GUARANTEES AND CONTINGENCIES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
GUARANTEES AND CONTINGENCIES	11. GUARANTEES AND CONTINGENCIES *Government Contracts* Our Medicare products, which accounted for approximately 71% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, primarily consisted of products covered under the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan contracts with the federal government. These contracts are renewed generally for a calendar year term unless CMS notifies us of its decision not to renew by August 1 of the calendar year in which the contract would end, or we notify CMS of our decision not to renew by the first Monday in June of the calendar year in which the contract would end. All material contracts between Humana and CMS relating to our Medicare products have been renewed for 2013. However, our offerings of products under those contracts are subject to approval by CMS, which we expect in the Fall of 2012. CMS uses a risk-adjustment model which apportions premiums paid to Medicare Advantage plans according to health severity. The risk-adjustment model pays more for enrollees with predictably higher costs. Under this model, rates paid to Medicare Advantage plans are based on actuarially determined bids, which include a process whereby our prospective payments are based on a comparison of our beneficiaries’ risk scores, derived from medical diagnoses, to those enrolled in the government’s original Medicare program. Under the risk-adjustment methodology, all Medicare Advantage plans must collect and submit the necessary diagnosis code information from hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and physician providers to CMS within prescribed deadlines. The CMS risk-adjustment model uses the diagnosis data to calculate the risk-adjusted premium payment to Medicare Advantage plans. We generally rely on providers to code their claim submissions with appropriate diagnoses, which we send to CMS as the basis for our payment received from CMS under the actuarial risk-adjustment model. We also rely on providers to document appropriately all medical data, including the diagnosis data submitted with claims. CMS is continuing to perform audits of various companies’ selected Medicare Advantage contracts related to this risk adjustment diagnosis data. We refer to these audits as Risk-Adjustment Data Validation Audits, or RADV audits. RADV audits review medical record documentation in an attempt to validate provider coding practices and the presence of risk adjustment conditions which influence the calculation of premium payments to Medicare Advantage plans. On February 24, 2012, CMS released a “Notice of Final Payment Error Calculation Methodology for Part C Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) Contract-Level Audits.” The payment error calculation methodology provides that, in calculating the economic impact of audit results for a Medicare Advantage contract, if any, the results of the audit sample will be extrapolated to the entire Medicare Advantage contract based upon a comparison to “benchmark” audit data in the government fee-for-service program. This comparison to the government program benchmark audit is necessary to determine the economic impact, if any, of audit results because the government program data set provides the basis for Medicare Advantage plans risk adjustment to payment rates. The final methodology, including the first application of extrapolated audit results to determine audit settlements, will be applied to the next round of RADV contract level audits to be conducted on 2011 premium payments. Medicare Advantage contracts will be selected for audit after the close of the final reconciliation for the payment year being audited. The final reconciliation occurs in August of the calendar year following the payment year. Estimated audit settlements, if any, are recorded as a reduction of premium revenue in our condensed consolidated statements of income, based upon available information. However, we are awaiting additional guidance from CMS regarding the benchmark audit data in the government fee-for-service program and the identification of our specific Medicare Advantage contracts that will be selected for audit. Accordingly, we cannot determine whether such audits will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. At June 30, 2012, our Military services business, which accounted for approximately 5% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, primarily consisted of the TRICARE South Region contract. On April 1, 2012, we began delivering services under the new TRICARE South Region contract that the Department of Defense TRICARE Management Activity, or TMA, awarded to us on February 25, 2011. The new 5-year South Region contract, which expires March 31, 2017, is subject to annual renewals on April 1 of each year during its term at the government’s option. Our Medicaid business, which accounted for approximately 2% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, consists of contracts in Puerto Rico and Florida, with the vast majority in Puerto Rico. Effective October 1, 2010, as amended in May 2011, the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration, or PRHIA, awarded us contracts for the East, Southeast, and Southwest regions for a three-year term through June 30, 2013. The loss of any of the contracts above or significant changes in these programs as a result of legislative action, including reductions in premium payments to us, or increases in member benefits without corresponding increases in premium payments to us, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. *Legal Proceedings and Certain Regulatory Matters* Provider Litigation As previously disclosed, Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Humana Military”) was named as a defendant in Sacred Heart Health System, Inc., et al. v. Humana Military Healthcare Services Inc., Case No. 3:07-cv-00062 MCR/EMT (the “Sacred Heart” Complaint). During the three months ended June 30, 2012, following a mediated negotiation, Humana Military reached settlement agreements with all of the plaintiffs in the Sacred Heart Complaint, and the court has dismissed, with prejudice, all causes of action, claims and counterclaims that were asserted by the plaintiffs and Humana Military in the case. As a result, we incurred additional benefit expenses of approximately $46 million during the three months ended June 30, 2012. Florida Matters As previously disclosed, with the assistance of outside counsel, we are conducting an ongoing internal investigation related to certain aspects of our Florida subsidiary operations. We have voluntarily self-reported the existence of this investigation to CMS, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Matters under review include, without limitation, the relationships between certain of our Florida-based employees and providers in our Medicaid and/or Medicare networks, practices related to the financial support of non-profit or provider access centers for Medicaid enrollment and related enrollment processes, and loans to or other financial support of physician practices. We have reported to these regulatory authorities on the progress of our investigation to date, and intend to continue to discuss with these authorities our factual findings as well as any remedial actions we have taken or may take. We also may face litigation or further government inquiry regarding certain aspects of the Medicare and Medicaid operations of certain of our Florida subsidiaries. On December 16, 2010, an individual filed a qui tam suit captioned United States of America ex rel. Marc Osheroff v. Humana et al. in the Southern District of Florida, against us, several of our health plan subsidiaries, and certain other companies that operate medical centers in Miami-Dade County, Florida. After the U.S. government declined to intervene, the Court ordered the complaint unsealed, and the individual plaintiff amended his complaint and served the Company on December 8, 2011. The amended complaint alleges certain civil violations by our CAC Medical Centers in Florida, including offering various amenities such as transportation and meals, to Medicare and dual eligible individuals in our community center settings. The amended complaint also alleges civil violations by our Medicare Advantage health plans in Florida, arising from the alleged activities of our CAC Medical Centers and the codefendants in the complaint. The amended complaint seeks damages and penalties on behalf of the United States under the Anti-Inducement and Anti-Kickback Statutes and the False Claims Act. We have filed motions to dismiss on behalf of Humana and our subsidiaries. On January 6, 2012, the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida advised our legal counsel that it is seeking documents and information from us and several of our affiliates relating to several matters including the coding of medical claims by one or more South Florida medical providers, and loans to physician practices. Other Lawsuits and Regulatory Matters Our current and past business practices are subject to review or other investigations by various state insurance and health care regulatory authorities and other state and federal regulatory authorities. These authorities regularly scrutinize the business practices of health insurance and benefits companies. These reviews focus on numerous facets of our business, including claims payment practices, provider contracting, competitive practices, commission payments, privacy issues, utilization management practices, and sales practices, among others. Some of these reviews have historically resulted in fines imposed on us and some have required changes to some of our practices. We continue to be subject to these reviews, which could result in additional fines or other sanctions being imposed on us or additional changes in some of our practices. We also are involved in various other lawsuits that arise, for the most part, in the ordinary course of our business operations, certain of which may be styled as class-action lawsuits. Among other matters, this litigation may include employment matters, claims of medical malpractice, bad faith, nonacceptance or termination of providers, anticompetitive practices, improper rate setting, failure to disclose network discounts and various other provider arrangements, general contractual matters, intellectual property matters, and challenges to subrogation practices. Under state guaranty assessment laws, we may be assessed (up to prescribed limits) for certain obligations to the policyholders and claimants of insolvent insurance companies that write the same line or lines of business as we do. As a government contractor, we may also be subject to qui tam litigation brought by individuals who seek to sue on behalf of the government, alleging that the government contractor submitted false claims to the government. Qui tam litigation is filed under seal to allow the government an opportunity to investigate and to decide if it wishes to intervene and assume control of the litigation. If the government does not intervene, the lawsuit is unsealed, and the individual may continue to prosecute the action on his or her own. We also are subject to allegations of non-performance of contractual obligations to providers, members, and others, including failure to properly pay claims, improper policy terminations, challenges to our implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and other litigation. Personal injury claims and claims for extracontractual damages arising from medical benefit denials are covered by insurance from our wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary and excess carriers, except to the extent that claimants seek punitive damages, which may not be covered by insurance in certain states in which insurance coverage for punitive damages is not permitted. In addition, insurance coverage for all or certain forms of liability has become increasingly costly and may become unavailable or prohibitively expensive in the future. We record accruals for such contingencies to the extent that we conclude it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. No estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of amounts accrued, if any, can be made at this time regarding the matters specifically described above because of the inherently unpredictable nature of legal proceedings which also may be exacerbated by various factors, including: (i) the damages sought in the proceedings are unsubstantiated or indeterminate; (ii) discovery is not complete; (iii) the proceeding is in its early stages; (iv) the matters present legal uncertainties; (v) there are significant facts in dispute; (vi) there are a large number of parties (including where it is uncertain how liability, if any, will be shared among multiple defendants); or (vii) there is a wide range of potential outcomes. The outcome of any current or future litigation or governmental or internal investigations, including the matters described above, cannot be accurately predicted, nor can we predict any resulting penalties, fines or other sanctions that may be imposed at the discretion of federal or state regulatory authorities. Nevertheless, it is reasonably possible that any such penalties, fines or other sanctions could be substantial, and the outcome of these matters may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows, and may also affect our reputation.

11. GUARANTEES AND CONTINGENCIES

Government Contracts

Our Medicare products, which accounted for approximately 71% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, primarily consisted of products covered under the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan contracts with the federal government. These contracts are renewed generally for a calendar year term unless CMS notifies us of its decision not to renew by August 1 of the calendar year in which the contract would end, or we notify CMS of our decision not to renew by the first Monday in June of the calendar year in which the contract would end. All material contracts between Humana and CMS relating to our Medicare products have been renewed for 2013. However, our offerings of products under those contracts are subject to approval by CMS, which we expect in the Fall of 2012.

CMS uses a risk-adjustment model which apportions premiums paid to Medicare Advantage plans according to health severity. The risk-adjustment model pays more for enrollees with predictably higher costs. Under this model, rates paid to Medicare Advantage plans are based on actuarially determined bids, which include a process whereby our prospective payments are based on a comparison of our beneficiaries’ risk scores, derived from medical diagnoses, to those enrolled in the government’s original Medicare program. Under the risk-adjustment methodology, all Medicare Advantage plans must collect and submit the necessary diagnosis code information from hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and physician providers to CMS within prescribed deadlines. The CMS risk-adjustment model uses the diagnosis data to calculate the risk-adjusted premium payment to Medicare Advantage plans. We generally rely on providers to code their claim submissions with appropriate diagnoses, which we send to CMS as the basis for our payment received from CMS under the actuarial risk-adjustment model. We also rely on providers to document appropriately all medical data, including the diagnosis data submitted with claims.

CMS is continuing to perform audits of various companies’ selected Medicare Advantage contracts related to this risk adjustment diagnosis data. We refer to these audits as Risk-Adjustment Data Validation Audits, or RADV audits. RADV audits review medical record documentation in an attempt to validate provider coding practices and the presence of risk adjustment conditions which influence the calculation of premium payments to Medicare Advantage plans.

On February 24, 2012, CMS released a “Notice of Final Payment Error Calculation Methodology for Part C Medicare Advantage Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) Contract-Level Audits.” The payment error calculation methodology provides that, in calculating the economic impact of audit results for a Medicare Advantage contract, if any, the results of the audit sample will be extrapolated to the entire Medicare Advantage contract based upon a comparison to “benchmark” audit data in the government fee-for-service program. This comparison to the government program benchmark audit is necessary to determine the economic impact, if any, of audit results because the government program data set provides the basis for Medicare Advantage plans risk adjustment to payment rates.

The final methodology, including the first application of extrapolated audit results to determine audit settlements, will be applied to the next round of RADV contract level audits to be conducted on 2011 premium payments. Medicare Advantage contracts will be selected for audit after the close of the final reconciliation for the payment year being audited. The final reconciliation occurs in August of the calendar year following the payment year.

Estimated audit settlements, if any, are recorded as a reduction of premium revenue in our condensed consolidated statements of income, based upon available information. However, we are awaiting additional guidance from CMS regarding the benchmark audit data in the government fee-for-service program and the identification of our specific Medicare Advantage contracts that will be selected for audit. Accordingly, we cannot determine whether such audits will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

At June 30, 2012, our Military services business, which accounted for approximately 5% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, primarily consisted of the TRICARE South Region contract. On April 1, 2012, we began delivering services under the new TRICARE South Region contract that the Department of Defense TRICARE Management Activity, or TMA, awarded to us on February 25, 2011. The new 5-year South Region contract, which expires March 31, 2017, is subject to annual renewals on April 1 of each year during its term at the government’s option.

Our Medicaid business, which accounted for approximately 2% of our total premiums and services revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2012, consists of contracts in Puerto Rico and Florida, with the vast majority in Puerto Rico. Effective October 1, 2010, as amended in May 2011, the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Administration, or PRHIA, awarded us contracts for the East, Southeast, and Southwest regions for a three-year term through June 30, 2013.

The loss of any of the contracts above or significant changes in these programs as a result of legislative action, including reductions in premium payments to us, or increases in member benefits without corresponding increases in premium payments to us, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.

Legal Proceedings and Certain Regulatory Matters

Provider Litigation

As previously disclosed, Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc. (“Humana Military”) was named as a defendant in Sacred Heart Health System, Inc., et al. v. Humana Military Healthcare Services Inc., Case No. 3:07-cv-00062 MCR/EMT (the “Sacred Heart” Complaint). During the three months ended June 30, 2012, following a mediated negotiation, Humana Military reached settlement agreements with all of the plaintiffs in the Sacred Heart Complaint, and the court has dismissed, with prejudice, all causes of action, claims and counterclaims that were asserted by the plaintiffs and Humana Military in the case. As a result, we incurred additional benefit expenses of approximately $46 million during the three months ended June 30, 2012.

Florida Matters

As previously disclosed, with the assistance of outside counsel, we are conducting an ongoing internal investigation related to certain aspects of our Florida subsidiary operations. We have voluntarily self-reported the existence of this investigation to CMS, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Matters under review include, without limitation, the relationships between certain of our Florida-based employees and providers in our Medicaid and/or Medicare networks, practices related to the financial support of non-profit or provider access centers for Medicaid enrollment and related enrollment processes, and loans to or other financial support of physician practices. We have reported to these regulatory authorities on the progress of our investigation to date, and intend to continue to discuss with these authorities our factual findings as well as any remedial actions we have taken or may take. We also may face litigation or further government inquiry regarding certain aspects of the Medicare and Medicaid operations of certain of our Florida subsidiaries.

On December 16, 2010, an individual filed a qui tam suit captioned United States of America ex rel. Marc Osheroff v. Humana et al. in the Southern District of Florida, against us, several of our health plan subsidiaries, and certain other companies that operate medical centers in Miami-Dade County, Florida. After the U.S. government declined to intervene, the Court ordered the complaint unsealed, and the individual plaintiff amended his complaint and served the Company on December 8, 2011. The amended complaint alleges certain civil violations by our CAC Medical Centers in Florida, including offering various amenities such as transportation and meals, to Medicare and dual eligible individuals in our community center settings. The amended complaint also alleges civil violations by our Medicare Advantage health plans in Florida, arising from the alleged activities of our CAC Medical Centers and the codefendants in the complaint. The amended complaint seeks damages and penalties on behalf of the United States under the Anti-Inducement and Anti-Kickback Statutes and the False Claims Act. We have filed motions to dismiss on behalf of Humana and our subsidiaries.

On January 6, 2012, the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida advised our legal counsel that it is seeking documents and information from us and several of our affiliates relating to several matters including the coding of medical claims by one or more South Florida medical providers, and loans to physician practices.

Other Lawsuits and Regulatory Matters

Our current and past business practices are subject to review or other investigations by various state insurance and health care regulatory authorities and other state and federal regulatory authorities. These authorities regularly scrutinize the business practices of health insurance and benefits companies. These reviews focus on numerous facets of our business, including claims payment practices, provider contracting, competitive practices, commission payments, privacy issues, utilization management practices, and sales practices, among others. Some of these reviews have historically resulted in fines imposed on us and some have required changes to some of our practices. We continue to be subject to these reviews, which could result in additional fines or other sanctions being imposed on us or additional changes in some of our practices.

We also are involved in various other lawsuits that arise, for the most part, in the ordinary course of our business operations, certain of which may be styled as class-action lawsuits. Among other matters, this litigation may include employment matters, claims of medical malpractice, bad faith, nonacceptance or termination of providers, anticompetitive practices, improper rate setting, failure to disclose network discounts and various other provider arrangements, general contractual matters, intellectual property matters, and challenges to subrogation practices. Under state guaranty assessment laws, we may be assessed (up to prescribed limits) for certain obligations to the policyholders and claimants of insolvent insurance companies that write the same line or lines of business as we do. As a government contractor, we may also be subject to qui tam litigation brought by individuals who seek to sue on behalf of the government, alleging that the government contractor submitted false claims to the government. Qui tam litigation is filed under seal to allow the government an opportunity to investigate and to decide if it wishes to intervene and assume control of the litigation. If the government does not intervene, the lawsuit is unsealed, and the individual may continue to prosecute the action on his or her own. We also are subject to allegations of non-performance of contractual obligations to providers, members, and others, including failure to properly pay claims, improper policy terminations, challenges to our implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program and other litigation.

Personal injury claims and claims for extracontractual damages arising from medical benefit denials are covered by insurance from our wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary and excess carriers, except to the extent that claimants seek punitive damages, which may not be covered by insurance in certain states in which insurance coverage for punitive damages is not permitted. In addition, insurance coverage for all or certain forms of liability has become increasingly costly and may become unavailable or prohibitively expensive in the future.

We record accruals for such contingencies to the extent that we conclude it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. No estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of amounts accrued, if any, can be made at this time regarding the matters specifically described above because of the inherently unpredictable nature of legal proceedings which also may be exacerbated by various factors, including: (i) the damages sought in the proceedings are unsubstantiated or indeterminate; (ii) discovery is not complete; (iii) the proceeding is in its early stages; (iv) the matters present legal uncertainties; (v) there are significant facts in dispute; (vi) there are a large number of parties (including where it is uncertain how liability, if any, will be shared among multiple defendants); or (vii) there is a wide range of potential outcomes.

The outcome of any current or future litigation or governmental or internal investigations, including the matters described above, cannot be accurately predicted, nor can we predict any resulting penalties, fines or other sanctions that may be imposed at the discretion of federal or state regulatory authorities. Nevertheless, it is reasonably possible that any such penalties, fines or other sanctions could be substantial, and the outcome of these matters may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows, and may also affect our reputation.