CONSOLIDATED HIGHLIGHTS
Earnings Per Share: GAAP net income was $6.13 per share in the third quarter, including net negative adjustment items of $0.66 per share. Adjusted net income was $6.79* per share.
*Please refer to the GAAP reconciliation tables on page 15.
Membership: Medical enrollment totaled approximately 45.1 million members at September 30, 2021, an increase of 2.4 million lives, or 5.7 percent from the prior year quarter. Government Business enrollment increased by 2.3 million lives compared to the prior year quarter, primarily driven by organic growth in the Medicaid business, aided by the temporary suspension of eligibility recertification efforts in our markets, the acquisition of MMM, the launch of HealthyBlue in North Carolina, and organic growth in our Medicare Advantage business. Commercial & Specialty Business enrollment increased by 162 thousand lives compared to the prior year quarter primarily driven by strong risk-based membership growth, partially offset by in-group attrition in the group fee-based business as a result of the economic environment.
During the third quarter of 2021, medical enrollment increased sequentially by 730 thousand lives, driven by the launch of HealthyBlue in North Carolina, incremental growth in the Medicaid business, and sales in excess of lapses in our Commercial risk-based businesses, partially offset by in-group attrition in the group fee-based business.
Operating Revenue: Operating revenue was $35.5 billion in the third quarter of 2021, an increase of $4.9 billion, or 16.0 percent, from the prior year quarter and 17.5 percent after adjusting for the repeal of the health insurance tax in 2021. The increase was driven by higher premium revenue due to growth in Medicaid and Medicare and growth in pharmacy product revenue related to IngenioRx, partially offset by the repeal of the health insurance tax.
Benefit Expense Ratio: The benefit expense ratio was 87.7 percent in the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 90 basis points versus the prior year quarter and a decrease of 50 basis points after adjusting for the repeal of the health insurance tax in 2021. Excluding the impact of the repeal of the health insurance tax, the decrease was primarily driven by unfavorable rate adjustments in our Medicaid business in the third quarter of 2020.
Medical claims reserves established at December 31, 2020 developed better than the Company’s expectations during the third quarter of 2021, with the majority offset by rebates, risk-corridors and other related mechanisms.
Days in Claims Payable: Days in Claims Payable was 46.8 days as of September 30, 2021, a decrease of 1.3 days from June 30, 2021 and an increase of 5.7 days as compared to September 30, 2020. The timing of the acquisitions of MMM and myNEXUS increased Days in Claims Payable at June 30, 2021. Normalizing for timing impacts associated with these acquisitions, Days in Claims payable would have increased by 0.2 days sequentially.
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