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Humana Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Adjusted EPS at high end of guidance: Adjusted EPS was $10.31 against $11.58 a year earlier; GAAP EPS was $9.83 against $10.30. Management described Adjusted EPS as at the high end of its FY 2026 guidance range. Source
  • Benefit ratio 89.4% slightly favorable: The Insurance segment GAAP benefit ratio was 89.4 percent, which management described as slightly favorable to its guidance of just under 90 percent. Source
  • Segment operating income fell: Insurance segment GAAP income from operations was $1,435 million against $1,574 million. The Adjusted figure was $1,439 million against $1,578 million. Source
  • Operating cost ratio improved: The consolidated GAAP operating cost ratio was 10.2 percent against 10.6 percent. The Adjusted ratio was 10.0 percent against 10.5 percent. Source
  • Transformation charges rose to $98M: Value creation initiatives cost $98 million pretax in 1Q26 against $24 million in 1Q25, or $0.81 per share against $0.20. The charges are recorded at corporate. Source
  • CenterWell Senior Primary Care patients up 22%: Patients grew sequentially by 110,500, or over 22 percent. The total includes about 59,000 patients and 54 centers from the MaxHealth acquisition. Source
  • State-based membership up about 50,000: State-based contracts membership grew by about 50,000 in the quarter, driven by programs starting in Michigan, Illinois and South Carolina. Source

“We’ve had a solid start to the year and feel good about how our operating execution and transformation initiatives are setting us up for the future,”

Humana President and CEO Jim Rechtin

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted EPS SourceFY 2026at least $9.00Kept
GAAP EPS SourceFY 2026at least $8.36Lowered from at least $8.89
Insurance segment benefit ratio SourceFY 202692.75 percent, plus or minus 25 basis pointsKept
Individual Medicare Advantage membership growth SourceFY 2026, over 2025approximately 25 percentKept
GAAP to Adjusted EPS reconciling items SourceFY 2026amortization 0.30; put/call (0.28); cumulative net tax (0.19); value creation 0.81

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: FY 2026 GAAP EPS guidance was revised down to at least $8.36 from at least $8.89. Adjusted EPS guidance of at least $9.00 was affirmed. Source
  • New: The MaxHealth acquisition was completed, adding about 59,000 patients and 54 centers to CenterWell Senior Primary Care. Source
  • New: State-based contract programs started in Michigan, Illinois and South Carolina during the quarter. Source
  • New: CenterWell Pharmacy and Cost Plus began a partnership to develop end-to-end employer prescription drug solutions. Source
  • New: John Barger, a 30-year industry veteran, began leading Medicare Advantage operations effective immediately. Source

Earnings and EPS results

  • Adjusted EPS at high end of guidance: Adjusted EPS was $10.31 against $11.58 a year earlier; GAAP EPS was $9.83 against $10.30. Management described Adjusted EPS as at the high end of its FY 2026 guidance range. Source
  • Pretax income declined year on year: GAAP pretax income was $1,595 million against $1,691 million. Adjusted pretax income was $1,670 million against $1,893 million. Source
  • Put/call adjustment removed from adjusted results: The put/call valuation adjustment was (34) million in 1Q26 against 163 million in 1Q25. These non-cash fair value amounts are excluded from Adjusted results. Source

Insurance segment results

  • Benefit ratio 89.4% slightly favorable: The Insurance segment GAAP benefit ratio was 89.4 percent, which management described as slightly favorable to its guidance of just under 90 percent. Source
  • Segment operating income fell: Insurance segment GAAP income from operations was $1,435 million against $1,574 million. The Adjusted figure was $1,439 million against $1,578 million. Source
  • Segment amortization unchanged at $4M: Insurance segment amortization of identifiable intangibles was $4 million in both periods. It is excluded from the Adjusted segment figure. Source

“We continue to make progress where it counts for customers - quality experience and outstanding care.”

Humana President and CEO Jim Rechtin

Costs and transformation charges

  • Operating cost ratio improved: The consolidated GAAP operating cost ratio was 10.2 percent against 10.6 percent. The Adjusted ratio was 10.0 percent against 10.5 percent. Source
  • Transformation charges rose to $98M: Value creation initiatives cost $98 million pretax in 1Q26 against $24 million in 1Q25, or $0.81 per share against $0.20. The charges are recorded at corporate. Source
  • Charges cover severance and consulting: The program charges mainly cover severance and associate exit costs, asset impairments, and external consulting tied to executing the multi-year program. Source

Membership and CenterWell growth

  • CenterWell Senior Primary Care patients up 22%: Patients grew sequentially by 110,500, or over 22 percent. The total includes about 59,000 patients and 54 centers from the MaxHealth acquisition. Source
  • State-based membership up about 50,000: State-based contracts membership grew by about 50,000 in the quarter, driven by programs starting in Michigan, Illinois and South Carolina. Source
  • Pharmacy and Cost Plus employer drug work: CenterWell Pharmacy and Cost Plus are developing end-to-end prescription drug solutions for employers. Source
  • New sales and retention drive MA: Management attributed its individual Medicare Advantage growth to new sales and improved retention. It cited the customer-led benefit strategy and a changed customer service approach. Source

Leadership transition

  • Insurance president retires June 29: George Renaudin, Insurance Segment President, will retire effective June 29, 2026. Management said this is consistent with the timeline it previously communicated. Source
  • Martin runs Insurance day to day: Until the retirement date, Renaudin focuses mainly on the annual Medicare Advantage bid. Aaron Martin, President of Medicare Advantage, leads day-to-day management of the Insurance Segment. Source
  • Barger leads Medicare Advantage now: John Barger, a 30-year industry veteran, began leading Medicare Advantage operations effective immediately. Source

Non-GAAP measures and guidance basis

  • Adjusted measures used for planning: Management uses the Adjusted measures as consistent indicators of core operations and for planning, decision-making and incentive compensation. It says they do not normalize earnings. Source
  • Guidance excludes unrecognized value changes: FY 2026 GAAP and Adjusted EPS guidance exclude future value changes to items not yet recognized, which management says cannot currently be reasonably estimated. Source
  • Tax impact not a normalized rate: Management says the cumulative tax impact of the adjustments is not a normalized effective tax rate or an expected future tax outcome. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 April 2026

  • Martin to formally lead Insurance: On Renaudin's retirement, Aaron Martin formally becomes Insurance Segment President. Renaudin then serves as strategic advisor through at least the end of 2026. Source
  • Barger to formally lead Medicare Advantage: John Barger will formally assume the role of President of Medicare Advantage when Renaudin retires. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Management cited a Star Ratings headwind for Bonus Year 2026, net of mitigation, as the reason its Adjusted EPS guidance anticipates a year-over-year decline. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the 1Q26 Insurance benefit ratio of 89.4 percent was slightly favorable to its guidance of just under 90 percent. Source
  • Met: Adjusted EPS of $10.31 was described as at the high end of the guidance range of approximately 110 to 115 percent of FY 2026 Adjusted EPS. Source
  • On track: The retirement of George Renaudin effective June 29, 2026 is consistent with the timeline previously communicated. Source
  • Not stated: Management affirmed individual Medicare Advantage membership growth of approximately 25 percent over 2025 for FY 2026. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.