Vitality Re VI Ltd

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has upgraded the ratings for all tranches of Aetna’s Vitality Re V Ltd. and Vitality Re VI Ltd. insurance-linked securities (ILS) deals, following a lower-than-expected impact from the suspension of the industry-wide health insurer fee (HIF).

As a result of a piece of health care and health insurance related U.S. legislation named the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (CAA), signed into law in December, all tranches of Aetna’s Vitality Re V Ltd. and Vitality Re VI Ltd. ILS deals have had their ratings downgraded.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has affirmed the ratings of all tranches from three medial benefit ratio or health insurance linked ILS deals sponsored by Aetna. The ratings have been affirmed as S&P said that its rating criteria had previously been misapplied for these deals.

Health care insurance and benefits firm Aetna has hailed the improved “capital efficiency” and reduction in its “weighted average cost of capital” that it has achieved with the successful completion of its sixth medical benefit claims linked Vitality Re VI Ltd. (Series 2015-1) ILS.

Health insurer Aetna’s Vitality Re VI Ltd. (Series 2015-1) ILS has achieved the target size of $200m of protection for the sponsor, while the notes have been priced with one tranche near the lowest end of guidance and the other below it.

According to sources, the price guidance for the latest health insurance-linked security (ILS) from Aetna, Vitality Re VI Ltd. (Series 2015-1), has not changed as the transaction approaches completion.

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s has now published its pre-sale report and preliminary rating for the recently launched $200m Vitality Re VI Ltd. (Series 2015-1) health insurance-linked securities (ILS) deal from life and health insurer Aetna.

In a repeat of 2014, health insurer Aetna is the first sponsor to launch a new insurance-linked securities deal in 2015, with Vitality Re VI Ltd. (Series 2015-1) seeking at least $200m of protection linked to the insurers medical benefit claims ratio.