Q3 2024 Genworth Financial Inc Earnings Call

premium approvals with an average premium increase of 53 percent. This brings our cumulative progress to an estimated $30 billion on a net present value basis since 2012.

Our advancement of the MyRap in the third quarter included progress on our oldest products and in historically challenging states for rate actions.

This progress underscores the growing recognition among regulators of their critical role in supporting LTC insurers' ability to meet policyholder obligations.

Strong progress on our MIRAP, as well as the LTC legal settlements and ongoing active management of our LTC business have significantly reduced, and will continue to reduce, the tail risk on our legacy LTC block.

This act of management enables our U.S. life insurance companies to continue to operate as a closed system, leveraging existing reserves and capital to cover future claims and other obligations.

Our third strategic priority is to drive future growth through CareScout with innovative, consumer-focused aging care services and funding solutions. As you'll see on slide 5, the CareScout Quality Network continues to scale rapidly nationwide, extending coverage to 49 states as of October 31st.

The network now includes 422 high-quality, person-centered home care providers who undergo a rigorous credentialing process covering more than 20 metrics.

Currently, over 90% are offering hourly rates below the generalist median cost of care and their respective zip codes, with many agreeing to 20% discounts off their standard rates.

We are on track to achieve nearly 85% geographic coverage of the age 65 plus census population in the U.S. by the end of this year.

It is important to remember that we're still building the business with plans to expand our customer base and offerings over time.

While the CareScout Quality Network currently includes only home care providers, we plan to add assisted living communities in large metropolitan statistical areas next year and other care types over time.

In 2025, we plan to extend CareScout services to other LTC insurers, policyholders, and also introduce a direct-to-consumer offering to help families without long-term care insurance find quality care at preferred rates.

For our own policyholders, our goal remains to provide savings of at least $1 billion to $1.5 billion on LTC claims on a net present value basis over time, further mitigating risk in our legacy LTC block.

In addition to aging care services, we are developing new funding solutions for the millions of aging Americans unprepared for the cost of care. Our upcoming individual product is designed with conservative assumptions and capped coverage limits to reduce the need for LTC premium increases in the future.

It will include access to our CareScale Quality Network, helping policyholders maximize their claim dollars. We continue to work with the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission, known as the Compact, to help us secure multi-state approval before launch and have completed our initial product filing.

There is a significant unmet demand in the market for new and improved LTC funding products among consumers, distributors, and regulators. We are excited by our plan to re-enter the market in 2025 with the goal of obtaining the required approvals in at least 25 to 35 states.

Launching a new growth strategy with CareScout has been made possible by the financial flexibility we've built over the last decade. Reducing debt from 4.2 billion as of the beginning of 2013 to 821 million today.

As a result of this significant achievement, as well as our unparalleled industry experience, we are uniquely positioned to capture the growing market demand for aging care services while generating long-term value for our shareholders. I look forward to sharing more about our progress in the coming quarters.

Before I hand it over to Jerome, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the growing national conversation around meeting long-term care challenges in our country.

As reported in our 2023 Cost of Care Survey, the median annual cost of a home care health aid now exceeds $75,000, and a semi-private room in a field nursing facility costs more than $100,000 per year.

These figures are likely to rise significantly as the baby boomer generation ages, and as a shortage of skilled workers in the space continues to pose challenges.

I believe strongly in the need for public-private partnerships in addressing rising LTC costs, as well as the impact those costs have on our workforce, as more Americans step away from their jobs to care for loved ones, often to defray the high cost of care.

Several states in recent years have been considering a range of funding solutions for long-term care needs. At the federal level, the WISH Act

championed by Representative Tom Suozzi, aims to create a federal LTC program funded by our payroll tax to help Americans manage long-term care costs. More recently, both U.S. presidential candidates included long-term care-related policy proposals in their agendas.

Well, each of these proposals presents its own benefits and challenges.

Their emergence is an encouraging sign that our nation is increasingly recognizing and addressing the long-term care crisis. We remain committed to engaging with the states, Congress, and the next administration to advance responsible, effective solutions.

In closing, I am proud of our ongoing progress against our strategic priorities and the strong performance we continue to see from ENACT. With that, I'll turn the call over to Jerome for a deeper discussion of our financial results.

Jerome: Thank you, Tom, and good morning, everyone. I'm pleased with ENAC's continued strong operating performance, the progress on our MIRAP, our debt optimization, and the capital returns we delivered in the quarter.

Jerome: I'll first discuss GenWorth's financial results and drivers in more detail, then I'll provide a preview of our U.S. Life fourth quarter assumption review process, followed by an update on our investment portfolio and holding company liquidity before we open the call for Q&A.

Jerome: As shown on slide 6, third quarter adjusted operating income was $48 million, driven primarily by an act.

Jerome: Our long-term care insurance segment reported an adjusted operating loss of $46 million.

Jerome: This was driven by a liability remeasurement loss from actual to expected experience, partially offset by favorable cash flow assumption updates related to IFA approval amounts.

Jerome: As a reminder, actual to expected experience drives gap results in LTC and fluctuates quarterly, including from seasonal mortality trends.

Jerome: For the full year, we continue to expect a liability remeasurement loss from actual to expected experience.

Jerome: Going forward, we expect continued gap earnings volatility and LTC as short-term results deviate from long-term assumptions.

Jerome: The strong results from ENACT were also partially offset by adjusted operating losses of $27 million in life and annuities and $27 million in corporate and other.

Jerome: Within life and annuities, life insurance posted an adjusted operating loss of $40 million driven by unfavorable mortality.

Jerome: This was partially offset by adjusted operating income of $6 million from fixed annuities and $7 million from variable annuities.

Jerome: Corporate & Other reported a $27 million loss driven by interest expense on holding company debt and growth investments in CareScout.

Jerome: Sequentially, corporate and other was primarily impacted by the timing of tax-related items.

Jerome: Now, taking a closer look at Enact's performance on slide 7.

Jerome: Enact delivered another strong quarter with $148 million in adjusted operating income, a 10% year-over-year increase reflecting reserve releases driven by continued favorable cure performance, alongside strong net investment income.

Jerome: Primary insurance in force grew 2% year-over-year to $268 billion, supported by new insurance written and continued elevated persistency.

Jerome: As shown on slide 8, Enact's favorable $65 million pre-tax reserve release drove a loss ratio of 5%.

Jerome: And Axe-P-Meyer sufficiency ratio remains strong at 173%, or approximately $2.2 billion above requirements.

Jerome: Genworth's share of an AX book value, including AOCI, has increased to $4.1 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2024.

Jerome: up from $3.8 billion at year-end 2023, while at the same time Enact has delivered significant capital returns to Genworth.

Jerome: The combination of Enact's quarterly dividend and its share repurchase program generated a total of $81 million in proceeds to Genworth in the third quarter.

Jerome: We now expect total capital returns from ENACT to be in the upper end of our $245 to $285 million guidance range for the full year, further supporting our capital allocation priorities, which I will detail shortly.

Jerome: On slide 9, we highlight the significant progress made on our MIRAP.

Speaker Change: As Tom mentioned, this includes successful rate actions on our oldest products and in states historically slow to approve increases.

Jerome: As we work to stabilize the legacy LTC block and protect our claims paying ability, the premium rate increases and associated benefit reductions from the MIRAP, as well as legal settlements, have significantly reduced tail risk.

Jerome: As of the end of the third quarter, we have achieved approximately 30 billion of enforced rate actions on a net present value basis, with a cumulative policyholder response rate of nearly 57 percent, choosing to reduce benefits.

Jerome: Slide 10 shows that we secured $124 million in IFA approvals on a gross incremental basis in the third quarter, bringing the year-to-date total to $303 million.

Jerome: We also submitted $172 million in Enforce Premium filings in the quarter, bringing the year-to-date total to $276 million.

Jerome: Based on strong approvals in prior years, we expect that total enforced premium filings submitted this year will be lower compared to prior years.

Jerome: We are pleased with the continued success of the MIRAP, which remains our most effective tool for ensuring the long-term self-sustainability of our legacy life insurance companies.

Jerome: As we said before, we believe statutory results better represent the underlying economics of the LTC business as they reflect the positive impacts of our enforced rate actions and legal settlements.

Jerome: As shown on slide 11, Enforced Raid Actions and Legal Settlements had a $1.3 billion pre-tax benefit to LTC statutory income year-to-date.

Jerome: $199 million higher than the same period last year. The increase is primarily driven by the net favorable impacts of the third and final legal settlement, which began in the second quarter of 2023.

Jerome: The favorable impact is expected to continue to trend downward into the fourth quarter as the final settlement activities come to a conclusion.

Jerome: Slide 12 shows our pre-tax statutory results for the U.S. life insurance companies.

Jerome: On a year-to-date basis, we generated pre-tax income of $411 million.

Jerome: In the third quarter, we had a loss of $18 million down from income in the prior quarter due to a smaller benefit from LTC legal settlements, higher LTC claims, and unfavorable mortality in the life and annuity products.

Jerome: Statutory earnings drove a consolidated risk-based capital ratio for GenWorth Life Insurance Company or GLEC.

Jerome: The quarter-over-quarter change is driven by a slight increase in required capital as we continue to grow our limited partnership portfolio. GLIC's consolidated balance sheet remains sound with capital and surplus of $3.7 billion as of the end of September.

Jerome: Our final statutory results will be available on our investor website with our third quarter filings later this month.

Jerome: As we look ahead, I'd like to discuss our approach to this year's Annual Assumption Review, which will be completed in the fourth quarter.

Jerome: While our review is still ongoing, we have been monitoring key trends and can provide some preliminary perspectives.

Jerome: In LTC, our review is focused on short-term trends and key assumptions such as benefit utilization, incidence, mortality, and enforced rate actions.

Jerome: For our life and annuity products, we are reviewing mortality, lapse rates, and the potential impacts of the recent decline in interest rates.

Jerome: As a reminder, our assumption updates for our LTC, LIFE, and annuity products in the aggregate in Q4 2023 resulted in a negative impact to pre-tax gap earnings of approximately $300 million.

Jerome: While our review is not yet complete, our preliminary view is the impacts from the assumption updates in the aggregate would be in a similar range for GAAP as the prior year.

Jerome: In parallel with the Assumption Review, we are conducting statutory cash flow testing for our life insurance companies.

Jerome: While this process is not yet complete, our initial assessment indicates that Glick's margin should remain positive.

Jerome: Additionally, certain of our Universal Life Secondary Guarantee products require additional statutory reserve testing using the regulatory prescribed reinvestment rate for the period from July 2023 to June 2024.

Jerome: Given that interest rates were higher during this period compared to the prior year, we expect a favorable impact from the reinvestment rate.

Thank you.

Jerome: From a statutory income perspective, we believe the reinvestment rate benefit will help offset any potential negative impacts from the assumption updates.

Jerome: The prior year impact was materially favorable given the significant increase in the prescribed reinvestment rate.

Jerome: We will discuss the results of our Assumption Reviews and Statutory Cash Flow Testing on our fourth quarter earnings call.

Jerome: As we've said before, we manage the U.S. life insurance companies on a stand-alone basis.

Jerome: They operate as a closed system, using existing reserves and capital to meet future claims and obligations.

Jerome: We will not put capital into the legacy life insurance companies and given the long-tailed nature of our LTC insurance policies, with peak claim years still at least a decade away, we do not expect capital returns from these companies.

Turning to slide 13, our investment portfolio remains strong.

Jerome: The majority of our assets are in investment-grade fixed maturities, held to support our long-duration liabilities.

Jerome: New investments during the quarter achieved yields of 5.8% and our alternative assets program continues to generate strong returns targeting approximately 12%.

Jerome: We maintain confidence in our commercial real estate exposure, which accounts for approximately 15% of the portfolio, and is concentrated in high-quality, investment-grade assets with less than 20% office exposure.

Next.

turning to the holding company on slide 14.

Jerome: We received $81 million in capital from ENACT and ended the quarter with $369 million of cash and liquid assets.

Jerome: Included in our cash and liquid assets, we hold approximately $162 million of advanced cash payments from our subsidiaries for future obligations.

Jerome: We do not consider this cash when evaluating holding company liquidity for the purposes of capital allocation or calculating the buffer to our debt service target.

Jerome: Tom reviewed our capital allocation strategy and I'll reiterate that our top priorities shown on slide 15 are to invest in long-term growth through CareScout, return cash to shareholders through our share repurchase program when our share price is below intrinsic value, and opportunistically pay down debt when attractive to us.

Jerome: We continue to return capital to shareholders through share repurchases in the third quarter, repurchasing 36 million of shares at an average price of $6.38 per share, and another 10 million through the end of October.

Jerome: We have $197 million remaining under our current authorization as of the end of October and now expect to allocate between $160 to $180 million to share repurchases in 2024.

Jerome: Our final amount for the full year may vary depending on our share price and market conditions. And as a reminder, the amount will be lower than we repurchased in 2023, given that we have fully utilized our holding company tax assets.

Jerome: Since the initial authorization in May of 2022, we have reduced outstanding shares by 16%, from approximately 511 million shares to 427 million shares outstanding as of the end of October.

Jerome: We're very pleased with the value created for shareholders through our share repurchase program.

Jerome: We also retired $17 million of principal debt in the third quarter for $15 million in cash.

Jerome: Year-to-date, we have retired $35 million of principal debt, bringing our total holded company debt to $821 million.

Jerome: Our debt-to-capital ratio is well below 25%, attributing no equity value to LTC, LIFE, and annuities.

Jerome: Additionally, we executed a $100 million interest rate swap on our subordinated floating rate debt, locking in an approximate 5.5% yield to manage interest rate risk more effectively.

Jerome: We are pleased with our financial flexibility, given our liquidity level, sustainable cash flows from an act, and manageable debt level.

Jerome: In closing, we are delivering on our strategic priorities while proactively managing our liabilities and risk.

Jerome: The multi-year rate action plan and the additional benefit from the three LTC legal settlements are further stabilizing the legacy LTC block.

Jerome: and act as a key driver of shareholder value, as evidenced by its strong earnings, increasing book value and increased capital returns.

Jerome: Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on delivering sustainable long-term growth through ENACT and CareScout, while returning meaningful value to shareholders through share repurchases and opportunistically repurchasing holding company debt. Now, let's open up the line for questions.

Speaker Change: Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the Q&A portion of the call. As a reminder, please refrain from using cell phones, speaker phones, or headsets. Press star 1 to ask a question. If at any time your question has already been answered or you would like to withdraw your question, please press star 2 to be removed from the queue.

Please press star 1 now.

And our first question comes from Brett Ositek with KBW.

Brett Ositek: Hey, good morning. My first one is on the AXA Santander lawsuit. I think the case is still set for March of next year, but if there is a positive ruling for you guys there, could you just comment on the potential use of proceeds?

Speaker Change: Well, Brett, thank you very much for the question. So yeah, the trial date is still set for March of 2025.

Brett Ositek: It's possible there could be a settlement before then, but that's the March date.

Brett Ositek: To the extent that we win that case, and you know, we've been saying for a long time, we think we like our side of, or the Axis side of that lawsuit, and I think the focus for

Brett Ositek: Any proceeds would be to continue to do what we've been doing, return capital to the shareholder.

Brett Ositek: through the share repurchase program. I think you'd see us step up that in a meaningful way. We'll continue where there's good opportunities, a good pricing to buy back the debt, and then obviously...

Brett Ositek: We want to continue to invest in CareScout, both CareScout services business, which...

Speaker Change: as both Jerome and I talked about is doing very well, gaining very good momentum and then also investing in the new CareScout insurance business when we launch the first product sometime next year. Jerome, I don't know if you want to add anything to that. I think you covered it well, Tom.

Thank you.

Speaker Change: Okay, great. Thanks. And then for my follow up, I was just hoping you guys could give a little more color on how the care scout revenue model will work beyond.

potential savings on LTC claims.

Speaker Change: is about $75,000 a year, so let's say roughly a little over $6,000 a month.

were doing very well on the discounts.

Speaker Change: because they've built and maintained the network and then 750 of the 1,000 a month savings is retained by GLIF in terms of lower claim costs. So that's the basic model.

[inaudible]

Speaker Change: Okay, great. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. Yep. Thanks, Bob. And we'll move to our next question from Joshua Esterov with Credit Sites.

Joshua Esterov: Hello, good morning. Thank you for taking the time. I've got two questions on CareScout. The first one is maybe more of a clarifying question, and that's how do you define coverage percentage in your presentation material? Is that as straightforward as you have?

Speaker Change: just at least one care provider in the zip code where age 65 plus individuals are located.

Speaker Change: And then separately, before I hop back into the queue, how do either the insurer or the policyholder become aware that there are services available to them at potentially lower prices, especially with regards to non-generic policyholders?

Those are great questions, Josh.

Care Scout, we...

We look at the coverage by zip code.

Speaker Change: And so, you know, depending, obviously you would expect in those zip codes in bigger cities, there'll be several providers.

Speaker Change: in the network in that area. As you get to the more rural areas, I mentioned we were in 49 states, but one state we're not fully in yet is Wyoming, obviously it's a more rural state. So there obviously are zip codes that are where they're less populated.

Speaker Change: And therefore, there are less 65 plus year olds and less gen with policy holders. So on those zip codes, it's probably more typical that you might only have one, maybe two.

Speaker Change: providers. So that's basically how it works. And the second question, the second part of the question was...

touch points with insurers.

Yes, so touch points with insurers and policyholders.

Speaker Change: For our policyholders, we obviously communicate with them regularly. And we have been, since we started the journey with CareScout Services, have been telling them about the network. When someone files a claim,

Speaker Change: Obviously, we work to assess the claim, determine if coverage applies, and through that process, which takes...

Speaker Change: on average 20 to 30 days. We'll talk about who are the providers in the network, the discounts they provide, and that's how it's done. The last several months, with the Click policyholders, we've been doing more than 100 per month of matches between the policyholders going on claim in the network.

Speaker Change: For the direct-to-consumer, we'll be, you know, from a broader perspective, we'll be marketing that this network's available, it's available in these states, you know, we, most of the providers are below the median cost of care.

in the state or the zip code, and...

Speaker Change: We credential for quality on 20 different dimensions, so I think...

You know, our whole value proposition there is we're taking

all of the time and effort.

Speaker Change: to find a provider away from the person needing care, or typically their family. And at the same time, whatever their rate...

Speaker Change: are very significant since they're paying. So we're very optimistic going forward. We've got to first complete the network. We said by the end of the year we want to be at 85 percent coverage.

for practical purposes, you know, that's pretty.

Speaker Change: full coverage, there are always going to be, whether it's Wyoming or Montana, Idaho, other states like that, where it will take time to fill in the gaps. So we think at 85% that will be pretty much effective nationwide coverage. And once we have that, we'll then begin to accelerate our marketing plans to let consumers in general know that the network's available.

Appreciate that. Thanks.

Thank you, Josh.

Speaker Change: And we'll move to our next question from Douglas Smith with Evers Group.

Douglas Smith: Good morning. I'd also like to focus on ScareScouts for a moment from understanding better how the entity impacts the parent company as opposed to

Douglas Smith: What's going on the ring-fenced insurance entities I assume all the expenses

of CareScouter and the parent company level.

and that, you know, try to understand...

Speaker Change: currently, what the offsetting revenue might be, and kind of what the what the P&L looks like, if you will, on a standalone basis.

Speaker Change: So, Jerome, do you want to talk about that? So, Doug, good morning and thanks for your question. I would start out by saying, and Tom highlighted in his prepared remarks,

Jerome: that we are investing $35 million in the Carescout Services business. That is all contained in the corporate and other segment at this point in time.

Speaker Change: You will see coming through and that's why we've highlighted the 35 million for you. So you can understand the investment We're making we are going after a very large market as Tom highlighted. So we're

Speaker Change: optimistic about what we're doing there. So expenses are in corporate and other.

Speaker Change: On the revenue side, CareScout Services, when they are saving our GLCC policyholders money because the providers are signing up for 90% or signing up for like a 20% discount.

Speaker Change: Hearscout Services would get 25% of that, and that would come in the corporate and other as well. So it's mostly contained in the corporate and other segment.

Speaker Change: Are there material revenues in corporate other offsetting a significant portion of that expense run rate?

a service that is provided to Glick.

Speaker Change: However, when you have those assessments and they come through from Glick and Consolidation, we eliminate that revenue. There are some matches that are being made where there's a fee stream coming through from the Glick policyholders, but at this point in time, given the newness of the business, those revenue streams are pretty small.

Speaker Change: And the 35 million run rate would be net of whatever that offsetting revenue might be. That is that is correct.

And then if CureScale

Speaker Change: did initiate an insurance product. Would that be inside or outside of the ring-fenced insurance entities?

Another good question, it'll be outside, so basically think...

Think of, you know, you have the parent holding company.

Speaker Change: and it owns an act and a chair of an act and the Legacy Life Companies. And then separately, so a sister entity would be CareScout, Inc.

Speaker Change: call that the holding company of CareScout. And then underneath that holding company will be CareScout Services. That's the service business, and it's a fee business.

Speaker Change: Not very capital intensive and as you've mentioned Doug the ultimately be the revenues

Speaker Change: from our share of the discounts, whether it's a general policyholder, other insurers' policyholders, which, and we're talking to several other closed block LTC players on allowing their policyholders to use the network and take advantage of the discounts. And then when we go to consumers, it'd be the same type of model that whatever that monthly savings is for home care, as I said, that's around $1,000 a month, we'll negotiate a fee for CareScout services, but obviously a significant part of that $1,000 a month savings will accrue to the benefit of...

Clearly, the goal is to have

Speaker Change: as many matches where we brought a policyholder, a consumer, with a provider and the 25% that...

Speaker Change: that goes to CareScout Services, obviously, in order to cover, you can do the math,

Speaker Change: If we're saving, if it's $250 a month out of $1000, typically our claims are a couple years.

Speaker Change: plus or minus. So it's about, for the CareScout services, share of that would be $2.50 a month.

Speaker Change: So basically $3,000 a year. So you can calculate how many matches you need, whether there are policyholders, other insurance policyholders, or consumers, in order to cover that $35 million investment. So it's a scaled business.

and we're still completing the network. It usually takes...

Speaker Change: about 90 days after you have a state or a zip code cover where you start to get batches. So we're very optimistic that this will ultimately be a very good business for us, given that we've got 70 million baby boomers.

The oldest of those that are 78 this year, in two years they'll start to turn 80, almost 10,000 a day will turn 80, and early 80s is when the peak climbing years are.

Speaker Change: Tom, can I just add, Doug, the one thing that I think are implied, would be implied in both my comments and Tom's comments around Care Scout Services is

Speaker Change: We are saving claims. There's claim savings coming through for the GLEC policyholders, and I think we articulated on the slide, over time, we expect that to be meaningful to GLEC, the billion to a billion and a half. So while we're building scale, we are going to be saving the GLEC policyholders money and GLEC money, and that's a billion to a billion and a half.

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Okay, thank you. Thank you, Doug. Good questions.

Speaker Change: And our next question comes from Joshua Esterov with Credit Sites.

Hello.

Speaker Change: Hey, guys, thank you again for taking another one from me.

Speaker Change: In your prepared remarks on the fourth quarter LCC reserve review, you made note that you expect GLCC's reserve margin to remain positive. Can you please remind us either where that margin is currently or where it was the last time you provided an update?

Speaker Change: Jamala, do you want to take that one? Yeah, thank you for your question, Joshua. When we did our cash flow testing or statutory review of margin at year-end 2023, we were in the half a billion to a billion range for stat margin and we do expect to maintain our statutory margin for GLC in that same range this year.

Speaker Change: Understood. Thank you. And ladies and gentlemen, it appears that there are no questions at this time. I will now turn the call back over to Mr. McInerney for closing comments.

Mr. Mcinerney: Thank you very much, Lisa. I want to again thank Brad, Josh, and Doug for their questions. I think they're questions that a lot of our investors have, so it was a good opportunity for us to elaborate a little more on that. We're very pleased with where we are, obviously, and that continues to perform extremely well.

Speaker Change: Solid earnings, good return of capital through their regular dividends, as well as on the share buybacks.

So we're pleased with that.

Speaker Change: The three priorities we talked about, we're making good progress on that, which is in addition to...

explain the value of an act for

Speaker Change: Our shareholders were also making good progress with our legacy LTC business in terms of the MyRap. Very, very good results.

Speaker Change: And then finally, as we talked about and had some questions on, we're really scaling up the CareScout business and we're looking very forward to significant growth in that business in 2025 and beyond. So with that, Lisa, I'll turn the call back to you to end the call.

Speaker Change: Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes Ginworth's financial third quarter conference call. Thank you for your participation. At this time, the call will end.

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