Elevance Shoots for the Stars But Lands at 3.5: $375M Bonus Gone?

Elevance Health, Inc. ELV recently encountered a significant legal blow after a federal judge dismissed its challenge against the U.S. government’s Medicare Advantage star ratings. The insurer sued the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), alleging that changes in rating methodology unfairly downgraded several of its plans. However, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, TX, rejected the claim and upheld CMS’ authority to set the standards.

The financial implications for Elevance are substantial. One of its contracts was calculated at 3.749565 stars but was rounded down to 3.5 stars, just shy of the four-star threshold required for the big bonus eligibility. As a result, the company estimates it will forgo at least $375 million in bonus payments for 2025. Elevance first filed suit in October, labeling CMS’ approach “arbitrary and capricious,” but the court found no grounds to overturn the agency’s decision.

CMS issues star ratings each year to measure the quality and performance of Medicare Advantage plans. These scores are highly consequential, as they not only determine whether insurers qualify for federal bonus payments but also influence consumer perceptions and enrollment.

Also, it sets a precedent that could discourage insurers from always opting for challenging CMS in court over rating methodologies. This forces Elevance and peers to focus on operational improvements and member satisfaction rather than relying on legal remedies. For investors, the outcome highlights regulatory risks that can significantly impact revenues in the Medicare Advantage space.

Other insurers, including Centene Corporation CNC and Humana Inc. HUM, had also pursued legal challenges last year, following the methodology updates that led to rating declines.

Last December, Centene’s seven contracts were upgraded. Revised CMS scores are expected to yield Centene $200 million in bonus payments, per reports. However, Humana’s lawsuit was dismissed on procedural grounds in July 2025, and the company refiled to resuscitate its stars. The lawsuit now somewhat differs from HUM’s first one.

Elevance’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Shares of ELV have lost 16.1% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s growth of 0.2%.

From a valuation standpoint, Elevance trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 9.72, down from the industry average of 15.25. ELV has a Value Score of A at present.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Elevance’s 2025 earnings is pegged at $30.15 per share, implying an 8.8% decline from the year-ago period.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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