WellCare Health Plans, a managed care payer, reported higher revenue but a dip in net income during the fourth quarter of 2018, according to recent financial documents.
Three things to know:
1. WellCare reported fourth quarter net income of $55.9 million for 2018, down from $60.7 million in the same period a year prior. The health insurer said the year-over-year decrease was mostly due to effects from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and an associated one-time noncash benefit in 2017.
2. Total revenue for WellCare grew to $6.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 39.7 percent from the same period a year prior. WellCare primarily attributed the increase to its acquisition of Meridian Health and organic growth, among other factors.
3. WellCare recorded a Medicaid membership of 3.9 million as of Dec. 31, 2018, which increased year over year by 1.2 million members thanks primarily to the company's Meridian deal.
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