STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Stock-Based Compensation

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

BioScrip Equity Incentive Plan

Under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2008 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended and restated, the “2008 Plan”), the Company may issue, among other things, incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), restricted stock grants, restricted stock units and performance units to key employees and directors. While SARs are authorized under the 2008 Plan, they may also be issued outside of the plan.

On May 8, 2014, the Company’s stockholders (i) approved an amendment to the 2008 Plan to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock available for issuance by 2,500,000 shares (the “2014 Additional Shares”) to 9,355,000 shares and to clarify that cash dividends or dividend equivalents may not be paid to holders of unvested restricted stock units, restricted stock grants and performance units until such awards are vested and non-forfeitable; and (ii) re-approved the material terms of the performance goals that are a part of the 2008 Plan. On September 19, 2014, the Company filed a Registration Statement on Form S-8 to register the issuance of the 2014 Additional Shares that were approved by the Company’s stockholders on May 8, 2014.

As of March 31, 2016, 1,664,061 shares remain available for grant under the 2008 Plan.

Stock Options

The Company recognized compensation expense related to stock options of $1.1 million and $1.9 million during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Restricted Stock

The Company recognized a nominal amount of compensation expense related to restricted stock awards during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and $0.3 million of compensation expense related to restricted stock awards during the three months ended March 31, 2015.

Stock Appreciation Rights and Market Based Cash Awards

The Company recognized a nominal amount of compensation expense related to stock appreciation rights awards during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and $0.5 million of compensation benefit related to stock appreciation rights awards during the three months ended March 31, 2015. In addition, the Company recognized compensation expense related to market based cash awards of $0.3 million during the three months ended March 31, 2016. There was no compensation expense related to market based cash awards in the same period in 2015.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

On May 7, 2013, the Company’s stockholders approved the BioScrip, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). The ESPP. The ESPP provides all eligible employees, as defined under the ESPP, the opportunity to purchase up to a maximum number of shares of Common Stock of the Company as determined by the Compensation Committee. Participants in the ESPP may acquire the Common Stock at a cost of 85% of the lower of the fair market value on the first or last day of the quarterly offering period. The Company has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-8 to register 750,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, for issuance under the ESPP.

As of March 31, 2016, there were 564,441 shares that remained available for grant under the ESPP. Since inception, the ESPP’s third-party service provider has purchased 185,559 shares on the open market and delivered these shares to the Company’s employees pursuant to the ESPP. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, less than $0.1 million of expense has been incurred related to the ESPP.