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Account
ProAssurance
PRA
#5554
Rank
$1.26 B
Marketcap
๐บ๐ธ
United States
Country
$24.60
Share price
-0.40%
Change (1 day)
6.22%
Change (1 year)
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Financial Year FY2020 Q3
ProAssurance - 10-Q quarterly report FY2020 Q3
Text size:
Small
Medium
Large
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Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark One)
☒
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended
September 30, 2020
or
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from
to
Commission File Number:
0-16533
ProAssurance Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
63-1261433
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
100 Brookwood Place,
Birmingham,
AL
35209
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(205)
877-4400
(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)
(Former name, former address and former
fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
PRA
New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes
☒
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes
☒
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
☒
Accelerated filer
☐
Non-accelerated filer
☐
Smaller reporting company
☐
Emerging growth company
☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes
☐
No
☒
As of
October 30, 2020
, there were
53,889,765
shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.
Table of Contents
Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
When the following terms and acronyms appear in the text of this report, they have the meanings indicated below.
Term
Meaning
AAD
Annual aggregate deductible
AOCI
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
ASU
Accounting Standards Update
BEAT
Base erosion anti-abuse tax
Board
Board of Directors of ProAssurance Corporation
BOLI
Business owned life insurance
CARES Act
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
Council of Lloyd's
The governing body for Lloyd's of London
CODM
Chief Operating Decision Maker
Commutation
An agreement between a ceding insurer and the reinsurer that provides for the valuation, payment, and complete discharge of all obligations between the parties under a particular reinsurance contract
COVID-19
Coronavirus Disease 2019
DPAC
Deferred policy acquisition costs
Eastern Re
Eastern Re, LTD, S.P.C.
EBUB
Earned but unbilled premium
ECO/XPL
Extra-contractual obligations/excess of policy limit claims
E&O
Errors and Omissions
FAL
Funds at Lloyd's
FASB
Financial Accounting Standards Board
FHLB
Federal Home Loan Bank
FHLMC
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
FNMA
Federal National Mortgage Association
GAAP
Generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America
GILTI
Global intangible low-taxed income
GNMA
Government National Mortgage Association
HCPL
Healthcare professional liability
IBNR
Incurred but not reported
Inova Re
Inova Re, LTD, S.P.C.
IRS
Internal Revenue Service
LIBOR
London Interbank Offered Rate
LLC
Limited liability company
Lloyd's
Lloyd's of London market
LP
Limited partnership
Medical Technology Liability
Medical technology and life sciences products liability
Mortgage Loans
Two ten-year mortgage loans collectively with an original borrowing amount of approximately $40 million, each entered into by a subsidiary of ProAssurance
NAV
Net asset value
NOL
Net operating loss
NORCAL
NORCAL Group
NORCAL Mutual
NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company
NRSRO
Nationally recognized statistical rating organization
NYSE
New York Stock Exchange
OCI
Other comprehensive income (loss)
2
Table of Contents
Term
Meaning
PCAOB
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
PDR
Premium deficiency reserve
PREP Act
The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act
Revolving Credit Agreement
ProAssurance's $250 million revolving credit agreement
ROE
Return on equity
ROU
Right-of-use
SEC
Securities and Exchange Commission
SPA
Special Purpose Arrangement
SPC
Segregated portfolio cell
Specialty P&C
Specialty Property and Casualty
Syndicate 1729
Lloyd's of London Syndicate 1729
Syndicate 6131
Lloyd's of London Syndicate 6131, a Special Purpose Arrangement with Lloyd's of London Syndicate 1729
Syndicate Credit Agreement
Unconditional revolving credit agreement with the Premium Trust Fund of Syndicate 1729
TCJA
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act H.R.1 of 2017
U.K.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
ULAE
Unallocated loss adjustment expense
VIE
Variable interest entity
3
Table of Contents
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this Form 10-Q that are not historical facts are specifically identified as forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon our estimates and anticipation of future events and are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from the expected results described in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as, but not limited to, "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "hopeful," "intend," "likely," "may," "optimistic," "possible," "potential," "preliminary," "project," "should," "will" and other analogous expressions. There are numerous factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Thus, sentences and phrases that we use to convey our view of future events and trends are expressly designated as forward-looking statements as are sections of this Form 10-Q that are identified as giving our outlook on future business.
Forward-looking statements relating to our business include among other things: statements concerning future liquidity and capital requirements, investment valuation and performance, return on equity, financial ratios, net income, premiums, losses and loss reserve, premium rates and retention of current business, competition and market conditions, the expansion of product lines, the development or acquisition of business in new geographical areas, the pricing or availability of acceptable reinsurance, actions by regulators and rating agencies, court actions, legislative actions, payment or performance of obligations under indebtedness, payment of dividends and other matters.
These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including, among other things, the following factors that could affect the actual outcome of future events:
changes in general economic conditions, including the impact of inflation or deflation and unemployment;
our ability to maintain our dividend payments;
regulatory, legislative and judicial actions or decisions that could affect our business plans or operations, including changes in interpretations of certain coverages as a result of COVID-19;
the enactment or repeal of tort reforms;
formation or dissolution of state-sponsored insurance entities providing coverages now offered by ProAssurance which could remove or add sizable numbers of insureds from or to the private insurance market;
changes in the interest and tax rate environment, including the actions taken by the federal government and Federal Reserve in response to COVID-19;
resolution of uncertain tax matters and changes in tax laws, including the impact of the TCJA and CARES Act;
changes in laws or government regulations regarding financial markets or market activity that may affect our business;
changes in the ability, or perception thereof, of the U.S. government to meet its obligations that may affect the U.S. economy and our business;
performance of financial markets affecting the fair value of our investments or making it difficult to determine the value of our investments;
changes in requirements or accounting policies and practices that may be adopted by our regulatory agencies, the FASB, the SEC, the PCAOB or the NYSE that may affect our business;
changes in laws or government regulations affecting the financial services industry, the property and casualty insurance industry or particular insurance lines underwritten by our subsidiaries or by Syndicates 1729 and 6131;
the effect on our insureds, particularly the insurance needs of our insureds, and our loss costs, of changes in the healthcare delivery system and/or changes in the U.S. political climate that may affect healthcare policy or our business;
consolidation of our insureds into or under larger entities which may be insured by competitors, or may not have a risk profile that meets our underwriting criteria or which may not use external providers for insuring or otherwise managing substantial portions of their liability risk;
the effect of cyclical insurance industry trends on our underwriting, including demand and pricing in the
insurance and reinsurance markets in which we operate;
uncertainties inherent in the estimate of our loss and loss adjustment expense reserve and reinsurance recoverable;
changes in the availability, cost, quality or collectability of insurance/reinsurance;
the results of litigation, including pre- or post-trial motions, trials and/or appeals we undertake;
effects on our claims costs from mass tort litigation that are different from that anticipated by us;
allegations of bad faith which may arise from our handling of any particular claim, including failure to settle;
4
Table of Contents
loss or consolidation of independent agents, agencies, brokers or brokerage firms;
changes in our organization, compensation and benefit plans;
changes in the business or competitive environment may limit the effectiveness of our business strategy and impact our revenues;
our ability to retain and recruit senior management and other qualified personnel;
the availability, integrity and security of our technology infrastructure or that of our third-party providers of technology infrastructure, including any susceptibility to cyber-attacks which might result in a loss of information or operating capability;
the impact of a catastrophic event, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, as it relates to our business and insurance operations, investment results, Lloyd's Syndicates and our insured risks;
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic conditions on our premium volume, loss reserves, investment portfolio, asset valuations, business operations and workforce;
the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war;
the effects of terrorism-related insurance legislation and laws;
guaranty funds and other state assessments;
our ability to achieve continued growth through expansion into new markets or through acquisitions or business combinations;
failure to complete our planned acquisition of NORCAL for any reason including but not limited to failure to obtain required regulatory approvals, or failure of any other condition set forth in the acquisition agreement, or our inability to fund the transaction; and if completed, our failure to successfully integrate NORCAL to achieve expected results or synergies after closing;
changes to the ratings assigned by rating agencies to our holding company or insurance subsidiaries, individually or as a group;
provisions in our charter documents, Delaware law and state insurance laws may impede attempts to replace or remove management or may impede a takeover;
state insurance restrictions may prohibit assets held by our insurance subsidiaries, including cash and investment securities, from being used for general corporate purposes;
taxing authorities can take exception to our tax positions and cause us to incur significant amounts of legal and accounting costs and, if our defense is not successful, additional tax costs, including interest and penalties; and
expected benefits from completed and proposed acquisitions may not be achieved or may be delayed longer than expected due to business disruption; loss of customers, employees or key agents; increased operating costs or inability to achieve cost savings and synergies; and assumption of greater than expected liabilities, among other reasons.
Additional risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could arise from our membership in the Lloyd's market and our participation in Lloyd's Syndicates include, but are not limited to, the following:
members of Lloyd's are subject to levies by the Council of Lloyd's based on a percentage of the member's underwriting capacity, currently a maximum of 3%, but can be increased by Lloyd's;
Syndicate results can be affected by decisions made by the Council of Lloyd's which the management of Syndicate 1729 and Syndicate 6131 have little ability to control, such as a decision to not approve the business plan of Syndicate 1729 or Syndicate 6131, or a decision to increase the capital required to continue operations, and by our obligation to pay levies to Lloyd's;
Lloyd's insurance and reinsurance relationships and distribution channels could be disrupted or Lloyd's trading licenses could be revoked, making it more difficult for a Lloyd's Syndicate to distribute and market its products;
rating agencies could downgrade their ratings of Lloyd's as a whole; and
Syndicate 1729 and Syndicate 6131 operations are dependent on a small, specialized management team, and the loss of their services could adversely affect the Syndicate’s business. The inability to identify, hire and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future could adversely affect the quality and profitability of Syndicate 1729’s or Syndicate 6131's business.
Our results may differ materially from those we expect and discuss in any forward-looking statements. The principal risk factors that may cause these differences are described in "Item 1A, Risk Factors" in our December 31, 2019 report on Form 10-
5
Table of Contents
K, in "Item 1A, Risk Factors" included in this report and other documents we file with the
SEC
, such as our current reports on Form 8-K and our regular reports on Form 10-Q.
We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which are based upon conditions existing only as of the date made, and advise readers that these factors could affect our financial performance and could cause actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements. Except as required by law or regulations, we do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.
6
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) - SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 AND DECEMBER 31, 2019
8
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN CAPITAL (UNAUDITED) - THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 AND 2019
9
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (UNAUDITED) - THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 AND 2019
11
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) - NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 AND 2019
12
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)
14
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
14
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT
21
INVESTMENTS
31
INCOME TAXES
37
GOODWILL
38
RESERVE FOR LOSSES AND LOSS ADJUSTMENT EXPENSES
39
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
41
LEASES
42
DEBT
43
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
44
VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
46
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE
46
SEGMENT INFORMATION
47
ITEM 2.
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
52
ITEM 3.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
116
ITEM 4.
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
119
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
119
ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
119
ITEM 2.
UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
121
ITEM 6.
EXHIBITS
121
SIGNATURE
123
7
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share data)
September 30,
2020
December 31,
2019
Assets
Investments
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale, at fair value (amortized cost, $2,298,913 and $2,241,304, respectively; allowance for expected credit losses, $552 as of current period end)
$
2,386,085
$
2,288,785
Fixed maturities, trading, at fair value (cost, $52,357 and $46,772, respectively)
53,081
47,284
Equity investments, at fair value (cost, $127,719 and $227,873, respectively)
129,385
250,552
Short-term investments
377,539
339,907
Business owned life insurance
67,393
66,112
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries
312,848
358,820
Other investments (at fair value, $37,714 and $36,018, respectively, otherwise at cost or amortized cost)
40,650
38,949
Total Investments
3,366,981
3,390,409
Cash and cash equivalents
231,948
175,369
Premiums receivable, net
237,894
249,540
Receivable from reinsurers on paid losses and loss adjustment expenses
13,697
12,739
Receivable from reinsurers on unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
391,637
390,708
Prepaid reinsurance premiums
45,159
42,796
Deferred policy acquisition costs
53,038
55,567
Deferred tax asset, net
59,585
44,387
Real estate, net
29,990
30,410
Operating lease ROU assets
18,925
21,074
Intangible assets, net
67,284
70,757
Goodwill
49,610
210,725
Other assets
126,749
111,118
Total Assets
$
4,692,497
$
4,805,599
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Liabilities
Policy liabilities and accruals
Reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses
$
2,407,488
$
2,346,526
Unearned premiums
415,184
413,086
Reinsurance premiums payable
46,117
52,946
Total Policy Liabilities
2,868,789
2,812,558
Operating lease liabilities
20,194
22,051
Other liabilities
188,631
173,256
Debt less unamortized debt issuance costs
284,990
285,821
Total Liabilities
3,362,604
3,293,686
Shareholders' Equity
Common shares (par value $0.01 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 63,214,475 and 63,117,235 shares issued, respectively)
632
631
Additional paid-in capital
387,386
384,551
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (net of deferred tax expense (benefit) of $17,488 and $9,795, respectively)
68,285
36,955
Retained earnings
1,289,552
1,505,738
Treasury shares, at cost (9,325,180 shares as of each respective period end)
(
415,962
)
(
415,962
)
Total Shareholders' Equity
1,329,893
1,511,913
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
$
4,692,497
$
4,805,599
See accompanying notes.
8
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Capital (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
ProAssurance Shareholders' Equity
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Retained Earnings
Treasury Stock
Total
Balance at July 1, 2020
$
632
$
386,365
$
61,130
$
1,442,225
$
(
415,962
)
$
1,474,390
Common shares issued for compensation and effect of shares reissued to stock purchase plan
—
8
—
—
—
8
Share-based compensation
—
1,017
—
—
—
1,017
Net effect of restricted and performance shares issued
—
(
4
)
—
—
—
(
4
)
Dividends to shareholders
—
—
—
(
2,694
)
—
(
2,694
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
—
—
7,155
—
—
7,155
Net income (loss)
—
—
—
(
149,979
)
—
(
149,979
)
Balance at September 30, 2020
$
632
$
387,386
$
68,285
$
1,289,552
$
(
415,962
)
$
1,329,893
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Retained Earnings
Treasury Stock
Total
Balance at December 31, 2019
$
631
$
384,551
$
36,955
$
1,505,738
$
(
415,962
)
$
1,511,913
Cumulative-effect adjustment-
ASU 2016-13 adoption*
—
—
—
(
4,076
)
—
(
4,076
)
Common shares issued for compensation and effect of shares reissued to stock purchase plan
—
683
—
—
—
683
Share-based compensation
—
3,061
—
—
—
3,061
Net effect of restricted and performance shares issued
1
(
909
)
—
—
—
(
908
)
Dividends to shareholders
—
—
—
(
22,078
)
—
(
22,078
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
—
—
31,330
—
—
31,330
Net income (loss)
—
—
—
(
190,032
)
—
(
190,032
)
Balance at September 30, 2020
$
632
$
387,386
$
68,285
$
1,289,552
$
(
415,962
)
$
1,329,893
* See Note 1 for discussion of accounting guidance adopted during the period.
Continued on the following page.
9
Table of Contents
Continued from the previous page.
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Retained Earnings
Treasury Stock
Total
Balance at July 1, 2019
$
631
$
385,200
$
31,729
$
1,581,273
$
(
417,277
)
$
1,581,556
Common shares issued for compensation and effect of shares reissued to stock purchase plan
—
20
—
—
—
20
Share-based compensation
—
(
11
)
—
—
—
(
11
)
Net effect of restricted and performance shares issued
—
(
28
)
—
—
—
(
28
)
Dividends to shareholders
—
—
—
(
16,677
)
—
(
16,677
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
—
—
7,405
—
—
7,405
Net income
—
—
—
17,193
—
17,193
Balance at September 30, 2019
$
631
$
385,181
$
39,134
$
1,581,789
$
(
417,277
)
$
1,589,458
Common Stock
Additional Paid-in Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Retained Earnings
Treasury Stock
Total
Balance at December 31, 2018
$
630
$
384,713
$
(
16,911
)
$
1,571,847
$
(
417,277
)
$
1,523,002
Cumulative-effect adjustment-
ASU 2018-07 adoption
—
—
—
(
444
)
—
(
444
)
Common shares issued for compensation and effect of shares reissued to stock purchase plan
—
832
—
—
—
832
Share-based compensation
—
2,309
—
—
—
2,309
Net effect of restricted and performance shares issued
1
(
2,673
)
—
—
—
(
2,672
)
Dividends to shareholders
—
—
—
(
49,992
)
—
(
49,992
)
Other comprehensive income (loss)
—
—
56,045
—
—
56,045
Net income
—
—
—
60,378
—
60,378
Balance at September 30, 2019
$
631
$
385,181
$
39,134
$
1,581,789
$
(
417,277
)
$
1,589,458
See accompanying notes.
10
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
2020
2019
Revenues
Net premiums earned
$
194,559
$
215,788
$
605,708
$
633,086
Net investment income
16,924
23,681
55,877
70,038
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
4,853
(
1,277
)
(
22,065
)
(
7,240
)
Net realized investment gains (losses):
Impairment losses
—
(
66
)
(
1,745
)
(
202
)
Portion of impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) before taxes
—
36
237
124
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings
—
(
30
)
(
1,508
)
(
78
)
Other net realized investment gains (losses)
8,838
1,164
1,658
47,142
Total net realized investment gains (losses)
8,838
1,134
150
47,064
Other income
1,723
2,548
5,668
7,419
Total revenues
226,897
241,874
645,338
750,367
Expenses
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
145,581
161,614
521,412
489,808
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses:
Operating expense
32,419
32,778
96,650
100,729
DPAC amortization
27,014
29,083
83,528
85,231
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
871
—
1,573
—
SPC dividend expense (income)
3,854
3,621
7,988
1,375
Interest expense
3,881
4,274
11,725
12,850
Goodwill impairment
161,115
—
161,115
—
Total expenses
374,735
231,370
883,991
689,993
Income (loss) before income taxes
(
147,838
)
10,504
(
238,653
)
60,374
Provision for income taxes:
Current expense (benefit)
11,314
3,013
(
26,621
)
4,864
Deferred expense (benefit)
(
9,173
)
(
9,702
)
(
22,000
)
(
4,868
)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
2,141
(
6,689
)
(
48,621
)
(
4
)
Net income (loss)
(
149,979
)
17,193
(
190,032
)
60,378
Other comprehensive income (loss), after tax, net of reclassification adjustments
7,155
7,405
31,330
56,045
Comprehensive income (loss)
$
(
142,824
)
$
24,598
$
(
158,702
)
$
116,423
Earnings (loss) per share
Basic
$
(
2.78
)
$
0.32
$
(
3.53
)
$
1.12
Diluted
$
(
2.78
)
$
0.32
$
(
3.53
)
$
1.12
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic
53,889
53,762
53,854
53,732
Diluted
53,918
53,856
53,896
53,831
Cash dividends declared per common share
$
0.05
$
0.31
$
0.41
$
0.93
See accompanying notes.
11
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(In thousands)
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Operating Activities
Net income (loss)
$
(
190,032
)
$
60,378
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Goodwill impairment
161,115
—
Depreciation and amortization, net of accretion
16,168
14,073
(Increase) decrease in cash surrender value of BOLI
(
1,281
)
(
1,557
)
Net realized investment (gains) losses
(
150
)
(
47,064
)
Share-based compensation
3,052
2,323
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)
(
22,000
)
(
4,868
)
Policy acquisition costs, net of amortization (net deferral)
2,529
(
3,983
)
Equity in (earnings) loss of unconsolidated subsidiaries
22,065
7,240
Distributed earnings from unconsolidated subsidiaries
29,844
11,690
Other
2,605
2,026
Other changes in assets and liabilities:
Premiums receivable
6,486
(
22,478
)
Reinsurance related assets and liabilities
(
11,079
)
(
27,185
)
Other assets
(
13,297
)
(
3,552
)
Reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses
60,962
95,928
Unearned premiums
2,098
44,049
Other liabilities
4,088
1,783
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities
73,173
128,803
Investing Activities
Purchases of:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
(
689,429
)
(
553,186
)
Equity investments
(
63,386
)
(
74,649
)
Other investments
(
26,432
)
(
24,088
)
Funding of qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships
(
1,307
)
(
322
)
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries
(
32,768
)
(
53,630
)
Proceeds from sales or maturities of:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
635,392
416,805
Equity investments
174,130
149,720
Other investments
27,279
24,583
Net sales or (purchases) of fixed maturities, trading
(
4,893
)
(
6,339
)
Return of invested capital from unconsolidated subsidiaries
26,831
35,902
Net sales or maturities (purchases) of short-term investments
(
37,549
)
37,975
Unsettled security transactions, net change
22,805
15,211
Purchases of capital assets
(
6,665
)
(
7,133
)
Purchases of intangible assets
(
1,198
)
—
Repayments under Syndicate Credit Agreement
—
13,450
Other
(
811
)
(
16
)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities
21,999
(
25,717
)
Continued on the following page.
12
Table of Contents
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Continued from the previous page.
Financing Activities
Repayments of Mortgage Loans
(
1,127
)
(
1,086
)
Dividends to shareholders
(
35,978
)
(
76,574
)
Capital contribution received from (return of capital to) external segregated portfolio cell participants
(
581
)
(
983
)
Other
(
907
)
(
2,703
)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities
(
38,593
)
(
81,346
)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
56,579
21,740
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
175,369
80,471
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
$
231,948
$
102,211
Significant Non-Cash Transactions
Dividends declared and not yet paid
$
2,694
$
16,677
Operating ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities
$
478
$
3,729
See accompanying notes.
13
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
1
.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of ProAssurance Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries (ProAssurance, PRA or the Company). The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with
GAAP
for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by
GAAP
for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, have been included. ProAssurance’s results for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending
December 31, 2020
. The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes contained in ProAssurance’s
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
ProAssurance operates in
five
reportable segments as follows:
Specialty P&C
, Workers' Compensation Insurance, Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance,
Lloyd's
Syndicates and Corporate. For more information on the Company's segment reporting, including the nature of products and services provided and financial information by segment, refer to Note
13
.
Certain insignificant prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
Other Liabilities
Other liabilities consisted of the following:
(In thousands)
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
SPC dividends payable
$
64,237
$
55,763
Unpaid shareholder dividends
2,694
16,676
All other
121,700
100,817
Total other liabilities
$
188,631
$
173,256
SPC
dividends payable represents the undistributed equity contractually payable to the external cell participants of
SPC
s operated by ProAssurance's Cayman Islands subsidiaries,
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
.
Unpaid shareholder dividends represent common stock dividends declared by ProAssurance's
Board
that had not yet been paid as of
September 30, 2020
.
Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosures related to these amounts at the date of the financial statements. The Company evaluates these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis based on current and historical developments, market conditions, industry trends and other information that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company can make no assurance that actual results will conform to its estimates and assumptions; reported results of operations may be materially affected by changes in these estimates and assumptions.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is reevaluating certain of these estimates and assumptions which could result in material changes to its results of operations including, but not limited to, higher losses and loss adjustment expenses, lower premium volume, asset impairment charges, declines in investment valuations, reductions in audit premium estimates, deferred tax valuation allowances and increases in the allowance for expected credit losses related to available-for-sale securities, premiums receivable and reinsurance receivables. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company's business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. These factors include, but are not limited to, the duration, spread, severity, reemergence or mutation of the COVID-19 pandemic, development and wide-scale distribution of medicines or vaccines that effectively treat the virus, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's insureds, the loss environment, the healthcare industry, the labor market and Lloyd's, the actions and stimulus measures taken by governments and governmental agencies, and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, the Company may experience an impact to its business as a result of any economic recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
14
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Except as added below, the significant accounting policies followed by ProAssurance in making estimates that materially affect financial reporting are summarized in Note
1
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance’s
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K
.
Due to the adoption of
ASU
2016-13 at the beginning of 2020, ProAssurance began following the accounting policies described below:
Credit Losses
ProAssurance's premiums receivable and reinsurance receivables are exposed to credit losses but to-date have not experienced any significant amount of credit losses. ProAssurance measures expected credit losses on its premiums receivables and reinsurance receivables on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist, and the Company will reassess its pools each reporting period to ensure all receivables within the pool continue to share similar risk characteristics. If the Company determines that a receivable does not share risk characteristics with its other receivables within a pool, it will evaluate that receivable for expected credit losses on an individual basis. ProAssurance measures expected credit losses associated with its premium receivables at the segment level as each segment’s premium receivables share similar risk characteristics including term, type of financial asset and similar historical and expected credit loss patterns. ProAssurance measures expected credit losses associated with its reinsurance receivables (related to both paid and unpaid losses) at the consolidated level as its reinsurance receivables share similar risk characteristics including type of financial asset, type of industry and similar historical and expected credit loss patterns.
ProAssurance measures expected credit losses over the contractual term of each pool utilizing a loss rate method. Historical internal credit loss experience for each pool is the basis for the Company’s assessment of expected credit losses; however, the Company may also consider historical credit loss information from external sources. In addition to historical credit loss data, the Company also considers reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions in its estimate of expected credit losses by utilizing industry and macroeconomic factors that it believes most relevant to the collectability of each pool.
ProAssurance’s premiums receivable on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of
September 30, 2020
is reported net of the related allowance for expected credit losses of
$
6.6
million
.
The following tables present a roll forward of the allowance for expected credit losses related to the Company's premiums receivable for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
.
(In thousands)
Premiums Receivable, Net
Allowance for Expected Credit Losses
Balance, July 1, 2020
$
234,840
$
6,627
Provision for expected credit losses
123
Write offs charged against the allowance
(
404
)
Recoveries of amounts previously written off
270
Balance, September 30, 2020
$
237,894
$
6,616
(In thousands)
Premiums Receivable, Net
Allowance for Expected Credit Losses
Balance, December 31, 2019
$
249,540
$
1,590
Cumulative-effect adjustment on January 1, 2020, before tax - ASU 2016-13 adoption
5,160
Provision for expected credit losses
616
Write offs charged against the allowance
(
1,078
)
Recoveries of amounts previously written off
328
Balance, September 30, 2020
$
237,894
$
6,616
ProAssurance’s expected credit losses associated with its reinsurance receivables (related to both paid and unpaid losses) were nominal in amount as of
September 30, 2020
. ProAssurance has other financial assets and off-balance-sheet commitments that are exposed to credit losses; however, expected credit losses associated with these assets and commitments were nominal in amount as of
September 30, 2020
.
15
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Investments
Impairments
ProAssurance evaluates its available-for-sale investment securities, which at
September 30, 2020
and December 31,
2019
consisted entirely of fixed maturity securities, on at least a quarterly basis for the purpose of determining whether declines in fair value below recorded cost basis represent a credit loss. The Company considers a credit loss to have occurred:
•
if there is intent to sell the security;
•
if it is more likely than not that the security will be required to be sold before full recovery of its amortized cost basis; or
•
if the entire amortized basis of the security is not expected to be recovered.
The assessment of whether the amortized cost basis of a security is expected to be recovered requires the Company to make assumptions regarding various matters affecting future cash flows. The choice of assumptions is subjective and requires the use of judgment. Actual credit losses experienced in future periods may differ from the Company’s estimates of those credit losses. Methodologies used to estimate the present value of expected cash flows are:
The estimate of expected cash flows is determined by projecting a recovery value and a recovery time frame and assessing whether further principal and interest will be received. ProAssurance considers various factors in projecting recovery values and recovery time frames, including the following:
•
third-party research and credit rating reports;
•
the current credit standing of the issuer, including credit rating downgrades, whether before or after the balance sheet date;
•
the extent to which the decline in fair value is attributable to credit risk specifically associated with the security or its issuer;
•
internal assessments and the assessments of external portfolio managers regarding specific circumstances surrounding an investment, which indicate the investment is more or less likely to recover its amortized cost than other investments with a similar structure;
•
for asset-backed securities, the origination date of the underlying loans, the remaining average life, the probability that credit performance of the underlying loans will deteriorate in the future and ProAssurance's assessment of the quality of the collateral underlying the loan;
•
failure of the issuer of the security to make scheduled interest or principal payments;
•
any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency;
•
recoveries or additional declines in fair value subsequent to the balance sheet date;
•
adverse legal or regulatory events;
•
significant deterioration in the market environment that may affect the value of collateral (e.g. decline in real estate prices);
•
significant deterioration in economic conditions; and
•
disruption in the business model resulting from changes in technology or new entrants to the industry.
If deemed appropriate and necessary, a discounted cash flow analysis is performed to confirm whether a credit loss exists and, if so, the amount of the credit loss. ProAssurance uses the single best estimate approach for available-for-sale debt securities and considers all reasonably available data points, including industry analyses, credit ratings, expected defaults and the remaining payment terms of the debt security. For fixed rate available-for-sale debt securities, cash flows are discounted at the security's effective interest rate implicit in the security at the date of acquisition. If the available-for-sale debt security’s contractual interest rate varies based on subsequent changes in an independent factor, such as an index or rate, for example, the prime rate, the LIBOR, or the U.S. Treasury bill weekly average, that security’s effective interest rate is calculated based on the factor as it changes over the life of the security.
If ProAssurance intends to sell a debt security or believes it will more likely than not be required to sell a debt security before the amortized cost basis is recovered, any existing allowance will be written off against the security's amortized cost basis, with any remaining difference between the debt security's amortized cost basis and fair value recognized as an impairment loss in earnings.
Exclusive of securities where there is an intent to sell or where it is not more likely than not that the security will be required to be sold before recovery of its amortized cost basis, impairment for debt securities is separated into a credit component and a non-credit component. The credit component of an impairment is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and the present value of its expected future cash flows, while the non-credit component is the remaining difference between the security’s fair value and the present value of expected future cash flows. An allowance for expected credit losses will be recorded for the expected credit losses through income and the non-credit component is recognized in
OCI
.
16
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
The amount of impairment recognized is limited to the excess of the amortized cost over the fair value of the available-for-sale debt security.
Goodwill/Intangibles
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized over the estimated useful life of the asset. Amortizable intangible assets primarily consist of policyholder relationships, renewal rights and trade names. Intangible assets with an indefinite life, primarily state licenses, are not amortized. Indefinite lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment on an annual basis or upon the occurrence of certain triggering events or substantive changes in circumstances that indicate the intangible asset may be impaired. Amortizable intangible assets and other long-lived assets are tested for impairment at the asset group level upon the occurrence of certain triggering events or substantive changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying amount of the asset group may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset group are less than the carrying amounts of the related asset group. Impairment losses are measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset groups exceed their fair values. The Company's asset groups generally correspond to the same level at which goodwill is tested for impairment.
Goodwill
Goodwill is recognized in conjunction with business acquisitions as the excess of the purchase consideration for the business acquisition over the fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities, and thus goodwill, is subject to redetermination within a measurement period of up to one year following completion of a business acquisition.
Goodwill is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. The date of the Company's annual goodwill impairment testing is October 1. For the Company's last annual impairment test at October 1, 2019, the Company performed qualitative assessments that supported a conclusion that the fair value of all of the reporting units with goodwill exceeded their carrying value.
Impairment of goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level, which is consistent with the Company's reportable segments identified in Note
13
. Of the
five
reporting units,
three
have goodwill -
Specialty P&C
, Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance.
Interim Impairment Assessments
As disclosed in the Company's June 30, 2020 report on Form 10-Q, COVID-19 has caused significant market volatility impacting the Company's actual and projected results along with a decline in its stock price. These impacts have persisted into the third quarter; and as a result, management performed new quantitative assessments of goodwill on its Specialty P&C and Workers' Compensation Insurance reporting units using updated marketplace data. The updated data, which is significantly influenced by the Company's continued depressed stock price relative to both its own book value and the comparable stock prices of its peers, impacted a number of key variables in the Company's analysis including the determination of a higher discount rate and lower valuation multiples. In addition, new guidance given by the Federal Reserve during the current quarter regarding the expectation of a prolonged low interest rate environment impacted the Company's analysis.
For each of the interim impairment assessments in the second and third quarters of 2020, management estimated the fair value of the reporting units using both an income approach and a market approach using marketplace data that was current at the time of each respective analysis. The estimate of fair value derived from the income approach was based on the present value of expected future cash flows, including terminal value, utilizing a market-based weighted average cost of capital determined separately for each reporting unit. The estimate of fair value derived from the market approach was based on price to book multiple data. The determination of fair value involved the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates, operating margins, capital requirements, tax rates, terminal growth rates, discount rates, comparable public companies and synergistic benefits available to market participants. In addition, management made certain judgments and assumptions in allocating shared assets and liabilities to individual reporting units to determine the carrying amount of each reporting unit.
This analysis during the third quarter of 2020 indicated an impairment of the goodwill associated with the Company's Specialty P&C reporting unit and accordingly the Company recorded a
$
161.1
million
charge to goodwill in the current quarter.
Management also performed impairment tests of certain of its definite and indefinite lived intangible assets for which a triggering event was deemed to have occurred. Based upon these impairment tests, no impairment of the Company's definite or indefinite lived intangible assets was identified at
September 30, 2020
.
17
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Given the evolving, uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimates and assumptions used by management in these impairment tests have inherent uncertainties, and different assumptions could lead to materially different results including impairment charges in the future. Management expects to continue to monitor developments and perform updated analyses as necessary.
See Note
5
for additional information about the Company's goodwill.
Accounting Changes Adopted
Improvements to Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (
ASU
2016-13)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the
FASB
issued guidance that replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology, which delays recognition of credit losses until a probable loss has been incurred, with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. Included in the scope of this guidance are the Company's available-for-sale fixed maturity securities and its financial assets held at amortized cost. Under the new guidance, credit losses are required to be recorded through an allowance for expected credit losses account and the income statement will reflect the initial recognition of lifetime expected credit losses for any newly recognized financial assets as well as increases or decreases of expected credit losses that have taken place during the period. Credit losses on available-for-sale fixed maturity securities are required to be presented as an allowance, rather than as a write-down of the asset, limited to the amount by which the fair value is below amortized cost. ProAssurance adopted this guidance beginning January 1, 2020 using a modified retrospective application for the portion of the new guidance that relates to its premiums and reinsurance receivables and a prospective application for the portion of the new guidance that relates to its available-for-sale fixed maturity securities. ProAssurance recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment of
$
4.1
million
, net of related tax impacts, to beginning retained earnings as of January 1, 2020 to increase its consolidated allowance for expected credit losses related to its premiums receivable. ProAssurance determined that estimated expected credit losses associated with the Company's other financial assets held at amortized cost included in the scope of this new guidance was nominal as of January 1, 2020. Adoption of this guidance had no material effect on ProAssurance's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (
ASU
2017-04)
Effective for the fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the
FASB
issued guidance that simplifies the requirements to test goodwill for impairment for business entities that have goodwill reported in their financial statements. The guidance eliminates the second step of the impairment test which measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying amount or the reporting unit, with the impairment loss not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. This new guidance is expected to reduce the complexity and cost of future tests of goodwill for impairment. In addition, the guidance also eliminates the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment. ProAssurance adopted the guidance beginning January 1, 2020.
Adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on the Company's interim quantitative goodwill impairment tests for the Workers' Compensation Insurance or Specialty P&C reporting units performed during the second quarter of 2020 or on the interim quantitative goodwill impairment tests for the Workers' Compensation Insurance or Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance reporting units performed during the third quarter of 2020 as the fair value of each of these reporting units exceeded their carrying amounts (see previous discussion of these interim impairment assessments). Adoption of this guidance simplified the Company's interim quantitative goodwill impairment test for the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the third quarter of 2020 as the Company measured the impairment loss on this reporting unit by the amount that the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeded its fair value, with the impairment charge not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill.
18
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (
ASU
2018-13)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the
FASB
issued guidance that eliminates, modifies and adds certain disclosure requirements related to fair value measurements. The new guidance eliminates the requirements to disclose the transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, the policy for the timing of transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy and the valuation process for Level 3 fair value measurements while it modifies existing disclosure requirements related to measurement uncertainty and the requirement to disclose the timing of liquidation of an investee's assets for investments in certain entities that calculate
NAV
. The new guidance also adds requirements to disclose changes in unrealized gains and losses included in
OCI
for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements as well as the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. An entity is permitted to early adopt any eliminated or modified disclosure requirements and delay adoption of the additional disclosure requirements until the guidance is effective. During the third quarter of 2018, ProAssurance elected to early adopt the provisions that eliminate and modify certain disclosure requirements within Note
2
on a retrospective basis, and adopted the additional disclosure requirements beginning January 1, 2020. Adoption of this guidance had no material effect on ProAssurance’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows as it affected disclosures only.
Intangibles - Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (
ASU
2018-15)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the FASB amended the new standard regarding accounting for implementation costs in cloud computing arrangements. The amended guidance substantially aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. ProAssurance adopted the guidance beginning January 1, 2020, and adoption had no material effect on ProAssurance’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Targeted Improvements to Related Party Guidance for VIEs (
ASU
2018-17)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the FASB amended guidance which improves the consistency of the application of the VIE guidance for common control arrangements. The amended guidance requires an entity to consider indirect interests held through related parties under common control on a proportional basis rather than as the equivalent of a direct interest in its entirety when determining whether a decision-making fee is a variable interest. ProAssurance adopted the guidance beginning January 1, 2020. ProAssurance does not have any material indirect interests held through related parties under common control; therefore, adoption had no material effect on ProAssurance’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Collaborative Arrangements (
ASU
2018-18)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the FASB issued new guidance which clarifies how to assess whether certain transactions between participants in a collaborative arrangement should be accounted for under the revenue from contracts with customers accounting standard when the counterpart is a customer. In addition, the guidance precludes an entity from presenting consideration from a transaction in a collaborative arrangement as revenue from contracts with customers if the counterparty is not a customer for that transaction. ProAssurance adopted the guidance beginning January 1, 2020, and adoption had no material effect on ProAssurance’s results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Reference Rate Reform (
ASU
2020-04)
The FASB issued guidance intended to assist stakeholders during the market-wide reference rate transition period and is effective for a limited period between March 12, 2020 and December 31, 2022. The guidance provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying
GAAP
to contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate that is expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. ProAssurance has exposure to LIBOR-based financial instruments through its variable rate Mortgage Loans and Revolving Credit Agreement; however, these agreements include provisions for an alternative benchmark rate if LIBOR ceases to exist, which do not materially change the liability exposure. Additionally, ProAssurance has exposure to LIBOR in its available-for-sale fixed maturities portfolio which represented approximately
6
%
of total investments, or
$
188
million
, as of
September 30, 2020
;
31
%
of these investments with exposure to LIBOR were issued during 2020 or 2019 and include provisions for an alternative benchmark rate. Optional expedients for contract modifications include a prospective adjustment that does not require contract remeasurement or reassessment of a previous accounting determination; therefore, the modified contract is accounted for as a continuation of the existing contract. ProAssurance adopted the guidance beginning March 12, 2020, and adoption had no material effect on ProAssurance's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (
ASU
2019-12)
19
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the FASB issued new guidance which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. In addition, it removes certain exceptions to the general principles in the income tax guidance in the codification and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. ProAssurance elected to early adopt this guidance using a prospective application during the second quarter of 2020. The most impactful provision of the new guidance on the Company is the removal of the limitation on the tax benefit recognized on pre-tax losses during interim periods in which the year-to-date loss exceeds the expected loss for the fiscal year.
Accounting Changes Not Yet Adopted
Clarifying the Interactions between Investments - Equity Securities, Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures, and Derivatives and Hedging (
ASU
2020-01)
Effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years, the FASB amended guidance that clarifies the accounting for the transition into and out of the equity method and measuring certain purchased options and forward contracts to acquire investments. ProAssurance plans to adopt the guidance beginning January 1, 2021, and adoption is not expected to have a material effect on ProAssurance's results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
20
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
2
.
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. A three level hierarchy has been established for valuing assets and liabilities based on how transparent (observable) the inputs are that are used to determine fair value, with the inputs considered most observable categorized as Level 1 and those that are the least observable categorized as Level 3. Hierarchy levels are defined as follows:
Level 1:
quoted (unadjusted) market prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities. For ProAssurance, Level 1 inputs are generally quotes for debt or equity securities actively traded in exchange or over-the-counter markets.
Level 2:
market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity (observable inputs). For ProAssurance, Level 2 inputs generally include quoted prices in markets that are not active, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, and results from pricing models that use observable inputs such as interest rates and yield curves that are generally available at commonly quoted intervals.
Level 3:
the reporting entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions based on the best information available in the circumstances (non-observable inputs). For ProAssurance, Level 3 inputs are used in situations where little or no Level 1 or 2 inputs are available or are inappropriate given the particular circumstances. Level 3 inputs include results from pricing models for which some or all of the inputs are not observable, discounted cash flow methodologies, single non-binding broker quotes and adjustments to externally quoted prices that are based on management judgment or estimation.
Fair values of assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
are shown in the following tables. Where applicable, the tables also indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine those fair values. For some assets, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. When this is the case, the asset is categorized based on the level of the most significant input to the fair value measurement. Assessments of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement require judgment and consideration of factors specific to the assets being valued.
21
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
September 30, 2020
Fair Value Measurements Using
Total
(In thousands)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
—
$
117,364
$
—
$
117,364
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
—
11,055
—
11,055
State and municipal bonds
—
319,092
—
319,092
Corporate debt, multiple observable inputs
—
1,303,186
—
1,303,186
Corporate debt, limited observable inputs
—
—
3,995
3,995
Residential mortgage-backed securities
—
243,198
4,120
247,318
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
—
14,171
—
14,171
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
—
99,076
—
99,076
Other asset-backed securities
—
261,994
8,834
270,828
Fixed maturities, trading
—
53,081
—
53,081
Equity investments
Financial
10,622
—
—
10,622
Utilities/Energy
436
—
—
436
Consumer oriented
1,144
—
—
1,144
Industrial
1,707
—
—
1,707
Bond funds
72,044
—
—
72,044
All other
19,285
—
—
19,285
Short-term investments
351,206
26,333
—
377,539
Other investments
1,493
36,221
—
37,714
Other assets
—
341
—
341
Total assets categorized within the fair value hierarchy
$
457,937
$
2,485,112
$
16,949
2,959,998
Assets carried at NAV, which approximates fair value and which are not categorized within the fair value hierarchy, reported as a part of:
Equity investments
24,147
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries
233,142
Total assets at fair value
$
3,217,287
22
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
Fair Value Measurements Using
Total
(In thousands)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Fair Value
Assets:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
—
$
110,467
$
—
$
110,467
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
—
17,340
—
17,340
State and municipal bonds
—
296,093
—
296,093
Corporate debt, multiple observable inputs
—
1,335,285
—
1,335,285
Corporate debt, limited observable inputs
—
—
5,079
5,079
Residential mortgage-backed securities
—
208,408
—
208,408
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
—
8,221
—
8,221
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
—
71,868
—
71,868
Other asset-backed securities
—
233,032
2,992
236,024
Fixed maturities, trading
—
47,284
—
47,284
Equity investments
Financial
40,294
—
—
40,294
Utilities/Energy
21,195
—
—
21,195
Consumer oriented
29,288
—
—
29,288
Industrial
26,440
—
—
26,440
Bond funds
58,346
—
—
58,346
All other
52,512
—
—
52,512
Short-term investments
317,313
22,594
—
339,907
Other investments
219
32,713
3,086
36,018
Other assets
—
760
—
760
Total assets categorized within the fair value hierarchy
$
545,607
$
2,384,065
$
11,157
2,940,829
Assets carried at NAV, which approximates fair value and which are not categorized within the fair value hierarchy, reported as a part of:
Equity investments
22,477
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries
270,524
Total assets at fair value
$
3,233,830
The fair values for securities included in the Level 2 category, with the few exceptions described below, were developed by one of several third party, nationally recognized pricing services, including services that price only certain types of securities. Each service uses complex methodologies to determine values for securities and subject the values they develop to quality control reviews. Management selected a primary source for each type of security in the portfolio and reviewed the values provided for reasonableness by comparing data to alternate pricing services and to available market and trade data. Values that appeared inconsistent were further reviewed for appropriateness. Any value that did not appear reasonable was discussed with the service that provided the value and adjusted, if necessary. There were no material changes to the values supplied by the pricing services as of
September 30, 2020
and December 31,
2019
.
23
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Level 2 Valuations
Below is a summary description of the valuation methodologies primarily used by the pricing services for securities in the Level 2 category, by security type:
U.S. Treasury obligations
were valued based on quoted prices for identical assets, or, in markets that are not active, quotes for similar assets, taking into consideration adjustments for variations in contractual cash flows and yields to maturity.
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
were valued using pricing models that consider current and historical market data, normal trading conventions, credit ratings, and the particular structure and characteristics of the security being valued, such as yield to maturity, redemption options, and contractual cash flows. Adjustments to model inputs or model results were included in the valuation process when necessary to reflect recent regulatory, government or corporate actions or significant economic, industry or geographic events affecting the security’s fair value.
State and municipal bonds
were valued using a series of matrices that considered credit ratings, the structure of the security, the sector in which the security falls, yields, and contractual cash flows. Valuations were further adjusted, when necessary, to reflect the expected effect on fair value of recent significant economic or geographic events or ratings changes.
Corporate debt, multiple observable inputs
consisted primarily of corporate bonds, but also included a small number of bank loans. The methodology used to value Level 2 corporate bonds was the same as the methodology previously described for U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations. Bank loans were valued based on an average of broker quotes for the loans in question, if available. If quotes were not available, the loans were valued based on quoted prices for comparable loans or, if the loan was newly issued, by comparison to similar seasoned issues. Broker quotes were compared to actual trade prices to permit assessment of the reliability of the quotes; unreliable quotes were not considered in quoted averages.
Residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities
were valued using a pricing matrix which considers the issuer type, coupon rate and longest cash flows outstanding. The matrix used was based on the most recently available market information. Agency and non-agency collateralized mortgage obligations were both valued using models that consider the structure of the security, current and historical information regarding prepayment speeds, ratings and ratings updates, and current and historical interest rate and interest rate spread data.
Other asset-backed securities
were valued using models that consider the structure of the security, monthly payment information, current and historical information regarding prepayment speeds, ratings and ratings updates, and current and historical interest rate and interest rate spread data. Spreads and prepayment speeds consider collateral type.
Fixed maturities, trading
, are held by the Lloyd's Syndicates segment and include U.S. Treasury obligations, corporate debt with multiple observable inputs and residential mortgage-backed securities. These securities were valued using the respective valuation methodologies discussed above for each security type.
Short-term investments
were securities maturing within one year, carried at fair value which approximated the cost of the securities due to their short-term nature.
Other investments
consisted primarily of convertible bonds valued using a pricing model that incorporated selected dealer quotes as well as current market data regarding equity prices and risk free rates. If dealer quotes were unavailable for the security being valued, quotes for securities with similar terms and credit status were used in the pricing model. Dealer quotes selected for use were those considered most accurate based on parameters such as underwriter status and historical reliability.
Other assets
consisted of an interest rate cap derivative instrument, valued using a model which considers the volatilities from other instruments with similar maturities, strike prices, durations and forward yield curves. Under the terms of the interest rate cap agreement, ProAssurance paid a premium of
$
2
million
for the right to receive cash payments based upon a notional amount of
$
35
million
if and when the three-month
LIBOR
rises above
2.35
%
. The Company's variable-rate Mortgage Loans bear an interest rate of three-month
LIBOR
plus
1.325
%
. For additional information regarding the interest rate cap agreement, see Note
12
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
24
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Level 3 Valuations
Below is a summary description of the valuation methodologies used as well as quantitative information regarding securities in the Level 3 category, by security type:
Level 3 Valuation Methodologies
Corporate debt, limited observable inputs
consisted of corporate bonds valued using dealer quotes for similar securities or discounted cash flow models using yields currently available for similar securities. Similar securities are defined as securities of comparable credit quality that have like terms and payment features. Assessments of credit quality were based on
NRSRO
ratings, if available, or were determined by management if not available. At
September 30, 2020
,
100
%
of the securities were rated and the average rating was
BB
. At
December 31, 2019
,
66
%
of the securities were rated and the average rating was
BBB-
.
Residential mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities
consisted of securitizations of receivables valued using dealer quotes for similar securities or discounted cash flow models using yields currently available for similar securities. Similar securities are defined as securities of comparable credit quality that have like terms and payment features. Assessments of credit quality were based on
NRSRO
ratings, if available, or were subjectively determined by management if not available. At
September 30, 2020
,
88
%
of the securities were rated and the average rating was
AA+
. At
December 31, 2019
,
100
%
of the securities were rated and the average rating was
AA
.
Other investments
consisted of convertible securities for which limited observable inputs were available at
December 31, 2019
. The securities were valued internally based on expected cash flows, including the expected final recovery, discounted at a yield that considered the lack of liquidity and the financial status of the issuer.
Quantitative Information Regarding Level 3 Valuations
Fair Value at
($ in thousands)
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
Valuation Technique
Unobservable Input
Range
(Weighted Average)
Assets:
Corporate debt, limited observable inputs
$
3,995
$
5,079
Market Comparable
Securities
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Discounted Cash Flows
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Residential mortgage-backed securities
$
4,120
—
Market Comparable
Securities
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Discounted Cash Flows
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Other asset-backed securities
$
8,834
$
2,992
Market Comparable
Securities
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Discounted Cash Flows
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 5% (2.5%)
Other investments
$
—
$
3,086
Discounted Cash Flows
Comparability Adjustment
0% - 10% (5%)
The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the above listed securities were the valuations of comparable securities with similar issuers, credit quality and maturity. Changes in the availability of comparable securities could result in changes in the fair value measurements.
25
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Fair Value Measurements - Level 3 Assets
The following tables (the Level 3 Tables) present summary information regarding changes in the fair value of assets measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs.
September 30, 2020
Level 3 Fair Value Measurements – Assets
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Asset-backed Securities
Other Investments
Total
Balance June 30, 2020
$
3,117
$
5,978
$
1,568
$
10,663
Total gains (losses) realized and unrealized:
Included in earnings, as a part of:
Net realized investment gains (losses)
—
(
2
)
143
141
Included in other comprehensive income
(
6
)
(
58
)
—
(
64
)
Purchases
900
8,513
—
9,413
Sales
(
16
)
(
99
)
—
(
115
)
Transfers out
—
(
1,378
)
(
1,711
)
(
3,089
)
Balance September 30, 2020
$
3,995
$
12,954
$
—
$
16,949
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the above period for Level 3 assets held at period-end
$
—
$
—
$
143
$
143
September 30, 2020
Level 3 Fair Value Measurements – Assets
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Asset-backed Securities
Other Investments
Total
Balance December 31, 2019
$
5,079
$
2,992
$
3,086
$
11,157
Total gains (losses) realized and unrealized:
Included in earnings, as a part of:
Net investment income
—
(
10
)
—
(
10
)
Net realized investment gains (losses)
—
(
2
)
151
149
Included in other comprehensive income
38
23
—
61
Purchases
900
13,341
—
14,241
Sales
(
2,173
)
(
888
)
—
(
3,061
)
Transfers in
945
605
—
1,550
Transfers out
(
794
)
(
3,107
)
(
3,237
)
(
7,138
)
Balance September 30, 2020
$
3,995
$
12,954
$
—
$
16,949
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the above period for Level 3 assets held at period-end
$
—
$
—
$
151
$
151
26
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
September 30, 2019
Level 3 Fair Value Measurements – Assets
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Asset-backed Securities
Other Investments
Total
Balance June 30, 2019
$
2,304
$
4,163
$
624
$
7,091
Total gains (losses) realized and unrealized:
Included in earnings, as a part of:
Net investment income
—
(
23
)
—
(
23
)
Net realized investment gains (losses)
—
—
2
2
Included in other comprehensive income
74
14
—
88
Purchases
1,545
—
1,296
2,841
Sales
(
1,566
)
(
24
)
—
(
1,590
)
Transfers in
1,750
1,016
—
2,766
Transfers out
—
—
(
405
)
(
405
)
Balance September 30, 2019
$
4,107
$
5,146
$
1,517
$
10,770
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the above period for Level 3 assets held at period-end
$
—
$
—
$
2
$
2
September 30, 2019
Level 3 Fair Value Measurements – Assets
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Asset-backed Securities
Other Investments
Total
Balance December 31, 2018
$
4,322
$
3,850
$
3
$
8,175
Total gains (losses) realized and unrealized:
Included in earnings, as a part of:
Net investment income
2
(
163
)
—
(
161
)
Net realized investment gains (losses)
—
—
35
35
Included in other comprehensive income
85
224
—
309
Purchases
2,850
—
1,466
4,316
Sales
(
3,702
)
(
30
)
—
(
3,732
)
Transfers in
1,750
2,216
418
4,384
Transfers out
(
1,200
)
(
951
)
(
405
)
(
2,556
)
Balance September 30, 2019
$
4,107
$
5,146
$
1,517
$
10,770
Change in unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the above period for Level 3 assets held at period-end
$
—
$
—
$
35
$
35
27
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Transfers
Transfers shown in the preceding Level 3 tables were as of the end of the quarter in which the transfer occurred. All transfers were to or from Level 2.
All transfers in and out of Level 3 during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
related to securities held for which the level of market activity for identical or nearly identical securities varies from period to period. The securities were valued using multiple observable inputs when those inputs were available; otherwise the securities were valued using limited observable inputs.
Fair Values Not Categorized
At
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, certain
LP
s/
LLC
s and investment funds measure fund assets at fair value on a recurring basis and provide a
NAV
for ProAssurance's interest. The carrying value of these interests is based on the
NAV
provided and was considered to approximate the fair value of the interests. For investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries, ProAssurance recognizes any changes in the NAV of its interests in equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries during the period of change. In accordance with
GAAP
, the fair value of these investments was not classified within the fair value hierarchy.
The amount of ProAssurance's unfunded commitments related to these investments as of
September 30, 2020
and fair values of these investments as of
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
were as follows:
Unfunded
Commitments
Fair Value
(In thousands)
September 30,
2020
September 30,
2020
December 31,
2019
Equity investments:
Mortgage fund
(1)
None
$
24,147
$
22,477
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries:
Private debt funds
(2)
$
11,961
18,054
19,011
Long equity fund
(3)
None
—
5,293
Long/short equity funds
(4)
None
608
30,542
Non-public equity funds
(5)
$
46,956
133,777
120,343
Multi-strategy fund of funds
(6)
None
2,092
1,951
Credit funds
(7)
$
1,962
39,638
42,415
Long/short commodities fund
(8)
None
—
14,519
Strategy focused funds
(9)
$
41,441
38,973
36,450
233,142
270,524
Total investments carried at NAV
$
257,289
$
293,001
Below is additional information regarding each of the investments listed in the table above as of
September 30, 2020
.
(1)
This investment fund is focused on the structured mortgage market. The fund will primarily invest in U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Redemptions are allowed at the end of any calendar quarter with a prior notice requirement of
65
days
and are paid within
45
days
at the end of the redemption dealing day.
(2)
This investment is comprised of interests in
two
unrelated
LP
funds that are structured to provide interest distributions primarily through diversified portfolios of private debt instruments.
One
LP
allows redemption by special consent, while the other does not permit redemption. Income and capital are to be periodically distributed at the discretion of the
LP
s over an anticipated time frame that spans from
three
to
eight years
.
(3)
This fund is a
LP
that holds long equities of public international companies and was fully redeemed during the second quarter of 2020.
(4)
This investment holds primarily long and short North American equities and target absolute returns using strategies designed to take advantage of market opportunities. Redemptions are permitted; however, redemptions above specified thresholds (lowest threshold is
90
%
) may be only partially payable until after a fund audit is completed and are then payable within
30
days
.
28
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
(5)
This investment is comprised of interests in multiple unrelated
LP
funds, each structured to provide capital appreciation through diversified investments in private equity, which can include investments in buyout, venture capital, debt including senior, second lien and mezzanine, distressed debt, collateralized loan obligations and other private equity-oriented
LP
s. Two of the
LP
s allow redemption by terms set forth in the
LP
agreements; the others do not permit redemption. Income and capital are to be periodically distributed at the discretion of the
LP
over time frames that are anticipated to span up to
ten years
.
(6)
This fund is a
LLC
structured to build and manage low volatility, multi-manager portfolios that have little or no correlation to the broader fixed income and equity security markets. Redemptions are not permitted but offers to repurchase units of the
LLC
may be extended periodically.
(7)
This investment is comprised of
four
unrelated
LP
funds. Two funds seek to obtain superior risk-adjusted absolute returns through a diversified portfolio of debt securities, including bonds, loans and other asset-backed instruments. A third fund focuses on private middle market company mezzanine loans, while the remaining fund seeks event driven opportunities across the corporate credit spectrum. Two funds are allowed redemptions at any quarter-end with a prior notice requirement of
90
days
; one fund permits redemption at any quarter-end with a prior notice requirement of
180
days
and one fund does not allow redemptions. For the fund that does not allow redemptions, income and capital are to be periodically distributed at the discretion of the LP over time frames that are anticipated to span up to
twelve years
.
(8)
This fund is a
LLC
invested across a broad range of commodities and focuses primarily on market neutral, relative value strategies, seeking to generate absolute returns with low correlation to broad commodity, equity and fixed income markets. This fund was fully redeemed during the second quarter of 2020.
(9)
This investment is comprised of multiple unrelated
LP
s/
LLC
s funds. One fund is a
LLC
focused on investing in North American consumer products companies, comprised of equity and equity-related securities, as well as debt instruments. A second fund is focused on aircraft investments, along with components and assets related to aircrafts. For both funds, redemptions are not permitted. Another fund is a
LP
focused on North American energy infrastructure assets that allows redemption with consent of the General Partner. The remaining funds are real estate focused
LP
s, one of which allows for redemption with prior notice.
ProAssurance may not sell, transfer or assign its interest in any of the above
LP
s/
LLC
s without special consent from the
LP
s/
LLC
s.
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurement
During the three months ended
September 30, 2020
, ProAssurance recognized a nonrecurring fair value measurement related to the goodwill in its Specialty P&C reporting unit with a carrying value of
$
161.1
million
prior to the fair value measurement. This nonrecurring fair value measurement resulted in the goodwill being written down to its implied fair value of zero resulting in an impairment of the goodwill of
$
161.1
million
. The inputs used in the fair value measurement were non-observable and, as such, were categorized as a Level 3 valuation. ProAssurance did
no
t have any other assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at
September 30, 2020
or
December 31, 2019
.
29
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Financial Instruments - Methodologies Other Than Fair Value
The following table provides the estimated fair value of the Company's financial instruments that, in accordance with
GAAP
for the type of investment, are measured using a methodology other than fair value. Fair values provided primarily fall within the Level 3 fair value category.
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
(In thousands)
Carrying
Value
Fair
Value
Carrying
Value
Fair
Value
Financial assets:
BOLI
$
67,393
$
67,393
$
66,112
$
66,112
Other investments
$
2,936
$
2,936
$
2,931
$
2,931
Other assets
$
27,697
$
27,710
$
28,645
$
28,650
Financial liabilities:
Senior notes due 2023*
$
250,000
$
266,585
$
250,000
$
273,865
Mortgage Loans*
$
36,489
$
36,489
$
37,617
$
37,617
Other liabilities
$
27,077
$
27,077
$
27,953
$
27,953
* Carrying value excludes unamortized debt issuance costs.
The fair value of the
BOLI
was equal to the cash surrender value associated with the policies on the valuation date.
Other investments listed in the table above include
FHLB
common stock carried at cost and an annuity investment carried at amortized cost. Two of ProAssurance's insurance subsidiaries are members of an
FHLB
. The estimated fair value of the
FHLB
common stock was based on the amount the subsidiaries would receive if their memberships were canceled, as the memberships cannot be sold. The fair value of the annuity represents the present value of the expected future cash flows discounted using a rate available in active markets for similarly structured instruments.
Other assets and other liabilities primarily consisted of related investment assets and liabilities associated with funded deferred compensation agreements. The fair value of the funded deferred compensation assets was based upon quoted market prices, which is categorized as a Level 1 valuation, and had a fair value of
$
27.2
million
and
$
26.9
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, respectively. The deferred compensation liabilities are adjusted to match the fair value of the deferred compensation assets. Other assets also included an unsecured note receivable under a separate line of credit agreement. The fair value of the note receivable was based on the present value of expected cash flows from the note receivable, discounted at market rates on the valuation date for receivables with similar credit standings and similar payment structures.
The fair value of the debt was estimated based on the present value of expected future cash outflows, discounted at rates available on the valuation date for similar debt issued by entities with a similar credit standing to ProAssurance.
30
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
3
.
Investments
Available-for-sale fixed maturities at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
included the following:
September 30, 2020
(In thousands)
Amortized
Cost
Allowance for Expected Credit Losses
Gross Unrealized Gains
Gross Unrealized Losses
Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
113,155
$
—
$
4,215
$
6
$
117,364
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
10,888
—
168
1
11,055
State and municipal bonds
301,542
—
17,664
114
319,092
Corporate debt
1,255,139
552
58,359
5,765
1,307,181
Residential mortgage-backed securities
240,239
—
7,518
439
247,318
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
13,461
—
711
1
14,171
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
96,414
—
4,055
1,393
99,076
Other asset-backed securities
268,075
—
4,048
1,295
270,828
$
2,298,913
$
552
$
96,738
$
9,014
$
2,386,085
December 31, 2019
(In thousands)
Amortized
Cost
Gross Unrealized Gains
Gross Unrealized Losses
Estimated Fair Value
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
109,060
$
1,533
$
126
$
110,467
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
17,215
125
—
17,340
State and municipal bonds
287,658
9,110
675
296,093
Corporate debt
1,308,889
33,050
1,575
1,340,364
Residential mortgage-backed securities
205,588
3,139
319
208,408
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
8,054
182
15
8,221
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
70,621
1,468
221
71,868
Other asset-backed securities
234,219
1,958
153
236,024
$
2,241,304
$
50,565
$
3,084
$
2,288,785
31
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
The recorded cost basis and estimated fair value of available-for-sale fixed maturities at
September 30, 2020
, by contractual maturity, are shown below. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.
(In thousands)
Amortized
Cost
Due in one
year or less
Due after
one year
through
five years
Due after
five years
through
ten years
Due after
ten years
Total Fair
Value
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
113,155
$
27,797
$
73,917
$
15,650
$
—
$
117,364
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
10,888
—
7,895
3,004
156
11,055
State and municipal bonds
301,542
21,703
120,512
147,827
29,050
319,092
Corporate debt
1,255,139
135,080
715,768
408,824
47,509
1,307,181
Residential mortgage-backed securities
240,239
247,318
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
13,461
14,171
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
96,414
99,076
Other asset-backed securities
268,075
270,828
$
2,298,913
$
2,386,085
Excluding obligations of the U.S. Government, U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises and a U.S. Government obligations money market fund,
no
investment in any entity or its affiliates exceeded
10%
of shareholders’ equity at
September 30, 2020
.
Cash and securities with a carrying value of
$
42.6
million
at
September 30, 2020
were on deposit with various state insurance departments to meet regulatory requirements.
As a member of
Lloyd's
, ProAssurance is required to maintain capital at
Lloyd's
, referred to as
FAL
, to support underwriting by
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
. At
September 30, 2020
, ProAssurance's FAL investments were comprised of available-for-sale fixed maturities with a fair value of
$
98.3
million
and cash and cash equivalents of
$
7.5
million
on deposit with
Lloyd's
in order to satisfy these
FAL
requirements. During the third quarter of 2020, ProAssurance received a return of approximately
$
32.3
million
of cash and cash equivalents from its FAL balances given the Company's reduced participation in the results of Syndicate 1729 for the 2020 underwriting year to
29
%
from
61
%
.
32
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Investments Held in a Loss Position
The following tables provide summarized information with respect to investments held in an unrealized loss position at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, including the length of time the investment had been held in a continuous unrealized loss position.
September 30, 2020
Total
Less than 12 months
12 months or longer
Fair
Unrealized
Fair
Unrealized
Fair
Unrealized
(In thousands)
Value
Loss
Value
Loss
Value
Loss
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
11,069
$
6
$
11,069
$
6
$
—
$
—
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
1,420
1
1,420
1
—
—
State and municipal bonds
13,021
114
13,021
114
—
—
Corporate debt
171,059
5,765
152,089
4,737
18,970
1,028
Residential mortgage-backed securities
28,926
439
28,475
435
451
4
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
834
1
834
1
—
—
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
23,189
1,393
22,825
1,386
364
7
Other asset-backed securities
80,142
1,295
74,277
1,231
5,865
64
$
329,660
$
9,014
$
304,010
$
7,911
$
25,650
$
1,103
December 31, 2019
Total
Less than 12 months
12 months or longer
Fair
Unrealized
Fair
Unrealized
Fair
Unrealized
(In thousands)
Value
Loss
Value
Loss
Value
Loss
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
25,959
$
126
$
15,305
$
103
$
10,654
$
23
State and municipal bonds
36,565
675
35,621
674
944
1
Corporate debt
128,254
1,575
88,582
932
39,672
643
Residential mortgage-backed securities
59,291
319
28,048
63
31,243
256
Agency commercial mortgage-backed securities
459
15
158
—
301
15
Other commercial mortgage-backed securities
18,339
221
16,924
206
1,415
15
Other asset-backed securities
48,912
153
37,322
145
11,590
8
$
317,779
$
3,084
$
221,960
$
2,123
$
95,819
$
961
As of
September 30, 2020
, excluding U.S. Government or U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations, there were
490
debt securities (
19.2
%
of all available-for-sale fixed maturity securities held) in an unrealized loss position representing
358
issuers. The greatest and second greatest unrealized loss positions among those securities were approximately
$
0.7
million
and
$
0.5
million
, respectively. The securities were evaluated for impairment as of
September 30, 2020
.
As of
December 31, 2019
, excluding U.S. Government or U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations, there were
263
debt securities (
12.1
%
of all available-for-sale fixed maturity securities held) in an unrealized loss position representing
204
issuers. The greatest and second greatest unrealized loss positions among those securities were approximately
$
0.2
million
and
$
0.1
million
, respectively. The securities were evaluated for impairment as of
December 31, 2019
.
33
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Each quarter, ProAssurance performs a detailed analysis for the purpose of assessing whether any of the securities it holds in an unrealized loss position has suffered an impairment due to credit or non-credit factors. A detailed discussion of the factors considered in the assessment is included in Note
1
.
Fixed maturity securities held in an unrealized loss position at
September 30, 2020
, excluding asset-backed securities, have paid all scheduled contractual payments and are expected to continue doing so. Expected future cash flows of asset-backed securities, excluding those issued by
GNMA
,
FNMA
and
FHLMC
, held in an unrealized loss position were estimated as part of the
September 30, 2020
impairment evaluation using the most recently available six-month historical performance data for the collateral (loans) underlying the security or, if historical data was not available, sector based assumptions, and equaled or exceeded the current amortized cost basis of the security.
The following tables present a roll forward of the allowance for expected credit losses on available-for-sale fixed maturities for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Total
Balance July 1, 2020
$
1,408
$
1,408
Reductions related to:
Securities sold during the period
(
856
)
(
856
)
Balance September 30, 2020
$
552
$
552
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
(In thousands)
Corporate Debt
Total
Balance December 31, 2019
$
—
$
—
Additional credit losses related to securities for which:
No allowance for credit losses has been previously recognized
1,508
1,508
Reductions related to:
Securities sold during the period
(
956
)
(
956
)
Balance September 30, 2020
$
552
$
552
Other information regarding sales and purchases of fixed maturity available-for-sale securities is as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In millions)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Proceeds from sales (exclusive of maturities and paydowns)
$
86.9
$
21.9
$
304.6
$
115.2
Purchases
$
317.5
$
202.3
$
689.4
$
553.2
Equity Investments
ProAssurance's equity investments are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in income as a component of net realized investment gains (losses) during the period of change. Equity investments on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
primarily included stocks, bond funds and investment funds.
Short-term Investments
ProAssurance's short-term investments, which have a maturity at purchase of one year or less, are primarily comprised of investments in U.S. treasury obligations, commercial paper and money market funds. Short-term investments are carried at fair value which approximates the cost of the securities due to their short-term nature.
BOLI
ProAssurance holds
BOLI
policies that are carried at the current cash surrender value of the policies (original cost
$
33
million
). All insured individuals were members of ProAssurance management at the time the policies were acquired. The primary purpose of the program is to offset future employee benefit expenses through earnings on the cash value of the policies. ProAssurance is the owner and beneficiary of these policies.
34
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Net Investment Income
Net investment income by investment category was as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Fixed maturities
$
16,902
$
18,362
$
52,863
$
54,154
Equities
706
3,942
3,598
13,755
Short-term investments, including Other
405
2,012
2,386
5,466
BOLI
655
645
1,568
1,557
Investment fees and expenses
(
1,744
)
(
1,280
)
(
4,538
)
(
4,894
)
Net investment income
$
16,924
$
23,681
$
55,877
$
70,038
Investment in Unconsolidated Subsidiaries
ProAssurance's investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries were as follows:
September 30, 2020
Carrying Value
(In thousands)
Percentage
Ownership
September 30,
2020
December 31,
2019
Qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships
See below
$
32,263
$
46,421
Other tax credit partnerships
See below
—
2,085
All other investments, primarily investment fund LPs/LLCs
See below
280,585
310,314
$
312,848
$
358,820
Qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnership interests held by ProAssurance generate investment returns by providing tax benefits to fund investors in the form of tax credits and project operating losses. The carrying value of these investments reflects ProAssurance's total commitments (both funded and unfunded) to the partnerships, less any amortization. ProAssurance's ownership percentage relative to
two
of the tax credit partnership interests is almost
100
%
; these interests had a carrying value of
$
11.4
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
17.2
million
at
December 31, 2019
. ProAssurance's ownership percentage relative to the remaining tax credit partnership interests is less than
20
%
; these interests had a carrying value of
$
20.9
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
29.2
million
at
December 31, 2019
. Since ProAssurance has the ability to exert influence over the partnerships but does not control them, all are accounted for using the equity method. See further discussion of the entities in which ProAssurance holds passive interests in Note
11
.
ProAssurance's other tax credit partnership is an investment in a historic tax credit partnership that generates investment returns by providing benefits to fund investors in the form of tax credits, tax deductible project operating losses and positive cash flows. The carrying value of this investment reflects ProAssurance's total funded commitment less any amortization. During the second quarter of 2020, this investment was fully amortized up to the total current funded commitment. However, during the third quarter of 2020, ProAssurance received a distribution associated with this investment and, as such, amortization of this distribution resulted in ProAssurance recognizing a project operating gain during the current period. ProAssurance's ownership percentage relative to the historic tax credit partnership is almost
100
%
. Since ProAssurance has the ability to exert influence over the partnership but does not control it, it is accounted for using the equity method. See further discussion of the entities in which ProAssurance holds passive interests in Note
11
.
ProAssurance holds interests in investment fund
LP
s/
LLC
s and other equity method investments and
LP
s/
LLC
s which are not considered to be investment funds. ProAssurance's ownership percentage relative to
four
of the
LP
s/
LLC
s is greater than 25%, which is expected to be reduced as the funds mature and other investors participate in the funds; these investments had a carrying value of
$
48.2
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
41.0
million
at
December 31, 2019
. ProAssurance's ownership percentage relative to the remaining investments and
LP
s/
LLC
s is less than 25%; these interests had a carrying value of
$
232.4
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
269.3
million
at
December 31, 2019
. ProAssurance does not have the ability to exert control over any of these funds.
35
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Equity in Earnings (Loss) of Unconsolidated Subsidiaries
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries included losses from qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships and a historic tax credit partnership. Investment results recorded reflect ProAssurance's allocable portion of partnership operating results. Tax credits reduce income tax expense in the period they are recognized.
The results recorded and tax credits recognized related to ProAssurance's tax credit partnership investments were as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships
Losses recorded
$
4,798
$
5,077
$
14,152
$
14,674
Tax credits recognized
$
4,369
$
4,531
$
13,106
$
13,594
Historic tax credit partnership
Losses (gains) recorded
$
(
264
)
$
695
$
1,820
$
1,187
Tax credits recognized
$
103
$
103
$
309
$
309
Due to the consolidated loss before income taxes recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, the tax credits generated in 2020 from tax credit partnership investments of
$
4.5
million
and
$
13.4
million
, respectively, were deferred and are expected to be utilized in future periods.
Net Realized Investment Gains (Losses)
Realized investment gains and losses are recognized on the first-in, first-out basis. The following table provides detailed information regarding net realized investment gains (losses):
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Total impairment losses:
Corporate debt
$
—
$
(
66
)
$
(
1,745
)
$
(
202
)
Portion of impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income before taxes:
Corporate debt
—
36
237
124
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings
—
(
30
)
(
1,508
)
(
78
)
Gross realized gains, available-for-sale fixed maturities
3,996
654
10,941
2,028
Gross realized (losses), available-for-sale fixed maturities
(
396
)
(
124
)
(
2,266
)
(
493
)
Net realized gains (losses), trading fixed maturities
116
8
268
(
18
)
Net realized gains (losses), equity investments
31
2,451
10,589
13,459
Net realized gains (losses), other investments
530
397
2,442
974
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), trading fixed maturities
373
278
637
753
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), equity investments
2,766
(
2,157
)
(
21,012
)
27,775
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), convertible securities, carried at fair value
1,170
(
408
)
(
190
)
2,597
Other
252
65
249
67
Net realized investment gains (losses)
$
8,838
$
1,134
$
150
$
47,064
ProAssurance did not recognize any credit-related impairment losses in earnings or non-credit impairment losses in OCI for the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
. For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, ProAssurance recognized credit-related impairment losses in earnings of approximately
$
1.5
million
and a nominal amount of non-credit impairment losses in OCI. The credit-related impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors. Additionally, the
2020
nine-month period
included credit-related impairment losses related to four corporate bonds in various sectors, which were sold during
2020
. The non-credit impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to three corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors. For the
three and nine months
36
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
ended
September 30, 2019
, ProAssurance recognized a nominal amount of both credit-related impairment losses in earnings and non-credit impairment losses in OCI, both of which related to a corporate bond.
ProAssurance recognized
$
8.8
million
and
$
0.2
million
of net realized investment gains during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively. Net realized investment gains during the
2020
three-month period
were driven by gains in the Company's available-for-sale fixed maturities due to the sale of corporate bonds and, to a lesser extent, unrealized holding gains resulting from an increase in fair value on the Company's equity portfolio and convertible securities. Net realized investment gains for the
2020
nine-month period
were driven by realized gains on the sale of available-for-sale fixed maturities and equity investments and, to a lesser extent, unrealized holding gains on trading securities, which were almost entirely offset by unrealized holding losses resulting from decreases in the fair value on the Company's equity portfolio due to the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19. ProAssurance recognized
$
1.1
million
and
$
47.1
million
of net realized investment gains during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
, respectively. Net realized investment gains for the
three months ended
September 30, 2019
were driven by realized gains from the sale of equity investments, partially offset by unrealized holding losses on the Company's equity portfolio during the period. For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
, net realized investment gains were driven by unrealized holding gains on the Company's equity portfolio and realized gains from the sale of equity investments during the period. The primary driver of the unrealized holding gains during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
was the improvement in the market since December 31, 2018, which caused the Company's equity securities to increase in value. The most significant sectors that benefited were the financial and energy sectors.
The following table presents a roll forward of cumulative credit losses recorded in earnings related to impaired debt securities for which a portion of the impairment was recorded in
OCI
.
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Balance beginning of period
$
1,322
$
142
$
470
$
93
Additional credit losses recognized during the period, related to securities for which:
No impairment has been previously recognized
—
—
1,064
49
Impairment has been previously recognized
—
30
258
30
Reductions due to:
Securities sold during the period (realized)
(
770
)
—
(
1,240
)
—
Balance September 30
$
552
$
172
$
552
$
172
4
.
Income Taxes
For interim periods, ProAssurance generally utilizes the estimated annual effective tax rate method under which the Company determines its provision (benefit) for income taxes based on the current estimate of its annual effective tax rate. Under the estimated annual effective tax rate method, items which are unusual, infrequent, or that cannot be reliably estimated are considered in the effective tax rate in the period in which the item is included in income, and are referred to as discrete items. In calculating the Company's year-to-date income tax expense (benefit), the Company includes the estimated benefit of tax credits for the year-to-date period based on the most recently available information provided by the tax credit partnerships; the actual amounts of credits provided by the tax credit partnerships may prove to be different than the Company's estimates. The effect of such a difference is recognized in the period identified. Furthermore the Company's pre-tax loss included a
$
161.1
million
goodwill impairment recognized in relation to the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the third quarter of 2020 which was treated as a discrete item as the Company considered it to be an unusual and infrequent item. Of the
$
161.1
million
goodwill impairment,
$
149.6
million
was non-deductible for which no tax benefit was recognized while the remaining
$
11.5
million
was deductible for which a 21% tax benefit was recognized. See further discussion on this goodwill impairment in Notes
1
and
5
.
ProAssurance had a receivable for federal and
U.K.
income taxes carried as a part of other assets of
$
25.6
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
8.0
million
at
December 31, 2019
. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits, which is included in the total receivable for federal and
U.K.
income taxes, was
$
11.2
million
and
$
5.7
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, respectively, which included an accrued liability for interest of approximately
$
0.8
million
and
$
0.6
million
, respectively.
37
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
ProAssurance recognized a nominal amount of tax expense related to the
GILTI
provision of the
TCJA
during each of the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, ProAssurance did not recognize any incremental tax expense related to the
BEAT
provision of the
TCJA
. For additional information regarding ProAssurance's accounting for certain provisions of the
TCJA
, see Note
6
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
In response to COVID-19, the
CARES Act
was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and contains several provisions for corporations and eases certain deduction limitations originally imposed by the
TCJA
. The
CARES Act
, among other things, includes temporary changes regarding the prior and future utilization of
NOL
s, temporary changes to the prior and future limitations on interest deductions, temporary suspension of certain payment requirements for the employer portion of Social Security taxes and the creation of certain refundable employee retention credits. ProAssurance has an
NOL
of approximately
$
26.1
million
from the 2019 tax year that will be carried back to the 2014 tax year and is expected to generate a tax refund of approximately
$
9.1
million
. ProAssurance has evaluated the other provisions of the
CARES Act
and has concluded that they will not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.
5
.
Goodwill
Goodwill is recognized in conjunction with business acquisitions as the excess of the purchase consideration for the business acquisition over the fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities, and thus goodwill, is subject to redetermination within a measurement period of up to one year following completion of a business acquisition.
Goodwill is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. The date of the Company's annual goodwill impairment test is October 1. Impairment of goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level, which is consistent with the Company's reportable segments identified in Note
13
. Of the Company's
five
reporting units,
three
have goodwill -
Specialty P&C
, Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance.
As discussed in Note
1
, during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
the Company recorded a pre-tax impairment charge of
$
161.1
million
to fully impair the goodwill in the Specialty P&C reporting unit.
There were no changes in the carrying amount of goodwill or accumulated impairment losses for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
.
The table below presents the carrying amount of goodwill and accumulated impairment losses by reporting unit at
September 30, 2020
:
Reporting Unit
(In thousands)
Specialty P&C
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Total
Goodwill, gross as of January 1, 2020
$
161,115
$
44,110
$
5,500
$
210,725
Accumulated impairment losses*
(
161,115
)
—
—
(
161,115
)
Goodwill, net as of September 30, 2020
$
—
$
44,110
$
5,500
$
49,610
*Accumulated impairment losses represents the pre-tax impairment loss of
$
161.1
million
recognized in relation to the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. There were no other impairment losses taken prior to 2020.
38
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
6
.
Reserve for Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The reserve for losses is established based on estimates of individual claims and actuarially determined estimates of future losses based on ProAssurance’s past loss experience, available industry data and projections as to future claims frequency, severity, inflationary trends and settlement patterns. Estimating the reserve, particularly the reserve appropriate for liability exposures, is a complex process. For a high proportion of the risks insured or reinsured by ProAssurance, claims may be resolved over an extended period of time, often
five years
or more, and may be subject to litigation. Estimating losses requires ProAssurance to make and revise judgments and assessments regarding multiple uncertainties over an extended period of time. As a result, the reserve estimate may vary considerably from the eventual outcome. The assumptions used in establishing ProAssurance’s reserve are regularly reviewed and updated by management as new data becomes available. Changes to estimates of previously established reserves are included in earnings in the period in which the estimate is changed.
ProAssurance believes that the methods it uses to establish reserves are reasonable and appropriate. Each year, ProAssurance uses internal actuaries to review the reserve for losses of each insurance subsidiary. ProAssurance also engages consulting actuaries to review ProAssurance claims data and provide observations regarding cost trends, rate adequacy and ultimate loss costs. The statutory filings of each insurance company with the insurance regulators must be accompanied by a consulting actuary's certification as to their respective reserves. ProAssurance considers the views of the actuaries as well as other factors, such as premium rates, claims frequency and severity, historical paid and incurred loss development trends, the expected effect of inflation, general economic and social trends and the legal and political environment in establishing the amount of its reserve for losses. As of
September 30, 2020
, the Company expects there will be impacts to these factors as well as to the timing of loss emergence and ultimate loss ratios for certain coverages it underwrites as a result of COVID-19 and the related economic shutdown; however, the extent to which COVID-19 impacts these factors is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. The industry is experiencing new conditions, including the postponement of court cases, changes in settlement trends and a significant reduction in economic activity and insured exposure in some classes. ProAssurance's booked reserves as of
September 30, 2020
include consideration of these factors, but the duration and degree to which these issues persist, along with potential legislative, regulatory or judicial actions, could result in significant changes to the Company's reserve estimates in future periods.
ProAssurance partitions its reserve by accident year, which is the year in which the claim becomes its liability. For claims-made policies, the insured event generally becomes a liability when the event is first reported to the Company. For occurrence policies, the insured event becomes a liability when the event takes place. For retroactive coverages, the insured event becomes a liability at inception of the underlying contract. As claims are incurred (reported) and claim payments are made, they are aggregated by accident year for analysis purposes. ProAssurance also partitions its reserve by reserve type: case reserves and
IBNR
reserves. Case reserves are established by the claims department based upon the particular circumstances of each reported claim and represent ProAssurance’s estimate of the future loss costs (often referred to as expected losses) that will be paid on reported claims. Case reserves are decremented as claim payments are made and are periodically adjusted upward or downward as estimates regarding the amount of future losses are revised; a reported loss for an individual claim equates to the case reserve at any point in time plus the claim payments that have been made to date. IBNR reserves represent an estimate, in the aggregate, of future development on losses that have been reported to ProAssurance plus an estimate of losses that have been incurred but not reported.
Development of Prior Accident Years
In addition to setting the initial reserve for the current accident year, each period ProAssurance reassesses the amount of reserve required for prior accident years. The foundation of ProAssurance’s reserve re-estimation process is an actuarial analysis that is performed by both the internal and consulting actuaries. This detailed analysis projects ultimate losses based on partitions which include line of business, geography, coverage layer and accident year. The procedure uses the most representative data for each partition, capturing its unique patterns of development and trends. In all, there are over
200
different partitions of ProAssurance's business for purposes of this analysis. ProAssurance believes that the use of consulting actuaries provides an independent view of the loss data as well as a broader perspective on industry loss trends.
39
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Activity in the reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses is summarized as follows:
(In thousands)
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Year Ended December 31, 2019
Balance, beginning of year
$
2,346,526
$
2,119,847
$
2,119,847
Less reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
390,708
343,820
343,820
Net balance, beginning of year
1,955,818
1,776,027
1,776,027
Net losses:
Current year
(1)(2)(3)
555,969
532,020
765,698
Favorable development of reserves established in prior years, net
(
34,557
)
(
42,212
)
(
11,783
)
Total
521,412
489,808
753,915
Paid related to:
Current year
(
60,449
)
(
69,419
)
(
115,133
)
Prior years
(
400,930
)
(
338,452
)
(
458,991
)
Total paid
(
461,379
)
(
407,871
)
(
574,124
)
Net balance, end of period
2,015,851
1,857,964
1,955,818
Plus reinsurance recoverables on unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses
391,637
357,811
390,708
Balance, end of period
$
2,407,488
$
2,215,775
$
2,346,526
(1)
Current year net losses for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
included incurred losses of
$
2.1
million
related to a loss portfolio transfer entered into during 2019 in the
Specialty P&C
segment. For additional information regarding the loss portfolio transfer, see Note
4
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
Form 10-K.
(2)
Current year net losses for the year ended December 31, 2019 included a
PDR
of
$
9.2
million
associated with the unearned premium of a large national healthcare account's claims-made policy in the
Specialty P&C
segment. Current year net losses for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
included the amortization of the aforementioned
$
9.2
million
PDR
which offsets the impact of the losses incurred associated with the premium earned related to the large national healthcare account's claims-made policy. For additional information regarding the
PDR
, see Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
Form 10-K.
(3)
During the second quarter of 2020, the aforementioned large national healthcare account did not renew on terms offered by the Company and exercised its contractual option to purchase extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage. As a result, ProAssurance recognized total current year losses of
$
60.0
million
(assumes a full limit loss) within the Specialty P&C segment for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
.
The net favorable loss development recognized in the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected a lower than anticipated claims severity trend (i.e., the average size of a claim) in the Specialty P&C segment, primarily related to the
2014 through 2018
accident years. The net favorable development also reflected overall favorable trends in claim closing patterns in the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments. The net favorable loss development recognized in the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment primarily related to the
2016 through 2018
accident years and the net favorable loss development recognized in the Workers' Compensation Insurance segment primarily related to the
2013 through 2016
accident years and accident years prior to 2010.
The net favorable loss development recognized in the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
primarily reflected a lower than anticipated claims severity trend in the
Specialty P&C
segment for accident years
2012 through 2015
.
The net favorable loss development recognized in the twelve months ended
December 31, 2019
primarily reflected overall favorable trends in claim closing patterns in the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segments, largely offset by net unfavorable loss development recognized in the
Specialty P&C
segment. The net favorable loss development recognized in the Workers' Compensation Insurance segment primarily related to the 2015 and 2016 accident years and the net favorable loss development recognized in the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment primarily related to the 2015 through 2018 accident years. The net unfavorable loss development recognized in the
Specialty P&C
segment primarily related to accident years
2016 through 2018
.
40
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
For additional information regarding ProAssurance's reserve for losses, see Note
1
and Note
8
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
7
.
Commitments and Contingencies
ProAssurance is involved in various legal actions related to insurance policies and claims handling including, but not limited to, claims asserted by policyholders. These types of legal actions arise in the Company's ordinary course of business and, in accordance with
GAAP
for insurance entities, are considered as a part of the Company's loss reserving process, which is described in detail under the heading "Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses" in the Accounting Policies section in Note
1
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
Form 10-K. ProAssurance also has other direct actions against the Company unrelated to its claims activity which are evaluated and accounted for as a part of other liabilities. For these corporate legal actions, the Company evaluates each case separately and establishes what it believes is an appropriate reserve based on
GAAP
guidance related to contingent liabilities. As of
September 30, 2020
there were no material reserves established for corporate legal actions.
As a member of Lloyd's, ProAssurance has obligations to
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
including a
Syndicate Credit Agreement
and
FAL
requirements. The
Syndicate Credit Agreement
is an unconditional revolving credit agreement to the Premium Trust Fund of
Syndicate 1729
for the purpose of providing working capital with maximum permitted borrowings of
£
30.0
million
(approximately
$
38.8
million
as of
September 30, 2020
). The Syndicate Credit Agreement has a maturity date of
December 31, 2021
and contains an annual auto-renewal feature which allows for ProAssurance to elect to non-renew if notice is given at least
30
days
prior to the next auto-renewal date, which is
one
year prior to the maturity date. Under the
Syndicate Credit Agreement
, advances bear interest at
3.8
%
annually and may be repaid at any time but are repayable upon demand after
December 31, 2021
, subject to extension through the auto-renewal feature. As of
September 30, 2020
, there were no outstanding borrowings under the
Syndicate Credit Agreement
. ProAssurance provides
FAL
to support underwriting by
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
and is comprised of investment securities and cash and cash equivalents deposited with Lloyd's with a total fair value of approximately
$
105.8
million
at
September 30, 2020
(see Note
3
). During the third quarter of 2020, ProAssurance received a return of approximately
$
32.3
million
of cash and cash equivalents from its FAL balances given the Company's reduced participation in the results of Syndicate 1729 for the 2020 underwriting year to
29
%
from
61
%
.
ProAssurance has entered into financial instrument transactions that may present off-balance sheet credit risk or market risk. These transactions include a short-term loan commitment and commitments to provide funding to non-public investment entities. Under the short-term loan commitment, ProAssurance has agreed to advance funds on a 30 day basis to a counterparty provided there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. As of
September 30, 2020
, ProAssurance had total funding commitments related to non-public investment entities as well as the short-term loan commitment of approximately
$
203.8
million
which included the amount at risk if the full short-term loan is extended and the counterparties default. However, the credit risk associated with the short-term loan commitment is minimal as the counterparties to the contract are highly rated commercial institutions and to-date have been performing in accordance with their contractual obligations. ProAssurance’s expected credit losses associated with this short-term loan commitment were nominal in amount as of
September 30, 2020
.
In October 2018, ProAssurance entered into an agreement with a company for a minimum commitment of
two years
to provide data analytics services for certain product lines within the Company's HCPL book of business. In October 2020, ProAssurance executed an amendment to this agreement which extended the commitment an additional
one year
for an annual fee of approximately
$
2.4
million
and additional variable quarterly incentive fees based on service utilization metrics prescribed in the contract. In addition, the amended agreement includes an optional three-month extension feature if notice is given at least
30
days
prior to the end of the contract. ProAssurance incurred operating expenses associated with this agreement of
$
1.2
million
and
$
3.6
million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, and
$
1.4
million
and
$
3.7
million
for the same respective periods of
2019
. As of
September 30, 2020
, the remaining commitment under this agreement was estimated to be approximately
$
2.5
million
, which includes estimated variable quarterly incentive fees.
ProAssurance has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
NORCAL
, an underwriter of medical professional liability insurance, subject to the demutualization of
NORCAL Mutual
,
NORCAL
's ultimate controlling party. Given the various remaining regulatory approvals required, both companies are targeting to close the transaction in early 2021. Subject to NORCAL’s conversion from a mutual company to a stock company, ProAssurance has agreed to acquire 100% of the converted company stock in exchange for base consideration of
$
450
million
and contingent consideration of up to an additional
$
150
million
depending on the development of NORCAL’s ultimate losses over a three-year period following the acquisition date. The actual final cost of the transaction could vary due to the ability of NORCAL’s policyholders to elect forms of consideration other than stock in the demutualization transaction as provided by California law. Those alternative consideration options are tied to an appraised value of NORCAL as determined by the California insurance regulator rather than the price per
41
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
share ProAssurance has agreed to pay for 100% of NORCAL assuming that all policyholders elect to receive stock. Further, the transaction is subject to a number of closing conditions, including a maximum threshold for one of the alternative forms of consideration in the demutualization, a minimum threshold for the number of NORCAL shares tendered to ProAssurance, and various required regulatory approvals. The Agreement and Plan of Acquisition was previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to ProAssurance's March 31, 2020 report on Form 10-Q.
8
.
Leases
ProAssurance is involved in a number of operating leases primarily for office facilities. Office facility leases have remaining lease terms ranging from
one year
to
twelve years
; some of which include options to extend the leases for up to
ten years
, and some of which include an option to terminate the lease within one year. ProAssurance subleases certain office facilities to third parties and classifies these leases as operating leases.
The following table provides a summary of the components of net lease expense as well as the reporting location in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
.
(In thousands)
Location in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
2020
2019
Operating lease expense
(1)
Operating expense
$
905
$
1,184
$
3,421
$
3,112
Sublease income
(2)
Other income
(
42
)
(
38
)
(
118
)
(
114
)
Net lease expense
$
863
$
1,146
$
3,303
$
2,998
(1)
Includes short-term lease costs and variable lease costs, if applicable. For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, no short-term lease costs were recognized and variable lease costs were nominal in amount.
(2)
Sublease income excludes rental income from owned properties of
$
0.7
million
and
$
1.9
million
during each of the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, respectively, which is included in other income. See “Item 2. Properties” in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K for a listing of currently owned properties.
The following table provides supplemental lease information for operating leases on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
.
($ in thousands)
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
Operating lease ROU assets
$
18,925
$
21,074
Operating lease liabilities
$
20,194
$
22,051
Weighted-average remaining lease term
8.44
years
8.74
years
Weighted-average discount rate
3.04
%
3.08
%
The following table provides supplemental lease information for the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
.
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases
$
292
$
735
42
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
The following table is a schedule of remaining future minimum lease payments for operating leases that had an initial or remaining non-cancellable lease term in excess of one year as of
September 30, 2020
.
(In thousands)
2020
$
1,092
2021
4,061
2022
3,175
2023
2,473
2024
1,887
Thereafter
10,244
Total future minimum lease payments
22,932
Less: Imputed interest
2,738
Total operating lease liabilities
$
20,194
9
.
Debt
ProAssurance’s outstanding debt consisted of the following:
(In thousands)
September 30,
2020
December 31,
2019
Senior Notes due 2023, unsecured, interest at 5.3% annually
$
250,000
$
250,000
Mortgage Loans, outstanding borrowings are secured by first priority liens on two office buildings, and bear an interest rate of three-month LIBOR plus 1.325% (1.64% and 3.21%, respectively) determined on a quarterly basis.
36,489
37,617
Total principal
286,489
287,617
Less unamortized debt issuance costs
1,499
1,796
Debt less unamortized debt issuance costs
$
284,990
$
285,821
Revolving Credit Agreement
ProAssurance has a
Revolving Credit Agreement
, which expires
November 2024
, that may be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, short-term working capital, share repurchases as authorized by the Board and support for other activities. ProAssurance's
Revolving Credit Agreement
permits borrowings up to
$
250
million
, and has available a
$
50
million
accordion feature which, if successfully subscribed, would expand the permitted borrowings to a maximum of
$
300
million
. As of
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, there were
no
outstanding borrowings on the
Revolving Credit Agreement
.
Covenant Compliance
There are no financial covenants associated with the Senior Notes due 2023.
The
Revolving Credit Agreement
contains customary representations, covenants and events constituting default, and remedies for default. The
Revolving Credit Agreement
also defines financial covenants regarding permitted leverage ratios. ProAssurance is currently in compliance with all covenants of the
Revolving Credit Agreement
.
The Mortgage Loans contain customary representations, covenants and events constituting default, and remedies for default. The Mortgage Loans also define a financial covenant regarding a permitted leverage ratio for each of the two ProAssurance subsidiaries that entered into the Mortgage Loans. ProAssurance's subsidiaries are currently in compliance with the financial covenant of the Mortgage Loans.
Additional Information
For additional information regarding ProAssurance's debt, see Note
11
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
43
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
10
.
Shareholders’ Equity
At
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
, ProAssurance had
100
million
shares of authorized common stock and
50
million
shares of authorized preferred stock. The Board has the authority to determine provisions for the issuance of preferred shares, including the number of shares to be issued, the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such shares.
ProAssurance declared cash dividends of
$
0.31
per share during the first quarter of
2020
,
$
0.05
per share during each of the second and third quarters of
2020
and
$
0.31
per share during each of the first three quarters of
2019
. Dividends declared during the
2020
and
2019
nine-month period
s totaled
$
22.1
million
and
$
50.0
million
, respectively. Given the Company’s current earnings profile, the effects that underlying conditions in the broader insurance marketplace continue to have on the Company’s results and the uncertainties introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board made the decision to reduce the quarterly cash dividend from
$
0.31
per share to
$
0.05
per share, beginning with the dividend declared during the second quarter of 2020. Any decision to pay future cash dividends is subject to the Board’s final determination after a comprehensive review of financial performance, future expectations and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.
At
September 30, 2020
, Board authorizations for the repurchase of common shares or the retirement of outstanding debt of
$
110
million
remained available for use. ProAssurance did
no
t repurchase any common shares during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
.
Share-based compensation expense and related tax benefits were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Share-based compensation expense
$
1,020
$
3
$
3,052
$
2,323
Related tax benefits
$
214
$
1
$
641
$
488
ProAssurance awarded approximately
112,000
restricted share units and
39,000
base performance share units to employees in February
2020
. The fair value of each unit awarded was estimated at
$
29.18
, equal to the market value of a ProAssurance common share on the date of grant less the estimated present value of expected dividends during the vesting period. The majority of awards are charged to expense as an increase to additional paid-in capital over the service period (generally the vesting period) associated with the award. However, a nominal amount of awards are recorded as a liability as they are structured to be settled in cash. Restricted share units and performance share units vest in their entirety at the end of a
three
-year period following the grant date based on a continuous service requirement and, for performance share units, achievement of a performance objective. Partial vesting is permitted for retirees. For equity classified awards, a ProAssurance common share is issued for each unit once vesting requirements are met, except that units sufficient to satisfy required tax withholdings are paid in cash. The number of common shares issued for performance share units varies from
50
%
to
200
%
of base awards depending upon the degree to which stated performance objectives are achieved. ProAssurance issued approximately
47,000
common shares to employees in February
2020
related to restricted share units granted in 2017. Liability classified awards, which are nominal in amount, are settled in cash at the end of the vesting period.
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The following tables provide a detailed breakout of the components of
AOCI
and the amounts reclassified from
AOCI
to net income (loss). The tax effects of all amounts in the tables below, except for an immaterial amount of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities held at the Company's
U.K.
subsidiary, were computed using the enacted U.S. federal corporate tax rate of
21%
. For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, OCI included a deferred tax expense of
$
1.9
million
and
$
7.7
million
, respectively, as compared to
$
2.0
million
and
$
15.0
million
for the same respective periods of
2019
.
44
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
The changes in the balance of each component of
AOCI
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
were as follows:
(In thousands)
Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)
Non-credit Impairments
Unrecognized Change in Defined Benefit Plan Liabilities*
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance July 1, 2020
$
61,912
$
(
704
)
$
(
78
)
$
61,130
OCI, before reclassifications, net of tax
9,505
—
(
22
)
9,483
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax
(
2,975
)
647
—
(
2,328
)
Net OCI, current period
6,530
647
(
22
)
7,155
Balance September 30, 2020
$
68,442
$
(
57
)
$
(
100
)
$
68,285
(In thousands)
Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)
Non-credit Impairments
Unrecognized Change in Defined Benefit Plan Liabilities*
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance December 31, 2019
$
37,333
$
(
300
)
$
(
78
)
$
36,955
OCI, before reclassifications, net of tax
37,199
(
187
)
(
22
)
36,990
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax
(
6,090
)
430
—
(
5,660
)
Net OCI, current period
31,109
243
(
22
)
31,330
Balance September 30, 2020
$
68,442
$
(
57
)
$
(
100
)
$
68,285
(In thousands)
Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)
Non-credit Impairments
Unrecognized Change in Defined Benefit Plan Liabilities*
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance July 1, 2019
$
31,988
$
(
190
)
$
(
69
)
$
31,729
OCI, before reclassifications, net of tax
7,834
(
29
)
(
5
)
7,800
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax
(
395
)
—
—
(
395
)
Net OCI, current period
7,439
(
29
)
(
5
)
7,405
Balance September 30, 2019
$
39,427
$
(
219
)
$
(
74
)
$
39,134
(In thousands)
Unrealized Investment Gains (Losses)
Non-credit Impairments
Unrecognized Change in Defined Benefit Plan Liabilities*
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Balance December 31, 2018
$
(
16,733
)
$
(
121
)
$
(
57
)
$
(
16,911
)
OCI, before reclassifications, net of tax
57,311
(
98
)
(
17
)
57,196
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax
(
1,151
)
—
—
(
1,151
)
Net OCI, current period
56,160
(
98
)
(
17
)
56,045
Balance September 30, 2019
$
39,427
$
(
219
)
$
(
74
)
$
39,134
* Represents the reestimation of the defined benefit plan liability assumed in the Eastern acquisition. The defined benefit plan is frozen as to the earnings of additional benefits and the benefit plan liability is reestimated annually.
45
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
11
.
Variable Interest Entities
ProAssurance holds passive interests in a number of entities that are considered to be
VIE
s under
GAAP
guidance. ProAssurance's
VIE
interests principally consist of interests in
LP
s/
LLC
s formed for the purpose of achieving diversified equity and debt returns. ProAssurance's
VIE
interests, carried as a part of investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries, totaled
$
284.2
million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$
309.0
million
at
December 31, 2019
.
ProAssurance does not have power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of these
VIE
s and thus is not the primary beneficiary. Investments in entities where ProAssurance holds a greater than minor interest but does not hold a controlling interest are accounted for using the equity method. Therefore, ProAssurance has not consolidated these
VIE
s. ProAssurance’s involvement with each
VIE
is limited to its direct ownership interest in the
VIE
. Except for the funding commitments disclosed in Note
7
, ProAssurance has no arrangements with any of the
VIE
s to provide other financial support to or on behalf of the
VIE
. At
September 30, 2020
, ProAssurance’s maximum loss exposure relative to these investments was limited to the carrying value of ProAssurance’s investment in the
VIE
.
12
.
Earnings (Loss) Per Share
Diluted weighted average shares is calculated as basic weighted average shares plus the effect, calculated using the treasury stock method, of assuming that restricted share units, performance share units and purchase match units have vested.
The following table provides a reconciliation between the Company's basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding to its diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
(In thousands, except per share data)
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
2020
2019
2020
2019
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic
53,889
53,762
53,854
53,732
Dilutive effect of securities:
Restricted Share Units
29
73
41
69
Performance Share Units
—
—
1
13
Purchase Match Units
—
21
—
17
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted
53,918
53,856
53,896
53,831
Effect of dilutive shares on earnings (loss) per share
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
The diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
excludes approximately
177,000
and
119,000
, respectively, common share equivalents issuable under the Company's stock compensation plans, as their effect would be antidilutive. There were
no
antidilutive common share equivalents for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
.
Dilutive common share equivalents are reflected in the earnings (loss) per share calculation while antidilutive common share equivalents are not reflected in the earnings (loss) per share calculation. For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, all incremental common share equivalents were not included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share because to do so would have been antidilutive.
46
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
13
.
Segment Information
ProAssurance's segments are based on the Company's internal management reporting structure for which financial results are regularly evaluated by the Company's
CODM
to determine resource allocation and assess operating performance. The Company continually assesses its internal management reporting structure and information evaluated by its
CODM
to determine whether any changes have occurred that would impact its segment reporting structure. The Company operates in
five
segments that are organized around the nature of the products and services provided: Specialty P&C, Workers' Compensation Insurance, Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance, Lloyd's Syndicates and Corporate. A description of each of ProAssurance's
five
operating and reportable segments follows.
Specialty P&C
includes professional liability insurance and medical technology liability insurance. Professional liability insurance is primarily comprised of medical professional liability products offered to healthcare providers and institutions. The Company also offers, to a lesser extent, professional liability insurance to attorneys and their firms. Medical technology liability insurance is offered to medical technology and life sciences companies that manufacture or distribute products including entities conducting human clinical trials. In addition, the Company also offers custom alternative risk solutions including loss portfolio transfers and captive cell programs for healthcare professional liability insureds. For the alternative market captive cell programs, the Specialty P&C segment cedes either all or a portion of the premium to certain SPCs in the Company's Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment.
Workers' Compensation
Insurance
includes workers' compensation products provided to employers with 1,000 or fewer employees. The segment's products include guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible polices and alternative market solutions. Alternative market products include program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management,
SPC
rental, asset management and
SPC
management services. Alternative market program premiums are
100
%
ceded to either SPCs in the Company's Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment or, to a limited extent, to a captive insurer unaffiliated with ProAssurance.
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
reflects the results (underwriting profit or loss, plus investment results, net of U.S. federal income taxes) of
SPC
s at
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
, the Company's Cayman Islands
SPC
operations. Each
SPC
is owned, fully or in part, by an agency, group or association, and the results of the
SPC
s are due to the participants of that cell. ProAssurance participates to a varying degree in the results of selected
SPC
s. SPC results attributable to external cell participants are reflected as SPC dividend expense (income) in the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment and in ProAssurance's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. In addition, the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment includes the investment results of the
SPC
s as the investments are solely for the benefit of the cell participants, and investment results attributable to external cell participants are reflected in the SPC dividend expense (income). The SPCs assume workers' compensation insurance, healthcare professional liability insurance or a combination of the two from the Company's Workers' Compensation Insurance and Specialty P&C segments.
Lloyd's
Syndicates
includes the results from ProAssurance's participation in
Lloyd's
of London
Syndicate 1729
and its
100
%
participation in
Syndicate 6131
. The results of this segment are normally reported on a quarter lag, except when information is available that is material to the current period. Furthermore, investment results associated with the majority of investment assets solely allocated to
Lloyd's
Syndicate operations and certain U.S. paid administrative expenses are reported concurrently as that information is available on an earlier time frame. For the 2020 underwriting year, ProAssurance decreased its participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
to
29
%
from
61
%
; however, due to the quarter lag these changes were not reflected in the Company's results until the second quarter of 2020.
Syndicate 6131
is an
SPA
that underwrites on a quota share basis with
Syndicate 1729
. Effective July 1, 2020,
Syndicate 6131
entered into a quota share reinsurance agreement with an unaffiliated insurer. Under this agreement,
Syndicate 6131
will cede essentially half of the premium assumed from
Syndicate 1729
to the unaffiliated insurer. Due to the quarter lag, the effect of this reinsurance arrangement will not be reflected in our results until the fourth quarter of
2020
.
Syndicate 1729
underwrites risks over a wide range of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance lines in both the U.S. and international markets.
Syndicate 6131
focuses on contingency and specialty property business, also within the U.S. and international markets.
Corporate
includes ProAssurance's investment operations, other than those reported in the Company's Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance and Lloyd's Syndicates segments, interest expense and U.S. income taxes. The segment also includes non-premium revenues generated outside of the Company's insurance entities and corporate expenses.
The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note
1
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance’s
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K and Note
1
herein. ProAssurance evaluates the performance of its
Specialty P&C
and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments based on before tax underwriting profit or loss. ProAssurance evaluates the performance of its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment based on operating profit or loss, which includes investment results of investment assets solely allocated to SPC operations, net of U.S. federal income
47
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
taxes. Performance of the
Lloyd's
Syndicates segment is evaluated based on operating profit or loss, which includes investment results of investment assets solely allocated to
Lloyd's
Syndicate operations, net of
U.K.
income tax expense. Performance of the Corporate segment is evaluated based on the contribution made to consolidated after-tax results. ProAssurance accounts for inter-segment transactions as if the transactions were to third parties at current market prices. Assets are not allocated to segments because investments, other than the investments discussed above that are solely allocated to the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance and
Lloyd's
Syndicates segments, and other assets are not managed at the segment level.
The tabular information that follows shows the financial results of the Company's reportable segments reconciled to results reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. ProAssurance does not consider asset impairments, including goodwill and intangible asset impairments, in assessing the financial performance of its operating and reportable segments, and thus are included in the reconciliation of segment results to consolidated results.
Financial results by segment were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
(In thousands)
Specialty P&C
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Lloyd's Syndicates
Corporate
Inter-segment Eliminations
Consolidated
Net premiums earned
$
117,849
$
42,516
$
16,052
$
18,142
$
—
$
—
$
194,559
Net investment income
—
—
273
951
15,700
—
16,924
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
—
—
—
—
4,853
—
4,853
Net realized gains (losses)
—
—
1,495
489
6,854
—
8,838
Other income (expense)
(1)
726
441
12
411
775
(
642
)
1,723
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(
102,951
)
(
26,455
)
(
6,858
)
(
9,317
)
—
—
(
145,581
)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(1)
(
28,074
)
(
14,983
)
(
5,036
)
(
6,938
)
(
5,044
)
642
(
59,433
)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
(2)
—
—
(
871
)
—
—
—
(
871
)
SPC dividend (expense) income
—
—
(
3,854
)
—
—
—
(
3,854
)
Interest expense
—
—
—
—
(
3,881
)
—
(
3,881
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
—
—
—
—
(
2,141
)
—
(
2,141
)
Segment results
$
(
12,450
)
$
1,519
$
1,213
$
3,738
$
17,116
$
—
$
11,136
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated results:
Goodwill impairment
(
161,115
)
Net income (loss)
$
(
149,979
)
Significant non-cash items:
Goodwill impairment
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
161,115
Depreciation and amortization, net of accretion
$
2,669
$
923
$
210
$
3
$
2,540
$
—
$
6,345
48
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
(In thousands)
Specialty P&C
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Lloyd's Syndicates
Corporate
Inter-segment Eliminations
Consolidated
Net premiums earned
$
365,305
$
129,437
$
49,780
$
61,186
$
—
$
—
$
605,708
Net investment income
—
—
832
3,236
51,809
—
55,877
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
—
—
—
—
(
22,065
)
—
(
22,065
)
Net realized gains (losses)
—
—
894
1,100
(
1,844
)
—
150
Other income (expense)
(1)
3,515
1,717
203
219
1,813
(
1,799
)
5,668
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(
373,442
)
(
84,648
)
(
23,890
)
(
39,432
)
—
—
(
521,412
)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(1)
(
82,894
)
(
42,604
)
(
15,474
)
(
23,373
)
(
17,632
)
1,799
(
180,178
)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
(2)
—
—
(
1,573
)
—
—
—
(
1,573
)
SPC dividend (expense) income
—
—
(
7,988
)
—
—
—
(
7,988
)
Interest expense
—
—
—
—
(
11,725
)
—
(
11,725
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
—
—
—
29
48,592
—
48,621
Segment results
$
(
87,516
)
$
3,902
$
2,784
$
2,965
$
48,948
$
—
$
(
28,917
)
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated results:
Goodwill impairment
(
161,115
)
Net income (loss)
$
(
190,032
)
Significant non-cash items:
Goodwill impairment
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
161,115
Depreciation and amortization, net of accretion
$
5,930
$
2,771
$
371
$
26
$
7,070
$
—
$
16,168
Three Months Ended September 30, 2019
(In thousands)
Specialty P&C
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Lloyd's Syndicates
Corporate
Inter-segment Eliminations
Consolidated
Net premiums earned
$
125,237
$
49,477
$
19,779
$
21,295
$
—
$
—
$
215,788
Net investment income
—
—
445
1,077
22,159
—
23,681
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
—
—
—
—
(
1,277
)
—
(
1,277
)
Net realized gains (losses)
—
—
(
98
)
285
947
—
1,134
Other income (expense)
(1)
1,858
494
176
(
165
)
963
(
778
)
2,548
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(
107,573
)
(
32,356
)
(
9,778
)
(
11,907
)
—
—
(
161,614
)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(1)
(
29,700
)
(
14,895
)
(
5,951
)
(
9,411
)
(
2,682
)
778
(
61,861
)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
(2)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
SPC dividend (expense) income
—
—
(
3,621
)
—
—
—
(
3,621
)
Interest expense
—
—
—
—
(
4,274
)
—
(
4,274
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
—
—
—
161
6,528
—
6,689
Segment results
$
(
10,178
)
$
2,720
$
952
$
1,335
$
22,364
$
—
$
17,193
Net income (loss)
$
17,193
Significant non-cash items:
Depreciation and amortization, net of accretion
$
1,568
$
957
$
(
59
)
$
(
1
)
$
1,955
$
—
$
4,420
49
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
(In thousands)
Specialty P&C
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Lloyd's Syndicates
Corporate
Inter-segment Eliminations
Consolidated
Net premiums earned
$
375,315
$
141,990
$
58,566
$
57,215
$
—
$
—
$
633,086
Net investment income
—
—
1,261
3,282
65,495
—
70,038
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
—
—
—
—
(
7,240
)
—
(
7,240
)
Net realized gains (losses)
—
—
1,949
725
44,390
—
47,064
Other income (expense)
(1)
4,536
1,948
397
(
278
)
2,701
(
1,885
)
7,419
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(
321,248
)
(
93,424
)
(
40,496
)
(
34,640
)
—
—
(
489,808
)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(1)
(
89,177
)
(
43,456
)
(
17,091
)
(
25,445
)
(
12,676
)
1,885
(
185,960
)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
(2)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
SPC dividend (expense) income
—
—
(
1,375
)
—
—
—
(
1,375
)
Interest expense
—
—
—
—
(
12,850
)
—
(
12,850
)
Income tax benefit (expense)
—
—
—
161
(
157
)
—
4
Segment results
$
(
30,574
)
$
7,058
$
3,211
$
1,020
$
79,663
$
—
$
60,378
Net income (loss)
$
60,378
Significant non-cash items:
Depreciation and amortization, net of accretion
$
4,927
$
2,893
$
(
45
)
$
(
8
)
$
6,306
$
—
$
14,073
(1)
Certain fees for services provided to the SPCs at Inova Re and Eastern Re are recorded as expenses within the Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment and as other income within the Workers' Compensation Insurance segment. These fees are primarily SPC rental fees and are eliminated between segments in consolidation.
(2)
Represents the provision for U.S. federal income taxes for SPCs at Inova Re, which have elected to be taxed as a U.S. corporation under Section 953(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. U.S. federal income taxes are included in the total SPC net results and are paid by the individual SPCs.
50
Table of Contents
ProAssurance Corporation and Subsidiaries
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
September 30, 2020
The following table provides detailed information regarding ProAssurance's gross premiums earned by product as well as a reconciliation to net premiums earned. All gross premiums earned are from external customers except as noted. ProAssurance's insured risks are primarily within the U.S.
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Specialty P&C Segment
Gross premiums earned:
HCPL
$
101,785
$
109,484
$
317,088
$
325,245
Small Business Unit
26,372
27,920
77,937
82,341
Medical Technology Liability
8,749
8,519
25,918
25,177
Other
138
591
671
1,936
Ceded premiums earned
(
19,195
)
(
21,277
)
(
56,309
)
(
59,384
)
Segment net premiums earned
117,849
125,237
365,305
375,315
Workers' Compensation Insurance Segment
Gross premiums earned:
Traditional business
45,620
53,156
138,628
152,477
Alternative market business
17,187
21,247
53,221
63,084
Ceded premiums earned
(
20,291
)
(
24,926
)
(
62,412
)
(
73,571
)
Segment net premiums earned
42,516
49,477
129,437
141,990
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance Segment
Gross premiums earned:
Workers' compensation
(1)
16,476
20,579
51,178
61,305
HCPL
(2)
1,699
1,399
5,099
4,071
Other
—
240
—
480
Ceded premiums earned
(
2,123
)
(
2,439
)
(
6,497
)
(
7,290
)
Segment net premiums earned
16,052
19,779
49,780
58,566
Lloyd's Syndicates Segment
Gross premiums earned:
Property and casualty
(3)
22,777
26,399
77,309
72,225
Ceded premiums earned
(
4,635
)
(
5,104
)
(
16,123
)
(
15,010
)
Segment net premiums earned
18,142
21,295
61,186
57,215
Consolidated net premiums earned
$
194,559
$
215,788
$
605,708
$
633,086
(1)
Premium for all periods is assumed from the Workers' Compensation Insurance segment.
(2)
Premium for all periods is assumed from the
Specialty P&C
segment.
(3)
Includes a nominal amount of premium assumed from the
Specialty P&C
segment for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
.
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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to those statements which accompany this report. Throughout the discussion we use certain terms and abbreviations, which can be found in the Glossary of Terms and Acronyms at the beginning of this report. In addition, a glossary of insurance terms and phrases is available on the investor section of our website. Throughout the discussion, references to "ProAssurance," "PRA," "Company," "we," "us" and "our" refer to ProAssurance Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. The discussion contains certain forward-looking information that involves significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties. As discussed under the heading "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements," our actual financial condition and results of operations could differ significantly from these forward-looking statements.
ProAssurance Overview
ProAssurance Corporation is a holding company for property and casualty insurance companies. Our wholly owned insurance subsidiaries provide professional liability insurance, liability insurance for medical technology and life sciences risks and workers' compensation insurance. We also provide capital to
Syndicate 1729
and are the sole (100%) capital provider for
Syndicate 6131
at Lloyd's of London.
We operate in five segments which are based on our internal management reporting structure for which financial results are regularly evaluated by our
CODM
to determine resource allocation and assess operating performance. Descriptions of ProAssurance's five operating and reportable segments are as follows:
•
Specialty P&C
- This segment includes our professional liability business and medical technology liability business. Our professional liability insurance is primarily comprised of medical professional liability products offered to healthcare providers and institutions. We also offer, to a lesser extent, professional liability insurance to attorneys and their firms. Medical technology liability insurance is offered to medical technology and life sciences companies that manufacture or distribute products including entities conducting human clinical trials. We also offer custom alternative risk solutions including loss portfolio transfers, assumed reinsurance and captive cell programs for healthcare professional liability insureds. For our alternative market captive cell programs, we cede either all or a portion of the premium to certain SPCs in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment.
•
Workers' Compensation Insurance
- This segment includes our workers' compensation insurance business which is provided primarily to employers with 1,000 or fewer employees. Our workers' compensation products include guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies and alternative market solutions. Alternative market program premiums are
100%
ceded to either
SPC
s in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment or, to a limited extent, an unaffiliated captive insurer.
•
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
- This segment includes the results (underwriting profit or loss, plus investment results, net of U.S. federal income taxes) of
SPC
s at
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
, our Cayman Islands
SPC
operations. Each
SPC
is owned, fully or in part, by an agency, group or association, and the results of the
SPC
s are attributable to the participants of that cell. We participate to a varying degree in the results of selected
SPC
s and, for the
SPC
s in which we participate, our participation interest ranges from a low of
20%
to a high of
85%
.
SPC
results attributable to external cell participants are reflected as an
SPC
dividend expense (income) in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment. The
SPC
s assume workers' compensation insurance, healthcare professional liability insurance or a combination of the two from our Workers' Compensation Insurance and Specialty P&C segments.
•
Lloyd's
Syndicates
- This segment includes the results from our participation in
Lloyd's
of London
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
. The results of this segment are normally reported on a quarter lag, except when information is available that is material to the current period. To reduce our exposure and the associated earnings volatility, we decreased our participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
for the 2020 underwriting year to
29%
from
61%
; however, due to the quarter lag, these changes were not reflected in our results until the second quarter of 2020.
Syndicate 6131
is an
SPA
that underwrites on a quota share basis with
Syndicate 1729
. Effective July 1, 2020,
Syndicate 6131
entered into a quota share reinsurance agreement with an unaffiliated insurer. Under this agreement,
Syndicate 6131
will cede essentially half of the premium assumed from
Syndicate 1729
to the unaffiliated insurer. Due to the quarter lag, the effect of this reinsurance arrangement will not be reflected in our results until the fourth quarter of
2020
.
Syndicate 1729
underwrites risks over a wide range of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance lines in both the U.S. and international markets while
Syndicate 6131
focuses on contingency and specialty property business, also within the U.S. and international markets.
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•
Corporate
- This segment includes our investment operations, other than those reported in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance and
Lloyd's
Syndicates segments, interest expense and U.S. income taxes. This segment also includes non-premium revenues generated outside of our insurance entities and corporate expenses.
Additional information regarding our segments is included in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and in the Segment Results sections that follow.
Regulatory Environment
The primary regulations and legislations that impact or could have a potential impact on our Company are described in "Item 1, Insurance Regulatory Matters" in our December 31, 2019 report on Form 10-K. Other than as described below, there have been no material changes to the "Insurance Regulatory Matters" section in Part 1, Item 1 of ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
COVID-19
In response to COVID-19, the federal government and a number of states have introduced or adopted legislation to address issues related to the pandemic. The PREP Act was amended on March 27, 2020 to extend liability immunity for activities related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19, except for claims involving "willful misconduct" as defined in the
PREP Act
. Certain states have enacted legislation changes designed to effectively expand workers’ compensation coverage by establishing a presumption of compensability for certain types of workers. Other states are considering similar measures. Depending on the number of states that institute such changes and the terms of the changes, as well as the impact of the amendment to the
PREP Act
and any related legal challenges, we may experience increases in claims frequency and severity for our healthcare professional liability and workers’ compensation books of business, which could have an effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Furthermore, we are closely monitoring the impact of potential legislation or court decisions that could retroactively require insurers to extend certain insurance to cover COVID-19 claims, even if the original contract excluded the cover of communicable diseases as is typical in certain policies; however, to date, legislative attempts have been unsuccessful. If successful, these actions could result in an increase in claim frequency and severity due to an unintended increase in exposure for Syndicate 1729 and 6131 which could have an effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows given our participation in those Syndicates.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with
GAAP
. Preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts we report on those statements. We evaluate these estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis based on current and historical developments, market conditions, industry trends and other information that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We can make no assurance that actual results will conform to our estimates and assumptions; reported results of operations may be materially affected by changes in these estimates and assumptions.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reevaluating certain of these estimates and assumptions which could result in material changes to our results of operations including, but not limited to, higher losses and loss adjustment expenses, lower premium volume, asset impairment charges, declines in investment valuations, reductions in audit premium estimates, deferred tax valuation allowances and increases in the allowance for expected credit losses related to available-for-sale securities, premiums receivable and reinsurance receivables. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. These factors include, but are not limited to, the duration, spread, severity, reemergence or mutation of the COVID-19 pandemic, development and wide-scale distribution of medicines or vaccines that effectively treat the virus, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our insureds, the loss environment, the healthcare industry, the labor market and Lloyd's, the actions and stimulus measures taken by governments and governmental agencies, and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may experience an impact to our business as a result of any economic recession that has occurred or may occur in the future. Please see "Item 1A, Risk Factors" included in this report for additional information.
Management considers the following accounting estimates to be critical because they involve significant judgment by management and those judgments could result in a material effect on our financial statements.
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Reserve for Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The largest component of our liabilities is our reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses ("reserve for losses" or "reserve"), and the largest component of expense for our operations is incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses (also referred to as “losses and loss adjustment expenses,” “incurred losses,” “losses incurred” and “losses”). Incurred losses reported in any period reflect our estimate of losses incurred related to the premiums earned in that period as well as any changes to our previous estimate of the reserve required for prior periods.
As of
September 30, 2020
, our reserve is comprised almost entirely of long-tail exposures. The estimation of long-tailed losses is inherently difficult and is subject to significant judgment on the part of management. Due to the nature of our claims, our loss costs, even for claims with similar characteristics, can vary significantly depending upon many factors, including but not limited to the specific characteristics of the claim and the manner in which the claim is resolved. Long-tailed insurance is characterized by the extended period of time typically required both to assess the viability of a claim and potential damages, if any, and to reach a resolution of the claim. The claims resolution process may extend to more than five years. The combination of continually changing conditions and the extended time required for claim resolution results in a loss cost estimation process that requires actuarial skill and the application of significant judgment, and such estimates require periodic modification.
Our reserve is established by management after taking into consideration a variety of factors including premium rates, claims frequency and severity, historical paid and incurred loss development trends, the expected effect of inflation, general economic and social trends, the legal and political environment and the conclusions reached by our internal and consulting actuaries. We update and review the data underlying the estimation of our reserve for losses each reporting period and make adjustments to loss estimation assumptions that we believe best reflect emerging data. Both our internal and consulting actuaries perform an in-depth review of our reserve for losses on at least a semi-annual basis using the loss and exposure data of our insurance subsidiaries.
Our reserving process can be broadly grouped into three areas: the establishment of the reserve for the current accident year (the initial reserve), the re-estimation of the reserve for prior accident years (development of prior accident years) and the establishment of the initial reserve for risks assumed in business combinations, applicable only in periods in which acquisitions occur (the acquired reserve).
Current Accident Year - Initial Reserve
Considerable judgment is required in establishing our initial reserve for any current accident year period, as there is limited data available upon which to base our estimate. Our process for setting an initial reserve considers the unique characteristics of each product, but in general we rely heavily on the loss assumptions that were used to price business, as our pricing reflects our analysis of loss costs that we expect to incur relative to the insurance product being priced.
Specialty P&C
Segment.
Loss costs within this segment are impacted by many factors including but not limited to the nature of the claim, including whether or not the claim is an individual or a mass tort claim, the personal situation of the claimant or the claimant's family, the outcome of jury trials, the legislative and judicial climate where any potential litigation may occur, general economic and social trends and, for claims involving bodily injury, the trend of healthcare costs. Within our
Specialty P&C
segment, for our professional liability business (
79%
of our consolidated gross reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses as of
December 31, 2019
; predominately comprised of our HCPL products), we set an initial reserve based upon our evaluation of the current loss environment including frequency, severity, economic inflation, social inflation and legal trends.
The current accident year net loss ratio in the
Specialty P&C
segment has ranged from 87% to 106% in recent years, excluding the effect of a large national healthcare account. We recorded a higher than average current accident year net loss ratio in 2019 due to increased reserve estimates related to this large national healthcare account that exceeded the assumptions we made when originally underwriting the account. During the second quarter of 2020, the policy term associated with this account's claims-made coverage expired. This account did not renew on terms offered by us and the insured exercised its contractual option to purchase the extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage resulting in a net underwriting loss of
$45.7 million
recognized in the second quarter of 2020 associated with this policy, which increased our current accident year net loss ratio for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. Excluding the impact of this large national healthcare account, we have trended towards the middle of the aforementioned current accident year net loss ratio range. This reflects loss severity in the broader medical professional liability industry and a higher loss pick in our Specialty line of business. In addition, this range also reflects the impact of a
$10 million
reserve established during the second quarter of 2020 related to COVID-19. This reserve represents our best estimate of ultimate COVID-19 related losses based on currently available information and reported incidents; no adjustment was made to this reserve during the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
. While we have established a reserve for COVID-19 related losses, we have also observed a reduction in claims frequency as compared to 2019, likely associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic; however, we have remained cautious in recognizing these favorable frequency trends in our current accident year reserve due to the possibility of delays in reporting and
uncertainty surrounding
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the length and severity of the pandemic
.
See further discussion in our Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section that follows under the heading "Losses."
The risks insured in our medical technology liability business (
3%
of our consolidated gross reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses as of
December 31, 2019
) are more varied, and policies are individually priced based on the risk characteristics of the policy and the account. The insured risks range from startup operations to large multinational entities, and the larger entities often have significant deductibles or self-insured retentions. Reserves are established using our most recently developed actuarial estimates of losses expected to be incurred based on factors which include results from prior analysis of similar business, industry indications, observed trends and judgment. Claims in this line of business primarily involve bodily injury to individuals and are affected by factors similar to those of our
HCPL
line of business. For the medical technology liability business, we also establish an initial reserve using a loss ratio approach, including a provision in consideration of historical loss volatility that this line of business has exhibited.
Workers' Compensation Insurance Segment
. Many factors affect the ultimate losses incurred for our workers' compensation coverages (
10%
of our consolidated gross reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses as of
December 31, 2019
) including but not limited to the type and severity of the injury, the age, health and occupation of the injured worker, the estimated length of disability, medical treatment and related costs, and the jurisdiction and workers' compensation laws of the state of the injury occurrence.
We use various actuarial methodologies in developing our workers’ compensation reserve, combined with a review of the payroll exposure base. For the current accident year, given the lack of seasoned information, the different actuarial methodologies produce results with significant variability; therefore, more emphasis is placed on supplementing results from the actuarial methodologies with trends in exposure base, medical expense inflation, general inflation, severity, and claim counts, among other things, to select an expected loss ratio.
Similar to our Specialty P&C segment, we have also observed a reduction in claims frequency in our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment, likely associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. During the third quarter of 2020, we reduced our current accident year net loss ratio in response to the continuation of favorable trends in 2020, including lower claims frequency and severity; however, we remain cautious in our evaluation of the current accident year reserve due to uncertainty surrounding the length and severity of the pandemic, and legislative and regulatory bodies in certain states changing or attempting to broaden compensability requirements for COVID-19 claims. If these legislative and regulatory bodies are successful, it could result in an increase in claims frequency and severity for the current accident year. See previous discussion under the heading "Regulatory Environment." Furthermore, as it relates to both our Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segments, the current economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have introduced significant risk of a prolonged recession, which could have an adverse impact on our return to wellness efforts and the ability of injured workers to return to work, resulting in a potential reduction in favorable claim trends in future periods.
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance Segment.
The factors that affect the ultimate losses incurred for the workers' compensation and HCPL coverages assumed by the
SPC
s at
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
(
4%
of our consolidated gross reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses as of
December 31, 2019
) are consistent with that of our Workers’ Compensation Insurance and
Specialty P&C
segments, respectively.
Lloyd's
Syndicates Segment
. Initial reserves for
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
are primarily recorded using the loss assumptions by risk category incorporated into each Syndicate's business plan submitted to
Lloyd's
with consideration given to loss experience incurred to date (
4%
of our consolidated gross reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses as of
December 31, 2019
). The assumptions used in each business plan are consistent with loss results reflected in
Lloyd's
historical data for similar risks. The loss ratios may also fluctuate due to the mix of earned premium from different open underwriting years to which we participate in to varying degrees, as well as the timing of earned premium adjustments. Such adjustments may be the result of premiums for certain policies and assumed reinsurance contracts being reported subsequent to the coverage period and may be subject to adjustment based on loss experience. Premium and exposure for some of
Syndicate 1729
's insurance policies and reinsurance contracts are initially estimated and subsequently recorded over an extended period of time as reports are received under delegated underwriting authority programs. When reports are received, the premium, exposure and corresponding loss estimates are revised accordingly. Changes in loss estimates due to premium or exposure fluctuations are incurred in the accident year in which the premium is earned.
For significant property catastrophe exposures,
Syndicate 1729
uses third-party catastrophe models to accumulate a listing of potentially affected policies. Each identified policy is given an estimate of loss severity based upon a combination of factors including the probable maximum loss of each policy, market share analytics, underwriting judgment, client/broker estimates and historical loss trends for similar events. These models are inherently uncertain, reliant upon key assumptions and management judgment and are not always a representation of actual events and ensuing potential loss exposure. Determination of actual losses may take an extended period of time until claims are reported and resolved, including coverage litigation.
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Development of Prior Accident Years
In addition to setting the initial reserve for the current accident year, each period we reassess the amount of reserve required for prior accident years.
Our reserve re-estimation process is based upon the most recently completed actuarial analysis supplemented by any new analysis, information or trends that have emerged since the date of that study. We also take into account currently available industry trend information. Changes to previously established reserve estimates are recognized in the current period if management’s best estimate of ultimate losses differs from the estimate previously established. While management considers a variety of variables in determining its best estimate, in general, as claims age, our methodologies give more weight to actual loss costs which, for the majority of our reserves, continue to indicate that ultimate loss costs will be lower than our previous estimates. The discussion in our Critical Accounting Estimates section in Item 7 of our
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K includes additional information regarding the methodologies used to evaluate our reserve.
Any change in our estimate of net ultimate losses for prior accident years is reflected in net income (loss) in the period in which such changes are made. In recent years such changes have reduced our estimate of consolidated net ultimate losses, resulting in a reduction of reported losses for the period and a corresponding increase in pre-tax income.
Due to the size of our consolidated reserve for losses and the large number of claims outstanding at any point in time, even a small percentage adjustment to our total reserve estimate could have a material effect on our results of operations for the period in which the adjustment is made. Please refer to the Executive Summary of Operations and Segment Results sections that follow for a discussion on consolidated and segment prior accident year loss development recognized in the current period.
Use of Judgment
The process of estimating reserves involves a high degree of judgment and is subject to a number of variables. These variables can be affected by both views of internal and external events, such as changes in views of economic inflation, legal trends and legislative changes, as well as differentiating views of individuals involved in the reserve estimation process, among others. We continually refine our estimates in a regular, ongoing process as historical loss experience develops and additional claims are reported and settled. Our objective is to consider all significant facts and circumstances known at the time.
Changes in economic conditions and steps taken by the federal government and the Federal Reserve in response to COVID-19 could lead to inflation trends that are different from those we anticipated when establishing our reserves, which could in turn lead to an increase or decrease in our loss costs and the need to strengthen or reduce reserves. These impacts of inflation on loss costs and reserves could be more pronounced for our HCPL line of business as that business generally requires a longer period of time to settle claims for a given accident year and, accordingly, is relatively more inflation sensitive.
We use various actuarial methods in the process of setting reserves. Each actuarial method generally returns a different value, and for the more recent accident years the variations among the various methodologies can be significant. In order to project ultimate losses, we partition our reserves for analysis such as by line of business, geography, coverage layer or accident year; in all, there are over
200
different partitions of our business used for actuarial evaluation. For each partition of our reserves, we evaluate the results of the various methods, along with the supplementary statistical data regarding such factors as closed with and without indemnity ratios, claim severity trends, the expected duration of such trends, changes in the legal and legislative environment and the current economic environment to develop a point estimate based upon management's judgment and past experience. The series of selected point estimates is then combined to produce an overall point estimate for ultimate losses.
HCPL
.
Over the past several years, the most influential factor affecting the analysis of our
HCPL
reserves and the related development recognized has been an observed increase in claim severity for the broader medical professional liability industry as well as higher initial loss expectations on incurred claims. The severity trend is an explicit component of our pricing models, whereas in our reserving process the severity trend's impact is implicit. Our estimate of this trend and our expectations about changes in this trend impact a variety of factors, from the selection of expected loss ratios to the ultimate point estimates established by management.
Because of the implicit and wide-ranging nature of severity trend assumptions on the loss reserving process, it is not practical to specifically isolate the impact of changing severity trends. However, because severity is an explicit component of our
HCPL
pricing process we can better isolate the impact that changing severity can have on our loss costs and loss ratios in regards to our pricing models for this business component. Our current
HCPL
pricing models assume severity trends in the range of
2%
to
5%
depending on state, territory and specialty. In some portions of our
HCPL
business we have observed and reflected higher severity trends in our estimates of losses and loss adjustment expenses.
Due to the long-tailed nature of our claims and the previously discussed historical volatility of loss costs, selection of a severity trend assumption is a subjective process that is inherently likely to prove inaccurate over time. Given the long tail and volatility, we are generally cautious in making changes to the severity assumptions within our pricing models. All open claims and accident years are generally impacted by a change in the severity trend, which compounds the effect of such a change.
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Although the future degree and impact of the ultimate severity trend remains uncertain due to the long-tailed nature of our business, we have given consideration to observed loss costs in setting our rates. For our
HCPL
business, this practice had generally resulted in rate reductions as claim frequency declined and remained at historically low levels. However, from early 2017 to the current period, the average pricing on renewed business has steadily increased reflective of the rising loss cost environment, and we anticipate further renewal pricing increases due to increasing loss severity.
Workers' Compensation
. The projection of changes in claim severity trend has not historically been an influential factor affecting our analysis of workers' compensation reserves, as claims are typically resolved more quickly than the industry norm. As previously mentioned, the determination and calculation of loss development factors, in particular, the selection of tail factors which are used to extend the projection of losses beyond historical data, requires considerable judgment.
Investment Valuations
We record the majority of our investments at fair value as shown in the table below. At
September 30, 2020
, the distribution of our investments based on
GAAP
fair value hierarchies (levels) was as follows:
Distribution by GAAP Fair Value Hierarchy
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Not Categorized
Total
Investments
Investments recorded at:
Fair value
14%
73%
1%
8%
96%
Other valuations
4%
Total Investments
100%
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. All of our fixed maturity and equity investments are carried at fair value. The fair value of our short-term securities approximates the cost of the securities due to their short-term nature.
Because of the number of securities we own and the complexity of developing accurate fair values, we utilize multiple independent pricing services to assist us in establishing the fair value of individual securities. The pricing services provide fair values based on exchange-traded prices, if available. If an exchange-traded price is not available, the pricing services, if possible, provide a fair value that is based on multiple broker/dealer quotes or that has been developed using pricing models. Pricing models vary by asset class and utilize currently available market data for securities comparable to ours to estimate a fair value for our securities. The pricing services scrutinize market data for consistency with other relevant market information before including the data in the pricing models. The pricing services disclose the types of pricing models used and the inputs used for each asset class. Determining fair values using these pricing models requires the use of judgment to identify appropriate comparable securities and to choose a valuation methodology that is appropriate for the asset class and available data.
The pricing services provide a single value per instrument quoted. We review the values provided for reasonableness each quarter by comparing market yields generated by the supplied value versus market yields observed in the marketplace. We also compare yields indicated by the provided values to appropriate benchmark yields and review for values that are unchanged or that reflect an unanticipated variation as compared to prior period values. We utilize a primary pricing service for each security type and compare provided information for consistency with alternate pricing services, known market data and information from our own trades, considering both values and valuation trends. We also review weekly trades versus the prices supplied by the services. If a supplied value appears unreasonable, we discuss the valuation in question with the pricing service and make adjustments if deemed necessary. Historically our review has not resulted in any material changes to the values supplied by the pricing services. The pricing services do not provide a fair value unless an exchange-traded price or multiple observable inputs are available. As a result, the pricing services may provide a fair value for a security in some periods but not others, depending upon the level of recent market activity for the security or comparable securities.
Level 1 Investments
Fair values for a majority of our equity securities and portions of our corporate debt, short-term and convertible securities are determined using exchange-traded prices. There is little judgment involved when fair value is determined using an exchange-traded price. In accordance with
GAAP
, we classify securities valued using an exchange-traded price as Level 1 securities.
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Level 2 Investments
Most fixed income securities do not trade daily; thus, exchange-traded prices are generally not available for these securities. However, market information (often referred to as observable inputs or market data, including but not limited to, last reported trade, non-binding broker quotes, bids, benchmark yield curves, issuer spreads, two-sided markets, benchmark securities, offers and recent data regarding assumed prepayment speeds, cash flow and loan performance data) is available for most of our fixed income securities. We determine fair value for a large portion of our fixed income securities using available market information. In accordance with
GAAP
, we classify securities valued based on multiple market observable inputs as Level 2 securities.
Level 3 Investments
When a pricing service does not provide a value for one of our fixed maturity securities, management estimates fair value using either a single non-binding broker quote or pricing models that utilize market based assumptions which have limited observable inputs. The process involves significant judgment in selecting the appropriate data and modeling techniques to use in the valuation process. In accordance with
GAAP
, we classify securities valued using limited observable inputs as Level 3 securities.
Fair Values Not Categorized
We hold interests in certain investment funds, primarily
LP
s/
LLC
s, which measure fund assets at fair value on a recurring basis and provide us with a
NAV
for our interest. As a practical expedient, we consider the
NAV
provided to approximate the fair value of the interest. In accordance with
GAAP
, we do not categorize these investments within the fair value hierarchy.
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
We measure the fair value of certain assets on a nonrecurring basis when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. These assets include investments carried principally at cost, investments in tax credit partnerships, fixed assets, goodwill and other intangible assets. These assets would also include any equity method investments that do not provide a
NAV
. At
September 30, 2020
, we recognized a nonrecurring fair value measurement related to the goodwill in our Specialty P&C reporting unit with a carrying value of
$161.1 million
prior to the fair value measurement. This nonrecurring fair value measurement resulted in the goodwill being written down to its implied fair value of zero resulting in an impairment of the goodwill of
$161.1 million
(see following discussion under the heading "Goodwill / Intangibles"). The inputs used in the fair value measurement were non-observable and, as such, were categorized as a Level 3 valuation. We did not have any other assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at
September 30, 2020
or
December 31, 2019
.
Investments - Other Valuation Methodologies
Certain of our investments, in accordance with
GAAP
for the type of investment, are measured using methodologies other than fair value. At
September 30, 2020
, these investments represented approximately
4%
of total investments, and are detailed in the following table. Additional information about these investments is provided in Notes
2
and
3
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
(In millions)
Carrying Value
GAAP Measurement Method
Other investments:
Other, principally FHLB capital stock
$
2.9
Principally Cost
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries:
Investments in tax credit partnerships
32.3
Equity
Equity method investments, primarily LPs/LLCs
47.4
Equity
79.7
BOLI
67.4
Cash surrender value
Total investments - Other valuation methodologies
$
150.0
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Impairments
We evaluate our available-for-sale investment securities, which at
September 30, 2020
and December 31, 2019 consisted entirely of fixed maturity securities, on at least a quarterly basis for the purpose of determining whether declines in fair value below recorded cost basis represent an impairment loss. We consider a credit-related impairment loss to have occurred:
•
if there is intent to sell the security;
•
if it is more likely than not that the security will be required to be sold before full recovery of its amortized cost basis; or
•
if the entire amortized basis of the security is not expected to be recovered.
The assessment of whether the amortized cost basis of a security is expected to be recovered requires management to make assumptions regarding various matters affecting future cash flows. The choice of assumptions is subjective and requires the use of judgment. Actual credit losses experienced in future periods may differ from management’s estimates of those credit losses. Methodologies used to estimate the present value of expected cash flows are:
The estimate of expected cash flows is determined by projecting a recovery value and a recovery time frame and assessing whether further principal and interest will be received. We consider various factors in projecting recovery values and recovery time frames, including the following:
•
third-party research and credit rating reports;
•
the current credit standing of the issuer, including credit rating downgrades, whether before or after the balance sheet date;
•
the extent to which the decline in fair value is attributable to credit risk specifically associated with the security or its issuer;
•
internal assessments and the assessments of external portfolio managers regarding specific circumstances surrounding an investment, which indicate the investment is more or less likely to recover its amortized cost than other investments with a similar structure;
•
for asset-backed securities, the origination date of the underlying loans, the remaining average life, the probability that credit performance of the underlying loans will deteriorate in the future and our assessment of the quality of the collateral underlying the loan;
•
failure of the issuer of the security to make scheduled interest or principal payments;
•
any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency;
•
recoveries or additional declines in fair value subsequent to the balance sheet date;
•
adverse legal or regulatory events;
•
significant deterioration in the market environment that may affect the value of collateral (e.g. decline in real estate prices);
•
significant deterioration in economic conditions; and
•
disruption in the business model resulting from changes in technology or new entrants to the industry.
If deemed appropriate and necessary, a discounted cash flow analysis is performed to confirm whether a credit loss exists and, if so, the amount of the credit loss. We use the single best estimate approach for available-for-sale debt securities and consider all reasonably available data points, including industry analyses, credit ratings, expected defaults and the remaining payment terms of the debt security. For fixed rate available-for-sale debt securities, cash flows are discounted at the security's effective interest rate implicit in the security at the date of acquisition. If the available-for-sale debt security’s contractual interest rate varies based on subsequent changes in an independent factor, such as an index or rate, for example, the prime rate, the LIBOR, or the U.S. Treasury bill weekly average, that security’s effective interest rate is calculated based on the factor as it changes over the life of the security. If we intend to sell a debt security or believe we will more likely than not be required to sell a debt security before the amortized cost basis is recovered, any existing allowance will be written off against the security's amortized cost basis, with any remaining difference between the debt security's amortized cost basis and fair value recognized as an impairment loss in earnings.
Exclusive of securities where there is an intent to sell or where it is not more likely than not that the security will be required to be sold before recovery of its amortized cost basis, impairment for debt securities is separated into a credit component and a non-credit component. The credit component of an impairment is the difference between the security’s amortized cost basis and the present value of its expected future cash flows, while the non-credit component is the remaining difference between the security’s fair value and the present value of expected future cash flows. An allowance for expected credit losses will be recorded for the expected credit losses through income and the non-credit component is recognized in
OCI
. The amount of impairment recognized is limited to the excess of the amortized cost over the fair value of the available-for-sale debt security.
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Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs
Policy acquisition costs (primarily commissions, premium taxes and underwriting salaries) which are directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal premiums are capitalized as
DPAC
and charged to expense, net of ceding commissions earned, as the related premium revenue is recognized. We evaluate the recoverability of our
DPAC
typically at the segment level each reporting period or in a manner that is consistent with the way we manage our business. Any amounts estimated to be unrecoverable are charged to expense in the current period.
As part of our evaluation of the recoverability of
DPAC
, we also evaluate our unearned premiums for premium deficiencies. A premium deficiency is recognized if the sum of anticipated losses and loss adjustment expenses, unamortized
DPAC
and maintenance costs, net of anticipated investment income, exceeds the related unearned premium. If a premium deficiency is identified, the associated
DPAC
is written off, and a PDR is recorded for the excess deficiency as a component of net losses and loss adjustment expenses in our Consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income and as a component of the reserve for losses on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
we did not determine any DPAC to be unrecoverable.
Estimation of Taxes / Tax Credits
For interim periods, we generally utilize the estimated annual effective tax rate method under which we determine our provision (benefit) for income taxes based on the current estimate of our annual effective tax rate. Under the estimated annual effective tax rate method, items which are unusual, infrequent, or that cannot be reliably estimated are considered in the effective tax rate in the period in which the item is included in income, and are referred to as discrete items. In calculating our year-to-date income tax expense (benefit), we include the estimated benefit of tax credits for the year-to-date period based on the most recently available information provided by the tax credit partnerships; the actual amounts of credits provided by the tax credit partnerships may prove to be different than our estimates. The effect of such a difference is recognized in the period identified.
Deferred Taxes
Deferred federal income taxes arise from the recognition of temporary differences between the basis of assets and liabilities determined for financial reporting purposes and the basis determined for income tax purposes. Our temporary differences principally relate to our loss reserves, unearned and advanced premiums,
DPAC
, compensation related items, unrealized investment gains (losses) and basis differences on fixed assets, intangible assets and operating leases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when such benefits are realized. We review our deferred tax assets quarterly for impairment. If we determine that it is more likely than not that some or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying value of the asset. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, management is required to make certain judgments and assumptions about our future operations based on historical experience and information as of the measurement period regarding reversal of existing temporary differences, carryback capacity, future taxable income (including its capital and operating characteristics) and tax planning strategies.
A valuation allowance was established in a prior year against the deferred tax asset related to the
NOL
carryforwards for the U.K. operations as management concluded that it was more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. We also established a valuation allowance in a prior year against the deferred tax assets of certain SPCs at our wholly owned Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiary, Inova Re. Due to the limited operations of these SPCs, management concluded that a valuation allowance was required. As of
September 30, 2020
, management concluded that a valuation allowance was still required against the deferred tax assets related to the NOL carryforwards for the U.K. operations and against the deferred tax assets of certain SPCs at
Inova Re
. See further discussion in Note
6
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our
December 31, 2019
Form 10-K.
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The
TCJA
introduced a minimum tax on payments made to related foreign entities referred to as the
BEAT
. The
BEAT
is imposed by adding back into the U.S. tax base any base erosion payment made by the U.S. taxpayer to a related foreign entity and applying a minimum tax rate to this newly calculated modified taxable income. Base erosion payments represent any amount paid or accrued by the U.S. taxpayer to a related foreign entity for which a deduction is allowed. Premiums we cede to the
SPC
s at
Inova Re
, one of our wholly owned Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiaries, do not fall within the scope of base erosion payments as the
SPC
s at
Inova Re
have elected to be taxed as U.S. taxpayers. However, premiums that we cede to any active
SPC
at our other wholly owned Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiary,
Eastern Re
, fall within the scope of base erosion payments and therefore could be significantly impacted by the
BEAT
. We have evaluated our exposure to the
BEAT
and have concluded that our expected outbound deductible payments to related foreign entities are below the threshold for application of the
BEAT
; therefore, we have not recognized any incremental tax expense for the
BEAT
provision of the
TCJA
during the
three
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and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
or
2019
. See further discussion on our Cayman Islands
SPC
operations in the Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance section that follows. See further discussion in Note
4
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
The TCJA also requires a U.S. shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation to include its
GILTI
in U.S. taxable income. The
GILTI
amount is based on the U.S. shareholder’s aggregate share of the gross income of the controlled foreign corporation reduced by certain exceptions and a net deemed tangible income return. The net deemed tangible income return is based on the controlled foreign corporation’s basis in the tangible depreciable business property. Cell rental fee income earned by Inova Re and Eastern Re fall within the scope of the
GILTI
provisions of the TCJA. We have evaluated the new
GILTI
provisions of the TCJA, and we have made an accounting policy election to treat the taxes due on the inclusion of
GILTI
in U.S. taxable income as a current period expense when incurred. We recognized a nominal amount of tax expense for the
GILTI
provision of the TCJA during each of the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
. See further discussion in Note
4
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
In response to COVID-19, the
CARES Act
was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and contains several provisions for corporations and eases certain deduction limitations originally imposed by the TCJA. The CARES Act, among other things, includes temporary changes regarding the prior and future utilization of NOLs, temporary changes to the prior and future limitations on interest deductions, temporary suspension of certain payment requirements for the employer portion of Social Security taxes and the creation of certain refundable employee retention credits. We anticipate the temporary changes regarding NOL carryback provisions will have a favorable impact on our liquidity (see discussion that follows in the Liquidity and Capital Resources and Financial Condition section under the heading "Taxes"). We have evaluated the other provisions of the CARES Act and concluded that they will not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. See discussion in Note
4
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Unrecognized Tax Benefits
We evaluate tax positions taken on tax returns and recognize positions in our financial statements when it is more likely than not that we will sustain the position upon resolution with a taxing authority. If recognized, the benefit is measured as the largest amount of benefit that has a greater than 50% probability of being realized. We review uncertain tax positions each period, considering changes in facts and circumstances, such as changes in tax law, interactions with taxing authorities and developments in case law, and make adjustments as we consider necessary. Adjustments to our unrecognized tax benefits may affect our income tax expense, and settlement of uncertain tax positions may require the use of cash. Other than differences related to timing, no significant adjustments were considered necessary during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
or
2019
. At
September 30, 2020
, our liability for unrecognized tax benefits approximated
$10.4 million
.
Goodwill / Intangibles
Goodwill is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. The date of our annual goodwill impairment testing is October 1. For our last annual impairment test at October 1, 2019, we performed qualitative assessments that supported a conclusion that the fair value of all of the reporting units with goodwill exceeded their carrying value.
Impairment of goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level, which is consistent with our reportable segments identified in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Of the
five
reporting units, the
three
with goodwill were tested for impairment in the third quarter of 2020 -
Specialty P&C
, Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance.
As disclosed in our June 30, 2020 report on Form 10-Q, COVID-19 has caused significant market volatility impacting our actual and projected results along with a decline in our stock price. These impacts have persisted into the third quarter; and as a result, management performed new quantitative assessments of goodwill on our Specialty P&C and Workers' Compensation Insurance reporting units using updated marketplace data. The updated data, which is significantly influenced by our continued depressed stock price relative to both our own book value and the comparable stock prices of our peers, impacted a number of key variables in our analysis including the determination of a higher discount rate and lower valuation multiples. In addition, new guidance given by the Federal Reserve during the current quarter regarding the expectation of a prolonged low interest rate environment impacted our analysis.
For each of the interim impairment assessments in the second and third quarters of 2020, management estimated the fair value of the reporting units using both an income approach and a market approach using marketplace data that was current at the time of each respective analysis. The estimate of fair value derived from the income approach was based on the present value of expected future cash flows, including terminal value, utilizing a market-based weighted average cost of capital determined separately for each reporting unit. The estimate of fair value derived from the market approach was based on price
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to book multiple data. The determination of fair value involved the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates, operating margins, capital requirements, tax rates, terminal growth rates, discount rates, comparable public companies and synergistic benefits available to market participants. In addition, management made certain judgments and assumptions in allocating shared assets and liabilities to individual reporting units to determine the carrying amount of each reporting unit.
This analysis during the third quarter of 2020 indicated an impairment of the goodwill associated with our Specialty P&C reporting unit and accordingly we recorded a
$161.1 million
charge to goodwill in the current quarter.
Management also performed impairment tests of certain of our definite and indefinite lived intangible assets for which a triggering event was deemed to have occurred. Based upon these impairment tests, no impairment of our definite or indefinite lived intangible assets was identified at
September 30, 2020
.
Given the evolving, uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the estimates and assumptions used by management in these impairment tests have inherent uncertainties, and different assumptions could lead to materially different results including impairment charges in the future. Management expects to continue to monitor developments and perform updated analyses as necessary. See Note
5
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about our goodwill.
Leases
We are involved in a number of leases, primarily for office facilities. We determine if an arrangement is a lease at the inception date of the contract and classify all leases as either financing or operating. As of
September 30, 2020
, all of our leases were classified as operating. Operating lease
ROU
assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized as of the lease commencement date based on the present value of the remaining lease payments, discounted over the term of the lease using a discount rate determined based on information available as of the commencement date. The
ROU
asset represents the right to use the underlying asset (office space) for the lease term. As the majority of our lessors do not provide an implicit discount rate, we use our collateralized incremental borrowing rate in determining the present value of remaining lease payments. For leases entered into or reassessed after the adoption of
ASU
2016-02 on January 1, 2019, we account for lease and non-lease components of a contract as a single lease component.
We evaluate our operating lease
ROU
assets for impairment at the asset group level whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset group may not be recoverable. The carrying amount of an asset group, which includes the operating lease
ROU
asset and the related operating lease liability, is not recoverable if the carrying amount exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset group over the life of the primary asset in the asset group. That assessment is based on the carrying amount of the asset group, including the operating lease
ROU
asset and the related operating lease liability, at the date it is tested for recoverability, and an impairment loss is measured and recognized as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its fair value. Any impairment loss is allocated to each asset in the asset group, including the operating
ROU
asset.
When a lease of an office facility is to be abandoned and will not be subleased, we first evaluate whether or not the operating lease
ROU
asset’s inclusion in an existing asset group continues to be appropriate and if the commitment to abandon the lease constitutes a change in circumstances requiring the operating lease
ROU
asset, or the larger asset group, to be tested for impairment. If an impairment test is required, it is performed in the same manner as discussed above. Any remaining carrying value of the operating lease
ROU
asset is amortized from the date we commit to a plan to abandon the lease to the expected date that we will cease to use the leased property. Leases to be abandoned in which we have the intent or practical ability to sublease continue to be accounted for under a held and use model, with no change to the amortization period of the operating lease
ROU
asset, and are evaluated for impairment as a separate asset group at the date the sublease is executed.
Additional information regarding our leases is included in Note
8
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements herein and Note
1
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
Audit Premium
Workers’ compensation premiums are determined based upon the payroll of the insured, respective premium rates and, where applicable, an experience-based modification factor. An audit of the policyholders’ records is conducted after policy expiration to make a final determination of applicable premiums. Audit premium due from or due to a policyholder as a result of an audit is reflected in net premiums written and earned when billed. We track, by policy, the amount of additional premium billed in final audit invoices as a percentage of payroll exposure and use this information to estimate the probable additional amount of
EBUB
premium as of the balance sheet date. We include changes to the
EBUB
premium estimate in net premiums written and earned in the period recognized. We reduced our EBUB premium estimate by
$0.4 million
and
$1.3 million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, which primarily reflected a reduction in earned payroll
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exposure. As a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, we expect future reductions in payroll exposure related to in-force policies that could result in a significant decrease in audit premium and our EBUB estimate. We will continue to monitor and adjust the estimate, if necessary, based on changes in insured payrolls and economic conditions, as experience develops or new information becomes known; however, the length and magnitude of such changes depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Lloyd’s Premium Estimates
For certain insurance policies and reinsurance contracts written in our Lloyd’s Syndicates segment, premiums are initially recognized based upon estimates of ultimate premium. Estimated ultimate premium consists primarily of premium written under delegated underwriting authority arrangements, which consist primarily of binding authorities, and certain assumed reinsurance agreements. These estimates of ultimate premium are judgmental and are dependent upon certain assumptions, including historical premium trends for similar agreements. As reports are received from programs, ultimate premium estimates are revised, if necessary, with changes reflected in current operations.
Accounting Changes
During the second quarter of 2020, we early adopted ASU 2019-12 which is intended to simplify various aspects related to accounting for income taxes. The most impactful provision of the new guidance on the Company is the removal of the limitation on the tax benefit recognized on pre-tax losses during interim periods in which the year-to-date loss exceeds the expected loss for the fiscal year.
We did not have any other change in accounting estimate or policy that had a material effect on our results of operations or financial position during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. We are not aware of any accounting changes not yet adopted as of
September 30, 2020
that would have a material effect on our results of operation, financial position or cash flows. Note
1
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements provides additional detail regarding accounting changes not yet adopted.
Liquidity and Capital Resources and Financial Condition
Overview
ProAssurance Corporation is a holding company and is a legal entity separate and distinct from its subsidiaries. As a holding company, our principal source of external revenue is our investment revenues. In addition, dividends from our operating subsidiaries represent another source of funds for our obligations, including debt service and shareholder dividends. We also charge our operating subsidiaries within our
Specialty P&C
and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments a management fee based on the extent to which services are provided to the subsidiary and the amount of gross premium written by the subsidiary. At
September 30, 2020
, we held cash and liquid investments of approximately
$266 million
outside our insurance subsidiaries that were available for use without regulatory approval or other restriction. We also have
$250 million
in permitted borrowings available under our
Revolving Credit Agreement
as well as the possibility of a
$50 million
accordion feature, if successfully subscribed. As of
October 30, 2020
, no borrowings were outstanding under our
Revolving Credit Agreement
.
To date, during
2020
, our operating subsidiaries have paid dividends to us of approximately
$117 million
, which included extraordinary dividends of
$64 million
. In the aggregate, our insurance subsidiaries are permitted to pay additional dividends of approximately
$46 million
over the remainder of
2020
without prior approval of state insurance regulators. However, the payment of any dividend requires prior notice to the insurance regulator in the state of domicile, and the regulator may reduce or prevent the dividend if, in its judgment, payment of the dividend would have an adverse effect on the surplus of the insurance subsidiary. We make the decision to pay dividends from an insurance subsidiary based on the capital needs of that subsidiary and may pay less than the permitted dividend or may also request permission to pay an additional amount (an extraordinary dividend).
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Cash Flows
Cash flows between periods compare as follows:
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
Change
Net cash provided (used) by:
Operating activities
$
73,173
$
128,803
$
(55,630
)
Investing activities
21,999
(25,717
)
47,716
Financing activities
(38,593
)
(81,346
)
42,753
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$
56,579
$
21,740
$
34,839
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2019
2018
Change
Net cash provided (used) by:
Operating activities
$
128,803
$
146,394
$
(17,591
)
Investing activities
(25,717
)
234,783
(260,500
)
Financing activities
(81,346
)
(428,113
)
346,767
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$
21,740
$
(46,936
)
$
68,676
The principal components of our operating cash flows are the excess of premiums collected and net investment income over losses paid and operating costs, including income taxes. Timing delays exist between the collection of premiums and the payment of losses associated with the premiums. Premiums are generally collected within the twelve-month period after the policy is written, while our claim payments are generally paid over a more extended period of time. Likewise, timing delays exist between the payment of claims and the collection of any associated reinsurance recoveries.
The decrease in operating cash flows for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
of
$55.6 million
was primarily due to an increase in paid losses of
$85.8 million
driven by our Specialty P&C and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segments. The increase in paid losses in our Specialty P&C segment was primarily due to higher average claim payments which we believe is an early indication that the higher severity trends that we are experiencing in our HCPL case reserve estimates are starting to emerge in actual claim payments. The increase in paid losses in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment reflected the payment of a $10 million claim during the first quarter of 2020 by an SPC at Eastern Re in which we do not participate. The payment related to a reserve established by the SPC in 2019 related to an errors and omissions liability policy. Additionally, the decrease in operating cash flows reflected a decrease in net cash received of
$7.4 million
associated with the cash settlement of the 2017 calendar year quota share reinsurance arrangement between our Specialty P&C segment and Syndicate 1729 due to the reduction in premiums ceded to Syndicate 1729. Furthermore, the decrease in operating cash flows also reflected one-time expenses of
$3.2 million
primarily related to employee severance and early retirement benefits paid to certain employees during the
third
quarter of
2020
. The decrease in operating cash flows was somewhat offset by an increase in net premium receipts of
$34.6 million
, a decrease in 2020 net tax payments as compared to 2019 of
$7.8 million
and an increase in cash received from investment income of
$3.8 million
. The increase in net premium receipts was driven by our Specialty P&C segment due to
$14.3 million
of tail premium received from a large national healthcare account during the second quarter of 2020 (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section that follows). The decrease in net tax payments was primarily due to refunds received during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. The increase in cash received from investment income was primarily due to an increase in distributed earnings and redemptions from our portfolio of investments in
LP
s/
LLC
s. The remaining variance in operating cash flows for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
was comprised of individually insignificant components.
The decrease in operating cash flows for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
as compared to the
nine months ended
September 30, 2018
of
$17.6 million
was primarily due to an increase in paid losses of
$19.0 million
and a decrease in cash received from investment income of
$16.0 million
. The increase in paid losses was driven by our Workers' Compensation Insurance and Specialty P&C segments primarily due to the timing of loss payments between periods. The decrease in cash received from investment income was primarily due to a decline in distributed earnings from our unconsolidated subsidiaries. In addition, the decrease in operating cash flows reflected a decrease in net cash received of
$7.1 million
associated with the cash settlement of the 2017 and 2016 calendar year quota share reinsurance arrangements between our Specialty P&C segment and Syndicate 1729 due to the reduction in premiums ceded to Syndicate 1729. The decrease in operating cash flows was partially offset by an increase in net premium receipts of
$20.5 million
and a decrease in cash paid for operating expenses of
$3.7 million
. The increase in net premium receipts was primarily due to the growth in written premium in our Lloyd's
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Syndicates and Specialty P&C segments. The decrease in cash paid for operating expenses was largely attributable to a decrease in other compensation related costs in our Corporate segment, primarily as a result of lower bonuses, and, to a lesser extent, our Lloyd's Syndicates segment primarily due to the effect of higher operational expenses incurred during 2018 associated with the establishment of Syndicate 6131. The remaining variance in operating cash flows for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
as compared to the
nine months ended
September 30, 2018
was comprised of individually insignificant components.
We manage our investing cash flows to ensure that we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our obligations, taking into consideration the timing of cash flows from our investments, including interest payments, dividends and principal payments, as well as the expected cash flows to be generated by our operations as discussed in this section under the heading "Investing Activities and Related Cash Flows."
Our financing cash flows are primarily composed of dividend payments and borrowings and repayments under our
Revolving Credit Agreement
. See further discussion of our financing activities in this section under "Financing Activities and Related Cash Flows."
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Operating Activities and Related Cash Flows
Reinsurance
Within our
Specialty P&C
segment, we use insurance and reinsurance (collectively, “reinsurance”) to provide capacity to write larger limits of liability, to provide reimbursement for losses incurred under the higher limit coverages we offer and to provide protection against losses in excess of policy limits. Within our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment, we use reinsurance to reduce our net liability on individual risks, to mitigate the effect of significant loss occurrences (including catastrophic events), to stabilize underwriting results and to increase underwriting capacity by decreasing leverage. In both our
Specialty P&C
and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments, we use reinsurance in risk sharing arrangements to align our objectives with those of our strategic business partners and to provide custom insurance solutions for large customer groups. The purchase of reinsurance does not relieve us from the ultimate risk on our policies; however, it does provide reimbursement for certain losses we pay. We pay our reinsurers a premium in exchange for reinsurance of the risk. In certain of our excess of loss arrangements, the premium due to the reinsurer is determined by the loss experience of the business reinsured, subject to certain minimum and maximum amounts. Until all loss amounts are known, we estimate the premium due to the reinsurer. Changes to the estimate of premium owed under reinsurance agreements related to prior periods are recorded in the period in which the change in estimate occurs and can have a significant effect on net premiums earned.
We offer alternative market solutions whereby we cede certain premiums from our Workers' Compensation Insurance and
Specialty P&C
segments to either the
SPC
s at
Inova Re
or
Eastern Re
, our Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiaries which are reported in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment, or, to a limited extent, an unaffiliated captive insurer for one program. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, we wrote total alternative market premium of approximately
$16.1 million
and
$61.5 million
, respectively, and approximately
$17.4 million
and
$73.0 million
during the same respective periods of 2019. The majority of these policies (
$15.9 million
and
$58.1 million
of premium for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, and
$17.3 million
and
$70.1 million
for the same respective periods of
2019
) are reinsured to the
SPC
s at
Inova Re
or
Eastern Re
, net of a ceding commission. Each SPC at
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
is owned, fully or in part, by an agency, group or association, and the results of the
SPC
s are due to the participants of that cell. We participate to a varying degree in the results of selected
SPC
s and, for the
SPC
s in which we participate, our participation interest ranges from a low of
20%
to a high of
85%
.
SPC
results attributable to external cell participants are reflected as an
SPC
dividend expense (income) in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment. See further discussion on our
SPC
operations in the Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance section that follows. The alternative market workers' compensation policies are ceded from our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment to the
SPC
s under 100% quota share reinsurance agreements. The alternative market healthcare professional liability policies are ceded from our
Specialty P&C
segment to the
SPC
s under either excess of loss or quota share reinsurance agreements, depending on the structure of the individual program. The nominal portion of the risk that is not ceded to an
SPC
is retained in our
Specialty P&C
segment and may also be reinsured under our standard healthcare professional liability reinsurance program depending on the policy limits provided. The remaining premium written in our alternative market business of
$0.1 million
and
$2.8 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, and
$2.4 million
for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
related to one program that was 100% ceded to an unaffiliated captive insurer.
For all of our segments, we make a determination of the amount of insurance risk we choose to retain based upon numerous factors, including our risk tolerance and the capital we have to support it, the price and availability of reinsurance, the volume of business, our level of experience with a particular set of exposures and our analysis of the potential underwriting results. We purchase excess of loss reinsurance to limit the amount of risk we retain and we do so from a number of companies to mitigate concentrations of credit risk. We utilize reinsurance brokers to assist us in the placement of these reinsurance programs and in the analysis of the credit quality of our reinsurers. The determination of which reinsurers we choose to do business with is based upon an evaluation of their then current financial strength, rating and stability. However, the financial strength of our reinsurers and their corresponding ability to pay us may change in the future due to circumstances or events we cannot control or anticipate.
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Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreements
We generally reinsure risks under treaties (our excess of loss reinsurance agreements) pursuant to which the reinsurers agree to assume all or a portion of all risks that we insure above our individual risk retention levels, up to the maximum individual limits offered. Generally, these agreements are negotiated and renewed annually. Our
HCPL
treaty renews annually on October 1 and, for the October 1, 2020 renewal, we increased our retention to $2 million from $1 million and added provisions for reinstatement premiums which resulted in a reduction to the gross rate paid under the renewed treaty. Historically, our Medical Technology Liability treaty renewed annually on January 1; however, the treaty that renewed on January 1, 2020 renewed on a short-term basis and was renewed again for a full year term on October 1, 2020 along with our HCPL treaty. Our Medical Technology Liability treaty which renewed on October 1, 2020 renewed at a lower rate than the previous agreement, with an increase in retention to $2 million from $1 million. Our Workers' Compensation treaty renews annually on May 1. Our traditional workers' compensation treaty renewed May 1, 2020 at a higher rate than the previous agreement, with an increase in the
AAD
to 3.16% from 2.1% of subject earned premium, in excess of the $0.5 million retention per loss occurrence; all other material treaty terms were consistent with the expiring agreement. The significant coverages provided by our current excess of loss reinsurance agreements are detailed in the following table.
Excess of Loss Reinsurance Agreements
Healthcare Professional Liability
Medical Technology & Life Sciences Products
Workers'
Compensation - Traditional
(1)
Effective October 1, 2020, one prepaid limit reinstatement of
$21M
and a second limit reinstatement of up to
$21M
for the second layer, subject to reinstatement premium, which attaches after the first reinstatement has been completely exhausted. All limit reinstatements thereafter require no additional premium.
(2)
Prior to October 1, 2020, retention has been $1M.
(3)
Historically, retention has ranged from
5%
to
32.5%
.
(4)
Historically, retention has ranged from
$1M
to
$2M
.
(5)
Includes an AAD where retention is
3.16%
of subject earned premium in annual losses otherwise recoverable in excess of the
$500K
retention per loss occurrence.
Large
HCPL
risks that are above the limits of our basic reinsurance treaties are reinsured on a facultative basis, whereby the reinsurer agrees to insure a particular risk up to a designated limit. We also have in place a number of risk sharing arrangements that apply to the first $2 million of losses for certain large healthcare systems and other insurance entities, as well as with certain insurance agencies that produce business for us.
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Table of Contents
Other Reinsurance Arrangements
For the workers' compensation business ceded to
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
, each
SPC
has in place its own reinsurance arrangements; which are illustrated in the following table.
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
Per Occurrence Coverage
Aggregate Coverage
(1)
The attachment point is based on a percentage of written premium within individual cells (average is 89%) and varies by cell.
Each
SPC
has participants and the profit or loss of each cell accrues fully to these cell participants. As previously discussed, we participate in certain
SPC
s to a varying degree. Each
SPC
maintains a loss fund initially equal to the difference between premium assumed by the cell and the ceding commission. The external participants of each cell provide collateral to us, typically in the form of a letter of credit, that is initially equal to the difference between the loss fund of the
SPC
(amount of funds available to pay losses after deduction of ceding commission) and the aggregate attachment point of the reinsurance. Over time, an
SPC
's retained profits are considered in the determination of the collateral amount required to be provided by the cell's external participants.
Within our
Lloyd's
Syndicates segment,
Syndicate 1729
utilizes reinsurance to provide capacity to write larger limits of liability on individual risks, to provide protection against catastrophic loss and to provide protection against losses in excess of policy limits. The level of reinsurance that
Syndicate 1729
purchases is dependent on a number of factors, including its underwriting risk appetite for catastrophic exposure, the specific risks inherent in each line or class of business written and the pricing, coverage and terms and conditions available from the reinsurance market. Reinsurance protection by line of business is as follows:
•
Reinsurance is utilized on a per risk basis for the property insurance and casualty coverages in order to mitigate risk volatility.
•
Catastrophic protection is utilized on both our property insurance and casualty coverages to protect against losses in excess of policy limits as well as natural catastrophes.
•
Both quota share reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance are utilized to manage the net loss exposure on our property reinsurance coverages.
•
Property umbrella excess of loss reinsurance is utilized for peak catastrophe and frequency of catastrophe exposures.
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Table of Contents
•
External excess of loss reinsurance is utilized by
Syndicate 1729
to manage the net loss exposure on the specialty property and contingency coverages ceded to
Syndicate 6131
. Beginning on July 1, 2020, external quota share reinsurance is utilized by
Syndicate 6131
to manage the net loss exposure on the specialty property and contingency coverages it assumes from
Syndicate 1729
(see further discussion in Segment Results - Lloyd's Syndicates section that follows).
Syndicate 1729
may still be exposed to losses that exceed the level of reinsurance purchased as well as to reinstatement premiums triggered by losses exceeding specified levels. Cash demands on
Syndicate 1729
can vary significantly depending on the nature and intensity of a loss event. For significant reinsured catastrophe losses, the inability or unwillingness of the reinsurer to make timely payments under the terms of the reinsurance agreement could have an adverse effect on
Syndicate 1729
's liquidity.
Taxes
We are subject to the tax laws and regulations of the U.S. and U.K. We file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return that includes the holding company and its U.S. subsidiaries. Our filing obligations include a requirement to make quarterly payments of estimated taxes to the IRS using the corporate tax rate effective for the tax year. We did not make any quarterly estimated tax payments during either of the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
or 2019.
As a result of the CARES Act that was signed into law on March 27, 2020, as previously discussed, we now have the ability to carryback NOLs generated in tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020 for up to five years. We have an NOL of approximately
$26.1 million
from the 2019 tax year that will be carried back to the 2014 tax year and is expected to generate a tax refund of approximately
$9.1 million
. Furthermore, our effective tax rate for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
was affected by the tax rate differential on the carryback of the 2020 and 2019 NOLs to the 2015 and 2014 tax years, respectively, when the federal statutory tax rate was 35% as compared to the current tax rate of 21%. See further discussion on our effective tax rate for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
in the Segment Results - Corporate section that follows under the heading "Taxes." We have evaluated the other provisions of the CARES Act and concluded that they will not have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations. See further discussion in Note
4
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Litigation
We are involved in various legal actions related to insurance policies and claims handling including, but not limited to, claims asserted against us by policyholders. These types of legal actions arise in the ordinary course of business and, in accordance with
GAAP
for insurance entities, are generally considered as a part of our loss reserving process, which is described in detail in our Critical Accounting Estimates section under the heading "Reserve for Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses." We also have other direct actions against the Company unrelated to our claims activity which we evaluate and account for as a part of our other liabilities. For these corporate legal actions, we evaluate each case separately and establish what we believe is an appropriate reserve based on
GAAP
guidance related to contingent liabilities. As of
September 30, 2020
there were no material reserves established for corporate legal actions.
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Table of Contents
Investing Activities and Related Cash Flows
Our investments at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
are comprised as follows:
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
($ in thousands)
Carrying
Value
% of Total Investment
Carrying
Value
% of Total Investment
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
117,364
3
%
$
110,467
3
%
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
11,055
1
%
17,340
1
%
State and municipal bonds
319,092
9
%
296,093
9
%
Corporate debt
1,307,181
39
%
1,340,364
40
%
Residential mortgage-backed securities
247,318
7
%
208,408
6
%
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
113,247
3
%
80,089
2
%
Other asset-backed securities
270,828
8
%
236,024
7
%
Total fixed maturities, available-for-sale
2,386,085
70
%
2,288,785
68
%
Fixed maturities, trading
53,081
2
%
47,284
1
%
Total fixed maturities
2,439,166
72
%
2,336,069
69
%
Equity investments
129,385
4
%
250,552
7
%
Short-term investments
377,539
12
%
339,907
10
%
BOLI
67,393
2
%
66,112
2
%
Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries
312,848
9
%
358,820
11
%
Other investments
40,650
1
%
38,949
1
%
Total investments
$
3,366,981
100
%
$
3,390,409
100
%
At
September 30, 2020
,
99%
of our investments in available-for-sale fixed maturity securities were rated and the average rating was
A+
. The distribution of our investments in available-for-sale fixed maturity securities by rating were as follows:
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
($ in thousands)
Carrying
Value
% of Total Investment
Carrying
Value
% of Total Investment
Rating*
AAA
$
689,929
29
%
$
677,554
30
%
AA+
97,227
4
%
84,991
3
%
AA
165,896
7
%
152,118
7
%
AA-
117,084
5
%
153,377
7
%
A+
204,922
9
%
182,966
8
%
A
316,729
13
%
338,697
15
%
A-
240,140
10
%
171,553
7
%
BBB+
178,727
7
%
182,041
8
%
BBB
179,415
7
%
155,935
7
%
BBB-
56,809
2
%
52,523
2
%
Below investment grade
133,107
6
%
130,929
5
%
Not rated
6,100
1
%
6,101
1
%
Total
$
2,386,085
100
%
$
2,288,785
100
%
*Average of three NRSRO sources, presented as an S&P equivalent. Source: S&P, Copyright ©2020, S&P Global Market Intelligence
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Table of Contents
A detailed listing of our investment holdings as of
September 30, 2020
is located under the Financial Information heading on the Investor Relations page of our website which can be reached directly at www.proassurance.com/investmentholdings or through links from the Investor Relations section of our website, investor.proassurance.com.
We manage our investments to ensure that we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our obligations, taking into consideration the timing of cash flows from our investments, including interest payments, dividends and principal payments, as well as the expected cash flows to be generated by our operations. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, we received and granted requests for
premium relief
for certain insureds that have been adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic in the form of either premium credits or premium deferrals. While premium credits and deferrals granted during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
did not have a significant impact on our liquidity, additional premium relief efforts could have an impact on our cash flows to be generated from our operations in future quarters and could result in an increase to our allowance for expected credit losses related to our premiums receivable. In addition to the interest and dividends we will receive from our investments, we anticipate that between
$50 million
and
$120 million
of our portfolio will mature (or be paid down) each quarter over the next twelve months and become available, if needed, to meet our cash flow requirements. In response to COVID-19, we have reduced the rate of reinvestment of these cash flows in order to allow for additional cash availability. The primary outflow of cash at our insurance subsidiaries is related to paid losses and operating costs, including income taxes. The payment of individual claims cannot be predicted with certainty; therefore, we rely upon the history of paid claims in estimating the timing of future claims payments with consideration to current and anticipated industry trends and macroeconomic conditions, including the impacts of COVID-19. To the extent that we may have an unanticipated shortfall in cash, we may either liquidate securities or borrow funds under existing borrowing arrangements through our
Revolving Credit Agreement
and the
FHLB
system. Permitted borrowings under our
Revolving Credit Agreement
are
$250 million
with the possibility of an additional
$50 million
accordion feature, if successfully subscribed. Given the duration of our investments, we do not foresee a shortfall that would require us to meet operating cash needs through additional borrowings. Additional information regarding our
Revolving Credit Agreement
is detailed in Note
9
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
At
September 30, 2020
, our
FAL
was comprised of fixed maturity securities with a fair value of
$98.3 million
and cash and cash equivalents of
$7.5 million
deposited with
Lloyd's
. See further discussion in Note
3
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. During the third quarter of
2020
, we received a return of approximately
$32.3 million
of
FAL
given the reduction in our participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
for the
2020
underwriting year to
29%
from
61%
.
Our investment portfolio continues to be primarily composed of high quality fixed income securities with approximately
93%
of our fixed maturities being investment grade securities as determined by national rating agencies. The weighted average effective duration of our fixed maturity securities at
September 30, 2020
was
3.17
years; the weighted average effective duration of our fixed maturity securities combined with our short-term securities was
2.74
years.
The carrying value and unfunded commitments for certain of our investments were as follows:
Carrying Value
September 30, 2020
($ in thousands, except expected funding period)
September 30, 2020
December 31, 2019
Unfunded Commitment
Expected funding period in years
Qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships
(1)
$
32,263
$
46,421
$
771
6
Historic tax credit partnership
(2)
—
2,085
276
1
All other investments, primarily investment fund LPs/LLCs
280,585
310,314
127,734
4
Total
$
312,848
$
358,820
$
128,781
(1)
The carrying value reflects our total commitments (both funded and unfunded) to the partnerships, less any amortization, since our initial investment. We fund these investments based on funding schedules maintained by the partnerships.
(2)
The carrying value reflects our funded commitments less any amortization.
Investment fund
LP
s/
LLC
s are by nature less liquid and may involve more risk than other investments. We manage our risk through diversification of asset class and geographic location. At
September 30, 2020
, we had investments in
32
separate investment funds with a total carrying value of
$280.6 million
which represented approximately
8%
of our total investments. Our investment fund
LP
s/
LLC
s generate earnings from trading portfolios, secured debt, debt securities, multi-strategy funds and private equity investments, and the performance of these
LP
s/
LLC
s is affected by the volatility of equity and credit markets. For our investments in
LP
s/
LLC
s, we record our allocable portion of the partnership operating income or loss as the results of the
LP
s/
LLC
s become available, typically following the end of a reporting period.
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Table of Contents
Acquisitions
We have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
NORCAL
, an underwriter of medical professional liability insurance, subject to the demutualization of
NORCAL Mutual
,
NORCAL
's ultimate controlling party. Given the various remaining regulatory approvals required, we are targeting to close the transaction in early 2021. Subject to NORCAL’s conversion from a mutual company to a stock company, we have agreed to acquire 100% of the converted company stock in exchange for base consideration of
$450 million
and contingent consideration of up to an additional
$150 million
depending on the development of NORCAL’s ultimate losses over a three-year period following the acquisition date. The actual final cost of the transaction could vary due to the ability of NORCAL’s policyholders to elect forms of consideration other than stock in the demutualization transaction as provided by California law. Those alternative consideration options are tied to an appraised value of NORCAL as determined by the California insurance regulator rather than the price per share we have agreed to pay for 100% of NORCAL assuming that all policyholders elect to receive stock. Further, the transaction is subject to a number of closing conditions, including a maximum threshold for one of the alternative forms of consideration in the demutualization, a minimum threshold for the number of NORCAL shares tendered to us, and various required regulatory approvals, as previously mentioned. The Agreement and Plan of Acquisition was previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to ProAssurance's March 31, 2020 report on Form 10-Q. We plan to utilize our
Revolving Credit Agreement
to partially finance the acquisition (see further discussion on our
Revolving Credit Agreement
in this section under the heading "Debt"). The COVID-19 pandemic’s potential disruption to our business operations may require us to access our
Revolving Credit Agreement
for other purposes including working capital, capital expenditures or other general corporate requirements. If needed, we may be required to obtain additional financing and our ability to arrange such financing or refinancing will depend on, among other factors, our financial position and performance, as well as prevailing market conditions and other factors beyond our control. As a result, we may be compelled to take additional measures to preserve our cash flow, including the reduction of operating expenses or reduction or suspension of dividend payments, at least until the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic improve. We believe that funds available under the Revolving Credit Agreement, along with cash generated from our operations and investment portfolio, will be sufficient to meet our liquidity needs.
Financing Activities and Related Cash Flows
Treasury Shares
During the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, we did not repurchase any common shares and, as of
October 30, 2020
, our remaining Board authorization was approximately
$110 million
.
ProAssurance Shareholder Dividends
Our Board declared quarterly cash dividends of
$0.31
per share during the first quarter of
2020
,
$0.05
per share during each of the second and third quarters of
2020
and
$0.31
per share during each of the first three quarters of
2019
. Dividends are paid the month following the quarter in which they are declared. Dividends paid in the first nine months of
2019
included a special dividend of
$0.50
per share declared in the fourth quarter of
2018
. Given our current earnings profile, the effects that underlying conditions in the broader insurance marketplace continue to have on our results and the uncertainties introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, our Board made the decision to reduce our quarterly cash dividend from
$0.31
per share to
$0.05
per share, beginning with the dividend that was declared during the second quarter of 2020. Any decision to pay future cash dividends is subject to the Board’s final determination after a comprehensive review of financial performance, future expectations and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.
Debt
At
September 30, 2020
our debt included
$250 million
of outstanding unsecured senior notes. The notes bear interest at
5.3%
annually and are due in 2023 although they may be redeemed in whole or part prior to maturity. There are no financial covenants associated with these notes.
We have a
Revolving Credit Agreement
, which expires in
November 2024
, that may be used for general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, short-term working capital, share repurchases as authorized by the Board and support for other activities, such as the planned acquisition of NORCAL, as previously discussed under the heading "Acquisitions." Our
Revolving Credit Agreement
permits borrowings of up to
$250 million
as well as the possibility of a
$50 million
accordion feature, if successfully subscribed. At
September 30, 2020
, there were no outstanding borrowings on our
Revolving Credit Agreement
; we are in compliance with the financial covenants of the
Revolving Credit Agreement
.
We have Mortgage Loans with one lender in connection with the recapitalization of two office buildings, which mature in
December 2027
. The Mortgage Loans accrue interest at three-month
LIBOR
plus
1.325%
with principal and interest payable on a quarterly basis. At
September 30, 2020
, the outstanding balance of the Mortgage Loans was approximately
$36 million
; we are in compliance with the financial covenant of the Mortgage Loans.
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Table of Contents
Additional information regarding our debt is provided in Note
9
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
We utilize an interest rate cap agreement with a notional amount of
$35 million
to manage our exposure to increases in
LIBOR
on our Mortgage Loans. Per the interest rate cap agreement, we are entitled to receive cash payments if and when the three-month
LIBOR
exceeds
2.35%
. Additional information on our interest rate cap agreement is provided in Note
12
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
Two of our insurance subsidiaries are members of an
FHLB
. Through membership, those subsidiaries have access to secured cash advances which can be used for liquidity purposes or other operational needs. In order for us to use
FHLB
proceeds, regulatory approvals may be required depending on the nature of the transaction. To date, those subsidiaries have not materially utilized their membership for borrowing purposes.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no significant off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, capital balances, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources. See more information on our off-balance sheet arrangements in Note
7
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Table of Contents
Results of Operations –
Three and Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2020
Compared to
Three and Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2019
Selected consolidated financial data for each period is summarized in the table below.
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands, except per share data)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Revenues:
Net premiums written
$
213,260
$
228,058
$
(14,798
)
$
605,222
$
663,784
$
(58,562
)
Net premiums earned
$
194,559
$
215,788
$
(21,229
)
$
605,708
$
633,086
$
(27,378
)
Net investment result
21,777
22,404
(627
)
33,812
62,798
(28,986
)
Net realized investment gains (losses)
8,838
1,134
7,704
150
47,064
(46,914
)
Other income
1,723
2,548
(825
)
5,668
7,419
(1,751
)
Total revenues
226,897
241,874
(14,977
)
645,338
750,367
(105,029
)
Expenses:
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
145,581
161,614
(16,033
)
521,412
489,808
31,604
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
59,433
61,861
(2,428
)
180,178
185,960
(5,782
)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
871
—
871
1,573
—
1,573
Segregated portfolio cell dividend expense (income)
3,854
3,621
233
7,988
1,375
6,613
Interest expense
3,881
4,274
(393
)
11,725
12,850
(1,125
)
Goodwill impairment
161,115
—
161,115
161,115
—
161,115
Total expenses
374,735
231,370
143,365
883,991
689,993
193,998
Income (loss) before income taxes
(147,838
)
10,504
(158,342
)
(238,653
)
60,374
(299,027
)
Income tax expense (benefit)
2,141
(6,689
)
8,830
(48,621
)
(4
)
(48,617
)
Net income (loss)
$
(149,979
)
$
17,193
$
(167,172
)
$
(190,032
)
$
60,378
$
(250,410
)
Non-GAAP operating income (loss)
$
2,559
$
16,269
$
(13,710
)
$
(31,029
)
$
24,567
$
(55,596
)
Earnings (loss) per share:
Basic
$
(2.78
)
$
0.32
$
(3.10
)
$
(3.53
)
$
1.12
$
(4.65
)
Diluted
$
(2.78
)
$
0.32
$
(3.10
)
$
(3.53
)
$
1.12
$
(4.65
)
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) per share:
Basic
$
0.05
$
0.30
$
(0.25
)
$
(0.58
)
$
0.46
$
(1.04
)
Diluted
$
0.05
$
0.30
$
(0.25
)
$
(0.58
)
$
0.46
$
(1.04
)
Net loss ratio
74.8
%
74.9
%
(0.1
pts)
86.1
%
77.4
%
8.7
pts
Underwriting expense ratio
30.5
%
28.7
%
1.8
pts
29.7
%
29.4
%
0.3
pts
Combined ratio
105.3
%
103.6
%
1.7
pts
115.8
%
106.8
%
9.0
pts
Operating ratio
96.6
%
92.6
%
4.0
pts
106.6
%
95.7
%
10.9
pts
Effective tax rate
(1.4
%)
(63.7
%)
62.3
pts
20.4
%
—
%
20.4
pts
Return on equity*
(8.8
%)
4.3
%
(13.1
pts)
(14.1
%)
5.2
%
(19.3
pts)
* Annualized. The 2020 goodwill impairment was not annualized in our calculation of ROE.
In all tables that follow, the abbreviation "nm" indicates that the information or the percentage change is not meaningful.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary of Operations
The following sections provide an overview of our consolidated and segment results of operations for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
. See the Segment Results sections that follow for additional information regarding each segment's results.
Revenues
The following table shows our consolidated and segment net premiums earned:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net premiums earned
Specialty P&C
$
117,849
$
125,237
$
(7,388
)
(5.9
%)
$
365,305
$
375,315
$
(10,010
)
(2.7
%)
Workers' Compensation Insurance
42,516
49,477
(6,961
)
(14.1
%)
129,437
141,990
(12,553
)
(8.8
%)
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
16,052
19,779
(3,727
)
(18.8
%)
49,780
58,566
(8,786
)
(15.0
%)
Lloyd's Syndicates
18,142
21,295
(3,153
)
(14.8
%)
61,186
57,215
3,971
6.9
%
Consolidated total
$
194,559
$
215,788
$
(21,229
)
(9.8
%)
$
605,708
$
633,086
$
(27,378
)
(4.3
%)
For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, our consolidated net premiums earned included
$14.3 million
of tail premium written and fully earned during the second quarter of 2020 in connection with a large national healthcare account in our Specialty P&C segment (see further discussion under the heading "Expenses" in this section and in our Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section that follows). Consolidated net premiums earned for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
included $2.7 million of premium written and fully earned from a loss portfolio transfer entered into during the third quarter of 2019 in our Specialty P&C segment (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section that follows). Excluding the impact of the large national healthcare account's tail policy premium and the 2019 loss portfolio transfer, consolidated net premiums earned decreased
$18.5 million
and
$39.0 million
during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2019. The decrease in net premiums earned in our Specialty P&C segment for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was primarily due to our focus on underwriting discipline as we continue to emphasize careful risk selection, rate adequacy and a willingness to walk away from business that does not fit our goal of achieving a long-term underwriting profit, partially offset by changes in premium adjustments related to loss sensitive policies. For our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment, the decrease in net premiums earned for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
reflected the competitive workers' compensation market conditions, a reduction in our EBUB premium estimate and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, the reduction in premium funding for a large workers' compensation alternative market program and the impact of retrospectively-rated policy adjustments. The decrease in net premiums earned in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
also reflected the competitive workers' compensation market conditions. The decrease in net premiums earned in our Lloyd's Syndicates segment for the
2020
three-month period
was driven by our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
for the 2020 underwriting year to
29%
from
61%
. The increase in net premiums earned in our Lloyd's Syndicates segment for the
2020
nine-month period
was driven by the pro rata effect of higher premiums written during the preceding twelve months, primarily property insurance coverages, partially offset by our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
, as previously discussed, which was not reflected in our results until the second quarter of
2020
.
The following table shows our consolidated net investment result:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net investment income
$
16,924
$
23,681
$
(6,757
)
(28.5
%)
$
55,877
$
70,038
$
(14,161
)
(20.2
%)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
4,853
(1,277
)
6,130
480.0
%
(22,065
)
(7,240
)
(14,825
)
(204.8
%)
Net investment result
$
21,777
$
22,404
$
(627
)
(2.8
%)
$
33,812
$
62,798
$
(28,986
)
(46.2
%)
The decrease in our consolidated net investment result for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
was driven by a decrease in our allocation to equities and lower yields on our short-term investments and corporate debt securities given the actions taken by the Federal Reserve to aggressively reduce interest rates in response to COVID-19. Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries includes our share of the
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results of interests we hold in certain
LP
s/
LLC
s as well as operating losses associated with our tax credit partnership investments. Our tax credit partnerships are designed to generate returns in the form of tax credits and tax-deductible project operating losses. The change in our investment results from our portfolio of investments in
LP
s/
LLC
s for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of
2019
was driven by the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19.
The following table shows our total consolidated net realized investment gains (losses):
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings
$
—
$
(30
)
$
30
nm
$
(1,508
)
$
(78
)
$
(1,430
)
1,833.3
%
Other net realized investment gains (losses)
8,838
1,164
7,674
659.3
%
1,658
47,142
(45,484
)
(96.5
%)
Net realized investment gains (losses)
$
8,838
$
1,134
$
7,704
679.4
%
$
150
$
47,064
$
(46,914
)
(99.7
%)
We did not recognize any credit-related impairment losses in earnings or non-credit impairment losses in
OCI
for the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
. For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, we recognized
$1.5 million
of credit-related impairment losses in earnings and
$0.2 million
of non-credit impairment losses in
OCI
in our Corporate segment. The credit-related impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors. Additionally, the
2020
nine-month period
included credit-related impairment losses related to four corporate bonds in various sectors, which were sold during
2020
. The non-credit impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to three corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors.
Other net realized investment gains during the
2020
three-month period
were driven by gains in our available-for-sale fixed maturities in our Corporate segment due to the sale of corporate bonds and, to a lesser extent, unrealized holding gains resulting from an increase in fair value on our equity portfolio and convertible securities. Other net realized investment gains recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
were driven by realized gains on the sale of available-for-sale fixed maturities and equity investments in our Corporate segment and, to a lesser extent, unrealized holding gains on trading securities in our Lloyd's Syndicates segment, which were almost entirely offset by unrealized holding losses in our Corporate segment resulting from decreases in the fair value on our equity portfolio due to the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19. Other net realized investment gains recognized during 2019 reflected changes in the value of our equity trading portfolio and realized gains and losses from the sale of equity securities during the periods. See further discussion in our Segment Results - Corporate section that follows.
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Expenses
The following table shows our consolidated and segment net loss ratios and net loss development:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in millions)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Current accident year net loss ratio
Consolidated ratio
80.7
%
82.3
%
(1.6
pts)
91.8
%
84.0
%
7.8
pts
Specialty P&C
89.8
%
94.5
%
(4.7
pts)
107.9
%
93.9
%
14.0
pts
Workers' Compensation Insurance
66.9
%
68.2
%
(1.3
pts)
69.2
%
68.2
%
1.0
pts
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
67.3
%
66.1
%
1.2
pts
63.3
%
82.5
%
(19.2
pts)
Lloyd's Syndicates
65.9
%
58.3
%
7.6
pts
66.5
%
60.5
%
6.0
pts
Calendar year net loss ratio
Consolidated ratio
74.8
%
74.9
%
(0.1
pts)
86.1
%
77.4
%
8.7
pts
Specialty P&C
87.4
%
85.9
%
1.5
pts
102.2
%
85.6
%
16.6
pts
Workers' Compensation Insurance
62.2
%
65.4
%
(3.2
pts)
65.4
%
65.8
%
(0.4
pts)
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
42.7
%
49.4
%
(6.7
pts)
48.0
%
69.1
%
(21.1
pts)
Lloyd's Syndicates
51.4
%
55.9
%
(4.5
pts)
64.4
%
60.5
%
3.9
pts
Favorable (unfavorable) net loss development, prior accident years
Consolidated
$
11.5
$
15.9
$
(4.4
)
$
34.6
$
42.2
$
(7.6
)
Specialty P&C
$
2.9
$
10.7
$
(7.8
)
$
20.7
$
31.0
$
(10.3
)
Workers' Compensation Insurance
$
2.0
$
1.4
$
0.6
$
5.0
$
3.4
$
1.6
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
$
4.0
$
3.3
$
0.7
$
7.6
$
7.8
$
(0.2
)
Lloyd's Syndicates
$
2.6
$
0.5
$
2.1
$
1.3
$
—
$
1.3
The primary drivers of the change in our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of 2019 were as follows:
(In percentage points)
Increase (Decrease), 2020 versus 2019
Comparative
three-month
period
Comparative
nine-month
period
Estimated ratio increase (decrease) attributable to:
Premium adjustments on loss sensitive policies
(1.6 pts)
(0.6 pts)
Large national healthcare account tail policy
—
8.0 pts
COVID-19 reserve
—
1.7 pts
E&O liability policy reserve
—
(1.5 pts)
All other, net
—
0.2 pts
Increase (decrease) in the consolidated current accident year net loss ratio
(1.6 pts)
7.8 pts
Our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio for the 2020
three- and nine-month periods
was impacted by changes in premium adjustments related to loss sensitive policies in our Specialty P&C segment which accounted for approximately
1.6
and
0.6
percentage points, respectively, of the decrease in the ratio as compared to the same periods of 2019. For the
2020
nine-month period
our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio was also impacted by a tail policy purchased by a large national healthcare account and a COVID-19 reserve in our Specialty P&C segment which accounted for an
8.0
and
1.7
percentage point increase in the ratio, respectively (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section that follows). Our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
was affected by a $10 million reserve that an SPC at Eastern Re established during the second quarter of 2019 associated with an assumed E&O liability policy which accounted for a
1.5
percentage point decrease to our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same period of 2019 (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance section that follows). Excluding the impacts of the previously discussed items, our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio was unchanged during the
2020
three-month
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period
and increased
0.2
percentage points during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
. The remaining increase in the ratio during the
2020
nine-month period
was driven by a higher current accident year net loss ratio in our Lloyd's Syndicates and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments, partially offset by a lower current accident year net loss ratio in our Specialty P&C segment. In our Lloyd's Syndicates segment, the higher current accident year net loss ratio was driven by certain property and catastrophe related losses incurred during
2020
. For our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment, the higher current accident year net loss ratio was driven by the continuation of intense price competition and the resulting renewal rate decreases, as well as the effect of lower net premiums earned, partially offset by favorable trends in claim closing patterns that reduced loss development factors. The lower current accident year net loss ratio in our Specialty P&C segment, excluding the items discussed above, was primarily due to decreases in certain loss ratios during the second quarter of 2020 in our Standard Physician and Small Business Unit lines as a result of our re-underwriting efforts and focus on rate adequacy (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Specialty P&C section that follows).
In both the
2020
and
2019
three- and nine-month periods
, our consolidated calendar year net loss ratio was lower than our consolidated current accident year net loss ratio due to the recognition of net favorable prior year reserve development, as shown in a previous table. Net favorable prior year reserve development recognized in the
2020
nine-month period
was lower as compared to the same respective period of
2019
driven by our
Specialty P&C
segment given our concerns around elevated loss severity in the broader medical professional liability industry, including our Specialty lines of business, and uncertainties around the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately have on variables such as premium volume, claims frequency and severity, historical paid and incurred loss trends, general economic and social trends, inflation and the legal and political environment. In both our Specialty P&C and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments, we have observed a reduction in claims frequency as compared to 2019, likely associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. During the third quarter of 2020, we reduced our current accident year net loss ratio in our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment in response to the continuation of favorable trends in 2020, including lower claims frequency and severity; however,
we have remained cautious in recognizing these favorable frequency trends in our current accident year reserve due to the possibility of delays in reporting and
uncertainty surrounding the length and severity of the pandemic. As it relates to our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment, legislative and regulatory bodies in certain states are attempting to broaden compensability requirements for COVID-19 claims and, if successful, could result in an increase in claims frequency and severity for the current accident year. Furthermore, as it relates to both our Workers' Compensation Insurance and Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segments, the current economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have introduced significant risk of a prolonged recession, which could have an adverse impact on our return to wellness efforts and the ability of injured workers to return to work, resulting in a potential reduction in favorable claim trends in future periods.
Our consolidated and segment underwriting expense ratios were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Underwriting Expense Ratio
Consolidated
30.5
%
28.7
%
1.8
pts
29.7
%
29.4
%
0.3
pts
Specialty P&C
23.8
%
23.7
%
0.1
pts
22.7
%
23.8
%
(1.1
pts)
Workers' Compensation Insurance
35.2
%
30.1
%
5.1
pts
32.9
%
30.6
%
2.3
pts
Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
31.4
%
30.1
%
1.3
pts
31.1
%
29.2
%
1.9
pts
Lloyd's Syndicates
38.2
%
44.2
%
(6.0
pts)
38.2
%
44.5
%
(6.3
pts)
Corporate*
2.6
%
1.2
%
1.4
pts
2.9
%
2.0
%
0.9
pts
*There are no net premiums earned associated with the Corporate segment. Ratios shown are the contribution of the Corporate segment to the consolidated ratio (Corporate operating expenses divided by consolidated net premium earned).
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The primary drivers of the change in our consolidated underwriting expense ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of 2019 were as follows:
(In percentage points)
Increase (Decrease), 2020 versus 2019
Comparative
three-month
period
Comparative
nine-month
period
Estimated ratio increase (decrease) attributable to:
Decrease in consolidated net premiums earned and DPAC amortization
(1)
1.8 pts
1.7 pts
One-time expenses
1.6 pts
0.9 pts
Professional fees
0.5 pts
0.5 pts
Large national healthcare account tail policy premium
(2)
— pts
(0.8 pts)
All other, net
(2.1 pts)
(2.0 pts)
Increase (decrease) in the consolidated underwriting expense ratio
1.8 pts
0.3 pts
(1)
Excludes the large national healthcare account tail policy premium in 2020 and certain one-time expenses included in DPAC amortization of $0.3 million and $0.6 million in the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. See further discussion in Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty section.
(2)
See previous discussion under the heading "Revenues"
Our consolidated underwriting expense ratio for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was impacted by a decline in consolidated net premiums earned which outpaced the decline in consolidated DPAC amortization, accounting for
1.8
and
1.7
percentage points, respectively, of the increase in the ratio, driven by our Specialty P&C and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments. Our consolidated underwriting expense ratio also reflected one-time expenses of
$3.2 million
and
$5.4 million
during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, mainly comprised of early retirement benefits granted to certain employees during the third quarter of 2020 and expenses associated with the restructuring of our HCPL field office organization, largely during the first half of 2020. In addition, our consolidated underwriting expense ratio for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
also reflected an increase in professional fees in our Corporate segment associated with our planned acquisition of NORCAL and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, corporate legal expenses. The remaining decrease in our consolidated underwriting expense ratio for the 2020
three- and nine-month periods
of
2.1
and
2.0
percentage points, respectively, primarily reflected lower operating expenses in our Lloyd's Syndicates segment due to our reduced participation in Syndicate 1729 and lower consolidated travel-related costs due to COVID-19. The remaining decrease in our consolidated underwriting expense ratio also reflected the impact of a decrease in various operational expenses resulting from incremental improvements over the past year in our Specialty P&C segment including organizational structure enhancements and improved operating efficiencies.
Taxes
Our provision for income taxes and effective tax rates for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
were as follows:
($ in thousands)
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
Income (loss) before income taxes
$
(238,653
)
$
60,374
$
(299,027
)
(495.3
%)
Income tax expense (benefit)
(48,621
)
(4
)
(48,617
)
nm
Net income (loss)
$
(190,032
)
$
60,378
$
(250,410
)
(414.7
%)
Effective tax rate
20.4
%
—
%
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Projected annual effective tax rate
59.3
%
(54.4
%)
Tax effect of discrete items
(38.9
%)
54.4
%
Total effective tax rate
20.4
%
—
%
We recognized an income tax benefit of
$48.6 million
for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to a nominal income tax benefit during the same period of
2019
; however, the comparability of our effective tax rates is impacted
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by the consolidated pre-tax loss recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the consolidated pre-tax income recognized in the
2019
nine-month period
.
Our projected annual effective tax rates were
59.3%
and
(54.4%)
as of
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, respectively, before discrete items were considered. Our projected annual effective tax rate as of
September 30, 2020
and
September 30, 2019
represents an expected benefit; however, the comparability of our projected annual effective tax rates is impacted by our projection of a pre-tax loss at
September 30, 2020
compared to our projection of pre-tax income at
September 30, 2019
. Discrete items decreased our effective tax rate by
38.9%
and increased our effective tax rate by
54.4%
for the
2020
and
2019
nine-month period
s, respectively, as shown in the table above. Our projected annual effective tax rates as of
September 30, 2020
and
2019
were different from the statutory federal income tax rate of 21% primarily due to the benefit recognized from the tax credits transferred to us from our tax credit partnership investments. For further discussion of the discrete items impacting our effective tax rates and the differences between our projected annual effective tax rates and the statutory federal income tax rate of 21%, see discussion in the Segment Results - Corporate section that follows under the heading "Taxes."
Operating Ratio
Our operating ratio is our combined ratio, less our investment income ratio. This ratio provides the combined effect of underwriting profitability and investment income. Our operating ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Combined ratio
105.3
%
103.6
%
1.7
pts
115.8
%
106.8
%
9.0
pts
Less: investment income ratio
8.7
%
11.0
%
(2.3
pts)
9.2
%
11.1
%
(1.9
pts)
Operating ratio
96.6
%
92.6
%
4.0
pts
106.6
%
95.7
%
10.9
pts
For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, our operating ratio increased by approximately
4.0
and
10.9
percentage points, respectively, as compared to the same periods of 2019. The increase in the operating ratio for the
2020
three-month period
was driven by a lower investment income ratio primarily due to a decrease in our allocation to equities and lower yields on our short-term investments and corporate debt securities given the recent actions taken by the Federal Reserve in response to COVID-19. The increase in the ratio for the
2020
three-month period
also reflected a higher net loss ratio in our Specialty P&C segment due to a lower amount of net favorable prior year reserve development recognized as compared to the same period of 2019, partially offset by a lower current accident year net loss ratio (see previous discussion in this section under the heading "Expenses"). For the
2020
nine-month period
, the increase in the operating ratio reflects the impact of the large national healthcare account's tail policy, the 2020 COVID-19 reserve and the 2019 E&O liability policy reserve, which collectively accounted for approximately 10.8 percentage points of the increase in the ratio (see previous discussion in this section under the heading "Expenses"). Excluding the impacts of these items, our operating ratio was relatively unchanged for the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same period of 2019.
ROE
ROE
is calculated as annualized net income (loss) for the period divided by the average of beginning and ending shareholders’ equity. The goodwill impairment recognized during the third quarter of 2020 was not annualized in our calculation of ROE for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as it is a non-recurring charge. See further discussion of the goodwill impairment under the heading "Goodwill / Intangibles" in the Critical Accounting Estimates section an
d
Notes
1
and
5
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
.
This ratio measures our overall after-tax profitability and shows how efficiently capital is being used.
ROE
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
ROE
(8.8
%)
4.3
%
(13.1
pts)
(14.1
%)
5.2
%
(19.3
pts)
Our
ROE
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
primarily reflected a
$161.1 million
pre-tax goodwill impairment recognized related to the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the third quarter of 2020, which decreased our
ROE
by approximately 11.2 and 11.3 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, the decrease in our
ROE
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of
2019
reflected a decrease in our consolidated net investment income (see previous discussion in this section under the heading "Revenues") and, for the
2020
three-month period, a higher net loss ratio in our Specialty P&C segment, as previously discussed. For the
2020
nine-month period
, the decrease in our ROE
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reflected a net underwriting loss of $45.7 million recognized during the second quarter of 2020 related to a tail policy for a large national healthcare account in our Specialty P&C segment, as previously discussed, and net realized investment losses in our Corporate segment driven by unrealized holding losses resulting from decreases in the fair value on our equity portfolio due to the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19.
Book Value per Share
Book value per share is calculated as total shareholders’ equity at the balance sheet date divided by the total number of common shares outstanding. This ratio measures the net worth of the Company to shareholders on a per-share basis. Our book value per share at
September 30, 2020
as compared to
December 31, 2019
is shown in the following table.
Book Value Per Share
Book Value Per Share at December 31, 2019
$
28.11
Increase (decrease) to book value per share during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 attributable to:
Dividends declared
(0.41
)
Net income (loss)
(3.53
)
OCI
0.58
Other *
(0.07
)
Book Value Per Share at September 30, 2020
$
24.68
* Includes the impact of cumulative effect adjustments related to ASUs adopted during
2020
and the impact of share-based compensation.
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Non-
GAAP
Financial Measures
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) is a financial measure that is widely used to evaluate performance within the insurance sector. In calculating Non-GAAP operating income (loss), we have excluded the effects of the items listed in the following table that do not reflect normal results.
We believe Non-GAAP operating income (loss) presents a useful view of the performance of our insurance operations, however it should be considered in conjunction with net income (loss) computed in accordance with GAAP.
The following table is a reconciliation of net income (loss) to Non-GAAP operating income (loss):
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands, except per share data)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Net income (loss)
$
(149,979
)
$
17,193
$
(190,032
)
$
60,378
Items excluded in the calculation of Non-GAAP operating income (loss):
Net realized investment (gains) losses
(8,838
)
(1,134
)
(150
)
(47,064
)
Net realized gains (losses) attributable to SPCs which no profit/loss is retained
(1)
1,155
(132
)
732
1,531
Goodwill impairment
161,115
—
161,115
—
Guaranty fund assessments (recoupments)
88
96
114
202
Pre-tax effect of exclusions
153,520
(1,170
)
161,811
(45,331
)
Tax effect, at 21%
(2)
(982
)
246
(2,808
)
9,520
After-tax effect of exclusions
152,538
(924
)
159,003
(35,811
)
Non-GAAP operating income (loss)
$
2,559
$
16,269
$
(31,029
)
$
24,567
Per diluted common share:
Net income (loss)
$
(2.78
)
$
0.32
$
(3.53
)
$
1.12
Effect of exclusions
2.83
(0.02
)
2.95
(0.66
)
Non-GAAP operating income (loss) per diluted common share
$
0.05
$
0.30
$
(0.58
)
$
0.46
(1)
Net realized investment gains (losses) on investments related to SPCs are recognized in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment. SPC results, including any realized gain or loss, that are attributable to external cell participants are reflected in the SPC dividend expense (income). To be consistent with our exclusion of net realized investment gains (losses) recognized in earnings, we are excluding the portion of net realized investment gains (losses) that is included in the SPC dividend expense (income) which is attributable to the external cell participants.
(2)
The 21% rate is the annual expected statutory tax rate associated with the taxable or tax deductible items listed above. Our effective tax rate for the respective periods was applied to these items in calculating net income (loss), excluding the 2020 goodwill impairment loss and net realized investment gains (losses) and related adjustments. Net realized investment gains (losses) in our Corporate segment are discrete items and are tax affected at the annual expected statutory tax rate (21%) in the period they are included in our consolidated tax provision and net income (loss). See previous discussion in this section under the heading "Taxes." The taxes associated with the net realized investment gains (losses) related to SPCs in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment are paid by the individual SPCs and are not included in our consolidated tax provision or net income (loss); therefore, both the net realized investment gains (losses) from our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment and the adjustment to exclude the portion of net realized investment gains (losses) included in the SPC dividend expense (income) in the table above are not tax effected. The 2020 goodwill impairment loss was treated as a discrete item in our consolidated tax provision and the portion that is tax deductible was tax affected at the annual expected statutory tax rate (21%). The remaining portion of the 2020 goodwill impairment loss is not tax deductible and therefore had no associated income tax benefit.
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Segment Results - Specialty Property & Casualty
Our
Specialty P&C
segment focuses on professional liability insurance and medical technology liability insurance as discussed in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Segment results reflected pre-tax underwriting profit or loss from these insurance lines. Segment results included the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net premiums written
$
135,399
$
141,299
$
(5,900
)
(4.2
%)
$
359,337
$
393,210
$
(33,873
)
(8.6
%)
Net premiums earned
$
117,849
$
125,237
$
(7,388
)
(5.9
%)
$
365,305
$
375,315
$
(10,010
)
(2.7
%)
Other income
726
1,858
(1,132
)
(60.9
%)
3,515
4,536
(1,021
)
(22.5
%)
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(102,951
)
(107,573
)
4,622
(4.3
%)
(373,442
)
(321,248
)
(52,194
)
16.2
%
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(28,074
)
(29,700
)
1,626
(5.5
%)
(82,894
)
(89,177
)
6,283
(7.0
%)
Segment results
$
(12,450
)
$
(10,178
)
$
(2,272
)
(22.3
%)
$
(87,516
)
$
(30,574
)
$
(56,942
)
(186.2
%)
Net loss ratio
87.4
%
85.9
%
1.5 pts
102.2
%
85.6
%
16.6 pts
Underwriting expense ratio
23.8
%
23.7
%
0.1 pts
22.7
%
23.8
%
(1.1 pts)
During the second quarter of
2020
, a large national healthcare account did not renew on terms offered by us and exercised its contractual option to purchase extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage. As a result, we recognized a net underwriting loss of $45.7 million related to this policy within our Specialty P&C segment for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. Furthermore, during the second quarter of
2020
, we established a $10 million reserve representing our best estimate of ultimate COVID-19 related losses based on currently available information. See further discussion that follows under the headings "Gross Premiums Written" and "Losses."
Premiums Written
Changes in our premium volume within our
Specialty P&C
segment are driven by four primary factors: (1) the amount of new business written, (2) our retention of existing business, (3) the premium charged for business that is renewed, which is affected by rates charged and by the amount and type of coverage an insured chooses to purchase and (4) the timing of premium written through multi-period policies. In addition, premium volume may periodically be affected by shifts in the timing of renewals between periods. The professional liability market, which accounts for a majority of the revenues in this segment, remains challenging as physicians continue joining hospitals or larger group practices and are thus no longer purchasing individual or group policies in the standard market. In addition, some competitors have chosen to compete primarily on price; both factors may impact our ability to write new business and retain existing business. Furthermore, the insurance and reinsurance markets have historically been cyclical, characterized by extended periods of intense price competition and other periods of reduced competition. The professional liability area has been particularly affected by these cycles. Underwriting cycles are generally driven by an excess of capacity available and actively pursuing business that is deemed profitable. Changes in the frequency and severity of losses may affect the cycles of the insurance and reinsurance markets significantly. During “soft markets” where price competition is high and underwriting profits are poor, growth and retention of business become challenging which may result in reduced premium volumes.
As a result of COVID-19, we continue to experience downward pressure on our premium volume resulting from new business disruptions. We have also experienced reductions in exposure due to insureds moving to part-time as a result of a
general reduction in non-COVID-19 healthcare consumption and suspension of elective medical procedures.
However, the length and magnitude of such changes depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. In an effort to provide premium relief for insureds adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to adjust for changes in exposures we granted premium credits totaling
$0.4 million
and
$4.1 million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively.
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Gross, ceded and net premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums written
$
158,257
$
164,991
$
(6,734
)
(4.1
%)
$
420,702
$
459,324
$
(38,622
)
(8.4
%)
Less: Ceded premiums written
22,858
23,692
(834
)
(3.5
%)
61,365
66,114
(4,749
)
(7.2
%)
Net premiums written
$
135,399
$
141,299
$
(5,900
)
(4.2
%)
$
359,337
$
393,210
$
(33,873
)
(8.6
%)
Gross Premiums Written
During the second quarter of 2020, we reorganized our presentation of gross premiums written by component and related metrics below to better align with the current internal management reporting structure within the segment. All prior period information has been recast to conform to the current period presentation.
Gross premiums written by component were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Professional Liability
HCPL
Standard Physician
(1)(10)
Twelve month term
$
72,641
$
71,353
$
1,288
1.8
%
$
168,950
$
174,257
$
(5,307
)
(3.0
%)
Twenty-four month term
—
6,187
(6,187
)
nm
8,314
23,054
(14,740
)
(63.9
%)
Total Standard physician
72,641
77,540
(4,899
)
(6.3
%)
177,264
197,311
(20,047
)
(10.2
%)
Specialty
Custom Physician
(2)(10)
11,600
10,515
1,085
10.3
%
48,042
62,310
(14,268
)
(22.9
%)
Hospitals and Facilities
(3)(10)
14,610
10,463
4,147
39.6
%
40,543
37,959
2,584
6.8
%
Senior Care
(4)(10)
1,485
8,122
(6,637
)
(81.7
%)
5,589
19,906
(14,317
)
(71.9
%)
Reinsurance (assumed)
3,736
1,485
2,251
151.6
%
11,002
8,663
2,339
27.0
%
Loss portfolio transfers (retroactive)
(5)
—
900
(900
)
nm
—
900
(900
)
nm
Total Specialty
31,431
31,485
(54
)
(0.2
%)
105,176
129,738
(24,562
)
(18.9
%)
Total HCPL
104,072
109,025
(4,953
)
(4.5
%)
282,440
327,049
(44,609
)
(13.6
%)
Small Business Unit
(6)
38,203
39,349
(1,146
)
(2.9
%)
81,608
87,493
(5,885
)
(6.7
%)
Tail Coverages
(5)(7)
6,045
7,237
(1,192
)
(16.5
%)
30,052
16,418
13,634
83.0
%
Total Professional Liability
148,320
155,611
(7,291
)
(4.7
%)
394,100
430,960
(36,860
)
(8.6
%)
Medical Technology Liability
(8)
9,822
9,223
599
6.5
%
25,926
26,363
(437
)
(1.7
%)
Other
(9)
115
157
(42
)
(26.8
%)
676
2,001
(1,325
)
(66.2
%)
Total
$
158,257
$
164,991
$
(6,734
)
(4.1
%)
$
420,702
$
459,324
$
(38,622
)
(8.4
%)
(1)
Standard Physician premium was our greatest source of premium revenues in both
2020
and
2019
and is predominately comprised of twelve month term policies. The increase in twelve month term policies during the
2020
three-month period
was driven by an increase in renewal pricing, conversion of twenty-four month term polices and, to a lesser extent, new business written, largely offset by retention losses. The decrease in twelve month term policies during the
2020
nine-month period
was driven by retention losses and, to a lesser extent, premium credits granted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by an increase in renewal pricing, conversion of twenty-four month term policies and, to a lesser extent, new business written. In addition, twelve month term policies during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
included adjustments related to loss sensitive policies which increased written and earned premium in the current period. For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, renewal pricing increases reflect the rising loss cost environment and new business written reflects the impact of lower submissions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as general market conditions. The lower retention for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
is largely attributable to our focus on underwriting discipline as we continue to emphasize careful risk selection, rate adequacy, improved contract terms and a willingness to walk away from business that does not fit our goal of achieving a long-term underwriting profit. In addition, we have implemented a targeted state strategy to reassess our underwriting
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appetite in certain unprofitable states which impacted our retention rate in the current period. We will continue to perform a detailed evaluation of venues, specialties and other areas to improve our underwriting results. These strategies resulted in our non-renewal of a few large policies totaling
$2.7 million
and
$6.0 million
during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively. We anticipate a lower than average level of retention to persist as we continue to reevaluate certain states and books of business and set our rates to reflect our observations of higher severity trends. Standard Physician premium includes twenty-four month term premiums that were offered to physician insureds in one selected jurisdiction. The decrease in twenty-four month term premiums during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
primarily reflected the normal cycle of renewals (policies subject to renewal in 2020 were previously written in 2018, rather than in 2019). In addition, the decrease in twenty-four month term premiums during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
also reflected the majority of renewed policies converting to twelve-month term policies, as we have ceased offering twenty-four month term policies beginning in the second quarter of 2020.
(2)
Custom Physician premium includes large complex physician groups, multi-state physician groups and non-standard physicians and is written primarily on an excess and surplus lines basis. The increase in premium during the
2020
three-month period
was driven by the timing of the renewal of a
$4.6 million
policy between periods; this policy renewed in the third quarter of 2020 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Excluding the effect of this timing difference, Custom Physician premium decreased
$3.5 million
during the
2020
three-month period
as compared to the same period of 2019 primarily due to retention losses, partially offset by an increase in renewal pricing and, to a lesser extent, new business written. The decrease in premium during the
2020
nine-month period
was driven by a large national healthcare account that did not renew on terms offered by us during the second quarter of
2020
which resulted in a
$9.0 million
decrease in Custom Physician premium; this account exercised its contractual option to purchase extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage (see further discussion in footnote 7 that follows). Excluding the effect of this policy, Custom Physician premium decreased
$5.3 million
during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same period of 2019 driven by retention losses, partially offset by an increase in renewal pricing, net timing differences of $3.3 million primarily related to the prior year renewal of certain policies and, to a lesser extent, new business written. For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
renewal pricing increases reflect the rising loss cost environment and new business written reflects the impact of lower submissions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as general market conditions. The lower retention in 2020 reflects our focus on underwriting discipline as we continue to emphasize careful risk selection, rate adequacy, improved contract terms and a willingness to walk away from business that does not fit our goal of achieving a long-term underwriting profit. The lower retention for the
2020
nine-month period
also reflects the non-renewal of the aforementioned large national healthcare account, which resulted in a decrease to our Specialty retention rate of 6 percentage points. We anticipate retention rates to begin to normalize going forward as we have substantially completed our re-underwriting efforts as of the end of the third quarter of 2020.
(3)
Hospitals and Facilities premium (which includes hospitals, surgery centers and miscellaneous medical facilities) increased for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods in
2019
primarily due to new business written, including the addition of a $2.6 million policy during the current period, and, to a lesser extent, an increase in renewal pricing, partially offset by retention losses. For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, renewal pricing increases reflect rate increases and contract modifications that we believe are appropriate given the current loss environment and new business written reflects lower submissions as a result of COVID-19 as well as general market conditions. Retention losses in the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
were driven by our decision not to renew certain products and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, the loss of one large policy totaling
$2.7 million
during the second quarter of 2020. As we have substantially completed our re-underwriting efforts on certain books of business as of the end of the third quarter of 2020, we anticipate retention rates to begin to normalize going forward.
(4)
Senior Care premium includes facilities specializing in long term residential care primarily for the elderly ranging from independent living through skilled nursing. Our Senior Care premium decreased for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
primarily due to retention losses, partially offset by an increase in renewal pricing and, to a lesser extent, new business written. Retention losses in the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
were driven by our decision not to renew certain classes of Senior Care business based on our expectations of poor loss performance, including our non-renewal of a
$5.6 million
policy in the current period. As of the end of the third quarter of 2020, we have completed our re-underwriting efforts on certain books of business and anticipate retention rates to begin to normalize going forward. Renewal pricing increases in
2020
reflect rate increases where we believe appropriate given the loss environment in this space.
(5)
We offer custom alternative risk solutions including loss portfolio transfers for healthcare entities who, most commonly, are exiting a line of business, changing an insurance approach or simply preferring to transfer risk. In the third quarter of 2019, we entered into a loss portfolio transfer with a regional hospital group which resulted in
$0.9 million
of retroactive premium written and fully earned in the
2019
three- and nine-month periods
(see further discussion in footnote 7 that follows).
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Table of Contents
(6)
Our Small Business Unit is primarily comprised of premium associated with podiatrists, legal professionals, dentists and chiropractors. Our Small Business Unit premium decreased for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
driven by retention losses and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, reductions in exposure of $2.0 million primarily due to our insureds moving to part-time as a result of a
general reduction in non-COVID-19 healthcare consumption
, partially offset by an increase in renewal pricing and, to a lesser extent, new business written. The increase in renewal pricing was primarily the result of an increase in the rate charged for certain renewed policies in select states.
(7)
We offer extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage to insureds who discontinue their claims-made coverage with us, and we also periodically offer tail coverage through stand-alone policies. Tail coverage premiums are generally 100% earned in the period written because the policies insure only incidents that occurred in prior periods and are not cancellable. The amount of tail coverage premium written can vary significantly from period to period. The decrease in tail premium during the
2020
three-month period
as compared to the same period of 2019 was driven by $1.8 million of tail coverage provided in connection with a loss portfolio transfer entered into during the third quarter of 2019, as previously discussed. The increase during the
2020
nine-month period
was due to a large national healthcare account that exercised its contractual option to purchase tail coverage which resulted in
$14.3 million
of one-time premium written and fully earned in the second quarter of 2020, somewhat offset by the tail coverage provided in connection with the aforementioned third quarter 2019 loss portfolio transfer.
(8)
Our Medical Technology Liability business is marketed throughout the U.S.; coverage is typically offered on a primary basis, within specified limits, to manufacturers and distributors of medical technology and life sciences products including entities conducting human clinical trials. In addition to the previously listed factors that affect our premium volume, our Medical Technology Liability premium is impacted by the sales volume of insureds. The increase in premium during the
2020
three-month period
was driven by new business written, partially offset by retention losses and, to a lesser extent, renewal pricing decreases. The decrease in premium during the
2020
nine-month period
was primarily due to retention losses and, to a lesser extent, renewal pricing decreases, partially offset by new business written. For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
new business written reflects the addition of a few COVID-19 related policies. Retention losses in the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
are primarily attributable to an increase in competition on terms and pricing. Renewal pricing decreases during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
are primarily due to changes in the sales volume of certain insureds, including changes in COVID-19 related exposure on several renewing policies.
(9)
This component of gross premiums written includes all other product lines within our
Specialty P&C
segment. The decrease during the
2020
nine-month period
was due to the effect of our non-renewal of a $1.5 million specialty contractual liability policy.
(10)
Certain components of our gross premiums written include alternative market premiums. We currently cede either all or a portion of the alternative market premium, net of reinsurance, to three
SPC
s of our wholly owned Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiaries,
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
, which are reported in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment (see further discussion in the Ceded Premiums Written section that follows). The portion not ceded to the
SPC
s is retained within our
Specialty P&C
segment.
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in millions)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Standard Physician
$
—
$
—
$
—
nm
$
1.6
$
1.4
$
0.2
14.3
%
Custom Physician
—
—
—
nm
0.1
0.2
(0.1
)
(50.0
%)
Hospitals and Facilities
0.6
—
0.6
nm
0.7
—
0.7
nm
Senior Care
0.4
0.7
(0.3
)
(42.9
%)
4.2
4.4
(0.2
)
(4.5
%)
Total
$
1.0
$
0.7
$
0.3
42.9
%
$
6.6
$
6.0
$
0.6
10.0
%
Alternative market gross premiums written remained relatively unchanged during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of 2019.
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We are committed to a rate structure that will allow us to fulfill our obligations to our insureds, while generating competitive long-term returns for our shareholders. Our pricing continues to be based on expected losses as indicated by our historical loss data and available industry loss data. In recent years, this practice has resulted in gradual rate increases and we anticipate further rate increases due to indications of increasing loss severity. Additionally, the pricing of our business includes the effects of filed rates, surcharges and discounts. Renewal pricing also reflects changes in our exposure base, deductibles, self-insurance retention limits and other policy terms and conditions.
The change in renewal pricing for our
Specialty P&C
segment, including by major component, was as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
2020
2020
Specialty P&C segment
8
%
10
%
HCPL
Standard Physician
(1)
10
%
11
%
Specialty
(1)
14
%
17
%
Total HCPL
11
%
13
%
Small Business Unit
(1)
5
%
4
%
Medical Technology Liability
(1)
(1
%)
(2
%)
(1)
See Gross Premiums Written section for further explanation of changes in renewal pricing.
New business written by major component on a direct basis was as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In millions)
2020
2019
2020
2019
HCPL
Standard Physician
$
1.1
$
1.9
$
2.1
$
8.2
Specialty
4.2
4.6
7.2
22.8
Total HCPL
5.3
6.5
9.3
31.0
Small Business Unit
1.4
1.2
3.7
3.5
Medical Technology Liability
2.0
1.3
4.7
3.5
Total
$
8.7
$
9.0
$
17.7
$
38.0
For our
Specialty P&C
segment, we calculate retention as annualized renewed premium divided by all annualized premium subject to renewal. Retention is affected by a number of factors. We may lose insureds to competitors or to alternative insurance mechanisms such as risk retention groups or self-insurance entities (often when physicians join hospitals or large group practices) or due to pricing or other issues. We may choose not to renew an insured as a result of our underwriting evaluation. Insureds may also terminate coverage because they have left the practice of medicine for various reasons, principally for retirement, death or disability, but also for personal reasons.
Retention for our
Specialty P&C
segment, including by major component, was as follows:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
2020
2019
2020
2019
Specialty P&C segment
81
%
86
%
78
%
87
%
HCPL
Standard Physician
(1)
85
%
87
%
82
%
88
%
Specialty
(1)
55
%
69
%
59
%
81
%
Total HCPL
76
%
82
%
74
%
86
%
Small Business Unit
92
%
93
%
90
%
92
%
Medical Technology Liability
85
%
85
%
84
%
85
%
(1)
See Gross Premiums Written section for further explanation of retention decline in
2020
.
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Ceded Premiums Written
Ceded premiums represent the amounts owed to our reinsurers for their assumption of a portion of our losses. For our HCPL and Medical Technology Liability excess of loss reinsurance arrangements in effect prior to October 1, 2020, we generally retained the first $1 million in risk insured by us and ceded coverages in excess of this amount. Effective October 1, 2020, we will generally retain the first $2 million in risk insured by us and cede coverages in excess of this amount. For our HCPL coverages, we will also retain from
0% to 14.5%
of the next
$24 million
of risk for coverages in excess of $2 million. For our Medical Technology Liability treaty which also renewed effective October 1, 2020, we will also retain 2.5% of the next $8 million of risk for coverages in excess of $2 million. These changes in terms for both our HCPL and Medical Technology Liability treaties resulted in a reduction to the gross rate paid for the treaty year effective October 1, 2020. We pay our reinsurers a ceding premium in exchange for their accepting the risk, and in certain of our excess of loss arrangements, the ultimate amount of which is determined by the loss experience of the business ceded, subject to certain minimum and maximum amounts.
Given the length of time that it takes to resolve our claims, many years may elapse before all losses recoverable under a reinsurance arrangement are known. As a part of the process of estimating our loss reserve we also make estimates regarding the amounts recoverable under our reinsurance arrangements. As a result, we may have an adjustment to our estimate of expected losses and associated recoveries for prior year ceded losses under certain loss sensitive reinsurance agreements. Any changes to estimates of premiums ceded related to prior accident years are fully earned in the period the changes in estimates occur.
Ceded premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Excess of loss reinsurance arrangements
(1)
$
9,351
$
9,580
$
(229
)
(2.4
%)
$
26,079
$
27,562
$
(1,483
)
(5.4
%)
Other shared risk arrangements
(2)
11,784
12,703
(919
)
(7.2
%)
26,962
30,556
(3,594
)
(11.8
%)
Premium ceded to SPCs
(3)
876
575
301
52.3
%
5,958
5,465
493
9.0
%
Other ceded premiums written
847
834
13
1.6
%
2,366
2,531
(165
)
(6.5
%)
Total ceded premiums written
$
22,858
$
23,692
$
(834
)
(3.5
%)
$
61,365
$
66,114
$
(4,749
)
(7.2
%)
(1)
We generally reinsure risks under our excess of loss reinsurance arrangements pursuant to which the reinsurers agree to assume all or a portion of all risks that we insure above our individual risk retention levels, up to the maximum individual limits offered. Premium due to reinsurers also fluctuates with the volume of written premium subject to cession under the arrangement. In certain of our excess of loss reinsurance arrangements, the premium due to the reinsurer is determined by the loss experience of that business reinsured, subject to certain minimum and maximum amounts. Premium ceded under our excess of loss reinsurance arrangements during the
2020
three-month period
remained relatively unchanged as compared to the same period of 2019. The decrease in ceded premiums written under our excess of loss reinsurance arrangements during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same period of
2019
primarily reflected a decrease in the overall volume of gross premiums written subject to cession and, to a lesser extent, certain of our reinsurance arrangements reaching maximum limits eligible for cession on treaty years effective October 1, 2017 and 2018. The decrease in ceded premiums written during the
2020
nine-month period
was partially offset by the effect of changes to both minimum and maximum limits for the treaty year effective October 1, 2019.
(2)
We have entered into various shared risk arrangements, including quota share, fronting, and captive arrangements, with certain large healthcare systems and other insurance entities. These arrangements include our Ascension Health and CAPAssurance programs. While we cede a large portion of the premium written under these arrangements, they provide us an opportunity to grow net premium through strategic partnerships. Effective October 1, 2020, our arrangement with CAPAssurance was mutually dissolved as a result of our pending acquisition with NORCAL and their concentration in the state of California. The decrease in ceded premiums written under our shared risk arrangements during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of 2019 was primarily due to a decrease in premium ceded to our Ascension Health program and our non-renewal of two large policies in certain of our other shared risk arrangements during the current period, partially offset by growth in our CAPAssurance program.
(3)
As previously discussed, as a part of our alternative market solutions, all or a portion of certain healthcare premium written is ceded to
SPC
s in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment under either excess of loss or quota share reinsurance agreements, depending on the structure of the individual program. See the Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance section for further discussion on the cession to the
SPC
s from our
Specialty
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P&C
segment. Premiums ceded to
SPC
s during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
remained relatively unchanged as compared to the same periods of 2019.
Ceded Premiums Ratio
The ceded premiums ratios were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Ceded premiums ratio
14.4%
14.4%
—
14.6%
14.4%
0.2 pts
For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
the ceded premiums ratio was relatively unchanged as compared to the same periods of 2019.
Net Premiums Earned
Net premiums earned consist of gross premiums earned less the portion of earned premiums that we cede to our reinsurers for their assumption of a portion of our losses. Because premiums are generally earned pro rata over the entire policy period, fluctuations in premiums earned tend to lag those of premiums written. Generally, our policies carry a term of one year; however, prior to the third quarter of 2020, we wrote certain Standard Physician policies with a twenty-four month term, and a few of our Medical Technology Liability policies have a multi-year term. Tail coverage premiums are generally 100% earned in the period written because the policies insure only incidents that occurred in prior periods and are not cancellable. Retroactive coverage premiums are 100% earned at the inception of the contract, as all of the associated underlying loss events occurred in the past. Additionally, any ceded premium changes due to changes to estimates of premiums owed under reinsurance agreements for prior accident years are fully earned in the period of change.
Net premiums earned were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums earned
$
137,044
$
146,514
$
(9,470
)
(6.5
%)
$
421,614
$
434,699
$
(13,085
)
(3.0
%)
Less: Ceded premiums earned
19,195
21,277
(2,082
)
(9.8
%)
56,309
59,384
(3,075
)
(5.2
%)
Net premiums earned
$
117,849
$
125,237
$
(7,388
)
(5.9
%)
$
365,305
$
375,315
$
(10,010
)
(2.7
%)
The decrease in gross premiums earned during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of 2019 was driven by the pro rata effect of a decrease in the volume of written premium during the preceding twelve months, predominantly in our Specialty line of business, due to our re-underwriting efforts. For the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, the decrease in gross premiums earned also reflects the effect of a prior year loss portfolio transfer which resulted in $2.7 million of one-time premium written and fully earned in the third quarter of 2019 (see previous discussion in footnotes 5 and 7 under the heading "Gross Premiums Written"). The decrease in gross premiums earned in both the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was somewhat offset by premium adjustments related to loss sensitive policies which increased earned premium by $2.3 million and $2.6 million for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, and decreased earned premium by $1.6 million for each of the 2019
three- and nine-month periods
. In addition, the decrease in gross premiums earned for the
2020
nine-month period
was largely offset by
$14.3 million
of one-time premium written and fully earned in the second quarter of 2020 associated with the tail coverage purchased by a large national healthcare account (see previous discussion in footnote 7 under the heading "Gross Premiums Written").
The decrease in ceded premiums earned during both the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of 2019 was driven by the pro rata effect of a decrease in premium ceded under our shared risk and excess of loss arrangements during the preceding twelve months.
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Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The determination of calendar year losses involves the actuarial evaluation of incurred losses for the current accident year and the actuarial re-evaluation of incurred losses for prior accident years, including an evaluation of the reserve amounts required for
ECO/XPL
losses. As part of the review of our prior accident year reserves, we also make estimates of expected losses and associated recoveries for prior year ceded losses under certain loss sensitive reinsurance agreements. This analysis may result in reductions to estimates of premiums owed under reinsurance agreements for prior accident years which impacts net premiums earned (the denominator of the net loss ratio) in the period the adjustment is made; no such adjustments were made during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
or 2019. See previous discussion under the heading "Ceded Premiums Written" for additional information.
Accident year refers to the accounting period in which the insured event becomes a liability of the insurer. For claims-made policies, which represent the majority of the premiums written in our
Specialty P&C
segment, the insured event generally becomes a liability when the event is first reported to us. For occurrence policies, the insured event becomes a liability when the event takes place. For retroactive coverages, the insured event becomes a liability at inception of the underlying contract. We believe that measuring losses on an accident year basis is the best measure of the underlying profitability of the premiums earned in that period, since it associates policy premiums earned with the estimate of the losses incurred related to those policy premiums.
The following table summarizes calendar year net loss ratios by separating losses between the current accident year and all prior accident years. The net loss ratios for our Specialty P&C segment were as follows:
Net Loss Ratios
(1)
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Calendar year net loss ratio
87.4%
85.9%
1.5 pts
102.2%
85.6%
16.6 pts
Less impact of prior accident years on the net loss ratio
(2.4%)
(8.6%)
6.2 pts
(5.7%)
(8.3%)
2.6 pts
Current accident year net loss ratio
(2)
89.8%
94.5%
(4.7 pts)
107.9%
93.9%
14.0 pts
(1)
Net losses, as specified, divided by net premiums earned.
(2)
The current accident year net loss ratio (as shown in the table above) decreased
4.7
percentage points for the
2020
three-month period
and increased
14.0
percentage points for the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same respective periods of 2019 primarily attributable to the following:
(In percentage points)
Increase (Decrease), 2020 versus 2019
Comparative
three-month
period
Comparative
nine-month
period
Estimated ratio increase (decrease) attributable to:
Premium adjustments on loss sensitive policies
(3.0 pts)
(1.2 pts)
Large national healthcare account tail policy
—
12.8 pts
COVID-19 reserve
—
2.9 pts
All other, net
(1.7 pts)
(0.5 pts)
Increase (decrease) in the current accident year net loss ratio
(4.7 pts)
14.0 pts
Our current accident year net loss ratio for the 2020
three- and nine-month periods
was impacted by changes in premium adjustments related to loss sensitive policies which accounted for approximately
3.0
and
1.2
percentage points, respectively, of the decrease in the ratio as compared to the same periods of 2019 (see previous discussion under the heading "Net Premiums Earned"). For the 2020
nine-month period
, our current accident year net loss ratio was also impacted by a tail policy purchased by a large national healthcare account and a COVID-19 reserve. During the second quarter of 2020, a large national healthcare account exercised its contractual option to purchase the extended reporting endorsement or "tail" coverage, resulting in a net underwriting loss of $45.7 million which accounted for
12.8
percentage points of the increase in our current accident year net loss ratio for the 2020
nine-month period
. Also during the second quarter of 2020, we established a $10 million reserve for COVID-19; no adjustment was made to this reserve during the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
. This reserve represents our best estimate of ultimate COVID-19 related losses based on currently available information and reported incidents, and accounted for
2.9
percentage points of the increase in our current accident year net loss ratio for the 2020
nine-month period
. The remaining change in our current accident year net loss ratio for the 2020
three- and nine-month periods
, as shown in the table above, primarily reflected
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the impact of decreases to certain loss ratios during the second quarter of 2020 in our Standard Physician and Small Business Unit lines as a result of our re-underwriting efforts and focus on rate adequacy. For the 2020
nine-month period
, this impact was partially offset by higher severity trends in our HCPL book of business, particularly in our Specialty lines, as compared to what was reflected in our loss ratios during the first nine months of 2019. We reflected higher severity trends in our estimates of losses at the end of 2019; however, the current accident year net loss ratio for the first nine months of 2020, excluding the large national healthcare account tail policy and the COVID-19 reserve, is approximately 6.5 percentage points lower as compared to the current accident year net loss ratio for the full year of 2019, excluding the 2019 impact of the large national healthcare account, due to our re-underwriting efforts.
We re-evaluate our previously established reserve each quarter based upon the most recently completed actuarial analysis supplemented by any new analysis, information or trends that have emerged since the date of that study. We also take into account currently available industry trend information. We continue to see elevated loss severity in the broader medical professional liability industry and are observing early indications of these increased severity trends in our paid loss data. Furthermore, there remain uncertainties around the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately have on variables such as premium volume, claims frequency and severity, historical paid and incurred loss trends, general economic and social trends, inflation and the legal and political environment. While we have established a reserve for COVID-19 related losses, we have also observed a significant reduction in claims frequency as compared to 2019, likely associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption of the court systems; however, we have remained cautious in recognizing these favorable frequency trends in our current accident year reserve due to the possibility of delays in reporting and
uncertainty surrounding the length and severity of the pandemic
.
We recognized net favorable loss development related to our previously established reserves of
$2.9 million
and
$20.7 million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
$10.8 million
and
$31.0 million
during the same respective periods of 2019. Prior accident year development recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
included a reduction in our reserve for potential
ECO/XPL
claims of
$0.4 million
and
$3.2 million
, respectively, as compared to
$0.6 million
and
$1.0 million
during the same respective periods of 2019. Development recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
principally related to accident years
2014 through 2018
. Development recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
principally related to accident years
2012 through 2015
.
A detailed discussion of factors influencing our recognition of loss development is included in our Critical Accounting Estimates section under the heading "Reserve for Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses" and in our
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K under the same heading. Assumptions used in establishing our reserve are regularly reviewed and updated by management as new data becomes available. Any adjustments necessary are reflected in the then current operations. Due to the size of our reserve, even a small percentage adjustment to the assumptions can have a material effect on our results of operations for the period in which the change is made, as was the case in both
2020
and
2019
.
Underwriting, Policy Acquisition and Operating Expenses
Our
Specialty P&C
segment underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses were comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
DPAC amortization
$
13,101
$
13,733
$
(632
)
(4.6
%)
$
40,652
$
42,268
$
(1,616
)
(3.8
%)
Management fees
1,838
1,925
(87
)
(4.5
%)
4,928
5,365
(437
)
(8.1
%)
Other underwriting and operating expenses
13,135
14,042
(907
)
(6.5
%)
37,314
41,544
(4,230
)
(10.2
%)
Total
$
28,074
$
29,700
$
(1,626
)
(5.5
%)
$
82,894
$
89,177
$
(6,283
)
(7.0
%)
DPAC
amortization
decreased for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
driven by a decrease in earned premium, excluding the effect of the premium earned from the tail coverage associated with a large national healthcare account from the second quarter of 2020 as there were no deferred acquisition costs associated with the tail premium (see discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written"). In addition, the decrease in DPAC amortization during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
reflected a decrease in brokerage expenses due to our non-renewal of certain products written on an excess and surplus lines basis in our Specialty line of business (see discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written") as well as a decrease in agent commissions and premium taxes due to a lower volume of premium written. Partially offsetting the decrease in DPAC amortization for both the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was a decrease in ceding commission income, which is an offset to expense, from certain of our shared risk arrangements, an increase in medical costs associated with employee health plans and, to a lesser extent, one-time employee severance charges of
$0.3 million
and
$0.6 million
, respectively.
Management fees
are charged pursuant to a management agreement by the Corporate segment to the operating subsidiaries within our
Specialty P&C
segment for services provided based on the extent to which services are provided to the subsidiary and the amount of premium written by the subsidiary. While the terms of the management agreement were consistent between
2020
and
2019
, fluctuations in the amount of premium written by each subsidiary can result in corresponding variations in the management fee charged to each subsidiary during a particular period.
Other underwriting and operating expenses
decreased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
driven by a decrease in various operational expenses resulting from incremental improvements over the past year including organizational structure enhancements and improved operating efficiencies, as well as a reduction in travel-related costs of
$1.1 million
and
$2.2 million
during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Th
e decrease
during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was largely offset by one-time expenses of
$1.5 million
and
$3.4 million
, respectively. One-time expenses in both the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
were mainly comprised of early retirement benefits granted to certain employees during the third quarter of 2020. The remaining one-time costs were primarily expenses associated with the restructuring of our HCPL field office organization,
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largely during the first half of 2020, consisting of employee severance charges and lease exit costs due to a reduction in physical office locations.
Underwriting Expense Ratio (the Expense Ratio)
Our expense ratio for the
Specialty P&C
segment for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, respectively, was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Underwriting expense ratio
23.8
%
23.7
%
0.1
22.7
%
23.8
%
(1.1
pts)
The change in our expense ratio for both the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of 2019 was primarily attributable to the following:
(In percentage points)
Increase (Decrease), 2020 versus 2019
Comparative
three-month
period
Comparative
nine-month
period
Estimated ratio increase (decrease) attributable to:
Decrease in net premiums earned and DPAC amortization
(1)
0.6 pts
1.0 pts
One-time expenses
1.6 pts
1.1 pts
Travel-related cost savings due to COVID-19
(0.9 pts)
(0.6 pts)
Large national healthcare account tail policy premium
(2)
— pts
(0.9 pts)
All other, net
(1.2 pts)
(1.7 pts)
Increase (decrease) in the underwriting expense ratio
0.1 pts
(1.1 pts)
(1)
Excludes the large national healthcare account tail policy premium in 2020 and certain one-time expenses included in DPAC amortization of $0.3 million and $0.6 million in the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.
(2)
See previous discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written"
The remaining decrease in our expense ratio for the 2020
three- and nine-month periods
of
1.2
and
1.7
percentage points, respectively, primarily reflected the impact of a decrease in various operational expenses resulting from incremental improvements over the past year including organizational structure enhancements and improved operating efficiencies.
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Segment Results - Workers' Compensation Insurance
Our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment includes workers' compensation products provided to employers generally with 1,000 or fewer employees, as discussed in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Workers' compensation products offered include guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies and alternative market programs. Alternative market programs include program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, SPC rental, asset management and SPC management services. Alternative market program premiums are 100% ceded to either the SPCs within our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment or, to a limited extent, an unaffiliated captive insurer for one program. Our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment results reflected pre-tax underwriting profit or loss from these workers' compensation products, exclusive of investment results, which are included in our Corporate segment. Segment results included the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net premiums written
$
44,758
$
49,663
$
(4,905
)
(9.9
%)
$
135,370
$
146,101
$
(10,731
)
(7.3
%)
Net premiums earned
$
42,516
$
49,477
$
(6,961
)
(14.1
%)
$
129,437
$
141,990
$
(12,553
)
(8.8
%)
Other income
441
494
(53
)
(10.7
%)
1,717
1,948
(231
)
(11.9
%)
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(26,455
)
(32,356
)
5,901
(18.2
%)
(84,648
)
(93,424
)
8,776
(9.4
%)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(14,983
)
(14,895
)
(88
)
0.6
%
(42,604
)
(43,456
)
852
(2.0
%)
Segment results
$
1,519
$
2,720
$
(1,201
)
(44.2
%)
$
3,902
$
7,058
$
(3,156
)
(44.7
%)
Net loss ratio
62.2
%
65.4
%
(3.2 pts)
65.4
%
65.8
%
(0.4 pts)
Underwriting expense ratio
35.2
%
30.1
%
5.1 pts
32.9
%
30.6
%
2.3 pts
Premiums Written
Our workers’ compensation premium volume is driven by five primary factors: (1) the amount of new business written, (2) retention of our existing book of business, (3) premium rates charged on our renewal book of business, (4) changes in payroll exposure and (5) audit premium.
Gross, ceded and net premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums written
$
62,996
$
70,066
$
(7,070
)
(10.1
%)
$
199,447
$
223,638
$
(24,191
)
(10.8
%)
Less: Ceded premiums written
18,238
20,403
(2,165
)
(10.6
%)
64,077
77,537
(13,460
)
(17.4
%)
Net premiums written
$
44,758
$
49,663
$
(4,905
)
(9.9
%)
$
135,370
$
146,101
$
(10,731
)
(7.3
%)
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Gross Premiums Written
Gross premiums written by product were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Traditional business:
Guaranteed cost
$
40,540
$
44,164
$
(3,624
)
(8.2
%)
$
117,651
$
124,460
$
(6,809
)
(5.5
%)
Policyholder dividend
4,057
4,718
(661
)
(14.0
%)
17,233
16,972
261
1.5
%
Deductible
1,642
2,199
(557
)
(25.3
%)
4,120
5,276
(1,156
)
(21.9
%)
Retrospective*
308
36
272
755.6
%
1,646
3,073
(1,427
)
(46.4
%)
Other
1,741
2,220
(479
)
(21.6
%)
5,208
6,822
(1,614
)
(23.7
%)
Alternative market business
15,138
16,729
(1,591
)
(9.5
%)
54,879
67,035
(12,156
)
(18.1
%)
Change in EBUB estimate
(430
)
—
(430
)
nm
(1,290
)
—
(1,290
)
nm
Total
$
62,996
$
70,066
$
(7,070
)
(10.1
%)
$
199,447
$
223,638
$
(24,191
)
(10.8
%)
*The change in retrospectively-related policies included adjustments that increased premium by
$0.1 million
and decreased premium by
$1.6 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to a decrease in premium of
$0.4 million
and
$1.8 million
for the same respective periods of 2019.
Gross premiums written in our traditional business decreased during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of 2019, which primarily reflected renewal rate decreases, retention losses and a reduction in audit premium and new business. Additionally, the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
reflect a decrease in our EBUB estimate of
$0.4 million
and
$1.3 million
, respectively. Renewal rate decreases were
3%
and
4%
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to decreases of
4%
and
3%
for the same respective periods in 2019. Renewal retention was
84%
and
85%
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to
81%
for each of the 2019
three- and nine-month periods
.
Gross premiums written in our alternative market business decreased during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of
2019
, which primarily reflected renewal rate decreases, retention losses and a decrease in audit premium. The
2020
nine-month period
reflected the reduction in premium funding for one of our large alternative market programs (see further discussion in our Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance section that follows). Renewal rate decreases were
1%
and
4%
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
5%
and
4%
for the same periods in
2019
. Retention in our alternative market business was
90%
and
83%
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
96%
and
93%
for the same respective periods of 2019. Renewal rate decreases and retention losses were partially offset by new business of
$1.2 million
and
$3.0 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively. We retained 100% of the
17
workers' compensation alternative market programs up for renewal during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. During the second quarter of 2020, we added one new workers' compensation alternative market program at Inova Re with
$0.3 million
and
$0.9 million
in premiums written during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively.
Our traditional and alternative market premiums written were impacted by reductions in payroll exposure and policy cancellations related to the economic impact of COVID-19. Reductions in payroll exposure and policy cancellations related to the economic impact of COVID-19 reduced premiums written by approximately $2.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively, for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. We expect continued downward pressure in future quarters on our workers' compensation premium resulting from further reductions in insured payroll exposure; however, the length and magnitude of such changes depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
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New business, audit premium, retention and renewal price changes for both the traditional business and the alternative market business are shown in the tables below:
Three Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
($ in millions)
Traditional Business
Alternative Market Business
Segment
Results
Traditional Business
Alternative Market Business
Segment
Results
New business
$
6.2
$
1.2
$
7.4
$
10.5
$
0.8
$
11.3
Audit premium (including EBUB)
$
(1.3
)
$
(0.3
)
$
(1.6
)
$
1.4
$
0.4
$
1.8
Retention rate
(1)
84
%
90
%
86
%
81
%
96
%
84
%
Change in renewal pricing
(2)
(3
%)
(1
%)
(3
%)
(4
%)
(5
%)
(4
%)
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
($ in millions)
Traditional Business
Alternative Market Business
Segment
Results
Traditional Business
Alternative Market Business
Segment
Results
New business
$
20.0
$
3.0
$
23.0
$
22.3
$
3.0
$
25.3
Audit premium (including EBUB)
$
(0.8
)
$
(0.5
)
$
(1.3
)
$
2.3
$
1.3
$
3.6
Retention rate
(1)
85
%
83
%
85
%
81
%
93
%
84
%
Change in renewal pricing
(2)
(4
%)
(4
%)
(4
%)
(3
%)
(4
%)
(3
%)
(1)
We calculate our workers' compensation retention rate as annualized expiring renewed premium divided by all annualized expiring premium subject to renewal. Our retention rate can be impacted by various factors, including price or other competitive issues, insureds being acquired, or a decision not to renew based on our underwriting evaluation.
(2)
The pricing of our business includes an assessment of the underlying policy exposure and market conditions. We continue to base our pricing on expected losses, as indicated by our historical loss data.
Ceded Premiums Written
Ceded premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Premiums ceded to SPCs
$
15,057
$
16,706
$
(1,649
)
(9.9
%)
$
52,110
$
64,610
$
(12,500
)
(19.3
%)
Premiums ceded to external reinsurers
2,900
3,471
(571
)
(16.5
%)
8,951
10,287
(1,336
)
(13.0
%)
Premiums ceded to unaffiliated captive insurers
81
23
58
252.2
%
2,769
2,425
344
14.2
%
Change in return premium estimate under external reinsurance
200
203
(3
)
(1.5
%)
247
215
32
14.9
%
Total ceded premiums written
$
18,238
$
20,403
$
(2,165
)
(10.6
%)
$
64,077
$
77,537
$
(13,460
)
(17.4
%)
Our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment cedes alternative market business under a 100% quota share reinsurance agreement, net of a ceding commission, to SPCs in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment and, to a limited extent, to an unaffiliated captive insurer. The decrease in premiums ceded to SPCs during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
reflects the reduction in alternative market gross premiums written as discussed above under the heading "Gross Premiums Written".
Under our external reinsurance agreement for traditional business, we retain the first
$0.5 million
in risk insured by us and cede losses in excess of this amount on each loss occurrence under our primary external reinsurance treaty, subject to an AAD. The AAD for the contract year effective May, 1 2019 was
$3.9 million
, or approximately
2.1%
of subject earned premium. Effective May 1, 2020, our primary reinsurance layer was renewed at a slightly higher rate than the expiring year, with an increase in the
AAD
to
3.16%
of subject earned premium, in excess of the
$0.5 million
retention per loss occurrence. Per our reinsurance agreements, we cede premiums related to our traditional business on an earned premium basis. The decrease in premiums ceded to external reinsurers during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
primarily reflected the decrease in traditional earned premium.
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Table of Contents
Changes in the return premium estimate reflected the loss experience under the reinsurance contract for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
. The change in estimated return premium for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
reflected prior year loss development on previously reported reinsured claims.
Ceded Premiums Ratio
Ceded premiums ratio was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Ceded premiums ratio, as reported
32.3
%
33.5
%
(1.2
pts)
32.5
%
34.1
%
(1.6
pts)
Less the effect of:
Premiums ceded to SPCs (100%)
24.1
%
25.4
%
(1.3
pts)
24.5
%
26.2
%
(1.7
pts)
Retrospective premium adjustments
—
%
—
%
—
0.1
%
0.1
%
—
Premiums ceded to unaffiliated captive insurers (100%)
1.4
%
1.2
%
0.2
pts
1.4
%
1.1
%
0.3
pts
Change in EBUB
0.1
%
—
%
0.1
pts
0.1
%
—
%
0.1
pts
Return premium estimated under external reinsurance
0.4
%
0.4
%
—
0.1
%
0.1
%
—
Assumed premiums earned (not ceded to external reinsurers)
(0.2
%)
(0.3
%)
0.1
pts
(0.2
%)
(0.3
%)
0.1
pts
Ceded premiums ratio (related to external reinsurance), less the effects of above
6.5
%
6.8
%
(0.3
pts)
6.5
%
6.9
%
(0.4
pts)
The above table reflects ceded premiums earned as a percent of gross premiums earned. As discussed above, we cede premiums related to our traditional business to external reinsurers on an earned premium basis. The ceded premiums ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflects the reinsurance rates in effect for the contract period beginning May 1, 2020.
Net Premiums Earned
Net premiums earned consist of gross premiums earned less the portion of earned premiums that we cede to SPCs in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment, external reinsurers and the unaffiliated captive insurer. Because premiums are generally earned pro rata over the entire policy period, fluctuations in premiums earned tend to lag those of premiums written. Our workers’ compensation policies are twelve month term policies, and premiums are earned on a pro rata basis over the policy period. Net premiums earned also include premium adjustments related to the audit of our insureds' payrolls, changes in our
EBUB
premium estimate and premium adjustments related to retrospectively-rated policies. Payroll audits are conducted subsequent to the end of the policy period and any related adjustments are recorded as fully earned in the current period. In addition, we record an estimate for
EBUB
premium and evaluate the estimate on a quarterly basis.
Net premiums earned were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums earned
$
62,807
$
74,403
$
(11,596
)
(15.6
%)
$
191,849
$
215,561
$
(23,712
)
(11.0
%)
Less: Ceded premiums earned
20,291
24,926
(4,635
)
(18.6
%)
62,412
73,571
(11,159
)
(15.2
%)
Net premiums earned
$
42,516
$
49,477
$
(6,961
)
(14.1
%)
$
129,437
$
141,990
$
(12,553
)
(8.8
%)
The decrease in net premiums earned during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected the pro rata effect of a reduction in net premiums written during the preceding twelve months, the impact of retrospectively-rated policy adjustments and the reduction in our EBUB premium estimate. We reduced our
EBUB
premium estimate by
$0.4 million
and
$1.3 million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, which primarily reflected a reduction in earned payroll exposure. As a result of the economic impact of COVID-19, we expect future reductions in payroll exposure related to in-force policies that could result in a significant decrease in audit premium and our EBUB estimate. We will continue to monitor and adjust the estimate, if necessary, based on changes in insured payrolls and economic conditions, as experience develops or new information becomes known; however, the length and magnitude of such changes depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. There was
no
adjustment to our EBUB premium estimate during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
. Premium adjustments related to retrospectively-rated policies increased premiums by
$0.1 million
and decreased premiums by
$1.6 million
for the
three and nine months ended
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September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to a decrease in premiums of
$0.4 million
and
$1.8 million
for the same respective periods of 2019.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
We estimate our current accident year loss and loss adjustment expenses based on an expected loss ratio. Incurred losses and loss adjustment expenses for the current accident year are determined by applying the expected loss ratio to net premiums earned for the respective period. The following table summarizes calendar year net loss ratios by separating losses between the current accident year and all prior accident years. Calendar year and current accident year net loss ratios by component were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Calendar year net loss ratio
62.2
%
65.4
%
(3.2
pts)
65.4
%
65.8
%
(0.4
pts)
Less impact of prior accident years on the net loss ratio
(4.7
%)
(2.8
%)
(1.9
pts)
(3.8
%)
(2.4
%)
(1.4
pts)
Current accident year net loss ratio
66.9
%
68.2
%
(1.3
pts)
69.2
%
68.2
%
1.0
pts
The increase in the current accident year loss ratio for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected the continuation of intense price competition and the resulting renewal rate decreases, partially offset by favorable trends in claim closing patterns that reduced loss development factors. During the third quarter of 2020, we reduced our accident year loss ratio for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
to
69.2%
, from 70.4% as of
June 30, 2020
, resulting in a current quarter accident year loss ratio of
66.9%
for the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
, which primarily reflected the continuation of favorable trends in 2020, including lower claims frequency and severity. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have observed a reduction in claims frequency and, while we did reduce our current accident year loss ratio in the third quarter of 2020, we continue to remain cautious in our evaluation of the current accident year reserve due to uncertainty surrounding the length and severity of the pandemic, as well as legislative and regulatory bodies in certain states changing or attempting to change compensability requirements and presumptions for certain types of workers related to COVID-19 claims. If successful, these endeavors could result in an increase in claims frequency and severity which may result in a higher current accident year net loss ratio in future quarters. Furthermore, the current economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have introduced significant risk of a prolonged recession, which could have an adverse impact on our return to wellness efforts and the ability of injured workers to return to work, resulting in a potential reduction in favorable claim trends in future periods.
Calendar year incurred losses (excluding IBNR) ceded to our external reinsurers decreased
$3.5 million
and
$2.8 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
. Current accident year ceded incurred losses decreased
$2.1 million
during both the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
. The decrease in ceded incurred losses for both the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
reflects lower severity-related claim activity in 2020.
We recognized net favorable prior year development related to our previously established reserve of
$2.0 million
and
$5.0 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
$1.4 million
and
$3.4 million
for the same respective periods of
2019
. The net favorable prior year reserve development for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
reflected overall favorable trends in claim closing patterns. Net favorable development for the
2020
three-month period
was primarily related to the 2013 and 2015 accident years and accident years prior to 2010. Net favorable development for the
2020
nine-month period
was primarily related to the 2013 through 2016 accident years and accident years prior to 2010. Net favorable development for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
included
$0.4 million
and
$1.2 million
, respectively, related to the amortization of purchase accounting adjustments, which were fully amortized at December 31, 2019.
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Table of Contents
Underwriting, Policy Acquisition and Operating Expenses
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses includes the amortization of commissions, premium taxes and underwriting salaries, which are capitalized and deferred over the related workers’ compensation policy period, net of ceding commissions earned. The capitalization of underwriting salaries can vary as they are subject to the success rate of our contract acquisition efforts. These expenses also include a management fee charged by our Corporate segment, which represents intercompany charges pursuant to a management agreement, and the amortization of intangible assets, primarily related to the acquisition of Eastern by ProAssurance. The management fee is based on the extent to which services are provided to the subsidiary and the amount of premium written by the subsidiary.
Our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses were comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
DPAC amortization
$
8,410
$
9,021
$
(611
)
(6.8
%)
$
23,547
$
26,072
$
(2,525
)
(9.7
%)
Management fees
476
525
(49
)
(9.3
%)
1,505
1,677
(172
)
(10.3
%)
Other underwriting and operating expenses
10,131
9,939
192
1.9
%
29,468
29,122
346
1.2
%
SPC ceding commission offset
(4,034
)
(4,590
)
556
(12.1
%)
(11,916
)
(13,415
)
1,499
(11.2
%)
Total
$
14,983
$
14,895
$
88
0.6
%
$
42,604
$
43,456
$
(852
)
(2.0
%)
The decrease in
DPAC
amortization for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods in
2019
primarily reflects the decrease in net premiums earned. The increase in other underwriting and operating expenses for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected one-time costs of
$0.9 million
primarily comprised of employee severance costs associated with the restructuring of our workers' compensation business during the current period, partially offset by a decrease in employee benefit and travel-related costs. The decrease in travel-related costs for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
are directly attributable to COVID-19, as company business travel has been substantially reduced.
As previously discussed, alternative market premiums written through our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment's alternative market business unit are 100% ceded, less a ceding commission, to either the SPCs in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment or, to a limited extent, an unaffiliated captive insurer. The ceding commission consists of an amount for fronting fees, cell rental fees, commissions, premium taxes and risk management fees. The fronting fees, commissions, premium taxes and risk management fees are recorded as an offset to underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses. Cell rental fees are recorded as a component of other income and claims administration fees are recorded as ceded ULAE. SPC ceding commissions earned decreased for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
, primarily reflecting the decrease in alternative market ceded earned premium.
Underwriting Expense Ratio (the Expense Ratio)
The underwriting expense ratio included the impact of the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Underwriting expense ratio, as reported
35.2
%
30.1
%
5.1
pts
32.9
%
30.6
%
2.3
Less estimated ratio increase (decrease) attributable to:
Impact of ceding commissions received from SPCs
2.6
%
2.6
%
—
3.1
%
2.9
%
0.2
Retrospective premium adjustment
—
%
0.1
%
(0.1
pts)
0.3
%
0.2
%
0.1
Impact of audit premium
0.7
%
(0.6
%)
1.3
pts
0.3
%
(0.3
%)
0.6
Impact of return premium estimate
0.1
%
0.1
%
—
—
%
—
%
—
Underwriting expense ratio, less listed effects
31.8
%
27.9
%
3.9
pts
29.2
%
27.8
%
1.4
Excluding the items noted in the table above, the increase in the expense ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflects the aforementioned one-time charges, costs related to the implementation of a new policy administration and claims system and, to a lesser extent, the effect of the decrease in net premiums earned.
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Table of Contents
Segment Results - Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance
The Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment reflects the results (underwriting profit or loss, plus investment results, net of U.S. federal income taxes) of
SPC
s at
Inova Re
and
Eastern Re
, our Cayman Islands
SPC
operations, as discussed in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
SPC
s are segregated pools of assets and liabilities that provide an insurance facility for a defined set of risks. Assets of each
SPC
are solely for the benefit of that individual cell and each
SPC
is solely responsible for the liabilities of that individual cell. Assets of one
SPC
are statutorily protected from the creditors of the others. Each
SPC
is owned, fully or in part, by an agency, group or association and the results of the
SPC
s are attributable to the participants of that cell. We participate to a varying degree in the results of selected
SPC
s and, for the
SPC
s in which we participate, our participation interest ranges from a low of
20%
to a high of
85%
. SPC results attributable to external cell participants are reflected as SPC dividend (expense) income in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment. In addition, our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment includes the investment results of the
SPC
s as the investments are solely for the benefit of the cell participants and investment results attributable to external cell participants are reflected in the SPC dividend (expense) income. As of
September 30, 2020
, there were
27
(
24
active)
SPC
s. The
SPC
s assume workers' compensation insurance, healthcare professional liability insurance or a combination of the two from our Workers' Compensation Insurance and Specialty P&C segments. As of
September 30, 2020
, there were two
SPC
s that assumed both workers' compensation insurance and healthcare professional liability insurance and one
SPC
that assumed only healthcare professional liability insurance.
Segment results reflects our share of the underwriting and investment results of the SPCs in which we participate, and included the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net premiums written
$
14,011
$
15,268
$
(1,257
)
(8.2
%)
$
51,246
$
62,886
$
(11,640
)
(18.5
%)
Net premiums earned
$
16,052
$
19,779
$
(3,727
)
(18.8
%)
$
49,780
$
58,566
$
(8,786
)
(15.0
%)
Net investment income
273
445
(172
)
(38.7
%)
832
1,261
(429
)
(34.0
%)
Net realized gains (losses)
1,495
(98
)
1,593
(1,625.5
%)
894
1,949
(1,055
)
(54.1
%)
Other income
12
176
(164
)
(93.2
%)
203
397
(194
)
(48.9
%)
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(6,858
)
(9,778
)
2,920
(29.9
%)
(23,890
)
(40,496
)
16,606
(41.0
%)
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(5,036
)
(5,951
)
915
(15.4
%)
(15,474
)
(17,091
)
1,617
(9.5
%)
SPC U.S. federal income tax expense
(1)
(871
)
—
(871
)
nm
(1,573
)
—
(1,573
)
nm
SPC net results
5,067
4,573
494
10.8
%
10,772
4,586
6,186
134.9
%
SPC dividend (expense) income
(2)
(3,854
)
(3,621
)
(233
)
6.4
%
(7,988
)
(1,375
)
(6,613
)
480.9
%
Segment results
(3)
$
1,213
$
952
$
261
27.4
%
$
2,784
$
3,211
$
(427
)
(13.3
%)
Net loss ratio
42.7
%
49.4
%
(6.7 pts)
48.0
%
69.1
%
(21.1 pts)
Underwriting expense ratio
31.4
%
30.1
%
1.3 pts
31.1
%
29.2
%
1.9 pts
(1)
Represents the provision for U.S. federal income taxes for SPCs at Inova Re, which have elected to be taxed as a U.S. corporation under Section 953(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. U.S. federal income taxes are included in the total SPC net results and are paid by the individual SPCs.
(2)
Represents the net (profit) loss due to external cell participants.
(3)
Represents our share of the net profit (loss) of the SPCs in which we participate.
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Premiums Written
Premiums in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment are assumed from either our Workers' Compensation Insurance or
Specialty P&C
segments. Premium volume is driven by five primary factors: (1) the amount of new business written, (2) retention of the existing book of business, (3) premium rates charged on the renewal book of business and, for workers' compensation business, (4) changes in payroll exposure and (5) audit premium.
Gross, ceded and net premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums written
$
15,933
$
17,281
$
(1,348
)
(7.8
%)
$
58,068
$
70,556
$
(12,488
)
(17.7
%)
Less: Ceded premiums written
1,922
2,013
(91
)
(4.5
%)
6,822
7,670
(848
)
(11.1
%)
Net premiums written
$
14,011
$
15,268
$
(1,257
)
(8.2
%)
$
51,246
$
62,886
$
(11,640
)
(18.5
%)
Gross Premiums Written
Gross premiums written reflected reinsurance premiums assumed by component as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Workers' compensation
$
15,057
$
16,706
$
(1,649
)
(9.9
%)
$
52,110
$
64,610
$
(12,500
)
(19.3
%)
Healthcare professional liability
876
575
301
52.3
%
5,958
5,465
493
9.0
%
Other
—
—
—
nm
—
481
(481
)
nm
Gross Premiums Written
$
15,933
$
17,281
$
(1,348
)
(7.8
%)
$
58,068
$
70,556
$
(12,488
)
(17.7
%)
Gross premiums written for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
were primarily comprised of workers' compensation coverages assumed from our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment. The decrease in gross premiums written during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of 2019 primarily reflected the competitive workers’ compensation market conditions and the resulting renewal rate decreases of
1%
and
4%
, respectively, retention losses and a decrease in audit premium. Additionally, the decrease in gross premiums written during the
2020
nine-month period
reflected a reduction in premium funding for a large workers' compensation alternative market program. We do not participate in this program; therefore, the reduction in premium funding had no effect on our share of the segment results for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. Healthcare professional liability gross premiums written increased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of 2019, primarily reflecting new business, partially offset by retention losses. We retained 100% of the
16
workers' compensation programs and 2 healthcare professional liability programs up for renewal during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
. During the second quarter of 2020, we added one new alternative market program at Inova Re with
$0.3 million
and
$0.9 million
in premiums written during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively.
Our workers’ compensation premiums written were impacted by reductions in payroll exposure and policy cancellations related to the economic impact of COVID-19, and we expect continued downward pressure in future quarters on our workers' compensation premium resulting from further reductions in insured payroll exposure; however, the length and magnitude of such changes depends on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
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Table of Contents
New business, audit premium, retention and renewal price changes for the assumed workers' compensation premium is shown in the table below:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in millions)
2020
2019
2020
2019
New business
$
1.2
$
0.8
$
3.0
$
3.0
Audit premium (including EBUB)
$
(0.3
)
$
0.4
$
(0.5
)
$
1.3
Retention rate
(1)
90
%
96
%
83
%
93
%
Change in renewal pricing
(2)
(1
%)
(5
%)
(4
%)
(4
%)
(1)
We calculate our workers' compensation retention rate as annualized expiring renewed premium divided by all annualized expiring premium subject to renewal. Our retention rate can be impacted by various factors, including price or other competitive issues, insureds being acquired, or a decision not to renew based on our underwriting evaluation.
(2)
The pricing of our business includes an assessment of the underlying policy exposure and market conditions. We continue to base our pricing on expected losses, as indicated by our historical loss data.
Ceded Premiums Written
Ceded premiums written were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Ceded premiums written
$
1,922
$
2,013
$
(91
)
(4.5
%)
$
6,822
$
7,670
$
(848
)
(11.1
%)
For the workers' compensation business, each
SPC
has in place its own external reinsurance arrangements. The healthcare professional liability business is assumed net of reinsurance from our Specialty P&C segment; therefore, there are no ceded premiums related to the healthcare professional liability business reflected in the table above. The risk retention for each loss occurrence for the workers' compensation business ranges from
$0.3 million
to
$0.4 million
based on the program, with limits up to
$119.7 million
. In addition, each program has aggregate reinsurance coverage between
$1.1 million
and
$2.1 million
on a program year basis. Per the
SPC
external reinsurance agreements, premiums are ceded on a written premium basis and changes in ceded premiums written during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
primarily reflected changes in workers' compensation gross premiums written as compared to the same respective periods in 2019. External reinsurance rates vary based on the alternative market program.
Ceded Premiums Ratio
Ceded premiums ratio was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Ceded premiums ratio
12.8%
12.0%
0.8 pts
13.1%
11.9%
1.2 pts
The above table reflects ceded premiums as a percent of gross premiums written for the workers' compensation business only; healthcare professional liability business is assumed net of reinsurance, as discussed above. The ceded premiums ratio reflects the weighted average reinsurance rates of all
SPC
programs. The increase in the ceded premiums ratio for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflects an increase in reinsurance rates for programs renewing on or after May 1, 2020. For the
2020
nine-month period
, the increase also reflected the reduction in premium funding for a large workers' compensation alternative market program (see previous discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written"). The reinsurance costs associated with this program are fixed, which resulted in an increase in the ceded ratio.
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Net Premiums Earned
Net premiums earned consist of gross premiums earned less the portion of earned premiums that the
SPC
s cede to external reinsurers. Because premiums are generally earned pro rata over the entire policy period, fluctuations in premiums earned tend to lag those of premiums written. Policies ceded to the
SPC
s are twelve month term policies and premiums are earned on a pro rata basis over the policy period. Net premiums earned also include premium adjustments related to the audit of workers' compensation insureds' payrolls. Payroll audits are conducted subsequent to the end of the policy period and any related adjustments are recorded as fully earned in the current period.
Gross, ceded and net premiums earned were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums earned
$
18,175
$
22,218
$
(4,043
)
(18.2
%)
$
56,277
$
65,856
$
(9,579
)
(14.5
%)
Less: Ceded premiums earned
2,123
2,439
(316
)
(13.0
%)
6,497
7,290
(793
)
(10.9
%)
Net premiums earned
$
16,052
$
19,779
$
(3,727
)
(18.8
%)
$
49,780
$
58,566
$
(8,786
)
(15.0
%)
The decrease in net premiums earned during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected the pro rata effect of a reduction in net premiums written during the preceding twelve months and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, the reduction in premium funding for a large workers' compensation alternative market program compensation alternative market program (see previous discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written").
Net Investment Income and Net Realized Investment Gains (Losses)
Net investment income for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was primarily attributable to interest earned on available-for-sale fixed maturity investments, which primarily includes investment-grade corporate debt securities. We recognized
$1.5 million
and
$0.9 million
of net realized investment gains during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, driven by an increase in fair value on our equity portfolio due to an improvement in the global financial markets since the first quarter of 2020, which was depressed due to the onset of COVID-19. We recognized
$0.1 million
of net realized investment losses during the
three months ended
September 30, 2019
and
$1.9 million
of net realized investment gains during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
driven by changes in the fair value of our equity securities portfolio.
Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
The following table summarizes the calendar year net loss ratios by separating losses between the current accident year and all prior accident years. The current accident year net loss ratio reflected the aggregate loss ratio for all programs. Loss reserves are estimated for each program on a quarterly basis. Due to the size of some of the programs, quarterly loss results can create volatility in the current accident year net loss ratio to fluctuate significantly from period to period.
Calendar year and current accident year net loss ratios for the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
Calendar year net loss ratio
42.7
%
49.4
%
(6.7
pts)
Less impact of prior accident years on the net loss ratio
(24.6
%)
(16.7
%)
(7.9
pts)
Current accident year net loss ratio
67.3
%
66.1
%
1.2
pts
The increase in the current accident year net loss ratio for the
2020
three-month period
primarily reflects the impact of the continuation of intense price competition and resulting renewal rate decreases, partially offset by favorable claim trends and lower severity-related claim activity.
For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
, our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment net loss ratios were affected by a
$10 million
reserve that an SPC at Eastern Re established during the second quarter of
2019
. This SPC had previously assumed an errors and omissions liability policy that provides coverage for losses up to a lifetime maximum of
$10 million
from a captive insurer unaffiliated with ProAssurance. During the second quarter of 2019, a claim was filed under this policy that met the lifetime maximum limit and, accordingly, a
$10 million
reserve was recorded. We do not participate in the SPC that assumed this policy; therefore, these losses were attributable to the external cell participants as reflected in the SPC dividend expense (income) and had no effect on our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment results for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
. Given the significance of this event, we have removed the impact of the policy from each of the
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Table of Contents
ratios below (as shown in the columns labeled "Adjusted") in order to assist in the comparability between periods. Calendar year and current accident year net loss ratios for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was as follows:
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
As reported
As reported
E&O Reserve Impact
Adjusted
As reported
Adjusted
Calendar year net loss ratio
48.0
%
69.1
%
16.6
pts
52.5
%
(21.1
pts)
(4.5
pts)
Less impact of prior accident years on the net loss ratio
(15.3
%)
(13.4
%)
0.1
pts
(13.5
%)
(1.9
pts)
(1.8
pts)
Current accident year net loss ratio
63.3
%
82.5
%
16.5
pts
66.0
%
(19.2
pts)
(2.7
pts)
Excluding the impact of the errors and omissions liability policy, as previously discussed and as shown in the table above, the current accident year net loss ratio for the
2020
nine-month period
decreased
2.7
percentage points as compared to the same respective period of 2019. The decrease during the
2020
nine-month period
primarily reflected overall favorable trends in workers' compensation claim closing patterns, including lower severity, partially offset by the effect of the continuation of intense price competition and the resulting renewal rate decreases. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, legislative and regulatory bodies in certain states have changed or are attempting to change compensability requirements and presumptions for certain types of workers related to COVID-19 claims. If successful, these endeavors could result in an increase in claims frequency and severity which may result in a higher current accident year net loss ratio in future quarters.
Calendar year ceded incurred losses (excluding IBNR) ceded to our external reinsurers decreased
$2.2 million
and
$3.9 million
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
. Current accident year ceded incurred losses decreased
$1.8 million
and
$2.0 million
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
.
We recognized net favorable prior year reserve development of
$4.0 million
and
$7.6 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, and
$3.3 million
and
$7.8 million
for the same periods of
2019
. The net favorable prior year reserve development for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
included
$4.0 million
and
$6.6 million
related to the workers’ compensation business, respectively. In addition, net favorable prior year reserve development for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
included
$1.0 million
related to the healthcare professional liability business. Development recognized for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
primarily reflected the overall favorable trends in claim closing patterns in the 2016 through 2018 accident years. The current economic conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have introduced significant risk of a prolonged recession, which could have an adverse impact on our return to wellness efforts and the ability of injured workers to return to work, resulting in a potential reduction in favorable claim trends in future periods.
Underwriting, Policy Acquisition and Operating Expenses
Our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses were comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
DPAC amortization
$
4,714
$
5,493
$
(779
)
(14.2
%)
$
14,787
$
16,159
$
(1,372
)
(8.5
%)
Other underwriting and operating expenses
322
458
(136
)
(29.7
%)
687
932
(245
)
(26.3
%)
Total
$
5,036
$
5,951
$
(915
)
(15.4
%)
$
15,474
$
17,091
$
(1,617
)
(9.5
%)
DPAC amortization primarily represents ceding commissions, which vary by program and are paid to our Workers' Compensation Insurance and
Specialty P&C
segments for premiums assumed. Ceding commissions include an amount for fronting fees, commissions, premium taxes and risk management fees, which are reported as an offset to underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses within our Workers' Compensation Insurance and
Specialty P&C
segments. In addition, ceding commissions paid to our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment include cell rental fees which are recorded as other income within our Workers' Compensation Insurance segment.
Other underwriting and operating expenses primarily include bank fees, professional fees and bad debt expense. The decrease in other underwriting and operating expenses for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods in 2019 primarily reflected recoveries of premiums receivables previously written off, which resulted in an adjustment to our allowance for expected credit losses.
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Underwriting Expense Ratio (the Expense Ratio)
The underwriting expense ratio included the impact of the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Underwriting expense ratio, as reported
31.4%
30.1%
1.3 pts
31.1%
29.2%
1.9 pts
Less: impact of audit premium on expense ratio
0.6%
(0.5%)
1.1 pts
0.4%
(0.5%)
0.9 pts
Underwriting expense ratio, excluding the effect of audit premium
30.8%
30.6%
0.2 pts
30.7%
29.7%
1.0 pts
Excluding the effect of audit premium, the underwriting expense ratio primarily reflected the weighted average ceding commission percentage of all SPC programs. The increase in the expense ratio during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was driven by the effect of a reduction in net premiums earned, as previously discussed. Additionally, the increase in the expense ratio during the
2020
nine-month period
reflected the impact of the reduction in premium funding for a large workers' compensation alternative market program as the ceding commissions associated with this program are fixed and do not vary directly with changes in premium (see previous discussion under the heading "Gross Premiums Written").
SPC U.S. Federal Income Tax Expense
The SPCs at Inova Re have made a 953(d) election under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and are subject to U.S. federal income tax. U.S. federal income taxes incurred totaled
$0.9 million
and
$1.6 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively. There was no provision for U.S. federal income taxes for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
. U.S. federal income taxes are included in the total SPC net results and are paid by the individual SPCs.
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Segment Results - Lloyd's Syndicates
Our
Lloyd's
Syndicates segment includes the results from our participation in certain Syndicates at Lloyd's of London. In addition to our participation in Syndicate results, we have investments in and other obligations to our
Lloyd's
Syndicates consisting of a
Syndicate Credit Agreement
and
FAL
requirements. For the
2020
underwriting year, our
FAL
was comprised of investment securities and cash and cash equivalents deposited with
Lloyd's
which at
September 30, 2020
had a fair value of approximately
$105.8 million
, as discussed in Note
3
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. During the third quarter of
2020
, we received a return of approximately
$32.3 million
of cash and cash equivalents from our
FAL
balances given the reduction in our participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
for the
2020
underwriting year to
29%
from
61%
.
We normally report results from our involvement in Lloyd's Syndicates on a quarter lag, except when information is available that is material to the current period. Furthermore, the investment results associated with our
FAL
investments and certain U.S. paid administrative expenses are reported concurrently as that information is available on an earlier time frame.
Lloyd's Syndicate 1729.
We provide capital to
Syndicate 1729
, which covers a range of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance lines in both the U.S. and international markets. The remaining capital for
Syndicate 1729
is provided by unrelated third parties, including private names and other corporate members. As previously discussed, we decreased our participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
for the
2020
underwriting year to reduce our exposure and the associated earnings volatility. Due to the quarter lag, this reduced participation was not reflected in our results until the second quarter of
2020
.
Syndicate 1729
's maximum underwriting capacity for the
2020
underwriting year is
£135 million
(approximately
$174 million
based on
September 30, 2020
exchange rates), of which
£39 million
(approximately
$50 million
based on
September 30, 2020
exchange rates) is our allocated underwriting capacity.
Lloyd's Syndicate 6131.
We are the sole (
100%
) capital provider to an
SPA
,
Syndicate 6131
, which focuses on contingency and specialty property business in both the U.S. and international markets. For the
2020
underwriting year,
Syndicate 6131
has a maximum underwriting capacity of
£12 million
(approximately
$16 million
based on
September 30, 2020
exchange rates). As an SPA,
Syndicate 6131
underwrites on a quota share basis with
Syndicate 1729
. Effective July 1, 2020,
Syndicate 6131
entered into a quota share reinsurance agreement with an unaffiliated insurer. Under this agreement,
Syndicate 6131
will cede essentially half of the premium assumed from
Syndicate 1729
to the unaffiliated insurer. Due to the quarter lag, the effect of this reinsurance arrangement will not be reflected in our results until the fourth quarter of
2020
.
In addition to the results of our participation in Lloyd's Syndicates, as discussed above, our Lloyd's Syndicates segment also includes 100% of the results of our wholly owned subsidiaries that support our operations at Lloyd's. For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, the results of our Lloyd's Syndicates segment were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums written
$
23,862
$
30,427
$
(6,565
)
(21.6
%)
$
72,441
$
83,247
$
(10,806
)
(13.0
%)
Ceded premiums written
(4,770
)
(8,599
)
3,829
(44.5
%)
(13,172
)
(21,660
)
8,488
(39.2
%)
Net premiums written
$
19,092
$
21,828
$
(2,736
)
(12.5
%)
$
59,269
$
61,587
$
(2,318
)
(3.8
%)
Net premiums earned
$
18,142
$
21,295
$
(3,153
)
(14.8
%)
$
61,186
$
57,215
$
3,971
6.9
%
Net investment income
951
1,077
(126
)
(11.7
%)
3,236
3,282
(46
)
(1.4
%)
Net realized gains (losses)
489
285
204
71.6
%
1,100
725
375
51.7
%
Other income (loss)
411
(165
)
576
349.1
%
219
(278
)
497
178.8
%
Net losses and loss adjustment expenses
(9,317
)
(11,907
)
2,590
(21.8
%)
(39,432
)
(34,640
)
(4,792
)
13.8
%
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses
(6,938
)
(9,411
)
2,473
(26.3
%)
(23,373
)
(25,445
)
2,072
(8.1
%)
Income tax benefit (expense)
—
161
(161
)
nm
29
161
(132
)
(82.0
%)
Segment results
$
3,738
$
1,335
$
2,403
180.0
%
$
2,965
$
1,020
$
1,945
190.7
%
Net loss ratio
51.4
%
55.9
%
(4.5
pts)
64.4
%
60.5
%
3.9
pts
Underwriting expense ratio
38.2
%
44.2
%
(6.0
pts)
38.2
%
44.5
%
(6.3
pts)
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Gross Premiums Written
Changes in our premium volume within our Lloyd's Syndicates segment are driven by five primary factors: (1) the amount of new business and the channels in which the business is written, (2) our retention of existing business, (3) the premium charged for business that is renewed, which is affected by rates charged and by the amount and type of coverage an insured chooses to purchase, (4) the timing of premium written through multi-period policies and (5) changes in our participation in the Syndicates.
Gross premiums written during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
consisted of property insurance coverages (
41%
of total gross premiums written), casualty coverages (
30%
), catastrophe reinsurance coverages (
14%
), specialty property coverages (
9%
), contingency coverages (
4%
) and property reinsurance coverages (
2%
). The decrease in gross premiums written during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
was primarily driven by our decreased participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
, partially offset by volume increases on renewal business and renewal pricing increases, primarily property insurance coverages, as well as new business written, primarily property insurance and casualty coverages.
Ceded Premiums Written
Syndicate 1729
utilizes reinsurance to provide the capacity to write larger limits of liability on individual risks, to provide protection against catastrophic loss and to provide protection against losses in excess of policy limits. Ceded premiums written decreased for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same periods of
2019
primarily driven by our decreased participation in the results of
Syndicate 1729
. In addition, the decrease in ceded premiums written during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same period of 2019 included the effect of a revision to the Syndicates' estimates of premiums due to reinsurers during the first quarter of 2019.
Net Premiums Earned
Net premiums earned consist of gross premiums earned less the portion of earned premiums that the Syndicates cede to reinsurers for their assumption of a portion of losses. Premiums written through open-market channels are generally earned pro rata over the entire policy period, which is predominately twelve months, whereas premiums written through delegated underwriting authority arrangements are earned over twenty-four months. Therefore, net premiums earned is affected by shifts in the mix of policies written between the open-market and delegated underwriting authority arrangements. Additionally, net premiums earned consists of a mix of policies earned from different open underwriting years. As previously discussed, we participate to a varying degree in each open underwriting year which may cause fluctuations in premiums earned. Furthermore, fluctuations in premiums earned tend to lag those of premiums written. Premiums for certain policies and assumed reinsurance contracts are reported subsequent to the coverage period and/or may be subject to adjustment based on loss experience. These premium adjustments are earned when reported, which can result in further fluctuation in earned premium.
Gross, ceded and net premiums earned were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Gross premiums earned
$
22,777
$
26,399
$
(3,622
)
(13.7
%)
$
77,309
$
72,225
$
5,084
7.0
%
Less: Ceded premiums earned
4,635
5,104
(469
)
(9.2
%)
16,123
15,010
1,113
7.4
%
Net premiums earned
$
18,142
$
21,295
$
(3,153
)
(14.8
%)
$
61,186
$
57,215
$
3,971
6.9
%
The decrease in gross premiums earned during the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same period of
2019
was driven by our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
, somewhat offset by the pro rata effect of higher premiums written during the preceding twelve months, primarily property insurance coverages. Gross premiums earned increased during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same period of
2019
driven by the pro rata effect of higher premiums written during the preceding twelve months, primarily property insurance coverages. The increase in gross premiums earned during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
was partially offset by our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
, which was not reflected in our results until the second quarter of
2020
.
The decrease in ceded premiums earned during the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same period of 2019 was driven by our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
. The increase in ceded premiums earned during the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same period of
2019
was driven by
t
he pro rata effect of an increase in premiums ceded under reinsurance arrangements during the preceding twelve months due to the increase in gross premiums earned, as previously discussed.
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Table of Contents
Net Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses
Losses for the period were primarily recorded using the loss assumptions by risk category incorporated into the business plans submitted to
Lloyd's
for
Syndicate 1729
and
Syndicate 6131
with consideration given to loss experience incurred to date. The assumptions used in each business plan were consistent with loss results reflected in
Lloyd's
historical data for similar risks. The loss ratios may fluctuate due to the mix of earned premium and the timing of earned premium adjustments (see discussion in this section under the heading "Net Premiums Earned"). Premium and exposure for some of
Syndicate 1729
's insurance policies and reinsurance contracts are initially estimated and subsequently adjusted over an extended period of time as underlying premium reports are received from cedants and insureds. When reports are received, the premium, exposure and corresponding loss estimates are revised accordingly. Changes in loss estimates due to premium or exposure fluctuations are incurred in the accident year in which the premium is earned.
The following table summarizes calendar year net loss ratios by separating losses between the current accident year and all prior accident years. Net loss ratios for the period were as follows:
Net Loss Ratios
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Calendar year net loss ratio
51.4%
55.9%
(4.5 pts)
64.4%
60.5%
3.9 pts
Less impact of prior accident years on the net loss ratio
(14.5%)
(2.4%)
(12.1 pts)
(2.1%)
—%
(2.1 pts)
Current accident year net loss ratio
65.9%
58.3%
7.6 pts
66.5%
60.5%
6.0 pts
For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, the current accident year net loss ratio increased
7.6
and
6.0
percentage points, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
. The increase in the current accident year net loss ratio for the
2020
three-month period
was driven by lower reinsurance recoveries as a proportion of gross losses as compared to the prior year period associated with property and catastrophe related losses and, to a lesser extent, the effect of a decrease in net premiums earned, as previously discussed. For the
2020
nine-month period
, the increase in the ratio was driven by certain property and catastrophe related losses and, to a lesser extent, contingency related losses incurred during
2020
.
We recognized
$2.6 million
and
$1.3 million
of favorable prior year development for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
$0.5 million
of favorable prior year development and a nominal amount of unfavorable prior year development for the same respective periods of
2019
. The favorable development recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
was driven by lower than expected losses and development on certain large claims, primarily property and catastrophe related losses, which resulted in favorable development with respect to a previous underwriting year.
We have exposures to potential COVID-19 claims through our participation in
Syndicate 1729
and 6131. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, we recognized losses related to COVID-19 of approximately
$1.4 million
and
$2.9 million
, respectively, net of reinsurance, primarily in Syndicate 6131's contingency and
Syndicate 1729
's casualty books of business. We are closely monitoring the impact of potential legislation or court decisions that could retroactively require Syndicate 1729 and 6131 to extend certain insurance to cover COVID-19 claims, even if the original contract excluded the cover of communicable diseases as is typical in certain policies the Syndicates write; however, to date, legislative attempts have been unsuccessful. If successful, these actions could result in an increase in claim frequency and severity due to an unintended increase in exposure for Syndicate 1729 and 6131 which could have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows given our participation in the Syndicates. See previous discussion in the Regulatory Environment section under the heading "COVID-19".
Underwriting, Policy Acquisition and Operating Expenses
Underwriting, policy acquisition and operating expenses decreased by
$2.5 million
and
$2.1 million
for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
and reflected our decreased participation in
Syndicate 1729
. The decrease for the
2020
nine-month period
also reflected the effect of higher operational expenses incurred associated with establishing Syndicate 6131 during
2019
, partially offset by an increase in DPAC amortization due to the increase in net premiums earned, as previously discussed.
For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, the underwriting expense ratio decreased by
6.0
and
6.3
percentage points, respectively, as compared to the same periods of
2019
driven by lower operating expenses due to our reduced participation in Syndicate 1729. Operating expenses incurred during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
primarily were related to the
2020
underwriting year for which our participation is
29%
, whereas the net premiums earned during the same periods also includes premium from other open underwriting years to which we participate at a higher degree.
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Investments
The change in net investment income for the
2020
and
2019
three- and nine-month periods
was primarily attributable to interest earned on our
FAL
investments, which primarily includes investment-grade corporate debt securities. During the second quarter of 2020, certain corporate debt securities included in our
FAL
investments were liquidated. During the third quarter of 2020, approximately
$32.3 million
of cash and cash equivalents was returned to ProAssurance, as previously discussed, which is anticipated to impact the segment's net investment income in future periods.
Syndicate 1729
's fixed maturities portfolio includes certain debt securities classified as trading securities. Investment results associated with these fixed maturity trading securities are reported on the same quarter lag.
Taxes
The results of this segment are subject to
U.K.
income tax law.
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Table of Contents
Segment Results - Corporate
Our Corporate segment includes our investment operations, other than those reported in our Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance and Lloyd's Syndicates segments, interest expense and U.S. income taxes as discussed in Note
13
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Our Corporate segment also includes non-premium revenues generated outside of our insurance entities and corporate expenses. Segment results for our Corporate segment were net earnings of
$17.1 million
and
$48.9 million
for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
$22.4 million
and
$79.7 million
for the same respective periods of
2019
and included the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Net investment income
$
15,700
$
22,159
$
(6,459
)
(29.1
%)
$
51,809
$
65,495
$
(13,686
)
(20.9
%)
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
$
4,853
$
(1,277
)
$
6,130
480.0
%
$
(22,065
)
$
(7,240
)
$
(14,825
)
(204.8
%)
Net realized gains (losses)
$
6,854
$
947
$
5,907
623.8
%
$
(1,844
)
$
44,390
$
(46,234
)
(104.2
%)
Other income
$
775
$
963
$
(188
)
(19.5
%)
$
1,813
$
2,701
$
(888
)
(32.9
%)
Operating expense
$
5,044
$
2,682
$
2,362
88.1
%
$
17,632
$
12,676
$
4,956
39.1
%
Interest expense
$
3,881
$
4,274
$
(393
)
(9.2
%)
$
11,725
$
12,850
$
(1,125
)
(8.8
%)
Income tax expense (benefit)
$
2,141
$
(6,528
)
$
8,669
132.8
%
$
(48,592
)
$
157
$
(48,749
)
nm
Net Investment Income, Equity in Earnings (Loss) of Unconsolidated Subsidiaries, Net Realized Investment Gains (Losses)
Net Investment Income
Net investment income is primarily derived from the income earned by our fixed maturity securities and also includes dividend income from equity securities, income from our short-term and cash equivalent investments, earnings from other investments and increases in the cash surrender value of
BOLI
contracts, net of investment fees and expenses.
Net investment income by investment category was as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Fixed maturities
$
15,731
$
17,020
$
(1,289
)
(7.6
%)
$
49,037
$
49,852
$
(815
)
(1.6
%)
Equities
706
3,943
(3,237
)
(82.1
%)
3,598
13,756
(10,158
)
(73.8
%)
Short-term investments, including Other
297
1,758
(1,461
)
(83.1
%)
1,995
4,874
(2,879
)
(59.1
%)
BOLI
655
645
10
1.6
%
1,568
1,557
11
0.7
%
Investment fees and expenses
(1,689
)
(1,207
)
(482
)
39.9
%
(4,389
)
(4,544
)
155
(3.4
%)
Net investment income
$
15,700
$
22,159
$
(6,459
)
(29.1
%)
$
51,809
$
65,495
$
(13,686
)
(20.9
%)
Fixed Maturities
Income from our fixed maturities decreased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of
2019
primarily due to lower yields from our corporate debt securities, partially offset by higher average investment balances. Average investment balances were approximately
3%
and
5%
higher for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
, respectively, as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
.
Average yields for our fixed maturity portfolio were as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
2020
2019
Average income yield
3.0%
3.4%
3.1%
3.4%
Average tax equivalent income yield
3.0%
3.4%
3.2%
3.4%
Equities
Income from our equity portfolio decreased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
which reflected a decrease in our allocation to this asset category.
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Short-term Investments and Other Investments
Short-term investments, which have a maturity at purchase of one year or less are carried at fair value, which approximates their cost basis, and are primarily composed of investments in U.S. treasury obligations, commercial paper and money market funds. Income from our short-term and other investments decreased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
primarily attributable to lower yields given the actions taken by the Federal Reserve to aggressively reduce interest rates in response to COVID-19.
Equity in Earnings (Loss) of Unconsolidated Subsidiaries
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries was comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
All other investments, primarily investment fund LPs/LLCs
$
9,387
$
4,495
$
4,892
108.8
%
$
(6,093
)
$
8,621
$
(14,714
)
(170.7
%)
Tax credit partnerships
(4,534
)
(5,772
)
1,238
(21.4
%)
(15,972
)
(15,861
)
(111
)
0.7
%
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
$
4,853
$
(1,277
)
$
6,130
480.0
%
$
(22,065
)
$
(7,240
)
$
(14,825
)
204.8
%
We hold interests in certain
LP
s/
LLC
s that generate earnings from trading portfolios, secured debt, debt securities, multi-strategy funds and private equity investments. The performance of the
LP
s/
LLC
s is affected by the volatility of equity and credit markets. For our investments in
LP
s/
LLC
s, we record our allocable portion of the partnership operating income or loss as the results of the
LP
s/
LLC
s become available, typically following the end of a reporting period. The change in our investment results from our portfolio of investments in
LP
s/
LLC
s for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of
2019
was driven by the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19.
Our tax credit partnership investments are designed to generate returns in the form of tax credits and tax-deductible project operating losses and are comprised of qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships and a historic tax credit partnership. We account for our tax credit partnership investments under the equity method and record our allocable portion of the operating losses of the underlying properties based on estimates provided by the partnerships. For our qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships, we adjust our estimates of our allocable portion of operating losses periodically as actual operating results of the underlying properties become available. Our historic tax credit partnership is short-term in nature and the remaining operating losses, up to our total current funded commitment, were recognized during the second quarter of
2020
. The results from our tax credit partnership investments for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
reflected lower partnership operating losses during the
2020
three-month period
and higher partnership operating losses during the
2020
nine-month period
as compared to the same periods of
2019
. In addition, based on results received, we increased our estimate of operating losses by
$0.8 million
and
$4.2 million
during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, respectively, as compared to
$1.5 million
and
$3.0 million
during the same periods of
2019
.
The tax benefits received from our tax credit partnerships, which are not reflected in our investment results above, reduced our tax expense in
2020
and
2019
as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In millions)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Tax credits recognized during the period
$
4.5
$
4.6
$
13.4
$
13.9
Tax benefit of tax credit partnership operating losses
$
1.0
$
1.2
$
3.4
$
3.3
Due to our consolidated loss before income taxes recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, the tax credits generated in 2020 from our tax credit partnership investments of
$4.5 million
and
$13.4 million
, respectively, were deferred and are expected to be utilized in future periods.
Tax credits provided by the underlying projects of our historic tax credit partnership are typically available in the tax year in which the project is put into active service, whereas the tax credits provided by qualified affordable housing project tax credit partnerships are provided over approximately a ten year period.
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Table of Contents
Non-
GAAP
Financial Measure – Tax Equivalent Investment Result
We believe that to fully understand our investment returns it is important to consider the current tax benefits associated with certain investments as the tax benefit received represents a portion of the return provided by our tax-exempt bonds,
BOLI
, common and preferred stocks, and tax credit partnership investments (collectively, our tax-preferred investments). We impute a pro forma tax-equivalent result by estimating the amount of fully-taxable income needed to achieve the same after-tax result as is currently provided by our tax-preferred investments. We believe this better reflects the economics behind our decision to invest in certain asset classes that are either taxed at lower rates and/or result in reductions to our current federal income tax expense. Our pro forma tax-equivalent investment result is shown in the table that follows as well as a reconciliation of our
GAAP
net investment result to our tax equivalent result.
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
GAAP net investment result:
Net investment income
$
15,700
$
22,159
$
51,809
$
65,495
Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated subsidiaries
4,853
(1,277
)
(22,065
)
(7,240
)
GAAP net investment result
$
20,553
$
20,882
$
29,744
$
58,255
Pro forma tax-equivalent investment result
$
20,872
$
27,209
$
30,705
$
77,306
Reconciliation of pro forma and GAAP tax-equivalent investment result:
GAAP net investment result
$
20,553
$
20,882
$
29,744
$
58,255
Taxable equivalent adjustments, calculated using the 21% federal statutory tax rate
State and municipal bonds
143
191
461
659
BOLI
174
171
417
414
Dividends received
2
99
83
379
Tax credit partnerships*
—
5,866
—
17,599
Pro forma tax-equivalent investment result
$
20,872
$
27,209
$
30,705
$
77,306
*Due to our consolidated pre-tax loss during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, the tax credits recognized from our tax credit partnership investments were deferred to be utilized in future periods; therefore, there is no tax-equivalent adjustment required as tax credits had no impact on our current tax expense during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
.
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Net Realized Investment Gains (Losses)
The following table provides detailed information regarding our net realized investment gains (losses).
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Total impairment losses
Corporate debt
$
—
$
(66
)
$
(1,745
)
$
(202
)
Portion of impairment losses recognized in other comprehensive income before taxes:
Corporate debt
—
36
237
124
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings
—
(30
)
(1,508
)
(78
)
Gross realized gains, available-for-sale fixed maturities
3,903
651
10,573
1,877
Gross realized (losses), available-for-sale fixed maturities
(395
)
(125
)
(2,264
)
(453
)
Net realized gains (losses), equity investments
(6
)
1,935
10,627
12,902
Net realized gains (losses), other investments
530
397
2,442
974
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), equity investments
1,400
(1,427
)
(21,772
)
26,504
Change in unrealized holding gains (losses), convertible securities, carried at fair value as a part of other investments
1,170
(519
)
(190
)
2,597
Other
252
65
248
67
Net realized investment gains (losses)
$
6,854
$
947
$
(1,844
)
$
44,390
We did not recognize any credit-related impairment losses in earnings or non-credit impairment losses in
OCI
for the
three months ended
September 30, 2020
. For the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
we recognized
$1.5 million
of credit-related impairment losses in earnings and a nominal amount of non-credit impairment losses in
OCI
. The credit-related impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors. Additionally, the
2020
nine-month period
included credit-related impairment losses related to four corporate bonds in various sectors, which were sold during
2020
. The non-credit impairment losses recognized during the
2020
nine-month period
related to three corporate bonds in the energy and consumer sectors. For the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
, we recognized a nominal amount of both credit-related impairment losses and non-credit impairment losses in
OCI
, both of which related to a corporate bond.
We recognized
$6.9 million
of net realized investment gains during the
2020
three-month period
, driven primarily by gains in our available-for-sale fixed maturities due to the sale of corporate bonds and, to a lesser extent, unrealized holding gains resulting from an increase in fair value on our equity portfolio and convertible securities. We recognized
$1.8 million
of net realized investment losses during the
2020
nine-month period
driven by unrealized holding losses resulting from decreases in the fair value on our equity portfolio due to the volatility in the global financial markets related to COVID-19 which were partially offset by realized gains on the sale of available-for-sale fixed maturities and equity investments. During the
2019
three- and nine-month periods
we recognized
$0.9 million
and
$44.4 million
of net realized investment gains, respectively. Net realized investment gains for the
2019
three-month period
were driven by realized gains from the sale of equity investments, partially offset by unrealized holding losses on our equity portfolio during the period. For the
2019
nine-month period
, net realized investment gains were driven by unrealized holding gains on our equity portfolio and realized gains from the sale of equity investments during the period. The primary driver of the unrealized holding gains during the
2019
nine-month period
was the improvement in the market since December 31, 2018, which caused our equity securities to increase in value. The most significant sectors that benefited were the financial and energy sectors.
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Operating Expenses
Corporate segment operating expenses were comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Operating expenses
$
9,196
$
7,056
$
2,140
30.3
%
$
28,994
$
25,083
$
3,911
15.6
%
Management fee offset
(4,152
)
(4,374
)
222
(5.1
%)
(11,362
)
(12,407
)
1,045
(8.4
%)
Segment Total
$
5,044
$
2,682
$
2,362
88.1
%
$
17,632
$
12,676
$
4,956
39.1
%
Operating expenses increased during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of
2019
primarily due to an increase in professional fees and, to a lesser extent, an increase in share-based compensation expenses. The increase in professional fees during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was driven by an increase in transaction-related costs associated with our planned acquisition of NORCAL (see Note
7
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements) and, for the
2020
nine-month period
, corporate legal expenses. The increase in share-based compensation expenses for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
as compared to the same periods of 2019 was primarily attributable to the effect of a decrease in the value of projected awards during
2019
based upon the decline of one of the associated performance metrics. In addition, the increase in operating expenses during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
included one-time costs of
$0.5 million
primarily comprised of employee severance and early retirement benefits granted to certain employees during the third quarter of
2020
. The increase in operating expenses during the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
was partially offset by a decrease in various operational expenses, primarily other compensation-related costs and, to a lesser extent, travel-related costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Operating subsidiaries within our
Specialty P&C
and Workers' Compensation Insurance segments are charged a management fee by the Corporate segment for services provided to these subsidiaries. The management fee is based on the extent to which services are provided to the subsidiary and the amount of premium written by the subsidiary. Under the arrangement, the expenses associated with such services are reported as expenses of the Corporate segment, and the management fees charged are reported as an offset to Corporate operating expenses. While the terms of the arrangement were consistent between
2019
and
2020
, fluctuations in the amount of premium written by each subsidiary can result in corresponding variations in the management fee charged to each subsidiary during a particular period.
Interest Expense
Consolidated interest expense for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
was comprised as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30
Nine Months Ended September 30
($ in thousands)
2020
2019
Change
2020
2019
Change
Senior Notes due 2023
$
3,357
$
3,357
$
—
—
%
$
10,071
$
10,071
$
—
—
%
Revolving Credit Agreement (including fees and amortization)
312
156
156
100.0
%
579
474
105
22.2
%
Mortgage Loans (including amortization)*
166
351
(185
)
(52.7
%)
657
1,096
(439
)
(40.1
%)
(Gain)/loss on interest rate cap
46
410
(364
)
(88.8
%)
418
1,209
(791
)
(65.4
%)
Interest expense
$
3,881
$
4,274
$
(393
)
(9.2
%)
$
11,725
$
12,850
$
(1,125
)
(8.8
%)
* During each of the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2019
, we received a nominal cash payment associated with our interest rate cap which was recorded as a reduction to interest expense associated with our Mortgage Loans.
Consolidated interest expense decreased during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
driven by the change in the fair value of our interest rate cap and lower interest expense on our Mortgage Loans. The interest rate cap is designated as an economic hedge of interest rate risk associated with our variable rate Mortgage Loans. Our Mortgage Loans accrue interest at three month
LIBOR
plus
1.325%
, and the decrease in interest expense during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the same respective periods of
2019
was primarily due to a decrease in the average three-month
LIBOR
. Interest expense on our Revolving Credit Agreement for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
primarily reflected unused commitment fees as there were no outstanding borrowings during those periods. See further discussion of our outstanding debt in Note
9
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and further discussion of our interest rate cap agreement in Note
12
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
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Taxes
Tax expense allocated to our Corporate segment includes U.S. tax only, which would include U.S. tax expense incurred from our corporate membership in Lloyd's of London. The
U.K.
tax expense incurred by the
U.K.
based subsidiaries of our Lloyd's Syndicates segment is allocated to that segment. The SPCs at Inova Re, one of our Cayman Islands reinsurance subsidiaries, have each made a 953(d) election under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and are subject to U.S. federal income tax; therefore, tax expense allocated to our Corporate segment also includes tax expense incurred from any SPC at Inova Re in which we have a participation interest of 80% or greater as those SPCs are required to be included in our consolidated tax return. Consolidated tax expense (benefit) reflects the tax expense (benefit) of both segments, as shown in the table below:
Three Months Ended
September 30
Nine Months Ended
September 30
(In thousands)
2020
2019
2020
2019
Corporate segment income tax expense (benefit)
$
2,141
$
(6,528
)
$
(48,592
)
$
157
Lloyd's Syndicates segment income tax expense (benefit)
—
(161
)
(29
)
(161
)
Consolidated income tax expense (benefit)
$
2,141
$
(6,689
)
$
(48,621
)
$
(4
)
Listed below are the primary factors affecting our consolidated effective tax rate for the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and
2019
. The comparability of each factor's impact on our effective tax rate is affected by the consolidated pre-tax loss recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
as compared to the consolidated pre-tax income recognized during the same periods of
2019
. Factors that have the same directional impact on income tax expense in each period have an opposite impact on our effective tax rate due to the effective tax rate being calculated based upon a pre-tax loss during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
versus pre-tax income during the same periods of
2019
. These factors include the following:
Three Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
($ in thousands)
Income tax (benefit) expense
Rate Impact
Income tax (benefit) expense
Rate Impact
Computed "expected" tax expense (benefit) at statutory rate
$
(31,046
)
21.0
%
$
2,206
21.0
%
Tax-exempt income
(1)
(252
)
0.1
%
(386
)
(3.7
%)
Tax credits
(4,472
)
3.0
%
(4,634
)
(44.1
%)
Non-U.S. operating results
(785
)
0.6
%
(246
)
(2.4
%)
Tax deficiency (excess tax benefit) on share-based compensation
6
—
%
(63
)
(0.6
%)
Tax rate differential on loss carryback
2,848
(1.9
%)
—
—
%
Goodwill impairment
(2)
31,413
(21.3
%)
—
—
%
Estimated annual tax rate differential
(3)
4,171
(2.9
%)
(2,009
)
(19.1
%)
Other
258
—
%
(1,557
)
(14.8
%)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
$
2,141
(1.4
%)
$
(6,689
)
(63.7
%)
Nine Months Ended September 30
2020
2019
($ in thousands)
Income tax (benefit) expense
Rate Impact
Income tax (benefit) expense
Rate Impact
Computed "expected" tax expense (benefit) at statutory rate
$
(50,117
)
21.0
%
$
12,679
21.0
%
Tax-exempt income
(1)
(759
)
0.3
%
(1,210
)
(2.0
%)
Tax credits
(13,415
)
5.6
%
(13,903
)
(23.1
%)
Non-U.S. operating results
(622
)
0.2
%
(180
)
(0.3
%)
Tax deficiency (excess tax benefit) on share-based compensation
434
(0.2
%)
(17
)
—
%
Tax rate differential on loss carryback
(6,482
)
2.7
%
—
—
%
Goodwill impairment
(2)
31,413
(13.2
%)
—
—
%
Estimated annual tax rate differential
(3)
(9,984
)
4.2
%
4,292
7.0
%
Other
911
(0.2
%)
(1,665
)
(2.6
%)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
$
(48,621
)
20.4
%
$
(4
)
—
%
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(1)
Includes tax-exempt interest, dividends received deduction and change in cash surrender value of BOLI.
(2)
Represents the tax impact of the impairment of non-deductible goodwill in relation to the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the third quarter of 2020. See further discussion on the impairment charge under the heading "Goodwill / Intangibles" in the Critical Accounting Estimates section.
(3)
Represents the tax rate differential between our actual effective tax rate for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and our projected annual effective tax rate as of
September 30, 2020
.
The provision (benefit) for income taxes and the effective tax rate for the
2020
and
2019
three- and nine-month periods
are determined based upon our current estimate of our annual effective tax rate at the end of each quarterly reporting period (the projected annual effective tax rate) plus the impact of certain discrete items that are not included in the projected annual effective tax rate. See further discussion around the methods utilized to compute interim taxes under the heading "Estimation of Taxes/Tax Credits" in the Critical Accounting Estimates section.
Our projected annual effective tax rates for
2020
and
2019
were
59.3%
and
(54.4%)
at
September 30, 2020
and
2019
, respectively, before consideration of discrete items. Our projected annual effective tax rate as of
September 30, 2020
and
September 30, 2019
represents an expected benefit; however, the comparability of our projected annual effective tax rates is impacted by our projection of a pre-tax loss at
September 30, 2020
compared to our projection of pre-tax income at
September 30, 2019
. Our projected annual effective tax rates at
September 30, 2020
and
2019
and our effective tax rates for both the
2020
and
2019
nine-month period
s were different from the statutory federal income tax rate of 21% primarily due to the benefit recognized from the tax credits transferred to us from our tax credit partnership investments. Tax credits recognized during the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
were
$4.5 million
and
$13.4 million
, respectively, as compared to
$4.6 million
and
$13.9 million
for the same respective periods of
2019
. While projected tax credits for
2020
are less than
2019
, they continue to have a significant impact on the effective tax rate for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
. Additionally, our projected annual effective tax rate as of
September 30, 2020
includes the additional tax rate differential of 14% on the carryback of our 2020 NOL to the 2015 tax year as a result of changes made by the CARES Act to the NOL provisions of the tax law.
Our projected annual effective tax rates as of
September 30, 2020
and
2019
differed from the effective tax rates due to certain discrete items. These discrete items decreased our effective tax rate by
38.9%
and increased our effective tax rate by
54.4%
for the
2020
and
2019
nine-month period
s, respectively. For the
2020
nine-month period
, our pre-tax loss included a
$161.1 million
goodwill impairment recognized in relation to the Specialty P&C reporting unit during the third quarter of 2020 which was the most significant discrete item that impacted our effective tax rate. Of the
$161.1 million
goodwill impairment,
$149.6 million
was non-deductible for which no tax benefit was recognized while the remaining
$11.5 million
was deductible for which a 21% tax benefit was recognized. Consequently, the total impact of the goodwill impairment on the effective rate for the
2020
nine-month period
was approximately
38.7%
. See further discussion on this goodwill impairment in Notes
1
and
5
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, a significant discrete item that affected our effective tax rate for the
2020
and
2019
nine-month period
s was the treatment of net realized investment gains and losses. This treatment of net realized investment losses of
$1.8 million
for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2020
and net realized investment gains of
$44.4 million
for the
nine months ended
September 30, 2019
in our Corporate segment accounted for an increase of
0.2%
and
55.4%
in the effective tax rate in the same respective periods. An additional discrete item impacting our effective tax rates for the
2020
three- and nine-month periods
is the additional tax rate differential of 14% on the carryback of our 2019 NOL to the 2014 tax year as a result of changes made by the CARES Act to the NOL provisions of the tax law.
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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
We believe that we are principally exposed to three types of market risk: interest rate risk, credit risk and equity price risk. We have limited exposure to foreign currency risk as we issue few insurance contracts denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and we have few monetary assets or obligations denominated in foreign currencies.
Interest Rate Risk
Investments
Our fixed maturities portfolio is exposed to interest rate risk. Fluctuations in interest rates have a direct impact on the market valuation of these securities. As interest rates rise, market values of fixed income portfolios fall and vice versa. Future market interest rates are particularly uncertain at this time given the abrupt interest rate cuts made by the Federal Reserve in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain of the securities are held in an unrealized loss position; we do not intend to sell and believe we will not be required to sell any debt security held in an unrealized loss position before its anticipated recovery.
The following tables summarize estimated changes in the fair value of our available-for-sale fixed maturity securities for specific hypothetical changes in interest rates by asset class at
September 30, 2020
and
December 31, 2019
. There are principally two factors that determine interest rates on a given security: changes in the level of yield curves and credit spreads. As different asset classes can be affected in different ways by movements in those two factors, we have separated our portfolio by asset class in the following tables.
Interest Rate Shift in Basis Points
September 30, 2020
($ in millions)
(200)
(100)
Current
100
200
Fair Value:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
124
$
121
$
117
$
114
$
111
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
11
11
11
11
10
State and municipal bonds
347
332
319
306
294
Corporate debt
1,403
1,354
1,308
1,263
1,221
Asset-backed securities
658
645
631
617
600
Total fixed maturities, available-for-sale
$
2,543
$
2,463
$
2,386
$
2,311
$
2,236
Duration:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations
2.87
2.81
2.75
2.69
2.63
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
1.87
1.85
2.42
3.24
3.38
State and municipal bonds
4.16
4.09
4.03
4.00
3.98
Corporate debt
3.59
3.52
3.43
3.39
3.33
Asset-backed securities
2.42
2.34
2.30
2.52
2.83
Total fixed maturities, available-for-sale
3.32
3.25
3.17
3.20
3.25
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Interest Rate Shift in Basis Points
December 31, 2019
($ in millions)
(200)
(100)
Current
100
200
Fair Value:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations
$
117
$
113
$
111
$
108
$
105
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
18
17
17
17
16
State and municipal bonds
320
308
296
285
274
Corporate debt
1,425
1,382
1,340
1,300
1,261
Asset-backed securities
548
537
525
511
497
Total fixed maturities, available-for-sale
$
2,428
$
2,357
$
2,289
$
2,221
$
2,153
Duration:
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations
2.78
2.71
2.64
2.58
2.52
U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise obligations
0.75
0.71
0.98
3.07
3.87
State and municipal bonds
3.91
3.84
3.82
3.89
3.93
Corporate debt
3.10
3.04
3.02
3.01
2.99
Asset-backed securities
2.12
2.21
2.46
2.73
2.87
Total fixed maturities, available-for-sale
2.95
2.92
2.96
3.04
3.07
Computations of prospective effects of hypothetical interest rate changes are based on numerous assumptions, including the maintenance of the existing level and composition of fixed income security assets, and should not be relied on as indicative of future results.
Certain shortcomings are inherent in the method of analysis presented in the computation of the fair value of fixed rate instruments. Actual values may differ from the projections presented should market conditions vary from assumptions used in the calculation of the fair value of individual securities, including non-parallel shifts in the term structure of interest rates and changing individual issuer credit spreads.
At
September 30, 2020
, our fixed maturities portfolio includes fixed maturities classified as trading securities which do not have a significant amount of exposure to market interest rates or credit spreads.
Our cash and short-term investments at
September 30, 2020
were carried at fair value which approximates their cost basis due to their short-term nature. Our cash and short-term investments lack significant interest rate sensitivity due to their short duration.
Debt
Our Mortgage Loans are exposed to interest rate risk as they accrue interest at three-month LIBOR plus
1.325%
. However, a 1% change in
LIBOR
will not materially impact our annualized interest expense. Additionally, we have economically hedged the risk of a change in interest rates in excess of 1% on the Mortgage Loans through the purchase of an interest rate cap derivative instrument, which effectively caps our annual interest rate on the Mortgage Loans at a maximum of
3.675%
(see Note
12
of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K for additional information). The fair value of the interest rate cap is not materially impacted by a 1% change in
LIBOR
; however, the carrying value of the interest rate cap is impacted by future expectations for
LIBOR
as well as estimations of volatility in the future yield curve.
Our
Revolving Credit Agreement
is exposed to interest rate risk as it is
LIBOR
based and a 1% change in
LIBOR
will impact annual interest expense only to the extent that there is an outstanding balance. For every $100 million drawn on our
Revolving Credit Agreement
, a 1% change in interest rates will change our annual interest expense by $1 million. Any outstanding balances on the
Revolving Credit Agreement
can be repaid on each maturity date, which has typically ranged from one to three months. As of
September 30, 2020
, no borrowings were outstanding under our
Revolving Credit Agreement
.
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Credit Risk
We have exposure to credit risk primarily as a holder of fixed income securities. We control this exposure by emphasizing investment grade credit quality in the fixed income securities we purchase.
As of
September 30, 2020
,
93%
of our fixed maturity securities were rated investment grade as determined by
NRSRO
s, such as Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. We believe that this concentration in investment grade securities reduces our exposure to credit risk on our fixed income investments to an acceptable level. However, investment grade securities, in spite of their rating, can rapidly deteriorate and result in significant losses. Ratings published by the
NRSRO
s are one of the tools used to evaluate the creditworthiness of our securities. The ratings reflect the subjective opinion of the rating agencies as to the creditworthiness of the securities; therefore, we may be subject to additional credit exposure should the ratings prove to be unreliable.
We also have exposure to credit risk related to our premiums receivable and receivables from reinsurers; however, to-date we have not experienced any significant amount of credit losses. At
September 30, 2020
, our premiums receivable was approximately
$238 million
, net of an allowance for expected credit losses of approximately
$7 million
. See Note
1
of the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our allowance for expected credit losses related to our premiums receivable. Our receivables from reinsurers (with regard to both paid and unpaid losses) approximated
$405 million
at
September 30, 2020
and
$403 million
at
December 31, 2019
. We monitor the credit risk associated with our reinsurers using publicly available financial and rating agency data. We have not historically experienced material credit losses due to the financial condition of a reinsurer, and as of
September 30, 2020
our expected credit losses associated with our receivables from reinsurers were nominal in amount. During the
three and nine months ended
September 30, 2020
, we have received and
granted requests for premium relief
for certain insureds that have been adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic in the form of either premium credits or premium deferrals. These efforts, along with the recent economic disruptions caused by COVID-19, may result in future increases in our allowance for expected credit losses associated with our premiums and reinsurance receivables.
Equity Price Risk
At
September 30, 2020
, the fair value of our equity investments, excluding our equity investments in bond investment funds as discussed in the following paragraph, was
$33 million
. These equity securities are subject to equity price risk, which is defined as the potential for loss in fair value due to a decline in equity prices. Disruptions in global financial markets related to COVID-19 have resulted in volatility in the fair value of our equity securities during 2020. We cannot predict the level of market disruption and subsequent declines in fair value that may occur should the COVID-19 pandemic and its related macro-economic impacts continue for an extended period of time. The weighted average beta of this group of securities was
1.10
. Beta measures the price sensitivity of an equity security or group of equity securities to a change in the broader equity market, in this case the S&P 500 Index. If the value of the S&P 500 Index increased by 10%, the fair value of these securities would be expected to increase by
11.0%
to
$37 million
. Conversely, a 10% decrease in the S&P 500 Index would imply a decrease of
11.0%
in the fair value of these securities to
$30 million
. The selected hypothetical changes of plus or minus 10% do not reflect what could be considered the best or worst case scenarios and are used for illustrative purposes only.
Our equity investments include equity investments in certain bond investment funds which are not subject to significant equity price risk, and thus we have excluded these investments from the above analysis.
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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
The principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Company participated in management’s evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in SEC Rule 13a-15(e)) as of
September 30, 2020
. ProAssurance’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure and is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Based on that evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, those controls during the quarter.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
See Note
7
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Our results may differ materially from those we expect and discuss in any forward-looking statements. The principal risk factors that may cause these differences are described in "Item 1A, Risk Factors" in our December 31, 2019 report on Form 10-K and other documents we file with the
SEC
, such as our current reports on Form 8-K. Other than as described below, there have been no material changes to the "Risk Factors" disclosed in Part 1, Item 1A of ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
The Company's results of operations could be adversely impacted by catastrophes, both natural and man-made, pandemics, severe weather conditions, climate change or closely related series of events.
Catastrophes can be caused by unpredictable natural events such as hurricanes, windstorms, severe storms, tornadoes, floods, hailstorms, severe winter weather, earthquakes, explosions and fire, and by other natural and man-made events, such as terrorist attacks, as well as pandemics and other similar outbreaks in many parts of the world, including the recent outbreak of a coronavirus referred to as “COVID-19”. These events may have a material adverse effect on our workforce and business operations as well as the workforce and operations of our insureds and independent agents. Some of the assets in our investment portfolio may be adversely affected by declines in the equity markets, changes in interest rates, reduced liquidity and economic activity caused by large-scale catastrophes, pandemics, terrorist attacks or similar events which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and liquidity.
The Company's disaster preparedness encompasses our Business Continuity Plan, Disaster Recovery Plan, Operations Plan and Pandemic Response Plan. Our disaster preparedness is focused on maintaining the continuity of the Company's data processing and network and telecommunications system as well as the use of alternate and temporary facilities in the event of a natural disaster or medical event. The Company's plans are externally reviewed during the insurance department examinations of the statutory insurance companies. While the Company has plans in place to respond to both short- and long-term disaster scenarios, the loss of certain key operating facilities or data processing capabilities could have a significant impact on Company operations.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related general economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
The continuing global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global economy, financial markets and our results of operations. Because of the size and breadth of this pandemic, all of the direct and indirect consequences of COVID-19 are not yet known and may not emerge for some time. Impacts to our results of operations could be widespread and material, including but not limited to, the following:
•
negative impact on premium volume due to reduced demand and decreased insured exposures due to the impact of COVID-19 on general economic activity, especially for lines of business that are sensitive to rates of economic growth and those that are impacted by audit premium adjustments;
•
negative impact on expense ratios due to reduced premium volume;
•
reduced cash flows from premium credits and from our policyholders delaying premium payments;
•
increases in frequency and/or severity of compensable claims, losses litigation and related expenses;
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•
losses from COVID-19 related claims could be greater than our reserves for those losses;
•
government mandates and/or legislative changes in response to COVID-19, including, but not limited to: actions prohibiting an insurance company from canceling insurance policies in accordance with policy terms; requiring an insurance company to cover losses when its policies specifically excluded coverage or did not provide coverage; preventing an insurance company from filing for a rate increase; ordering an insurance company to provide premium refunds; granting premium grace periods and presumed COVID-19 compensability for all or certain occupational groups;
•
continued volatility and further disruption in global financial markets that could materially affect our investment portfolio valuations and returns;
•
declining interest rates which could reduce future investment results;
•
increased credit risk;
•
increased cybersecurity risk as criminals seek new ways to target shifting business models; and
•
business disruption to independent insurance agents and brokers.
We are taking precautions to protect the safety and well-being of our employees while providing uninterrupted service to our policyholders and claimants. It is not possible at this time to estimate the impact that COVID-19 could have on our results of operations and financial condition, as the impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Further, to the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in "Risk Factors" as disclosed in Part 1, Item 1A of ProAssurance's
December 31, 2019
report on Form 10-K.
There are numerous risks and uncertainties around the Company's planned acquisition of NORCAL
We have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
NORCAL
, an underwriter of medical professional liability insurance, subject to the demutualization of
NORCAL Mutual
,
NORCAL
's ultimate controlling party. See Note
7
of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further information. If consummated, the transaction will provide strategic and financial benefits including additional scale and geographic diversification in the physician professional liability market and is expected to be accretive to earnings over time; nevertheless, there are numerous risks and uncertainties around the transaction. The completion of our planned acquisition of
NORCAL
is subject to a number of conditions, including required regulatory approvals. The failure to satisfy all the required conditions could prevent the acquisition from occurring. In addition, regulators could impose additional requirements or obligations as conditions for their approval. We can provide no assurance that we will obtain the necessary approvals within the estimated timeframe or at all, or that any such requirements that are imposed by regulators would not result in the termination of the transaction. Investors’ reactions to a failure to complete the acquisition of
NORCAL
, including possible speculation about alternative uses of capital, may cause volatility in our stock price. A failure to complete a proposed transaction of this nature could also result in litigation by stockholders and other affected parties.
In addition, even if we complete the proposed
NORCAL
acquisition, we may not be able to successfully integrate
NORCAL
into our business and therefore may not be able to achieve the synergies we would expect as a result of the acquisition. The process of integrating an acquired company or business can be complex and costly and may create unforeseen operating difficulties including ineffective integration of underwriting, risk management, claims handling, finance, information technology and actuarial practices and the design and operation of internal controls over financial reporting. Difficulties integrating an acquired business may also result in the acquired business performing differently than we expected including the loss of customers or in our failure to realize anticipated growth or expense-related efficiencies. We could be adversely affected by the acquisition due to unanticipated performance issues and additional expense, unforeseen or adverse changes in liabilities, including liabilities arising from events prior to the acquisition or that were unknown to us at the time of the acquisition, transaction-related charges, diversion of management time and resources to integration challenges, loss of key employees, regulatory requirements, exposure to tax liabilities, exposure to pension liabilities, amortization of expenses related to intangibles, and charges for impairment of assets or goodwill. Furthermore, the significant disruptions on global financial markets as of result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic could impact the future operating performance of NORCAL negatively, as well as negatively impact the fair value of its assets and liabilities. Therefore, our liquidity may be adversely impacted should NORCAL's operating performance deteriorate, requiring our holding company to infuse capital into NORCAL or preventing the ability to distribute capital from NORCAL to our holding company due to regulatory restrictions or other reasons.
In early 2021, we plan to utilize debt financing to partially fund our acquisition of NORCAL. The COVID-19 pandemic’s potential disruption to our business operations may require us to access our Revolving Credit Agreement which we have anticipated utilizing to partially fund the NORCAL transaction. Thus, we may be required to raise substantial additional financing to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general corporate requirements. Our ability to arrange additional financing or refinancing will depend on, among other factors, our financial position and performance, as well as prevailing market conditions and other factors beyond our control. There can be no assurance that we will be able to
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obtain additional financing or refinancing, if needed, on terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are not able to access capital on acceptable terms, we may encounter difficulty funding the transaction, our business requirements, including debt repayments when they become due, or both. In addition, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we could experience loss of revenue and profits due to delayed payments or insolvency of insureds facing liquidity issues as well as lower yields on our investment portfolio. As a result, we may be compelled to take additional measures to preserve our cash flow, including the reduction of operating expenses or reduction or suspension of dividend payments, at least until the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic improve.
Increased levels of indebtedness associated with the NORCAL transaction or due to meeting our operational needs could make us more vulnerable to general adverse economic, regulatory and industry conditions in a period of uncertainty and volatility. This indebtedness could have the effect, among other things, of reducing our flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and increasing interest expense. The increased levels of indebtedness following completion of the acquisition could also reduce funds available for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes and may create competitive disadvantages relative to other companies with lower debt levels. If we do not achieve the expected benefits and cost savings from the NORCAL acquisition, or if the financial performance of the combined company does not meet current expectations, our ability to service our indebtedness may be adversely impacted.
Any of these events could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity and stock price.
We are subject to numerous NYSE and SEC regulations including insider trading regulations, Regulation FD and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requiring timely and accurate reporting of our results as well as certain events and transactions. Noncompliance or alleged noncompliance with these regulations could subject us to enforcement actions by the NYSE or the SEC, or to other litigation, which could affect the value of our shares and our ability to raise additional capital.
The Company carefully adheres to NYSE and SEC requirements as the loss of trading privileges on the NYSE or an SEC enforcement action could have a significant financial impact on the Company. Failure to comply with various SEC reporting and record keeping requirements could result in a decline in the value of our stock or a decline in investor confidence which could directly impact our ability to efficiently raise capital. Failure to comply with SEC regulations could result in enforcement actions or litigation. Failure to adhere to NYSE requirements could result in fines, trading restrictions or delisting.
In June 2020, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against the Company in the Northern District of Alabama, alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 related to allegedly false and misleading statements the Company made regarding its Specialty Property and Casualty segment. The Company believes the lawsuit is without merit and intends to defend it vigorously; however, there can be no assurance regarding the ultimate outcome of the matter.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS.
(a)
Not applicable.
(b)
Not applicable.
(c)
Information required by Item 703 of Regulation S-K.
Period
Total Number of Shares Purchased
Average Price Paid per Share
Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs* (In thousands)
July 1 - 31, 2020
—
N/A
—
$109,643
August 1 - 31, 2020
—
N/A
—
$109,643
September 1 - 30, 2020
—
N/A
—
$109,643
Total
—
$—
—
*
Under its current plan begun in November 2010, the Board has authorized
$600 million
for the repurchase of common shares or the retirement of outstanding debt. This is ProAssurance’s only plan for the repurchase of common shares, and the plan has no expiration date.
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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number
Description
31.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer of ProAssurance as required under SEC rule 13a-14(a).
31.2
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of ProAssurance as required under SEC rule 13a-14(a).
32.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer of ProAssurance as required under SEC Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code, as amended (18 U.S.C. 1350).
32.2
Certification of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of ProAssurance as required under SEC Rule 13a-14(b) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code, as amended (18 U.S.C. 1350).
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
PROASSURANCE CORPORATION
November 5, 2020
/s/ Dana S. Hendricks
Dana S. Hendricks
Chief Financial Officer
(Duly authorized officer and principal financial officer)
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