Independence Holding Company Announces 2014 Second-Quarter

STAMFORD, Conn., Aug. 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Independence Holding Company (NYSE: IHC ) today reported 2014 second-quarter and six-month results.

Financial Results

Net income attributable to IHC increased to $.22 per share, diluted, or $3,848,000, for the three months ended June 30, 2014 compared to $.21 per share, diluted, or $3,691,000, for the three months ended June 30, 2013. Net income attributable to IHC decreased to $.43 per share, diluted, or $7,549,000, for the six months ended June 30, 2014 compared to $.47 per share, diluted, or $8,392,000, for the six months ended June 30, 2013.

Revenues decreased to $136,019,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 compared to revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2013 of $151,900,000. Revenues decreased to $277,091,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 compared to revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2013 of $289,782,000. The decrease in revenues for both the second quarter and the first six months of 2014 is primarily due to the runoff of major medical business from lines that we exited largely as a result of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), offset in part by an increase in medical stop-loss and specialty health premiums.

Chief Executive Officer's Comments

Roy Thung, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased with the continued growth in earned premium and significantly increased earnings for medical stop-loss, by far our largest line of business, for the second quarter and first six months of the year. We attribute these positive developments to enhanced sales efforts in our direct business, focused underwriting and a general expansion of the market as new employer groups migrate to self-funding from fully insured in response to health care reform. We expect continued improvement in this line of business, as evidenced by the 32% growth in our direct business written in the twelve months ended July 31, 2014, while maintaining consistent profit margins on a growing premium base.

Our specialty health business increased significantly in the first six months of 2014 compared to last year; however, our fully insured segment continued to be adversely affected by the ACA, including the runoff of major-medical business and the health insurance tax. This adversely impacted the 2014 second quarter by approximately $1.6 million and the first six months of 2014 by approximately $3.5 million. In addition, the Company recorded $1.2 million in amortization of deferred loss in connection with the assumption of certain ceded annuity policies from the prior year's coinsurance agreement. Our overall investment portfolio continues to be very highly rated (on average, AA) and has a duration of approximately six years. Our book value was $16.18 per share at June 30, 2014, an increase of 6% over the book value per share at December 31, 2013, and our total stockholders' equity is $282 million at June 30, 2014 compared to $269 million at December 31, 2013. Through August 1, 2014, we have repurchased 250,559 shares of IHC stock for $3.3 million at an average price of $13.35 per share.

We are optimistic that our operating results for the balance of this year will compare favorably to the comparable period in 2013, largely as a result of the continuing growth in premiums and income from our direct medical stop-loss line of business and of the transition of our fully insured division to being principally a specialty health insurance operation with controlled distribution and higher-margin lines of business. We expect the adverse consequences of the ACA to gradually decline over the next six months and be largely complete by the end of this year."  

About Independence Holding Company

IHC is a holding company principally engaged in the life and health insurance business and the acquisition of blocks of policies through its insurance company subsidiaries (Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York, Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. and Independence American Insurance Company) and its marketing and administrative affiliates. Standard Security Life markets medical stop-loss, group major and limited medical, short-term medical, group long-term and short-term disability and life, group and individual dental, vision and various supplemental products. Madison National Life sells group life and disability, group major and limited medical, group and individual dental, individual life insurance and various supplemental products. Independence American offers pet insurance, non-subscriber occupational accident, short-term medical, medical stop-loss, group and individual dental and various supplemental products. IHC owns certain subsidiaries through its majority ownership of American Independence Corp. (Nasdaq: AMIC ), which is a holding company principally engaged in the insurance and reinsurance business.

Certain statements and information contained in this release may be considered "forward-looking statements," such as statements relating to management's views with respect to future events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic conditions in the markets in which IHC operates, new federal or state governmental regulation, IHC's ability to effectively operate, integrate and leverage any past or future strategic acquisition, and other factors which can be found in IHC's other news releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. IHC expressly disclaims any duty to update its forward-looking statements or earnings guidance, and does not undertake to provide any such guidance in the future.

ADAM VANDERVOORT (646) 509-2156 www.IHCGroup.com