Revenue recognition. Revenues from our PBM segment are earned by dispensing prescriptions from our home delivery and specialty pharmacies, processing claims for prescriptions filled by retail pharmacies in our networks, and providing services to drug manufacturers, including administration of discount programs (see also “Rebate accounting” below).
Revenues from dispensing prescriptions from our home delivery pharmacies are recorded when drugs are shipped. At the time of shipment, our earnings process is complete; the obligation of our customer to pay for the drugs is fixed and, due to the nature of the product, the member may not return the drugs or receive a refund.
Revenues from our specialty line of business are from providing medications/pharmaceuticals for diseases that rely upon high-cost injectable, infused, oral or inhaled drugs which have sensitive handling and storage needs; bio-pharmaceutical services including marketing, reimbursement and customized logistics solutions; and providing fertility services to providers and patients. Specialty revenues earned by our PBM segment are recognized at the point of shipment. At the time of shipment, we have performed substantially all of our obligations under our customer contracts and do not experience a significant level of reshipments. Appropriate reserves are recorded for discounts and contractual allowances which are estimated based on historical collections over a recent period. Any differences between our estimates and actual collections are reflected in operations in the period in which payment is received. Differences may affect the amount and timing of our revenues for any period if actual performance varies from our estimates. Allowances for returns are estimated based on historical return trends.
Revenues from our PBM segment are also derived from the distribution of pharmaceuticals requiring special handling or packaging where we have been selected by the pharmaceutical manufacturer as part of a limited distribution network and the distribution of pharmaceuticals through Patient Assistance Programs where we receive a fee from the pharmaceutical manufacturer for administrative and pharmacy services for the delivery of certain drugs free of charge to doctors for their low-income patients. These revenues include administrative fees received from these programs.
Revenues related to the distribution of prescription drugs by retail pharmacies in our networks consist of the prescription price (ingredient cost plus dispensing fee) negotiated with our clients, including the portion to be settled directly by the member (co-payment), plus any associated administrative fees. These revenues are recognized when the claim is processed. When we independently have a contractual obligation to pay our network pharmacy providers for benefits provided to our clients’ members, we act as a principal in the arrangement and we include the total prescription price as revenue in accordance with applicable accounting guidance. Although we generally do not have credit risk with respect to retail co-payments, the primary indicators of gross treatment are present. When a prescription is presented by a member to a retail pharmacy within our network, we are solely responsible for confirming member eligibility, performing drug utilization review, reviewing for drug-to-drug interactions, performing clinical intervention, which may involve a call to the member’s physician, communicating plan provisions to the pharmacy, directing payment to the pharmacy and billing the client for the amount it is contractually obligated to pay us for the prescription dispensed, as specified within our client contracts. We also provide benefit design and formulary consultation services to clients. We have separately negotiated contractual relationships with our clients and with network pharmacies, and under our contracts with pharmacies we assume the credit risk of our clients’ ability to pay for drugs dispensed by these pharmacies to clients’ members. We, not our clients, are obligated to pay the retail pharmacies in our networks the contractually agreed upon amount for the prescription dispensed, as specified within our provider contracts. These factors indicate we are a principal as defined by applicable accounting guidance and, as such, we record the total prescription price contracted with clients in revenue.
If we merely administer a client’s network pharmacy contracts to which we are not a party and under which we do not assume credit risk, we record only our administrative fees as revenue. For these clients, we earn an administrative fee for collecting payments from the client and remitting the corresponding amount to the pharmacies in the client’s network. In these transactions we act as a conduit for the client. Because we are not the principal in these transactions, drug ingredient cost is not included in our revenues or in our cost of revenues.
In retail pharmacy transactions, amounts paid to pharmacies and amounts charged to clients are always exclusive of the applicable co-payment. Retail pharmacy co-payments, which we instructed retail pharmacies to collect from members, of $12,620.3 million, $11,668.6 million and $5,786.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, are included in revenues and cost of revenues. Retail pharmacy co-payments increased in the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 as compared to 2011 due to the Merger.
Many of our contracts contain terms whereby we make certain financial and performance guarantees, including the minimum level of discounts or rebates a client may receive, generic utilization rates and various service guarantees. These clients may be entitled to performance penalties if we fail to meet a financial or service guarantee. Actual performance is compared to the guarantee for each measure throughout the period and accruals are recorded as an offset to revenue if we determine that our performance against the guarantee indicates a potential liability. These estimates are adjusted to actual when the guarantee period ends and we have either met the guaranteed rate or paid amounts to clients. Historically, adjustments to our original estimates have been immaterial.
At the end of a period, any unbilled revenues related to the sale of prescription drugs that have been adjudicated with retail pharmacies are estimated based on the billable amount that is applied to the claim at the time of adjudication. That calculation is completed based on the pricing setup agreed upon with each client. Those amounts due from our clients are recorded as revenue as they are contractually due to us for past transactions. Adjustments are made to these estimated revenues to reflect actual billings at the time clients are billed; historically, these adjustments have not been material.
In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, amortization expense for customer contracts related to the PBM agreement has been included as an offset to revenue in the amount of $114.0 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
Revenues from our Other Business Operations segment are earned from the distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to providers and clinics, performance-oriented fees paid by Specialty Pharmacy manufacturers, revenues from late-stage clinical trials, risk management and drug safety services associated with UBC and other non-product related revenues.
Revenues from distribution activities are recognized at the point of shipment. At the time of shipment, we have performed substantially all of our obligations under our customer contracts and do not experience a significant level of reshipments. Appropriate reserves are recorded for discounts and contractual allowances, which are estimated based on historical collections over a recent period. Any differences between our estimates and actual collections are reflected in operations in the period in which payment is received. Differences may affect the amount and timing of our revenues for any period if actual performance varies from our estimates. Allowances for returns are estimated based on historical return trends.
Our UBC subsidiary provides services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies related to late-stage clinical trials, risk management and drug safety. These services are typically performed over several months and include general project management services in addition to specific deliverables. Revenue related to their services is recognized as these services are performed.
