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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 8-K

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) February 11, 2004

UICI

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (817) 255-5200

Not Applicable

 

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	Item 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
	Item 12. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
SIGNATURES
Exhibit Index
Press Release

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Item 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

     (a) Financial Statements.

Not applicable

     (b) Pro Forma Financial Information

Not applicable

     (c) Exhibits

Item 12. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

     On February 11, 2004, the Company issued a press release announcing its summary results of operations and certain balance sheet data for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2003. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in this Item 12 and incorporated by reference herein shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM
ACT OF 1995:

     Certain statements set forth herein or incorporated by reference herein from the Company’s filings that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Actual results may differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the Company’s ability to maintain adequate liquidity to satisfy its obligations; changes in general economic conditions, including the performance of financial markets, and interest rates; competitive, regulatory or tax changes that affect the cost of or demand for the Company’s products; health care reform; the ability to predict and effectively manage claims related to health care costs; and reliance on key management and adequacy of claim liabilities.

     The Company’s future results will depend in large part on accurately predicting health care costs incurred on existing business and upon the Company’s ability to control future health care costs through product and benefit design, underwriting criteria, utilization management and negotiation of favorable provider contracts. Changes in mandated benefits, utilization rates, demographic characteristics, health care practices, provider consolidation, inflation, new pharmaceuticals/technologies, clusters of high-cost cases, the regulatory environment and numerous other factors are beyond the control of any health plan provider and may adversely affect the Company’s ability to predict and control health care costs and

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claims, as well as the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Periodic renegotiations of hospital and other provider contracts coupled with continued consolidation of physician, hospital and other provider groups may result in increased health care costs and limit the Company’s ability to negotiate favorable rates. In addition, the Company faces competitive and regulatory pressure to contain premium prices. Fiscal concerns regarding the continued viability of government-sponsored programs such as Medicare and Medicaid may cause decreasing reimbursement rates for these programs. Any limitation on the Company’s ability to increase or maintain its premium levels, design products, implement underwriting criteria or negotiate competitive provider contracts may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition or results of operations.

     The Company’s insurance subsidiaries are subject to extensive regulation in their states of domicile and the other states in which they do business under statutes that typically delegate broad regulatory, supervisory and administrative powers to state insurance departments and agencies. State insurance departments have also periodically conducted and continue to conduct financial and market conduct examinations and other inquiries of UICI’s insurance subsidiaries. State insurance regulatory agencies have authority to levy monetary fines and penalties resulting from findings made during the course of such examinations and inquiries. Historically, the Company’s insurance subsidiaries have from time to time been subject to such regulatory fines and penalties. While none of such fines or penalties individually or in the aggregate have to date had a material adverse effect on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company, the Company could be adversely affected by increases in regulatory fines or penalties and/or changes in the scope, nature and/or intensity of regulatory scrutiny and review.

     The Company provides health insurance products to consumers in the self-employed market in 44 states. A substantial portion of such products is issued to members of various independent membership associations that act as the master policyholder for such products. The two principal membership associations in the self-employed market for which the Company underwrites insurance are the National Association for the Self-Employed (“NASE”) and the Alliance for Affordable Services (“AAS”). The associations provide their membership with a number of benefits and products, including health insurance underwritten by the Company. Subject to applicable state law, individuals generally may not obtain insurance under an association’s master policy unless they are also members of the associations. UGA agents and Cornerstone agents also act as field service representatives on behalf of the associations, in which capacity the agents act as enrollers of new members for the associations and provide field support services, for which the agents receive compensation. Specialized Association Services, Inc. (a company controlled by the adult children of the Chairman of the Company) provides administrative and benefit procurement services to the associations, and a subsidiary of the Company sells new membership sales leads to the enrollers and video and print services to the associations and to Specialized Association Services, Inc. In addition to health insurance premiums derived from the sale of health insurance, the Company receives fee income from the associations, including fees associated with the enrollment of new members, fees for association membership marketing and administrative services and fees for certain association member benefits. The agreements with these associations requiring the associations to continue as the master policyholder for the Company’s insurance products and to make the Company’s insurance products available to their respective members are terminable by the Company and the associations upon not less than one year’s advance notice to the other party.

     In December 2002, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) convened a special task force to review association group coverage, and the Company is aware that selected states are reviewing the laws and regulations under which association group policies are issued. The Company has also been named a party to several lawsuits challenging the nature of the relationship between the Company’s insurance companies and the associations that have endorsed the insurance companies’ health insurance products. While the Company believes it is providing association group coverage in full compliance with applicable law, changes in the relationship between the Company and the membership

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associations and/or changes in the laws and regulations governing so-called “association group” insurance (particularly changes that would subject the issuance of policies to prior premium rate approval and/or require the issuance of policies on a “guaranteed issue” basis) could have a material adverse impact on the financial condition, results of operations and/or business of the Company.

UICI press releases and other company information are available at UICI’s website located at www.uici.net.

SIGNATURES

     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 hereunto duly authorized.

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Exhibit Index