(Reuters) – Molina Healthcare beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday, helped by higher premiums at its government-backed Medicaid insurance plans for the low-income population.
Shares of the health insurer were up 11% after the bell.
The company reaffirmed its 2024 earnings outlook, with premium revenue of about $38 billion and adjusted earnings of at least $23.50 per share.
Molina posted a quarterly premium revenue of $9.69 billion, an increase of 18% year over year.
Its total revenue of $10.34 billion was above analysts’ estimates of $9.91 billion, as per data complied by LSEG.
The health insurer posted a third-quarter adjusted profit of $6.01 per share, beating estimates of $5.81 per share.
Larger rivals such as Elevance and UnitedHealth have warned of elevated costs tied to state-government backed Medicaid plans this year, as claims rose after the end of a pandemic-era policy.
During the pandemic, insurers were required to keep members enrolled, but that policy ended last year and states began determining if people remained eligible.
Molina’s quarterly medical cost ratio, the percentage of premiums paid out for medical services, was 89.2%, compared to estimates of 88.2%.
Some insurers have also flagged a “mismatch” between what states are paying them to treat members and the amount of Medicaid members they are receiving.
The Long Beach, California-based health insurer’s primary business is Medicaid insurance, a joint federal and state government-run insurance program for low-income people.
Molina served about 4.94 million people through its Medicaid plans as of Sept. 30, an increase of 3.9% compared to the previous year.
The company also provides Medicare plans, which is a government-backed plan that caters to people aged 65 and older, or those with certain disabilities whose membership increased to 247,000.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; editing by Alan Barona)
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