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Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Cigna Corporation and its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. These Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Amounts recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements necessarily reflect management’s estimates and assumptions about medical costs, investment valuation, interest rates and other factors. Significant estimates are discussed throughout these Notes; however, actual results could differ from those estimates. The impact of a change in estimate is generally included in earnings in the period of adjustment. Certain reclassifications may be made to prior year amounts to conform to the current presentation.

These interim Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited but include all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary, in the opinion of management, for a fair statement of financial position and results of operations for the periods reported. The interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes included in the Company’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K (“2016 Form 10-K”). The preparation of interim Consolidated Financial Statements necessarily relies heavily on estimates. This and certain other factors, including the seasonal nature of portions of the health care and related benefits business, as well as competitive and other market conditions, call for caution in estimating full-year results based on interim results of operations.

Recent Accounting Changes

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company’s 2016 Form 10-K includes discussion of significant recent accounting pronouncements that either have impacted or may impact our financial statements in the future.

The following tables provide information about recently adopted and recently issued or changed accounting guidance (applicable to Cigna) that have occurred since the Company filed its 2016 Form 10-K.

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

Accounting Standard and Adoption Date	Requirements and Effects of Adopting New Guidance
Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force) (Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-15)Early adopted as of December 31, 2016	Specifies how certain transactions should be classified in the statement of cash flows. While the standard addresses multiple types of transactions, only a change in the treatment of distributions from equity method investments impacted the Company.
	Effects of adoption: using the nature of distribution approach, the Company reported $114 million of cash receipts related to distributions from partnership earnings in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. The Company reclassified $105 million of cash receipts for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 from investing to operating activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

Accounting Standard and Effective Date Applicable for Cigna	Requirements and Expected Effects of New Guidance Not Yet Adopted
Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (ASU 2017-07)Required as of January 1, 2018	Requires employers to separate the service cost component from the other components of net benefit cost. Under the new guidance, only service cost is eligible for capitalization (as either deferred policy acquisition costs or capitalized software). This change in the capitalization rule is to be applied prospectively upon adoption. In addition, income statement captions used for each component of net benefit cost must be disclosed.
	Expected effects: the Company expects the effect of this new guidance to be immaterial to its results of operations.

Accounting Standard and Effective Date Applicable for Cigna	Requirements and Expected Effects of New Guidance Not Yet Adopted
Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (ASU 2016-01)Required as of January 1, 2018	Requires:
		• Entities to measure equity investments at fair value in net income if they are neither consolidated nor accounted for under the equity method• Cumulative effect adjustment to the beginning balance of retained earnings at adoption
	Expected effects:
		• Certain limited partnership interests carried at cost of $220 million as of September 30, 2017 will be reported at fair value at adoption.• An increase to retained earnings of approximately $50 million, after-tax, if implemented as of September 30, 2017. Actual cumulative effect adjustment will depend on investments held and market conditions at adoption.
Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2014-09 and related amendments)Required as of January 1, 2018	Requires:
		• Companies to estimate and allocate the expected customer contract revenues among distinct goods or services based on relative standalone selling prices• Revenues to be recognized as goods or services are delivered• New disclosures including the presentation of relevant categories of revenues and information about related contract assets and liabilities• Adoption through retrospective restatement with or without using certain practical expedients or adoption with a cumulative effect adjustment
	Expected effects:
		• Guidance applies to the Company’s non-insurance, administrative service and mail order pharmacy contracts but does not apply to certain contracts within the scope of other GAAP, such as the Company's insurance and investment contracts accounted for under ASC 944.• The Company has largely completed its evaluation of the new requirements and does not expect the adoption of the new guidance to have a material impact to its pattern of revenue recognition or net income.
		• The Company expects to adopt the new guidance through retrospective restatement and is currently working to develop required disclosures and restate historical periods in line with its chosen method of adoption. The Company does not anticipate significant changes to its systems, processes or controls.• The Company expects the cumulative effect of implementing this guidance to result in an immaterial decrease to January 1, 2017 shareholders’ equity due to the establishment of a contract liability for service fee revenue that must be deferred and allocated to services provided after the termination of certain administrative service contracts. • Adoption of this new guidance is expected to result in reclassifications within the Consolidated Statements of Income due to changes in the Company’s accounting policy as a result of clarifications in the new guidance and its related interpretations.
Targeted improvements to accounting for hedging activities (ASU 2017-12)Required as of January 1, 2019, early adoption permitted	Relaxes requirements for financial and nonfinancial hedging strategies to be eligible for hedge accounting and changes how companies assess effectiveness. It also amends presentation and disclosure requirements to improve transparency about uses and results of hedging programs.
	Expected effects: the Company is evaluating the effects of and implementation timing for this new guidance.

Reinsurance

GMDB

The Company estimates the gross liability and reinsurance recoverable with an internal model based on the Company’s experience and future expectations over an extended period, consistent with the long-term nature of this product. As a result of the reinsurance transaction, reserve increases have a corresponding increase in the recorded reinsurance recoverable, provided the increased recoverable remains within the overall Berkshire limit (including the GMIB asset presented below). The ending net retained reserve covers ongoing administrative expenses, as well as minor claim exposure retained by the Company.

Fair Value Measurements

Assumptions used in fair value measurement. The Company estimates the fair value of the assets and liabilities for GMIB contracts utilizing various assumptions. Assumptions that affect GMIB assets and liabilities include capital market assumptions (including market returns, interest rates and market volatilities of the underlying equity and bond mutual fund investments) and future annuitant behavior (including mortality, lapse, and annuity election rates). As certain assumptions used to estimate fair values for these contracts are largely unobservable (primarily related to future annuitant behavior), the Company classifies GMIB assets and liabilities in Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy presented in Note 9.

The only assumption expected to impact future shareholders’ net income is non-performance risk. The non-performance risk adjustment reflects a market participant’s view of nonpayment risk by adding an additional spread to the discount rate in the fair value calculation of both (a) the GMIB liabilities to be paid by the Company, and (b) the GMIB assets to be paid by the reinsurers, after considering collateral.

The Company regularly evaluates each of the assumptions used in establishing these assets and liabilities. Significant decreases in assumed lapse rates or spreads used to calculate non-performance risk of the Company, or significant increases in assumed annuity election rates or spreads used to calculate the non-performance risk of the reinsurers, would result in higher fair value measurements. A change in one of these assumptions is not necessarily accompanied by a change in another assumption.

The Company carries certain financial instruments at fair value in the financial statements including fixed maturities, equity securities, short-term investments and derivatives. Other financial instruments are measured at fair value only under certain conditions, such as when impaired.

Fair value is defined as the price at which an asset could be exchanged in an orderly transaction between market participants at the balance sheet date. A liability’s fair value is defined as the amount that would be paid to transfer the liability to a market participant, not the amount that would be paid to settle the liability with the creditor.

The Company’s financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value have been classified based upon a hierarchy defined by GAAP. The hierarchy gives the highest ranking to fair values determined using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest ranking to fair values determined using methodologies and models with unobservable inputs (Level 3). An asset’s or a liability’s classification is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to its measurement. For example, a financial asset or liability carried at fair value would be classified in Level 3 if unobservable inputs were significant to the instrument’s fair value, even though the measurement may be derived using inputs that are both observable (Levels 1 and 2) and unobservable (Level 3).

The Company estimates fair values using prices from third parties or internal pricing methods. Fair value estimates received from third-party pricing services are based on reported trade activity and quoted market prices when available, and other market information that a market participant may use to estimate fair value. The internal pricing methods are performed by the Company’s investment professionals and generally involve using discounted cash flow analyses, incorporating current market inputs for similar financial instruments with comparable terms and credit quality, as well as other qualitative factors. In instances where there is little or no market activity for the same or similar instruments, fair value is estimated using methods, models and assumptions that the Company believes a hypothetical market participant would use to determine a current transaction price. These valuation techniques involve some level of estimation and judgment that becomes significant with increasingly complex instruments or pricing models.

The Company is responsible for determining fair value, as well as for assigning the appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy, based on the significance of unobservable inputs. The Company reviews methodologies, processes and controls of third-party pricing services and compares prices on a test basis to those obtained from other external pricing sources or internal estimates. The Company performs ongoing analyses of both prices received from third-party pricing services and those developed internally to determine that they represent appropriate estimates of fair value. The controls executed by the Company include evaluating changes in prices and monitoring for potentially stale valuations. The Company also performs sample testing of sales values to confirm the accuracy of prior fair value estimates. The minimal exceptions identified during these processes indicate that adjustments to prices are infrequent and do not significantly impact valuations. Annually, we conduct an on-site visit of the most significant pricing service to review their processes, methodologies and controls. This on-site review includes a walk-through of inputs for a sample of securities held across various asset types to validate the documented pricing process.

Level 1 Financial Assets

Inputs for instruments classified in Level 1 include unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets in active markets accessible at the measurement date. Active markets provide pricing data for trades occurring at least weekly and include exchanges and dealer markets.

Assets in Level 1 include actively-traded U.S. government bonds and exchange-listed equity securities. Given the narrow definition of Level 1 and the Company's investment asset strategy to maximize investment returns, a relatively small portion of the Company’s investment assets are classified in this category.

Level 2 Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

Inputs for instruments classified in Level 2 include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices from those willing to trade in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are market observable or can be corroborated by market data for the term of the instrument. Such other inputs include market interest rates and volatilities, spreads and yield curves. An instrument is classified in Level 2 if the Company determines that unobservable inputs are insignificant.

Fixed maturities and equity securities. Approximately 93% of the Company’s investments in fixed maturities and equity securities are classified in Level 2 including most public and private corporate debt and equity securities, federal agency and municipal bonds, non-government mortgage-backed securities and preferred stocks. Because many fixed maturities do not trade daily, third-party pricing services and internal methods often use recent trades of securities with similar features and characteristics. When recent trades are not available, pricing models are used to determine these prices. These models calculate fair values by discounting future cash flows at estimated market interest rates. Such market rates are derived by calculating the appropriate spreads over comparable U.S. Treasury securities, based on the credit quality, industry and structure of the asset. Typical inputs and assumptions to pricing models include, but are not limited to, a combination of benchmark yields, reported trades, issuer spreads, liquidity, benchmark securities, bids, offers, reference data, and industry and economic events. For mortgage-backed securities, inputs and assumptions may also include characteristics of the issuer, collateral attributes, prepayment speeds and credit rating.

Nearly all of these instruments are valued using recent trades or pricing models. Less than 1% of the fair value of investments classified in Level 2 represents foreign bonds that are valued using a single unadjusted market-observable input derived by averaging multiple broker-dealer quotes, consistent with local market practice.

Short-term investments are carried at fair value which approximates cost. On a regular basis, the Company compares market prices for these securities to recorded amounts to validate that current carrying amounts approximate exit prices. The short-term nature of the investments and corroboration of the reported amounts over the holding period support their classification in Level 2.

Other derivatives classified in Level 2 represent over-the-counter instruments such as interest rate and foreign currency swap contracts. Fair values for these instruments are determined using market observable inputs including forward currency and interest rate curves and widely published market observable indices. Credit risk related to the counterparty and the Company is considered when estimating the fair values of these derivatives. However, the Company is largely protected by collateral arrangements with counterparties and determined that no adjustment for credit risk was required as of September 30, 2017 or December 31, 2016. Level 2 also includes exchange-traded interest rate swap contracts. Credit risk related to the clearinghouse counterparty and the Company is considered minimal when estimating the fair values of these derivatives because of upfront margin deposits and daily settlement requirements. The nature and use of these other derivatives are described in Note 11.

Level 3 Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities

Certain inputs for instruments classified in Level 3 are unobservable (supported by little or no market activity) and significant to their resulting fair value measurement. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s best estimate of what hypothetical market participants would use to determine a transaction price for the asset or liability at the reporting date.

The Company classifies certain newly issued, privately-placed, complex or illiquid securities, as well as assets and liabilities relating to GMIB, in Level 3.

Fair values of mortgage and other asset-backed securities, corporate and government fixed maturities are primarily determined using pricing models that incorporate the specific characteristics of each asset and related assumptions including the investment type and structure, credit quality, industry and maturity date in comparison to current market indices, spreads and liquidity of assets with similar characteristics. For mortgage and other asset-backed securities, inputs and assumptions for pricing may also include collateral attributes and prepayment speeds. Recent trades in the subject security or similar securities are assessed when available, and the Company may also review published research in its evaluation, as well as the issuer’s financial statements.

Mortgage and other asset-backed securities. The significant unobservable inputs used to value the following mortgage and other asset-backed securities are liquidity and weighting of credit spreads. When there is limited trading activity for the security, an adjustment for liquidity is made as of the measurement date that considers current market conditions, issuer circumstances and complexity of the security structure. An adjustment to weight credit spreads is needed to value a more complex bond structure with multiple underlying collateral and no standard market valuation technique. The weighting of credit spreads is primarily based on the underlying collateral’s characteristics and their proportional cash flows supporting the bond obligations. The resulting wide range of unobservable adjustments in the table below is due to the varying liquidity and quality of the underlying collateral.

Corporate and government fixed maturities. The significant unobservable input used to value the following corporate and government fixed maturities is an adjustment for liquidity. When there is limited trading activity for the security, an adjustment is needed to reflect current market conditions and issuer circumstances.

Private equity securities. The significant unobservable input used to value the following private equity securities is a multiple of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). These securities are comprised of private equity investments with limited trading activity and therefore a ratio of EBITDA is used to estimate value based on company circumstances and relative risk characteristics.

Significant increases in fixed maturity spreads would result in lower fair value measurements while decreases in these inputs would result in higher fair value measurements. Significant decreases in equity price-to-EBITDA multiples would result in lower fair value measurements while increases in these inputs would result in higher fair value measurements. Generally, the unobservable inputs are not interrelated and a change in the assumption used for one unobservable input is not accompanied by a change in the other unobservable input.

As noted in the preceding tables, total gains and losses included in shareholders’ net income are reflected in the following captions in the Consolidated Statements of Income:

Realized investment gains (losses) and net investment income for amounts related to fixed maturities and equity securities and realized investment gains (losses) for the impact of changes in non-performance risk related to GMIB assets and liabilities, similar to hedge ineffectiveness; and
Other operating expenses for amounts related to GMIB assets and liabilities (GMIB fair value gain/loss), except for the impact of changes in non-performance risk.

In the tables above, gains and losses included in other comprehensive income are reflected in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on securities in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

Reclassifications impacting Level 3 financial instruments are reported as transfers into or out of the Level 3 category as of the beginning of the quarter in which the transfer occurs. Therefore gains and losses in income only reflect activity for the period the instrument was classified in Level 3.

Transfers into or out of the Level 3 category occur when unobservable inputs, such as the Company’s best estimate of what a market participant would use to determine a current transaction price, become more or less significant to the fair value measurement.

Separate account assets in Level 1 primarily include exchange-listed equity securities. Level 2 assets primarily include:

corporate and structured bonds valued using recent trades of similar securities or pricing models that discount future cash flows at estimated market interest rates as described above; and
actively-traded institutional and retail mutual fund investments and separate accounts priced using the daily net asset value that is the exit price.

Separate account assets classified in Level 3 primarily support Cigna's pension plans, and include certain newly issued, privately-placed, complex, or illiquid securities that are priced using methods discussed above, as well as commercial mortgage loans that are valued according to the methodologies discussed below.

Separate account investments in securities partnerships, real estate, and hedge funds are generally valued based on the separate account’s ownership share of the equity of the investee (NAV as a practical expedient), including changes in the fair values of its underlying investments. Substantially all of these assets support the Cigna Pension Plans.

Some financial assets and liabilities are not carried at fair value each reporting period, but may be measured using fair value only under certain conditions, such as investments in real estate, partnership entities and commercial mortgage loans when they become impaired.

Long-term debt, including current maturities, excluding capital leases. The fair value of long-term debt is based on quoted market prices for recent trades. When quoted market prices are not available, fair value is estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis and the Company’s estimated current borrowing rate for debt of similar terms and remaining maturities. These measurements were classified in Level 2 because the fair values are based on quoted market prices or other inputs that are market observable or can be corroborated by market data.

Commercial mortgage loans. The Company estimates the fair value of commercial mortgage loans generally by discounting the contractual cash flows at estimated market interest rates that reflect the Company’s assessment of the credit quality of the loans. Market interest rates are derived by calculating the appropriate spread over comparable U.S. Treasury rates based on the property type, quality rating and average life of the loan. The quality ratings reflect the relative risk of the loan considering debt service coverage, the loan-to-value ratio and other factors. Fair values of impaired mortgage loans are based on the estimated fair value of the underlying collateral generally determined using an internal discounted cash flow model. The fair value measurements were classified in Level 3 because the cash flow models incorporate significant unobservable inputs.

Contractholder deposit funds, excluding universal life products. Generally, these funds do not have stated maturities. Approximately 70% of these balances can be withdrawn by the customer at any time without prior notice or penalty. The fair value for these contracts is the amount estimated to be payable to the customer as of the reporting date, which is generally the carrying value. Most of the remaining contractholder deposit funds are reinsured by the buyers of the individual life and annuity and retirement benefits businesses. The fair value for these contracts is determined using the fair value of these buyers’ assets supporting these reinsured contracts. The Company had reinsurance recoverables equal to the carrying value of these reinsured contracts. These instruments were classified in Level 3 because certain inputs are unobservable (supported by little or no market activity) and significant to their resulting fair value measurement.

Separate Accounts

Fair values and changes in the fair values of separate account assets generally accrue directly to the policyholders and are excluded from the Company’s revenues and expenses. See Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company’s 2016 Form 10-K for additional policy information related to separate accounts.

Investments

Review of declines in fair value. Management reviews fixed maturities with a decline in fair value from cost for impairment based on criteria that include:

length of time and severity of decline;

financial health and specific near term prospects of the issuer;
changes in the regulatory, economic or general market environment of the issuer’s industry or geographic region; and
the Company’s intent to sell or the likelihood of a required sale prior to expected recovery.

Equity securities include hybrid investments consisting of preferred stock with call features that are carried at fair value with changes in fair value reported in other realized investment gains (losses) and dividends reported in net investment income.

Credit quality. The Company regularly evaluates and monitors credit risk, beginning with the initial underwriting of a mortgage loan and continuing throughout the investment holding period. Mortgage origination professionals employ an internal credit quality rating system designed to evaluate the relative risk of the transaction at origination that is then updated each year as part of the annual portfolio loan review. The Company evaluates and monitors credit quality on an ongoing basis, classifying each loan as a loan in good standing, potential problem loan or problem loan.

The quality rating is based on our evaluation of a number of key inputs related to the loan including real estate market-related factors such as rental rates and vacancies, and property-specific inputs such as growth rate assumptions and lease rollover statistics. However, the two most significant contributors to the credit quality rating are the debt service coverage and loan-to-value ratios. The debt service coverage ratio measures the amount of property cash flow available to meet annual interest and principal payments on the debt, with a ratio below 1.0 indicating that there is not enough cash flow to cover the required loan payments. The loan-to-value ratio, commonly expressed as a percentage, compares the amount of the loan to the fair value of the underlying property collateralizing the loan.

Potential problem mortgage loans are considered current (no payment is more than 59 days past due), but they exhibit certain characteristics that increase the likelihood of future default. The characteristics management considers include, but are not limited to, the deterioration of debt service coverage below 1.0, estimated loan-to-value ratios increasing to 100% or more, downgrade in quality rating and requests from the borrower for restructuring. In addition, loans are considered potential problems if principal or interest payments are past due by more than 30 but less than 60 days. Problem mortgage loans are either in default by 60 days or more or have been restructured as to terms that could include concessions on interest rate, principal payment or maturity date. The Company monitors each problem and potential problem mortgage loan on an ongoing basis, and updates the loan categorization and quality rating when warranted.

Impaired commercial mortgage loans. A commercial mortgage loan is considered impaired when it is probable that the Company will not collect all amounts due according to the terms of the original loan agreement. These loans are included in either problem or potential problem loans. The Company monitors credit risk and assesses the impairment of loans individually and on a consistent basis for all loans in the portfolio. Impaired loans are carried at the lower of unpaid principal balance or the fair value of the underlying real estate. Certain commercial mortgage loans without valuation reserves are considered impaired because the Company will not collect all interest due according to the terms of the original agreements; however, the Company expects to recover the unpaid principal because it is less than the fair value of the underlying real estate. The Company recognizes interest income on impaired mortgage loans only when payment is actually received.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company reports GMIB liabilities and assets as derivatives at fair value because the cash flows of these liabilities and assets are affected by equity markets and interest rates, but are without significant life insurance risk and are settled in lump sum payments.

Accounting policy. The Company applies hedge accounting when derivatives are designated, qualified and highly effective as hedges. Effectiveness is formally assessed and documented at inception and each period throughout the life of a hedge using various quantitative methods appropriate for each hedge, including regression analysis and dollar offset. Under hedge accounting, the changes in fair value of the derivative and the hedged risk are generally recognized together and offset each other when reported in shareholders’ net income. Changes in the fair value of a derivative instrument may not always equal changes in the fair value of the hedged item. This is referred to as “hedge ineffectiveness” and is generally recorded in realized investment gains and losses. In the event of an early hedge termination, the changes in fair value of derivatives that qualified for hedge accounting are reported in shareholders’ net income, generally as a part of realized investment gains and losses. See Note 9 for further information on our policies for determining fair value. Derivative cash flows are generally reported in operating activities.

Accounting. Using fair value hedge accounting, the fair values of the swap contracts are reported in other assets, including other intangibles, or accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities. The critical terms of these swaps match those of the long-term debt being hedged. As a result, the carrying value of the hedged debt is adjusted to reflect changes in its fair value driven by LIBOR. The effects of those adjustments on other operating expenses are offset by the effects of corresponding changes in the swaps' fair value. The net impact from the hedge reported in other operating expenses reflects interest expense on the hedged debt at the variable interest rate.

Accounting. As these arrangements were not designated as accounting hedges, fair values are reported in short-term investments or accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities, and changes in fair values are reported in other realized investment gains and losses.

Accounting. Using fair value hedge accounting, swap fair values are reported in other long-term investments or accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities. Changes in fair values of the swap contracts, as well as changes in the fair value of the hedged bonds attributable to the hedged risk, are reported in other realized investment gains and losses.

Variable Interest Entities

When the Company becomes involved with a variable interest entity, as well as when there is a change in the Company’s involvement with an entity, the Company evaluates the following to determine if it is the primary beneficiary and must consolidate the entity:

the structure and purpose of the entity;
the risks and rewards created by and shared through the entity; and
the Company’s ability to direct its activities, receive its benefits and absorb its losses relative to the other parties involved with the entity including its sponsors, equity holders, guarantors, creditors and servicers.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) excludes amounts required to adjust future policy benefits for the run-off settlement annuity business and a portion of deferred acquisition costs associated with the corporate-owned life insurance business.

Income Taxes

The Company maintains a capital management strategy to retain overseas a significant portion of the earnings from its foreign operations.

These undistributed earnings are deployed outside of the U.S. predominantly in support of the liquidity and regulatory capital requirements of our foreign operations. The Company does not intend to repatriate these earnings to the U.S. and as a result, income taxes are provided using the respective foreign jurisdictions’ tax rate.

Commitments and Contingencies

GMIB guarantees. Future payments are not fixed and determinable under the terms of these contracts. Accordingly, the Company calculated exposure, without considering any reinsurance coverage, using the following hypothetical assumptions:

no annuitants surrendered their accounts;
all annuitants lived to elect their benefit;
all annuitants elected to receive their benefit on the next available date (2017 through 2021); and
all underlying mutual fund investment values remained at the September 30, 2017 value of $815 million with no future returns.

The Company has reinsurance coverage in place that covers the exposures on these contracts.

Separate account assets are contractholder funds maintained in accounts with specific investment objectives. The Company records separate account liabilities equal to separate account assets. In certain cases, the Company guarantees a minimum level of benefits for retirement and insurance contracts written in separate accounts. The Company establishes an additional liability if management believes that the Company will be required to make a payment under these guarantees.

When the Company (in the course of its regular review of pending litigation and legal or regulatory matters) has determined that a material loss is reasonably possible, the matter is disclosed. Such matters are described below. In accordance with GAAP, when litigation and regulatory matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and estimable, the Company accrues the estimated loss by a charge to shareholders’ net income. The amount accrued represents the Company’s best estimate of the probable loss at the time. If only a range of estimated losses can be determined, the Company accrues an amount within the range that, in the Company’s judgment, reflects the most likely outcome; if none of the estimates within that range is a better estimate than any other amount, the Company accrues the minimum amount of the range. In cases when the Company has accrued an estimated loss, the accrued amount may differ materially from the ultimate amount of the loss. In many proceedings, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or even possible to estimate the amount or range of any loss. The Company provides disclosure in the aggregate for material pending litigation and legal or regulatory matters, including accruals, range of loss, or a statement that such information cannot be estimated. As a litigation or regulatory matter develops, the Company monitors the matter for further developments that could affect the amount previously accrued, if any, and updates such amount accrued or disclosures previously provided as appropriate.

Segment Information

In the Company’s segment disclosures, we present “operating revenues,” defined as total revenues excluding realized investment results. The Company excludes realized investment results from this measure because its portfolio managers may sell investments based on factors largely unrelated to the underlying business purposes of each segment. As a result, gains or losses created in this process may not be indicative of the past or future underlying performance of the business.

The Company uses “adjusted income (loss) from operations” as its principal financial measure of segment operating performance because management believes it best reflects the underlying results of business operations and permits analysis of trends in underlying revenue, expenses and profitability. Adjusted income from operations is defined as shareholders’ net income (loss) excluding after-tax realized investment gains and losses, net amortization of other acquired intangible assets and special items. Income or expense amounts are excluded from adjusted income from operations for the following reasons:

Realized investment results are excluded because, as noted above, the Company’s portfolio managers may sell investments based on factors largely unrelated to the underlying business purposes of each segment.
Net amortization of other intangible assets is excluded because it relates to costs incurred for acquisitions and, as a result, it does not relate to the core performance of the Company’s business operations.
Special items, if any, are excluded because management believes they are not representative of the underlying results of operations. This is generally because the nature and size of these matters are not indicative of our ongoing business operations.