Results Center

Total revenues increased 11.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year driven by growth across all segments.

Operating income and adjusted operating income decreased 7.6% and 8.3%, respectively, for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily due to the return of more normalized utilization levels in the Health Care Benefits segment following a significant decrease in utilization during the three months ended June 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease in both operating income and adjusted operating income in the three months ended June 30, 2021 was partially offset by increased prescription and front store volume, COVID-19 vaccinations and diagnostic testing in the Retail/LTC segment as well as improved purchasing economics and increased pharmacy claims volume in the Pharmacy Services segment during the three months ended June 30, 2021.

Interest expense decreased $129 million, or 16.9%, for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year due to lower debt in the three months ended June 30, 2021.

The effective income tax rate was 25.3% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to 24.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2020. The increase in the effective income tax rate was primarily due to the absence of the favorable impact associated with the resolution of several state and local income tax matters in the three months ended June 30, 2020, partially offset by the repeal of the non-deductible health insurer fee (“HIF”) for 2021.

Paid down $2.4 billion of long-term debt, while returning $650 million to shareholders through dividends during the three months ended June 30, 2021. Since the close of the acquisition of Aetna Inc. in November 2018, the Company has repaid a net of $17.6 billion in long-term debt.

Administered more than 6 million COVID-19 tests and nearly 17 million COVID-19 vaccines nationwide in the second quarter. The Company maintains a strong commitment to vaccine and testing equity and continues to optimize site locations and targeted outreach initiatives in order to reach vulnerable populations.

Launched new Clinical Trial Services business that brings together innovation and expertise to drive greater access to clinical trials and create a more efficient, convenient experience to improve participant retention and research effectiveness. Core capabilities will include precision patient recruitment, innovative options for Phase III/IV clinical trials and real-world evidence studies at CVS Pharmacy locations, in the home, or virtually.

Appointed Shawn Guertin as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective May 28, 2021, to help develop financial strategies to drive transformation at CVS Health. Previously, Guertin spent eight years at Aetna Inc. where he was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Enterprise Risk Officer.

Total revenues increased 9.8% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by increased pharmacy claims volume, growth in specialty pharmacy and brand inflation, partially offset by continued price compression.

Adjusted operating income increased 32.3% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by improved purchasing economics that reflected products and services of our group purchasing organization that was launched in the second quarter of 2020 and specialty pharmacy (including pharmacy and/or administrative services for providers and 340B covered entities), as well as increased pharmacy claims volume. These increases were partially offset by continued price compression.

Total pharmacy claims processed increased 11.2% on a 30-day equivalent basis for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by net new business, COVID-19 vaccinations and increased new therapy prescriptions, which were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Excluding the impact of COVID-19 vaccinations, total pharmacy claims processed increased 8.4% on a 30-day equivalent basis for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year.

Total revenues increased 14.2% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by increased prescription volume, COVID-19 vaccinations and diagnostic testing and higher front store revenues across all product categories. These increases were partially offset by continued pharmacy reimbursement pressure. Prescription and front store volumes during the three months ended June 30, 2020 were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in lower new therapy prescriptions and reduced front store revenues due to shelter-in-place orders. COVID-19 vaccinations and diagnostic testing contributed nearly a third of the increase in the segment’s revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year, as the prior year included an immaterial impact from diagnostic testing and no COVID-19 vaccinations.

Adjusted operating income increased 93.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by the increased prescription and front store volume described above, COVID-19 vaccinations and diagnostic testing and a $125 million gain from an anti-trust legal settlement recorded in the three months ended June 30, 2021. These increases were partially offset by continued pharmacy reimbursement pressure. COVID-19 vaccinations and diagnostic testing contributed approximately half of the increase in adjusted operating income for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year.

Prescriptions filled increased 14.2% on a 30-day equivalent basis for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as the continued adoption of patient care programs and increased new therapy prescriptions, both of which were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the three months ended June 30, 2020. Excluding the impact of COVID-19 vaccinations, prescriptions filled increased 9.3% on a 30-day equivalent basis for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year.

Total revenues increased 11.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by growth in the Government Services business, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of the repeal of the HIF for 2021.

Adjusted operating income decreased 53.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year. The decrease in adjusted operating income was primarily driven by the deferral of elective procedures and other discretionary utilization in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during the three months ended June 30, 2020.

The MBR increased from 70.3% to 84.1% in the three months ended June 30, 2021 compared to the prior year primarily driven by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during the three months ended June 30, 2020 described above and the repeal of the HIF for 2021.

Medical membership as of June 30, 2021 of 23.5 million decreased 116,000 members compared with March 31, 2021, primarily reflecting declines in Medicaid and Commercial products, partially offset by an increase in Medicare products. The decline in Medicaid membership reflects the loss of a large ASC customer during the three months ended June 30, 2021.

The segment experienced favorable development of prior-periods’ health care cost estimates during the three months ended June 30, 2021 driven by favorable development in its Government Services business, primarily attributable to first quarter 2021 performance, partially offset by slightly unfavorable development in its Commercial business, primarily attributable to first quarter 2021 performance.

Prior years’ health care costs payable estimates developed favorably by $709 million during the six months ended June 30, 2021, driven by favorable development in the Company’s Government Services and Commercial businesses. This development is reported on a basis consistent with the prior years’ development reported in the health care costs payable table in the Company’s annual audited financial statements and does not directly correspond to an increase in 2021 operating results.

The Company raised its full year 2021 GAAP diluted EPS guidance range to $6.35 to $6.45 from $6.24 to $6.36 and its full year 2021 Adjusted EPS guidance range to $7.70 to $7.80 from $7.56 to $7.68 and raised its full year 2021 cash flow from operations guidance range to $12.5 billion to $13.0 billion from $12.0 billion to $12.5 billion.

The adjustments between GAAP diluted EPS and Adjusted EPS include, as applicable, adding back amortization of intangible assets, integration costs related to the Company’s acquisition (the “Aetna Acquisition”) of Aetna Inc. (“Aetna”) and an acquisition purchase price adjustment outside of the acquisition accounting measurement period.