health care company. We are a diversified health services company with nearly 300,000 employees united around a common purpose of helping people on their path to better health. In an increasingly connected and digital world, we are meeting people wherever they are and changing health care to meet their needs. Built on a foundation of unmatched community presence, our diversified model engages one in three Americans each year. From our innovative new services at HealthHUB^® locations, to transformative programs that help manage chronic conditions, we are making health care more accessible, more affordable…and simply better. Learn more about how we're transforming health at www.cvshealth.com.    

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of CVS Health Corporation. Statements in this press release that are forward-looking include Mr. Merlo's quotation, the information under the heading "2020 Full Year Guidance" and the information included in the endnotes and reconciliations. By their nature, all forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and/or quantify. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the geographies impacted and the severity and duration of the pandemic, the pandemic's impact on the U.S. and global economies and consumer behavior and health care utilization patterns, and the timing, scope and impact of stimulus legislation and other federal, state and local governmental responses to the pandemic, as well as the risks and uncertainties described in our Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section and under the heading "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020.

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on CVS Health's forward looking statements. CVS Health's forward-looking statements are and will be based upon management's then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance, and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. CVS Health does not assume any duty to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, uncertainties or otherwise.

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Non-GAAP Financial Information

The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to analyze underlying business performance and trends. The Company believes that providing these non-GAAP financial measures enhances the Company's and investors' ability to compare the Company's past financial performance with its current performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are provided as supplemental information to the financial measures presented in this press release that are calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures determined or calculated in accordance with GAAP. The Company's definitions of its non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Non-GAAP financial measures such as adjusted operating income, adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and adjusted income attributable to CVS Health exclude from the relevant GAAP metrics, as applicable: amortization of intangible assets and other items, if any, that neither relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business nor reflect the Company's underlying business performance.

For the periods covered in this press release, the following items are excluded from the non-GAAP financial measures described above, as applicable, because the Company believes they neither relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business nor reflect the Company's underlying business performance:

• The Company's acquisition activities have resulted in the recognition of intangible assets as required under the acquisition method of accounting which consist primarily of trademarks, customer contracts/relationships, covenants not to compete, technology, provider networks and value of business acquired. Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment when events indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The amortization of intangible assets is reflected in the Company's unaudited GAAP condensed consolidated statements of operations in operating expenses within each segment. Although intangible assets contribute to the Company's revenue generation, the amortization of intangible assets does not directly relate to the underwriting of the Company's insurance products, the services performed for the Company's customers or the sale of the Company's products or services. Additionally, intangible asset amortization expense typically fluctuates based on the size and timing of the Company's acquisition activity. Accordingly, the Company believes excluding the amortization of intangible assets enhances the Company's and investors' ability to compare the Company's past financial performance with its current performance and to analyze underlying business performance and trends. Intangible asset amortization excluded from the related non-GAAP financial measure represents the entire amount recorded within the Company's GAAP financial statements, and the revenue generated by the associated intangible assets has not been excluded from the related non-GAAP financial measure. Intangible asset amortization is excluded from the related non-GAAP financial measure because the amortization, unlike the related revenue, is not affected by operations of any particular period unless an intangible asset becomes impaired or the estimated useful life of an intangible asset is revised.
• During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, acquisition-related integration costs relate to the Aetna Acquisition. The acquisition-related integration costs are reflected in the Company's unaudited GAAP condensed consolidated statements of operations in operating expenses within the Corporate/Other segment.
• During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the gain on divestiture of subsidiary represents the pre-tax gain on the sale of the Workers' Compensation business, which the Company sold on July 31, 2020 for approximately $850 million. The gain on divestiture is reflected as a reduction in operating expenses in the Company's unaudited GAAP condensed consolidated statements of operations within the Health Care Benefits segment. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the loss on divestiture of subsidiary represents the pre-tax loss on the sale of Onofre, which occurred on July 1, 2019. The loss on divestiture primarily relates to the elimination of the cumulative translation adjustment from accumulated other comprehensive income and is reflected in operating expenses in the Company's unaudited GAAP condensed consolidated statements of operations within the Retail/LTC segment.
• During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the store rationalization charges relate to the planned closure of 22 underperforming retail pharmacy stores in the first quarter of 2020. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the store rationalization charges also relate to the planned closure of 46 underperforming retail pharmacy stores in the second quarter of 2019. The store rationalization charges primarily relate to operating lease right-of-use asset impairment charges and are reflected in the Company's unaudited GAAP condensed consolidated statements of operations in operating expenses within the Retail/LTC segment.
• During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the loss on early extinguishment of debt relates to the Company's repayment of $6.0 billion of its outstanding senior notes in August 2020 pursuant to its tender offers for such senior notes. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the loss on early extinguishment of debt relates to the Company's repayment of $4.0 billion of its outstanding senior notes in August 2019 pursuant to its tender offers for such senior notes.
• The corresponding tax benefit or expense related to the items excluded from adjusted income attributable to CVS Health and Adjusted EPS above. The nature of each non-GAAP adjustment is evaluated to determine whether a discrete adjustment should be made to the adjusted income tax provision.

The Company's full year 2020 guidance reconciliation also reflects the receipt of $313 million owed to the Company under the ACA's risk corridor program during October 2020 that was previously fully reserved for as payment was uncertain. After considering offsetting items such as the ACA's minimum medical loss ratio ("MLR") rebate requirements and premium taxes, the Company expects to recognize pre-tax income of approximately $305 million and after-tax income of approximately $220 million during the fourth quarter of 2020. This amount has been excluded from projected full year Adjusted EPS because the Company believes this amount neither relates to the ordinary course of the Company's business nor reflects the Company's underlying business performance.

See endnotes (1) and (2) on page 25 for definitions of non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure are presented on pages 14 through 17 and page 24.

SOURCE CVS Health Corporation

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