GLOBE LIFE INC

A discussion of life operations by distribution channel follows.

The American Income Life Division markets to members of labor unions and other affinity groups, and continues to diversify its lead sources by utilizing third-party internet vendor leads and obtaining referrals to facilitate sustainable growth. This division is Globe Life's largest contributor of life premium of any distribution channel at 51% of the Company's 2023 total life premium. Net sales were $323 million in 2023, up from $317 million in 2022. The underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 45% for the year ended December 31, 2023, down from 46% in the prior year due to higher acquisition costs.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for the American Income Life Division. The average producing agent count is based on the actual count at the beginning and end of each week during the year. The average producing agent count increased 12% over the year-ago period. The increase in average producing agent count was driven by an increase in new agent recruiting. Sales growth in this division, as well as within our other exclusive agencies, is generally dependent on growth in the size of the agency force.

American Income Life continues to focus on growing and strengthening the agency force, specifically through emphasis on agency middle-management growth and additional agency office openings. In addition to offering financial incentives and training opportunities, the agency has made considerable investments in information technology, including a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for the agency force. This tool is designed to drive productivity in lead distribution, conservation of business, manager dashboards, and new agent recruiting. Additionally, this division has invested in and successfully implemented technology that allows the agency force to engage in virtual recruiting, training, and sales activity. The agents have shifted to primarily a virtual experience with the customers and have generated a vast majority of sales through virtual presentations. We find this flexibility to be attractive to new recruits as well as a driver of sustainability for our agency force.

The Direct to Consumer Division (DTC) offers adult and juvenile life insurance through a variety of marketing approaches, including direct mailings, insert media, and electronic media. In recent years, production from electronic media, which is comprised of sales through both the internet and inbound phone calls to our call center, has grown faster than direct mail response as customer preferences have focused marketing activity to internet and mobile technology. The proportion of sales from the internet and inbound phone calls continue to outpace the activity from the direct mailings, but all three channels continue to work in an omnichannel approach. The different media channels support and complement one another in the division's efforts to reach the consumer. The DTC's long-term growth has been fueled by constant innovation and name recognition. We continually introduce new initiatives in this division in an attempt to increase response rates and create a seamless customer experience.

The juvenile market is an important source of sales, it is also a vehicle to reach the parents and grandparents of juvenile policyholders, who are more likely to respond favorably to a DTC solicitation for life coverage on themselves in comparison to the general adult population. Also, future offerings to juvenile policyholders and their parents are sources of lower acquisition-cost life insurance sales in the future.

DTC net sales declined 8% to $116 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with $126 million in the prior year. This decline is due primarily to reductions in direct mail and mailing insert marketing activity resulting from the impact of inflation on postage and paper costs. While total sales have declined, the focus has been on improving profitability and improving the underwriting margin. DTC’s underwriting margin, as a percent of premium, was 24% for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 22% for the same period in 2022, and 2% below the 26% underwriting margin percentage for 2021.

The Liberty National Division markets individual life insurance to middle-income household and worksite customers. Recent investments in new sales technologies as well as recent growth in middle management within the agency are expected to help continue this growth. The underwriting margin as a percent of premium was 33%, up from 31% for the year ended 2022, but down slightly from 34% for 2021. The increase from the prior year is primarily attributable toincreased premiums, and lower policy obligations as a percent of premium, during the year compared with the same period a year ago. The decrease in 2022 from 2021 is due primarily to higher acquisition costs.

Net sales rose 22% in 2023 over the same period in 2022. With the division's ability to return to face-to-face customer interaction and the option of virtual sales, the Company continues to project total life net sales to increase in 2024 as compared to the prior year.

Below is the average producing agent count at the end of the indicated periods for Liberty National Division.

The Liberty National Division average producing agent count increased significantly compared with the prior year. We continue to execute our long-term plan to grow this agency through expansion from small-town markets in the Southeast to more densely populated areas with larger pools of potential agent recruits and customers. Continued expansion of this agency’s presence into more heavily populated, less-penetrated areas will help create long-term agency growth. In addition to the aforementioned geographic expansion, we have also started a campaign of market expansion to increase our agency presence in cities where we currently have offices, but not enough to properly serve the community, region, area and city. These tend to be larger geographic cities which will help create long-term sustainable agency growth. Additionally, the agency continues to help improve the ability of agents to develop new worksite marketing business. Systems that have been put in place, including the addition of a CRM platform and enhanced analytical capabilities, have helped the agents develop additional worksite marketing opportunities as well as improve the productivity of agents selling in the individual life market. As the division continues to gain momentum in its sales and recruiting initiatives, as well as advances its technology and CRM platform, the agency anticipates continued growth in recruiting activity and average producing agent count.

The Other Agencies distribution channels primarily include non-exclusive independent agencies selling primarily life insurance. The other distribution channels contributed $207 million of life premium income, or 7% of Globe Life's total life premium income in 2023, and contrib uted 2% of net sales for the year.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance sold by the Company primarily includes Medicare Supplement insurance, accident coverage, and other limited-benefit supplemental health products including accident, cancer, critical illness, heart, and intensive care products.

Health premium accounted for 30% of our total premium in 2023, while the health underwriting margin accounted for 24% of total underwriting margin. Health underwriting margin increased slightly to $378 million compared to $377 million in the prior year. The Company continues to emphasize life insurance sales relative to health due to life’s superior long-term profitability and its greater contribution to excess investment income.

The following table presents underwriting margin data for health insurance.

Summary of Results

Health premium increased 3% in 2023 to $1.32 billion when compared to 2022. In 2022, health premium rose 7% to $1.28 billion when compared to 2021. Health underwriting margin increased slightly from $377 million in 2022 to $378 million in 2023 and increased 7% from $352 million in 2021 to $377 million in 2022 primarily due to growth in premiums.

The table below summarizes health underwriting margin by distribution channel for the last three years.

Underwriting Margin by Distribution Channel

Globe Life markets supplemental health insurance products through a number of distribution channels. The following table is an analysis of our health premium by distribution channel for each of the last three years.

Premium by Distribution Channel

Premium related to limited-benefit supplemental health products comprise $743 million, or 56%, of the total health premiums for 2023 compared with $702 million, or 55%, in 2022 and $639 million, or 53%, in 2021. Premium from Medicare Supplement products comprises the remaining $576 million, or 44%, for 2023 compared with $580 million, or 45%, in 2022 and $562 million, or 47%, in 2021.

Annualized health premium in force was $1.39 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of 4% from $1.33 billion in 2022.

Presented below is a table of health net sales by distribution channel for the last three years.

Net Sales by Distribution Channel

Health net sales related to supplemental health products comprise $161 million, or 72%, of the total health new sales for 2023 compared with $137 million, or 71%, in 2022. Medicare Supplement sales make up the remaining $63 million, or 28%, for 2023 compared with $54 million, or 29%, in 2022.

The following table discloses first-year collected health premium by distribution channel.

First-Year Collected Premium by Distribution Channel

First-year collected premium related to limited-benefit plans comprise $133 million, or 72% of total first-year collected premium for 2023 compared with $108 million, or 64%, in 2022. First-year collected premium from Medicare Supplement policies make up the remaining $52 million, or 28%, for 2023 compared with $60 million, or 36%, in 2022.