ELV, §1A diff (2017 → 2018)

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS. The following is a description of significant factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and presented elsewhere by management from time to time. Such factors may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, and you should carefully consider them and not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. It is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete statement of all our potential risks or uncertainties. Because of these and other factors, past performance should not be considered an indication of future performance. If we fail to appropriately predict, price for and manage healthcare costs, the profitability of our products could decline, which could materially adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Our profitability depends in large part on accurately predicting healthcare costs and on our ability to manage future healthcare costs through medical management, product design, negotiation of favorable provider contracts and underwriting criteria. Government-imposed limitations on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement have also caused the private sector to bear a greater share of increasing healthcare costs. Changes in healthcare practices, demographic characteristics including the aging population, inflation, new technologies and therapies, increases in the cost and number of prescription drugs, clusters of high cost cases, changes in the regulatory environment and numerous other factors affecting the cost of healthcare may adversely affect our ability to predict and manage healthcare costs, as well as our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Future modifications to, or enactment of, laws and regulations that impact our product pricing and required product benefits may also impact our profitability in future periods. Relatively small differences between predicted and actual healthcare costs as a percentage of premium revenues can result in significant changes in our results of operations. In general, healthcare benefit costs in excess of our cost projections reflected in our fully insured product pricing cannot be recovered in the current premium period through higher premiums. Although federal and state premium and risk adjustment mechanisms could help offset healthcare benefit costs in excess of our projections if our assumptions (including assumptions for government premium and risk adjustment payments) utilized in setting our premium rates are significantly different than actual results, our income statement and financial condition could still be adversely affected. In addition to the challenge of managing healthcare costs, we face pressure to contain premium rates. Our customers may renegotiate their contracts to seek to contain their costs or may move to a competitor to obtain more favorable premiums. Further, federal and state regulatory agencies may restrict our ability to implement changes in premium rates. For example, we must submit data on all proposed rate increases to HHS for monitoring purposes on many of our products. In addition, the ACA includes an annual rate review requirement to prohibit unreasonable rate increases, and our plans may be excluded from participating in the public exchanges if they are deemed to have a history of “unreasonable” rate increases. Fiscal concerns regarding the continued viability of programs such as Medicare and Medicaid may cause decreasing reimbursement rates, including retroactive decreases in Medicaid reimbursement rates, delays in premium payments or reimbursement rate increases for government-sponsored programs that are lower than the increase in cost of care trends. A limitation on our ability to increase or maintain our premium or reimbursement levels or a significant loss of membership resulting from our need to increase or maintain premium or reimbursement levels could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. The reserves that we establish for health insurance policy benefits and other contractual rights and benefits are based upon assumptions concerning a number of factors, including trends in healthcare costs, expenses, general economic conditions and other factors. To the extent the actual claims experience is unfavorable as compared to our underlying assumptions, our incurred losses would increase and future earnings could be adversely affected. Our profitability is also dependent in part upon our ability to contract on favorable terms with hospitals, physicians, PBM service providers and other healthcare providers. Physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers may elect not to contract with us, and the failure to secure or maintain cost-effective healthcare provider contracts on competitive terms may result in a loss of membership or higher medical costs, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, consolidation among healthcare providers, ACO practice management companies, which aggregate physician practices for administrative efficiency and marketing leverage, and other organizational structures that physicians, hospitals and other care providers choose, as well as the ability of larger employers to contract directly with providers, may change the way that these providers interact with us and may change the competitive landscape. Such organizations or groups of physicians may compete directly with us, which may impact our relationship with these providers or affect the way that we price our products and estimate our costs and may require us to incur costs to change our operations, which could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Our inability to contract with providers, or if providers attempt to use their market position to negotiate more favorable contracts or place us at a competitive disadvantage, or the inability of providers to provide adequate care, could adversely affect our business. In addition, we do not have contracts with all providers that render services to our members and, as a result, may not have a pre-established agreement about the amount of compensation those out-of-network providers will accept for the services they render, which can result in significant litigation or arbitration proceedings, or provider attempts to obtain payment from our members for the difference between the amount we have paid and the amount they have charged. The ongoing changes to the ACA and related laws and regulations could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. The ongoing changes in federal and state laws and regulations stemming from the ACA, including the steps that have been taken to amend, repeal and limit the scope and application of the ACA, continue to represent significant challenges to the U.S. healthcare system. We are unable to predict how these events will ultimately be resolved and what the potential impact may be on our business, including, but not limited to, our products, services, processes and technology, and on our relationships with current and future customers and healthcare providers. The legal challenges regarding the ACA, including the 2018 Texas District Court ACA Decision invalidating the ACA, which judgment has been stayed pending appeals, continue to contribute to this uncertainty, which could significantly impact the market for our products, the regulations applicable to us and the fees and taxes payable by us. In addition, the ACA imposes significant fees, assessments and taxes on us and other health insurers, health plans and other industry participants, including the annual non-tax deductible HIP Fee. Further regulations and modifications to the ACA at the federal or state level, including a judicial invalidation of the ACA, will likely have significant effects on our business and future operations, some of which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. In general, the risk pool for the Individual market, which includes public exchange markets, has become less healthy since its inception in 2014. The reduction of the individual mandate penalty to zero, effective in 2019, is also expected to result in further deterioration of the overall Individual market risk pool. Based on our experience in public exchange markets to date, we have made adjustments to our premium rates and geographic participation, and we will continue to evaluate the performance of our public exchange plans, the future viability of the public exchanges and availability of federal subsidies, and may make further adjustments to our rates and participation going forward. In addition, insurers have faced uncertainties related to federal government funding for various ACA programs. These factors may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations if premiums are not adequate or do not appropriately reflect the acuity of these individuals. Any variation from our expectations regarding acuity, enrollment levels, adverse selection, or other assumptions utilized in setting premium rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. For additional information related to the ACA, see Part I, Item 1 “Business” and Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We are subject to significant government regulation, and changes in the regulation of our business by federal and state regulators may adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. In addition to the ACA and efforts to modify the ACA, we face state and federal regulation associated with many aspects of our business, including, but not limited to, licensing, premiums, marketing activities, provider contracting, access and payment standards, and corporate governance and financial reporting matters. In addition, our PBM is also subject to an increasing number of licensure, registration and other laws and accreditation standards that impact the business practices of a pharmacy benefit manager. We must identify, assess and respond to new laws and regulations, as well as comply with the various existing laws and regulations applicable to our business. Changes in existing laws, rules and regulatory interpretation or future laws, rules, regulatory interpretations or judgments could force us to change how we conduct our business, affect the products we offer, restrict revenue and enrollment growth, increase our costs, including operating, healthcare technology and administrative costs, restrict our ability to obtain new product approvals and implement changes in premium rates and require enhancements to our compliance infrastructure and internal controls environment. Our insurance, managed healthcare and HMO subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulation and supervision by regulatory authorities in each state in which they are licensed or authorized to do business, in addition to regulation by federal agencies. Future regulatory action by state or federal authorities could have a material adverse effect on the profitability or marketability of our health benefits or managed care products or on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because of our participation in government-sponsored programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, a number of our subsidiaries are also subject to regulation by CMS and state Medicaid agencies, and to changes in government regulations or policy with respect to, among other things, reimbursement levels, eligibility requirements, benefit coverage requirements and additional governmental participation, which could also adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, under insolvency or guaranty association laws in most states, insurance companies can be assessed for certain obligations to policyholders and claimants of impaired or insolvent insurance companies. Some states have similar laws relating to HMOs and other payers such as consumer operated and oriented plans (co-ops) established under the ACA. We may experience assessments in the future if, for example, premiums established by other companies for their health insurance products, including certain long-term care products, are inadequate to cover the cost of care. Any such assessment could expose us to the risk of paying a portion of an impaired or insolvent insurance company’s claims through state guaranty associations. We are not currently able to estimate our potential financial obligations, losses, or the availability of potential offsets associated with potential guaranty association assessments; however, any significant increase in guaranty association assessments could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. State legislatures will continue to focus on healthcare delivery and financing issues. State ballot initiatives can also be put to voters that would substantially impair our operating environment. Most states are very focused on how to manage and reduce their budgets and are exploring ways to mitigate cost increases. As such, some states have acted to reduce or limit increases to premium payments. Others have enacted, or are contemplating, significant reform of their health insurance markets to include provisions affecting both public programs and privately-financed health insurance arrangements. If enacted into law, these state proposals could have a material adverse impact on our business, cash flows, operations or financial condition. A number of states in which we offer Medicaid products have not opted for Medicaid expansion under the ACA, at least for the present time. Where states allow certain programs to expire or have not opted for Medicaid expansion, we could experience reduced Medicaid enrollment and reduced growth opportunities. If future modifications to laws and regulations significantly reduce Medicaid enrollment, this will negatively impact our Medicaid business. Additionally, from time to time, Congress has considered, and may consider in the future, various forms of managed care reform legislation which, if adopted, could fundamentally alter the treatment of coverage decisions under ERISA. There have been legislative attempts to limit ERISA’s preemptive effect on state laws and litigants’ ability to seek damages beyond the benefits offered under their plans. If adopted, such limitations could increase our liability exposure, could permit greater state regulation of our operations, and could expand the scope of damages, including punitive damages, litigants could be awarded. While we cannot predict if any of these initiatives will ultimately become effective or, if enacted, what their terms will be, their enactment could increase our costs, expose us to expanded liability or require us to revise the ways in which we conduct business. We face competition in many of our markets, and if we fail to adequately adapt to changes in our industry and develop and implement strategic growth opportunities, our ability to compete and grow may be adversely affected. As a health benefits company, we operate in a highly competitive environment and in an industry that is subject to significant changes from legislative reform, business consolidations, new strategic alliances, new market entrants, aggressive marketing practices by other health benefits organizations, technological advancements and market pressures brought about by an informed and organized customer base, particularly among large employers, which may increasingly have the ability to contract directly with providers. In addition, the PBM industry is highly competitive, and our PBM business will be subject to competition from owned drugstores, retail drugstore chains, supermarkets, discount retailers, membership clubs, internet companies and other mail-order and long-term care pharmacies. These factors have produced and will likely continue to produce significant pressures on our profitability. In addition, as a result of changes to traditional health insurance over the past several years, the health insurance industry has experienced a significant shift in membership to insurance products with lower margins. In order to profitably grow our business in the future, we need to not only grow our profitable medical membership, but also continue to diversify our sources of revenue and earnings, including through the increased sale of our specialty products, such as dental, vision and other supplemental products, expansion of non-ACA medical products, expansion of our non-insurance assets and establishment of new cost of care solutions, including innovations in PBM services. If we are unable to acquire or develop and successfully manage new opportunities that further our strategic objectives and differentiate our products from our competitors, our ability to profitably grow our business could be adversely affected. We also will have to respond to pricing and other actions taken by existing competitors and potentially disruptive new entrants. Due to the price transparency provided by public exchanges and new market entrants, we face competitive pressures from new and existing competitors in the market for Individual health insurance. These risks may be enhanced if employers shift to defined contribution healthcare benefits plans and make greater utilization of private insurance exchanges or encourage their employees to purchase health insurance on the public exchanges. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully on these exchanges or that we will be able to benefit from any opportunities presented by such exchanges. The elimination of the individual mandate penalty in the ACA, effective January 1, 2019, may further disrupt the public exchange markets. If we are not competitive on these exchanges or are unsuccessful in reducing our cost structure, our future growth and profitability may be adversely impacted. We are currently dependent on the non-exclusive services of independent agents and brokers in the marketing of our healthcare products, particularly with respect to individuals, seniors and small employer group customers. We face intense competition for the services and allegiance of these independent agents and brokers, who may also market the products of our competitors. Our relationship with our brokers and independent agents could be adversely impacted by changes in our business practices to address legislative changes, including potential reductions in commissions and consulting fees paid to agents and brokers. We cannot ensure that we will be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors for these services or that competitive pressures faced by us will not materially and adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. A significant reduction in the enrollment in our health benefits programs, particularly in states where we have large regional concentrations, could have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. A significant reduction in the number of enrollees in our health benefits programs could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Factors that could contribute to a reduction in enrollment include: reductions in workforce by existing customers; a general economic upturn that results in fewer individuals being eligible for Medicaid programs; a general economic downturn that results in business failures and high unemployment rates; employers no longer offering certain healthcare coverage as an employee benefit or electing to offer coverage on a voluntary, employee-funded basis; participation on public exchanges; federal and state regulatory changes, including the elimination of the individual mandate penalty in the ACA effective January 1, 2019; failure to obtain new customers or retain existing customers; premium increases and benefit changes; our exit from a specific market; negative publicity and news coverage; and failure to attain or maintain nationally recognized accreditations. The states in which we operate that have the largest concentrations of revenues include California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. Due to this concentration of business in these states, we are exposed to potential losses resulting from the risk of state-specific or regional economic downturns impacting these states. If any such negative economic conditions do not improve, we may experience a reduction in existing and new business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. A cyber attack or other privacy or data security incident could result in an unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential information, cause a loss of data, disrupt a large amount of our operations, give rise to remediation or other expenses, expose us to liability under federal and state laws, and subject us to litigation and investigations, which could have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. As part of our normal operations, we collect, process and retain certain sensitive and confidential information. We are subject to various federal, state and international laws and rules regarding the use and disclosure of certain sensitive or confidential information, including HIPAA, the HITECH Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and numerous state laws governing personal information. Our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, are regularly the target of, and may be vulnerable to, cyber attacks, security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming and/or human errors or other threats. We have been, and will likely continue to be, the target of attempted cyber attacks and other security threats. In February 2015, we reported the discovery that certain of our information technology systems had been the target of an external cyber attack, as more fully described under Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Cyber Attack Regulatory Proceedings and Litigation,” of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The attackers gained unauthorized access to certain of our information technology systems and obtained personal information related to many individuals and employees. We have incurred expenses to investigate and remediate this matter and expect to continue to incur expenses of this nature in the foreseeable future. Although the consolidated civil actions, state court cases and investigation by the Office of Civil Rights related to this cyber attack have been settled and dismissed, respectively, an ongoing investigation by a multi-state group of Attorneys General remains outstanding. We also may be subject to additional litigation and governmental investigations which could divert the attention of management from the operation of our business, result in reputational damage and have a material adverse impact on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. While we have contingency plans and insurance coverage for potential liabilities of this nature, they may not be sufficient to cover all claims and liabilities. We cannot ensure that we will be able to identify, prevent or contain the effects of additional cyber attacks or other cybersecurity risks in the future that bypass our security measures or disrupt our information technology systems or business. We have security technologies, processes and procedures in place to protect against cybersecurity risks and security breaches. However, hardware, software or applications we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design, manufacturer defects or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security. In addition, because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service or sabotage systems change frequently and may not immediately produce signs of intrusion, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques, timely discover or counter them or implement adequate preventative measures. Viruses, worms or other malicious software programs may be used to attack our systems or otherwise exploit any security vulnerabilities, and such security attacks may cause system disruptions or shutdowns, or may cause personal information or proprietary or confidential information to be misappropriated or compromised. As a result, cybersecurity and the continued development and enhancement of our controls, processes and practices designed to protect our systems, computers, software, data and networks from attack, damage and unauthorized access remain a priority for us. In addition, we use third-party technology, systems and services for a variety of reasons, including, without limitation, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to customers, back-office support, and other functions. Although we have developed systems and processes that are designed to reduce the impact of a security breach at a third-party vendor, such measures cannot provide absolute security, and these third-party providers may also experience security breaches or interruptions to their information technology hardware and software infrastructure and communications systems that could adversely impact us. Noncompliance with any privacy or security laws and regulations, or any security breach, cyber attack or cybersecurity breach, and any incident involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure or use of, or access to, sensitive or confidential member information, whether by us or by one of our third-party service providers, could require us to expend significant resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures and to remediate any damage. In addition, this could result in interruptions to our operations, damage our reputation and cause membership losses, and could also result in regulatory enforcement actions, material fines and penalties, litigation or other actions that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. There are various risks associated with participating in Medicaid and Medicare programs, including dependence upon government funding and the timing of payments, compliance with government contracts and increased regulatory oversight. We contract with various federal and state agencies, including CMS, to provide managed healthcare services, such as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicare Supplement, Medicaid, TANF, SPD, LTSS, CHIP, ACA-related Medicaid expansion programs and various specialty programs. We also provide various administrative services for several other entities offering medical and/or prescription drug plans to their Medicaid or Medicare eligible members through our affiliated companies, and we offer employer group waiver plans which provide medical and/or prescription drug coverage to retirees. We are also participating in MMPs in several states. These programs in our Government Business segment have been the subject of recent regulatory reform initiatives, including the ACA. It is difficult to predict the future impact of the ACA or other regulatory reforms on our Government Business segment due to the potential for further ACA modifications and other reforms. Regulatory reform initiatives or additional changes in existing laws or regulations, or their interpretations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Revenues from the Medicare and Medicaid programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government and/or applicable state governments. The base premium rate paid by each state or federal agency differs depending upon a combination of various factors such as defined upper payment limits, a member’s health status, age, gender, county or region, benefit mix, member eligibility category and risk scores. Future Medicare and Medicaid rates may be affected by continued government efforts to contain costs as well as federal and state budgetary constraints. If the federal government or any state in which we operate were to decrease rates paid to us, pay us less than the amount necessary to keep pace with our cost trends or seek an adjustment to previously negotiated rates, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Further, certain state contracts are subject to cancellation in the event of the unavailability of state funds. In addition, various states’ MMPs are still subject to uncertainty surrounding payment rates and other requirements, which could affect where we seek to participate in these programs. An unexpected reduction, inadequate government funding or significantly delayed payments for these programs may adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, Medicare and Medicaid are subject to various MLR rules. Other potential risks associated with the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans include increased medical or pharmaceutical costs, overpayments identified as a result of ongoing auditing and monitoring activities, potential uncollectability of receivables resulting from processing and/or verifying enrollment, inadequacy of underwriting assumptions, inability to receive and process correct information (including inability due to systems issues by the federal government, the applicable state government or us), uncollectability of premiums from members, and limited enrollment periods. While we believe we have adequately reviewed our assumptions and estimates regarding these complex and wide-ranging programs under Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D, including those related to collectability of receivables and establishment of liabilities, actual results may be materially different than our assumptions and estimates and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Finally, there is the possibility that the Medicare Advantage program could be significantly impacted by any future modification, repeal or replacement of the ACA. Our revenue on Medicare policies is based on bids submitted to CMS in June the year before the contract year. Although we base the commercial and Medicaid premiums we charge and our Medicare bids on our estimates of future medical costs over the fixed contract period, many factors may cause actual costs to exceed those estimated and reflected in premiums or bids. These factors may include medical cost inflation, increased use of services, increased cost of individual services, natural catastrophes or other large-scale medical emergencies, epidemics, the introduction of new or costly drugs, treatments and technologies, new treatment guidelines, new mandated benefits (such as the expansion of essential benefits coverage) or changes to other regulations and insured population characteristics. Relatively small differences between predicted and actual medical costs or utilization rates as a percentage of revenues can result in significant changes in our financial results. Our contracts with CMS and state governmental agencies contain certain provisions regarding data submission, provider network maintenance, quality measures, claims payment, encounter data, continuity of care, call center performance and other requirements specific to federal and state program regulations. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we may be subject to fines, penalties, liquidated damages and retrospective adjustments in payments made to our health plans that could impact our profitability. In addition, we could be required to file a corrective plan of action with additional penalties for noncompliance, including a negative impact on future membership enrollment levels. Further, certain of our CMS and state Medicaid contracts are subject to a competitive procurement process. If our existing contracts are not renewed, if we are not awarded new contracts as a result of the competitive procurement process, or if we lose members under an existing contract as a result of a post-award challenge, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Further, the Medicare Advantage Star Rating System utilized by CMS to evaluate Medicare Advantage Plans may have a significant effect on our results of operations, as higher-rated plans tend to experience increased enrollment and plans with a star rating of 4.0 or higher are eligible for quality-based bonus payments. Our star ratings may be negatively impacted if we fail to meet the quality, performance and regulatory compliance criteria established by CMS. Furthermore, the star rating system is subject to change annually by CMS, which may make it more difficult to achieve four stars or greater. If we do not maintain or continue to improve our star ratings, fail to meet or exceed our competitors’ ratings, or if quality-based bonus payments are reduced or eliminated, we may experience a negative impact on our revenues and the benefits that our plans can offer, which could materially and adversely affect the marketability of our plans, our membership levels, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Similarly, a number of state Medicaid programs in which we participate have implemented performance standards, and if we fail to meet or exceed those standards, we may not receive performance-based bonus payments or may incur performance-based penalties. In addition to the contractual requirements affecting our participation in Medicaid and Medicare programs, we are also subject to various federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, including those directed at preventing fraud, abuse and discrimination in government-funded programs. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in investigations, litigation, fines, restrictions on, or exclusions from, program participation, or the imposition of corporate integrity agreements or other agreements with a federal or state governmental agency, any of which could adversely impact our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. We are periodically subject to CMS audits of our Medicare Advantage Plans to validate the diagnostic data and patient claims, as well as audits of our Medicare Part D plans by the Medicare Part D Recovery Audit Contractor, or RAC. CMS has recently proposed changing these audits in a way that could increase financial recoveries from health plans. These audits could result in significant adjustments in payments made to our health plans. In addition to these federal programs, a number of states have implemented Medicaid RAC programs which were authorized by the ACA. State RAC programs could increase the number of audits and any subsequent recoupment by the federal and state governments, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to report and correct errors discovered through our own auditing procedures or during a CMS or RAC audit, or otherwise fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to fines, civil penalties or other sanctions which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to participate in these programs, and on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Our Medicare and Medicaid contracts are also subject to minimum MLR audits. If a Medicare Advantage, MMP or Medicare Part D contract pays minimum MLR rebates for three consecutive years, it will become ineligible to participate in open enrollment. If a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D contract pays such rebates for five consecutive years, it will be terminated by CMS. In addition, there are an increasing number of investigations regarding compliance with various provisions of the ACA. These investigations are being conducted by CMS and other federal authorities as well as state regulators. As a result, we could be subject to multiple investigations of the same issue. These investigations, and any possible enforcement actions, could result in penalties and the imposition of corrective action plans and/or changes to industry practices, which could adversely affect our ability to market our products. A change in our healthcare product mix may impact our profitability. Our healthcare products that involve greater potential risk generally tend to be more profitable than administrative services products and those healthcare products where the employer groups assume the underwriting risks. Individuals and small employer groups are more likely to purchase our higher-risk healthcare products because such purchasers are generally unable or unwilling to bear greater liability for healthcare expenditures. Typically, government-sponsored programs also involve our higher-risk healthcare products. A shift of enrollees from more profitable products to less profitable products could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. We face risks related to litigation. We are, or may in the future, be a party to a variety of legal actions that may affect our business, such as employment and employment discrimination-related suits, administrative charges before government agencies, employee benefit claims, breach of contract actions, tort claims and intellectual property-related litigation. In addition, because of the nature of our business, we are subject to a variety of legal actions relating to our business operations, including the design, administration and offering of our products and services. These could include claims relating to the denial or limitation of healthcare benefits; development or application of medical policies and coverage and clinical guidelines; medical malpractice actions; product liability claims; allegations of anti-competitive and unfair business activities; provider disputes over reimbursement; provider tiering programs; narrow networks; termination of provider contracts; the recovery of overpayments from providers; self-funded business; disputes over co-payment calculations; reimbursement of out-of-network claims; the failure to disclose certain business practices; the failure to comply with various state or federal laws, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Mental Health Parity Act; and customer audits and contract performance, including government contracts. These actions or proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we are also involved in, or may in the future be party to, pending or threatened litigation of the character incidental to the business transacted or arising out of our operations, including, but not limited to, breaches of security and violations of privacy requirements, shareholder actions, compliance with federal and state laws and regulations (including qui tam or “whistleblower” actions), or sales and acquisitions of businesses or assets (including as a result of the terminated Cigna Merger Agreement, or as more fully described under Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Cigna Corporation Merger Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K). From time to time, we are involved as a party in various governmental investigations, audits, reviews and administrative proceedings, including challenges to the award of government contracts by disappointed bidders. These investigations, audits and reviews include routine and special investigations by various state insurance departments, various federal regulators including CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), state attorneys general, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and various offices of the U.S. Attorney General. Following an investigation, we may be subject to civil or criminal fines, penalties and other sanctions if we are determined to be in violation of applicable laws or regulations. Liabilities that may result from these actions could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition. Recent court decisions and legislative activity may increase our exposure for any of these types of claims. In some cases, substantial non-economic (including injunctive relief), treble or punitive damages may be sought. Although we maintain insurance coverage for some of these potential liabilities, some liabilities and damages may not be covered by insurance, insurers may dispute coverage or the amount of insurance may not be enough to cover the damages awarded. In addition, insurance coverage for all or certain forms of liability may become unavailable or prohibitively expensive in the future. Any adverse judgment against us resulting in such damage awards could result in negative publicity and have an adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition. Further, litigation brought against the federal and some state governments over the ACA, including the 2018 Texas District Court ACA Decision, could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations as changes to, or the invalidation of, the ACA resulting from such litigation may be unfavorable to our business or may create uncertainty over the applicability and enforceability of portions of the law and related regulations, which impacts our strategy and could negatively impact our future growth opportunities. Cigna’s pursuit of litigation in connection with the Cigna Merger Agreement, together with our own litigation against Cigna, could cause us to incur substantial costs, may present material distractions and, if decided adverse to Anthem, could negatively impact our financial condition. As described in Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Cigna Corporation Merger Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in February 2017, Cigna commenced litigation against us in the Delaware Court of Chancery, or the Delaware Court, for a declaratory judgment that its purported termination of the Cigna Merger Agreement was lawful and seeking damages against us. We promptly filed our own litigation against Cigna seeking to compel Cigna’s specific performance of the Cigna Merger Agreement and damages against Cigna. In May 2017, after the Delaware Court denied our motion to enjoin Cigna from terminating the Cigna Merger Agreement, we delivered to Cigna a notice terminating the Cigna Merger Agreement. The litigation in Delaware continues. These lawsuits could result in substantial costs to us, including litigation costs and potential settlement and judgment costs. Further, due to the potential significance of the allegations and damages claimed by Cigna, we expect that our officers will continue to spend substantial time focused on the litigation. Our defense against Cigna’s claims, the pursuit of our claims or the settlement, or failure to reach a settlement, for any claims may result in negative media attention, and may adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We are dependent on the success of our relationships with third parties for various services and functions, including PBM services. We contract with various third parties to perform certain functions and services and provide us with certain information technology systems. Certain of these third parties provide us with significant portions of our business infrastructure and operating requirements, and we could become overly dependent on key vendors, which could cause us to lose core competencies. A termination of our agreements with, or disruption in the performance of, one or more of these service providers could result in service disruptions or unavailability, reduced service quality and effectiveness, increased or duplicative costs or an inability to meet our obligations to our customers. In addition, we may also have to seek alternative service providers, which may be unavailable or only available on less favorable contract terms. Any of these outcomes could adversely affect our business, reputation, cash flows, financial condition and operating results. In particular, we are a party to agreements with each of Express Scripts and CVS Health for the provision of certain PBM services to our plans. In January 2019, we provided notice to Express Scripts terminating the ESI PBM Agreement effective March 1, 2019, with the twelve-month transition period provided for in the ESI Agreement to migrate the services beginning on March 2, 2019. The litigation between us and Express Scripts regarding the ESI PBM Agreement continues, as more fully described under Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies - Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings - Express Scripts, Inc. Pharmacy Benefit Management Litigation,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Beginning March 2, 2019, CVS Health may begin providing certain PBM services to IngenioRx pursuant to the CVS PBM Agreement. In connection with the transition of PBM services to CVS Health, if either Express Scripts or CVS Health fails to provide adequate transition and PBM services as contractually required, we may not be able to meet the full demands of our customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation and results of operations. For additional information on the agreement with CVS Health, see “Business - General,” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. There are various risks associated with providing healthcare services. The direct provision of healthcare services by certain of our subsidiaries involves risks of additional litigation arising from medical malpractice actions based on our treatment decisions or brought against us or our physician associates for alleged malpractice or professional liability claims arising out of the delivery of healthcare and related services. In addition, liability may arise from maintaining healthcare premises that serve the public. If we fail to maintain adequate insurance coverage for these liabilities, or if such insurance is not available, the resulting costs could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, many states in which certain of our subsidiaries operate limit the practice of medicine to licensed individuals or professional organizations comprised of licensed individuals. Business corporations generally may not exercise control over the medical decisions of physicians and we are not licensed to practice medicine. Rules and regulations relating to the practice of medicine, fee-splitting between physicians and referral sources, and similar issues vary from state to state. Further, certain federal and state laws, including those covering our Medicare and Medicaid plans, prohibit the offer, payment, solicitation, or receipt of any form of remuneration to induce, or in return for, the referral of patient care opportunities, including, but not limited to, Medicare patients, and also generally prohibit physicians from making referrals to any entity providing certain designated health services if the referring physician or related person has an ownership or financial interest in the entity. Any enforcement actions by governmental officials alleging non-compliance with these rules and regulations could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Our PBM business and related operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are in addition to those we face in our core healthcare business. Notwithstanding our arrangements with Express Scripts and CVS Health, we remain responsible to regulators and our customers for the delivery of those PBM services that we contract to provide. Our PBM business is subject to the risks inherent in the dispensing, packaging and distribution of pharmaceuticals and other healthcare products, including claims related to purported dispensing and other operational errors. Any failure by us or one of our PBM services suppliers to adhere to the laws and regulations applicable to the dispensing of pharmaceuticals could subject our PBM business to civil and criminal penalties. Our PBM business is subject to federal and state laws and regulations that govern its relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers, physicians, pharmacies and customers, including without limitation, federal and state anti-kickback laws, consumer protection laws, ERISA, HIPAA and laws related to the operation of internet and mail-service pharmacies, as well as an increasing number of licensure, registration and other laws and accreditation standards that impact the business practices of a PBM. In addition, the practice of pharmacy is subject to federal and state laws and regulation, including those of state boards of pharmacy, individual state-controlled substance authorities, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the FDA, and we and our third-party vendors are subject to registration requirements and state and federal laws concerning labeling, packaging, advertising, handling and adulteration of prescription drugs and dispensing of controlled substances. Noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations by us or our third-party vendors could have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and reputation and could expose us to civil and criminal penalties. Our PBM business also would be adversely affected if we are unable to contract on favorable terms with pharmaceutical manufacturers, and we could suffer exposure to liabilities and reputational harm in connection with purported errors by mail order or retail pharmacy businesses. As a holding company, we are dependent on dividends from our subsidiaries. These dividends are necessary to pay our outstanding indebtedness. Our regulated subsidiaries are subject to state regulations, including restrictions on the payment of dividends, maintenance of minimum levels of capital and restrictions on investment portfolios. We are a holding company whose assets include the outstanding shares of common stock (or other ownership interest) of our subsidiaries including our intermediate holding companies and regulated insurance and HMO subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries are separate legal entities. As a holding company, we depend on dividends and administrative expense reimbursements from our subsidiaries. Furthermore, our subsidiaries are not obligated to make funds available to us, and creditors of our subsidiaries will have a superior claim to certain of our subsidiaries’ assets. Among other restrictions, state insurance and HMO laws may restrict the ability of our regulated subsidiaries to pay dividends. In some states, we have made special undertakings that may limit the ability of our regulated subsidiaries to pay dividends. In addition, our subsidiaries’ ability to make any payments to us will also depend on their earnings, the terms of their indebtedness, business and tax considerations and other legal restrictions. Our ability to repurchase shares or pay dividends in the future to our shareholders and meet our obligations, including paying operating expenses and debt service on our outstanding and future indebtedness, will depend upon the receipt of dividends from our subsidiaries. An inability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends in the future in an amount sufficient for us to meet our financial obligations may materially adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Most of our regulated subsidiaries are subject to RBC standards imposed by their states of domicile. These laws are based on the RBC Model Act adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, or NAIC, and require our regulated subsidiaries to report their results of risk-based capital calculations to the departments of insurance and the NAIC. Failure to maintain the minimum RBC standards could subject our regulated subsidiaries to corrective action, including state supervision or liquidation. Changes to the existing RBC standards or the adoption of an RBC requirement at the holding company level, which is currently being considered by the NAIC, could further restrict our or our regulated subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends and adversely affect our business. In addition, as discussed in more detail below, we are a party to license agreements with the BCBSA which contain certain requirements and restrictions regarding our operations, including minimum capital and liquidity requirements, which could restrict the ability of our regulated subsidiaries to pay dividends. Our regulated subsidiaries are subject to state laws and regulations that require diversification of their investment portfolios and limit the amount of investments in certain riskier investment categories, such as below-investment-grade fixed maturity securities, mortgage loans, real estate and equity investments, which could generate higher returns on their investments. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations might cause investments exceeding regulatory limitations to be treated as non-admitted assets for purposes of measuring statutory surplus and risk-based capital, and, in some instances, require the sale of those investments. We have substantial indebtedness outstanding and may incur additional indebtedness in the future in connection with acquisitions or otherwise. Such indebtedness could adversely affect our ability to pursue desirable business opportunities and to react to changes in the economy or our industry, and exposes us to interest rate risk to the extent of our variable rate indebtedness. Our debt service obligations require us to use a portion of our cash flow to pay interest and principal on debt instead of for other corporate purposes, including funding future expansion. If our cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to service our debt obligations, we may be forced to seek extraordinary dividends from our subsidiaries, sell assets, seek additional equity or debt capital or restructure our debt. However, these measures might be unsuccessful or inadequate to meet scheduled debt service obligations, or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. We may also incur future debt obligations, in connection with acquisitions or otherwise, that might subject us to restrictive covenants that could affect our financial and operational flexibility. Our breach or failure to comply with any of these covenants could result in a default under our credit facilities or other indebtedness. If we default under our credit agreement, the lenders could cease to make further extensions of credit or cause all of our outstanding debt obligations under our credit agreement to become immediately due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest. If the indebtedness under our notes or our credit agreement or our other indebtedness is accelerated, we may be unable to repay or finance the amounts due, on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Further, a substantial portion of our indebtedness bears interest at fluctuating interest rates, primarily based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority, a regulator of financial services firms in the United Kingdom, announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. We are unable to predict the effect of any changes, any establishment of alternative reference rates or any other reforms to LIBOR or any replacement of LIBOR that may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Such changes, reforms or replacements relating to LIBOR could have an adverse impact on the market for or value of any LIBOR-linked securities, loans, derivatives and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by us or on our overall financial condition or results of operations. A downgrade in our credit ratings could have an adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Claims-paying ability and financial strength and debt ratings by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations are an important factor in establishing the competitive position of insurance companies and health benefits companies. We believe our strong credit ratings are an important factor in marketing our products to customers, since credit ratings information is broadly disseminated and generally used by customers and creditors. In addition, if our credit ratings are downgraded or placed under review, our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted by limitations on future borrowings and a potential increase in our borrowing costs. Our ratings reflect each rating agency’s opinion of our financial strength, operating performance and ability to meet our obligations to policyholders and creditors, and are not evaluations directed toward the protection of investors in our common stock. Each of the ratings organizations reviews our ratings periodically, and there can be no assurance that our current ratings will be maintained in the future. The health benefits industry is subject to negative publicity, which could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. The health benefits industry is subject to negative publicity, which can arise from, among other things, increases in premium rates, industry consolidation, cost of care initiatives and the ongoing debate over the ACA. Negative publicity may result in increased regulation and legislative review of industry practices, which may further increase our costs of doing business and adversely affect our profitability by limiting our ability to market or provide our products and services, requiring us to change our products and services, or increasing the regulatory oversight under which we operate. In addition, as long as we use the BCBS names and marks in marketing our health benefits products and services, any negative publicity concerning the BCBSA or other BCBSA licensees may adversely affect us and the sale of our health benefits products and services. Negative public perception or publicity of the health benefits industry in general, the BCBSA, other BCBSA licensees, or us or our key vendors in particular, could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. The failure to effectively maintain and upgrade our information systems could adversely affect our business. Our business depends significantly on effective information systems, and we have many different information systems for our various businesses. As a result of our merger and acquisition activities, we have acquired additional systems. Our information systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain and enhance existing systems and develop new systems in order to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, emerging cybersecurity risks and threats, evolving industry and regulatory standards including public exchanges and other aspects of the ACA, compliance with legal requirements, private insurance exchanges and changing customer preferences. In addition, we may from time to time obtain significant portions of our systems-related or other services or facilities from independent third parties, which may make our operations vulnerable if such third parties fail to perform adequately. Failure to adequately implement and maintain effective and efficient information systems with sufficiently advanced technological capabilities, or our failure to efficiently and effectively consolidate our information systems to eliminate redundant or obsolete applications, could result in competitive and cost disadvantages to us compared to our competitors, a diversion of management’s time and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. If the information we rely upon to run our business were found to be inaccurate or unreliable or if we fail to adequately maintain our information systems and data integrity effectively, we could experience problems in determining medical cost estimates and establishing appropriate pricing and reserves, have disputes with customers and providers, face regulatory problems, including sanctions and penalties, incur increases in operating expenses or suffer other adverse consequences, including a decrease in membership. We are a party to license agreements with the BCBSA that entitle us to the exclusive and, in certain areas, non-exclusive use of the BCBS names and marks in our geographic territories. The termination of these license agreements or changes in the terms and conditions of these license agreements could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. We use the BCBS names and marks as identifiers for our products and services under licenses from the BCBSA. Our license agreements with the BCBSA contain certain requirements and restrictions regarding our operations and our use of the BCBS names and marks, including: minimum capital and liquidity requirements; enrollment and customer service performance requirements; participation in programs that provide portability of membership between plans; disclosures to the BCBSA relating to enrollment and financial conditions; disclosures as to the structure of the BCBS system in contracts with third parties and in public statements; plan governance requirements; cybersecurity requirements; a requirement that at least 80% (or, in the case of Blue Cross of California, substantially all) of a licensee’s annual combined local net revenue, as defined by the BCBSA, attributable to healthcare plans and related services within its service areas must be sold, marketed, administered or underwritten under the BCBS names and marks; a requirement that at least two-thirds of a licensee’s annual combined national net revenue, as defined by the BCBSA, attributable to healthcare plans and related services must be sold, marketed, administered or underwritten under the BCBS names and marks; a requirement that neither a plan nor any of its licensed affiliates may permit an entity other than a plan or a licensed affiliate to obtain control of the plan or the licensed affiliate or to acquire a substantial portion of its assets related to licensable services; a requirement that we divide our Board of Directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms; a requirement that we guarantee certain contractual and financial obligations of our licensed affiliates; and a requirement that we indemnify the BCBSA against any claims asserted against it resulting from the contractual and financial obligations of any subsidiary that serves as a fiscal intermediary providing administrative services for Medicare Parts A and B. Failure to comply with the foregoing requirements could result in a termination of the license agreements. The license agreements may be modified by the BCBSA. To the extent that such amendments to the license agreements are adopted in the future, they could have a material adverse effect on our future expansion plans or results of operations. Further, BCBS licensees have certain requirements to perform administrative services for members of other BCBS licensees. As of December 31, 2018, we provided services to approximately 30 million Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield enrollees. If we or another BCBS licensee are not in compliance with all legal requirements or are unable to perform administrative services as required, this could have an adverse effect on our members and our ability to maintain our licenses, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Upon the occurrence of an event causing termination of the license agreements, we would no longer have the right to use the BCBS names and marks or to sell BCBS health insurance products and services in one or more of our service areas. Furthermore, the BCBSA would be free to issue a license to use the BCBS names and marks in these service areas to another entity. Our existing BCBS members would be provided with instructions for obtaining alternative products and services licensed by the BCBSA. Events that could cause the termination of a license agreement with the BCBSA include, without limitation, failure to comply with minimum capital requirements imposed by the BCBSA, failure to comply with governance requirements such as maintaining a classified board structure, a change of control or violation of the BCBSA ownership limitations on our capital stock, impending financial insolvency and the appointment of a trustee or receiver or the commencement of any action against a licensee seeking its dissolution. We believe that the BCBS names and marks are valuable identifiers of our products and services in the marketplace. Upon termination of a license agreement, the BCBSA would have the right to impose a “Re-establishment Fee” upon us, which would be used in part to fund the establishment of a replacement Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield licensee in the vacated service area. The fee is set at $98.33 per licensed enrollee. If the Re-establishment Fee was applied to our total Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield enrollees of approximately 30 million as of December 31, 2018, we would be assessed approximately $3 billion by the BCBSA. As a result, termination of the license agreements would have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Large-scale medical emergencies may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. Large-scale medical emergencies can take many forms and can cause widespread illness and death. For example, federal and state law enforcement officials have issued warnings about potential terrorist activity involving biological and other weapons. In addition, natural disasters such as hurricanes and the potential for a widespread pandemic of influenza coupled with the lack of availability of appropriate preventative medicines can have a significant impact on the health of the population of widespread areas. If the United States were to experience widespread bioterrorism or other attacks, large-scale natural disasters in our concentrated coverage areas or a large-scale pandemic or epidemic, our covered medical expenses could rise and we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations or, in the event of extreme circumstances, our viability could be threatened. We have built a significant portion of our current business through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances and we expect to pursue such opportunities in the future. The following are some of the risks associated with mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, referred to collectively as business combinations, that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations: • some of the business combinations may not achieve anticipated revenues, earnings or cash flow, business opportunities, synergies, growth prospects and other anticipated benefits; • the goodwill or other intangible assets established as a result of our business combinations may be incorrectly valued or become non-recoverable; • we may assume liabilities that were not disclosed to us or which were underestimated; • we may experience difficulties in integrating business combinations, be unable to integrate business combinations successfully or as quickly as expected, and be unable to realize anticipated economic, operational and other benefits in a timely manner, which could result in substantial costs and delays or other operational, technical or financial problems; • business combinations, and proposed business combinations that are not completed, could disrupt our ongoing business, lead to the incurrence of significant fees, distract management, result in the loss of key employees, divert resources, result in tax costs or inefficiencies and make it difficult to maintain our current business standards, controls, information technology systems, policies and procedures; • we may finance future business combinations by issuing common stock for some or all of the purchase price, which could dilute the ownership interests of our shareholders; • we may also incur additional debt related to future business combinations; • we would be competing with other firms, some of which may have greater financial and other resources, to acquire attractive companies; and • future business combinations may make it difficult to comply with the requirements of the BCBSA and lead to an increased risk that our BCBSA license agreements may be terminated. The value of our intangible assets may become impaired. Due largely to our past mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, goodwill and other intangible assets represent a substantial portion of our assets. If we make additional acquisitions, it is likely that we will record additional intangible assets on our consolidated balance sheets. The value we place on intangible assets may be adversely impacted if business combinations fail to perform in a manner consistent with our assumptions. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, we periodically evaluate our goodwill and other intangible assets to determine whether all or a portion of their carrying values may no longer be recoverable, in which case a charge to income may be necessary. This impairment testing requires us to make assumptions and judgments regarding the estimated fair value of our reporting units, including goodwill and other intangible assets. In addition, certain other intangible assets with indefinite lives, such as trademarks, are also tested separately. Estimated fair values developed based on our assumptions and judgments might be significantly different if other reasonable assumptions and estimates were to be used. If estimated fair values are less than the carrying values of goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives in future impairment tests, or if significant impairment indicators are noted relative to other intangible assets subject to amortization, we may be required to record impairment losses against future income. Any future evaluations requiring an impairment of our goodwill and other intangible assets could materially affect our results of operations and shareholders’ equity in the period in which the impairment occurs. A material decrease in shareholders’ equity could, in turn, negatively impact our debt ratings or potentially impact our compliance with existing debt covenants. In addition, the estimated value of our reporting units may be impacted as a result of business decisions we make associated with any future changes to laws and regulations. Such decisions, which could unfavorably affect our ability to support the carrying value of certain goodwill and other intangible assets, could result in impairment charges in future periods. Adverse securities and credit market conditions may significantly affect our ability to meet liquidity needs. During periods of increased volatility, adverse securities and credit markets may exert downward pressure on the availability of liquidity and credit capacity for certain issuers. We need liquidity to pay our operating expenses, make payments on our indebtedness and pay capital expenditures. The principal sources of our cash receipts are premiums, administrative fees, investment income, other revenue, proceeds from the sale or maturity of our investment securities, proceeds from borrowings and proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our employee stock plans. Our access to additional financing will depend on a variety of factors such as market conditions, the general availability of credit, the volume of trading activities, the availability of credit to our industry, our credit ratings and credit capacity, as well as the possibility that customers or lenders could develop a negative perception of our long- or short-term financial prospects. Similarly, our access to funds may be impaired if regulatory authorities or rating agencies take negative actions against us. If one or a combination of these factors were to occur, our internal sources of liquidity may prove to be insufficient, and in such case, we may not be able to successfully obtain additional financing on favorable terms, or at all. The value of our investments is influenced by varying economic and market conditions, and a decrease in value may result in a loss charged to income. The market values of our investments vary from time to time depending on economic and market conditions. For various reasons, we may sell certain of our investments at prices that are less than the carrying value of the investments. During periods in which interest rates are relatively low, as in recent years, our investment income could be adversely impacted. In addition, in periods of declining interest rates, bond calls and mortgage loan prepayments generally increase, resulting in the reinvestment of these funds at the then lower market rates. In periods of rising interest rates, the market values of our fixed maturity securities will generally decrease, which could result in material losses on investments in future periods. In addition, defaults by issuers, primarily from investments in corporate and municipal bonds, who fail to pay or perform their obligations, could reduce net investment income, which would adversely affect our profitability. We cannot assure you that our investment portfolios will produce positive returns or maintain their present values. In accordance with FASB guidance for investments, we classify fixed maturity securities in our investment portfolio as “available-for-sale” or “trading” and report those securities at fair value. Current and long-term available-for-sale investment securities represented a significant percentage of our total consolidated assets at December 31, 2018. Changes in the economic environment, including periods of increased volatility in the securities markets, can increase the difficulty of assessing investment impairment and the same influences tend to increase the risk of potential impairment of these assets. Over time, the economic and market environment may provide additional insight into the value of our investment securities, which could change our judgment regarding the fair value of certain securities and/or impairment. Given the sometimes rapidly changing market conditions and the significant judgments involved, there is continuing risk that future declines in fair value may occur and material other-than-temporary impairments may be charged to income in future periods, resulting in realized losses. Changes in U.S. tax laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may not be able to realize the value of our deferred tax assets. Changes in tax laws and regulations, including with respect to corporate tax rates and the deductibility of expenses, or changes in the interpretation of tax laws and regulations by federal and/or state authorities, could have a material impact on the future value of our deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities, could result in significant one-time charges in the current or future taxable years and could increase our future U.S. tax expense. These changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition and results of operations. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, we separately recognize deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. Such deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities represent the tax effect of temporary differences between financial reporting and tax reporting measured at tax rates enacted at the time the deferred tax asset or liability is recorded. At each financial reporting date, we evaluate our deferred tax assets to determine the likely realization of the benefit of the temporary differences. Our evaluation includes a review of the types of temporary differences that created the deferred tax asset; the amount of taxes paid on both capital gains and ordinary income in prior periods and available for a carry-back claim; the forecasted future taxable income, and therefore, the likely future deduction of the deferred tax item; and any other significant issues that might impact the realization of the deferred tax asset. If it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset may not be realized, we establish a valuation allowance. Significant judgment is required in determining an appropriate valuation allowance. Any future increase in our valuation allowance would result in additional income tax expense and a decrease in shareholders’ equity, which could materially affect our financial position and results of operations in the period in which the increase occurs. A material decrease in shareholders’ equity could, in turn, negatively impact our debt ratings or potentially impact our compliance with existing debt covenants. We face intense competition to attract and retain employees. Further, managing key executive transition, succession and retention is critical to our success. Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified employees to meet current and future needs, and to integrate and engage employees who have joined us through acquisitions. We face intense competition for qualified employees, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract and retain such employees or that such competition among potential employers will not result in increasing salaries. An inability to retain existing employees or attract additional employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations. We would be adversely affected if we fail to adequately plan for the succession of our President and Chief Executive Officer and other senior management and retention of key executives. While we have succession plans in place for members of our senior management, and employment arrangements with certain key executives, these plans and arrangements do not guarantee that the services of our senior executives will continue to be available to us or that we will be able to attract, transition and retain suitable successors. Indiana law, other applicable laws, our articles of incorporation and bylaws, and provisions of our BCBSA license agreements may prevent or discourage takeovers and business combinations that our shareholders might consider to be in their best interest. Indiana law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws may delay, defer, prevent or render more difficult a takeover attempt that our shareholders might consider to be in their best interests. For instance, they may prevent our shareholders from receiving the benefit from any premium to the market price of our common stock offered by a bidder in a takeover context. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of our common stock if they are viewed as discouraging takeover attempts in the future. We are regulated as an insurance holding company and subject to the insurance holding company acts of the states in which our insurance company subsidiaries are domiciled, as well as similar provisions included in the health statutes and regulations of certain states where these subsidiaries are regulated as managed care companies or HMOs. The insurance holding company acts and regulations and these similar provisions restrict the ability of any person to obtain control of an insurance company or HMO without prior regulatory approval. Under those statutes and regulations, without such approval or an exemption, no person may acquire any voting security of a domestic insurance company or HMO, or an insurance holding company which controls an insurance company or HMO, or merge with such a holding company, if as a result of such transaction such person would “control” the insurance holding company, insurance company or HMO. “Control” is generally defined as the direct or indirect power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person and is presumed to exist if a person directly or indirectly owns or controls 10% or more of the voting securities of another person. Further, the Indiana Business Corporation Law contains business combination provisions that, in general, prohibit for five years any business combination with a beneficial owner of 10% or more of our common stock unless the holder’s acquisition of the stock was approved in advance by our Board of Directors. Our articles of incorporation restrict the beneficial ownership of our capital stock in excess of specific ownership limits. The ownership limits restrict beneficial ownership of our voting capital stock to less than 10% for institutional investors and less than 5% for non-institutional investors, both as defined in our articles of incorporation. Additionally, no person may beneficially own shares of our common stock representing a 20% or more ownership interest in us. These restrictions are intended to ensure our compliance with the terms of our licenses with the BCBSA. Our articles of incorporation prohibit ownership of our capital stock beyond these ownership limits without prior approval of a majority of our continuing directors (as defined in our articles of incorporation). In addition, as discussed above in the risk factor describing our license agreements with the BCBSA, such license agreements are subject to termination upon a change of control and a re-establishment fee would be imposed upon termination of the license agreements. Certain other provisions included in our articles of incorporation and bylaws may also have anti-takeover effects and may delay, defer or prevent a takeover attempt that our shareholders might consider to be in their best interests. In particular, our articles of incorporation and bylaws: divide our Board of Directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms (which is required by our license agreement with the BCBSA); permit our Board of Directors to determine the terms of and issue one or more series of preferred stock without further action by shareholders; restrict the maximum number of directors; limit the ability of shareholders to remove directors; impose restrictions on shareholders’ ability to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors; impose advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals and nominations of directors to be considered at meetings of shareholders; and prohibit shareholders from amending certain provisions of our bylaws. We also face other risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, which include: • any requirement to restate financial results in the event of inappropriate application of accounting principles; • a significant failure of our internal control over financial reporting; • failure of our prevention and control systems related to employee compliance with internal policies, including data security; • provider fraud that is not prevented or detected and impacts our medical costs or those of self-insured customers; • failure to protect our proprietary information; and • failure of our corporate governance policies or procedures. ITEM 1B.