UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 13, 2018
WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-32209 | 47-0937650 | |||||
(State or other jurisdiction | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer | |||||
of incorporation) | Identification No.) | ||||||
8735 Henderson Road, Renaissance One | |||||||
Tampa, Florida | 33634 | ||||||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | ||||||
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (813) 290-6200
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company | ¨ | |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (“WellCare”) (NYSE: WCG) is reaffirming its full-year 2018 adjusted earnings per diluted share (EPS) range of $10.70 to $10.90 and is providing full-year 2018 total revenue (GAAP) guidance of approximately $20.0 billion, inclusive of the financial effects of the acquisition of Meridian, as defined below, at the Morgan Stanley 16th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on September 13, 2018.
Basis of Presentation
In addition to results determined under GAAP, WellCare provides certain non-GAAP financial measures that management believes are useful in assessing the company’s performance. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Earnings per share have been adjusted for the effect of certain expenses, and as appropriate, the related tax effect, related to previously disclosed government investigations and related litigation and resolution costs (“investigation costs”); amortization expense associated with acquisitions (“acquisition-related amortization expenses”); and certain one-time transaction and integration costs related to the acquisition of Universal American Corp. and the acquisition effective September 1, 2018 of Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc., and MeridianRx, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) (collectively, “Meridian”) (“transaction and integration costs”).
Although the excluded items may recur, WellCare believes that by providing non-GAAP measures exclusive of these items, it facilitates period-over-period comparisons and provides additional clarity about events and trends affecting its core operating performance, as well as providing comparability to competitor results. The investigation costs are related to a discrete incident which management does not expect to reoccur. WellCare has adjusted for acquisition-related amortization expenses as these transactions do not directly relate to the servicing of products for our customers and are not directly related to the core performance of its business operations. The transaction and integrations costs are related to a specific 2017 and 2018 events, which do not reflect the underlying ongoing performance of the business.
WellCare is not able to project at the time of this Current Report on Form 8-K the amount of expenses associated with investigation costs, the timing of transaction and integration costs and, therefore, cannot reconcile projected non-GAAP measures affected by these items to projected GAAP measures.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains "forward-looking" statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates,"
"will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the WellCare's financial outlook contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause WellCare's actual future results to differ materially from those projected or contemplated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability to achieve expected synergies within the expected time frames or at all, the ability to achieve accretion to WellCare’s earnings, revenues or other benefits expected, disruption to business relationships, operating results, and business generally of WellCare and/or Meridian and the ability to retain Meridian employees, WellCare's progress on top priorities such as improving health care quality and access, ensuring a competitive cost position, and delivering prudent, profitable growth, WellCare's ability to effectively estimate and manage growth, WellCare's ability to effectively execute and integrate acquisitions, potential reductions in Medicaid and Medicare revenue, WellCare's ability to estimate and manage medical benefits expense effectively, including through its vendors, its ability to negotiate actuarially sound rates, especially in new programs with limited experience, the appropriation and payment by state governments of Medicaid premiums receivable, the outcome of any protests and litigation related to Medicaid awards, the approval of Medicaid contracts by CMS, any changes to the programs or contracts, WellCare's ability to address operational challenges related to new business, and WellCare's ability to meet the requirements of readiness reviews. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, any of WellCare's forward-looking statements could be incorrect and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.
Additional information concerning these and other important risks and uncertainties can be found in WellCare’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, included under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in WellCare’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in WellCare’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018, which contain discussions of WellCare's business and the various factors that may affect it. Subsequent events and developments may cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from WellCare's forward-looking statements. WellCare's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. WellCare undertakes no duty, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements to reflect any future events, developments or otherwise.
The information furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing. The furnishing of this information is not intended to constitute a determination by WellCare that the information is material or that the dissemination of the information is required by Regulation FD.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC. | |
September 13, 2018 | /s/ Andrew L. Asher Andrew L. Asher Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |