Here is how the “big five” fared.
1. Aetna saw revenues dip 5 percent in the third quarter of 2017 compared to the year prior, but cost containment allowed the insurer to boost net income. Aetna’s expenses dropped 7 percent from $14.7 billion in the third quarter of 2016 to $13.7 billion in the same period this year. Overall, the payer achieved net income of $838 million in the third quarter, up 39 percent from $604 million in the same period last year.
2. Anthem saw revenues increase nearly 5 percent year over year in the third quarter to $22.4 billion. This year, Anthem’s third quarter expenses totaled $21.3 billion, up year over year from $20.3 billion. The payer ended the third quarter with net income of $746.9 million, up nearly 21 percent from $617.8 million in the third quarter of 2016.
3. Humana saw revenues dip 3 percent to $13.3 billion in the third quarter, compared to $13.7 billion in the third quarter of 2016. However, the payer’s expenses decreased to $12.4 billion in the third quarter, down 2.5 percent from $12.7 billion recorded in the same period a year prior. Humana ended the third quarter with net income of $499 million, up nearly 11 percent from $450 million reported in the same period a year prior.
4. Cigna saw revenues increase 5 percent to $10.4 billion in the third quarter. This is up from $9.9 billion in the same period a year prior. At the same time, Cigna saw expenses rise to $9.6 billion in the third quarter of 2017, up from $9.1 billion in the same period a year prior. Cigna achieved net income of $562 million in the third quarter, up from $452 million in the third quarter of 2016.
5. UnitedHealth Group generated revenues of $50.3 billion in the third quarter, up 9 percent compared to the same period last year. While UnitedHealth saw operating costs increase year over year about 8 percent to $46.2 billion, it achieved a 14.2 percent increase in operating earnings in the third quarter of this year compared to the same period a year prior. UnitedHealth reported net earnings of $2.5 billion in the third quarter of 2017, up from $2 billion in the third quarter of 2016.
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