SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

During the third quarter of 2006, the Company completed the wind-down of NID, a test kit manufacturing subsidiary. The accompanying consolidated statements of operations and related disclosures report the results of NID as discontinued operations for all periods presented. See Note 18 for a further discussion of discontinued operations.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of all entities controlled by the Company through its direct or indirect ownership of a majority voting interest and the accounts of any variable interest entities ("VIEs") where the Company is subject to a majority of the risk of loss from the variable interest entity's activities, or entitled to receive a majority of the entity's residual returns, or both. The Company assesses the requirements related to the consolidation of VIEs, including a qualitative assessment of power and economics that considers which entity has the power to direct the activities that “most significantly impact” the VIEs economic performance and has the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits that could be potentially significant to, the VIE. The Company did not have any VIEs as of both December 31, 2016 and 2015. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Equity Method Investments

Investments in entities which the Company does not control, but in which it has a substantial ownership interest (generally between 20% and 49%) and can exercise significant influence, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. These investments are classified as investments in equity method investees in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company records its pro rata share of the earnings, adjusted for accretion of basis difference, of these investments in equity in earnings of equity method investees, net of taxes in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company reviews its investments in equity method investees for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable.

Reclassifications

As a result of the early adoption of the accounting standard update ("ASU") associated with simplifying several aspects of stock-based compensation, certain reclassifications have been made to the prior period financial statements to conform with the current period presentation. For further details regarding the impact of the ASU, see New Accounting Standards

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company primarily recognizes revenue for services rendered upon completion of the testing process. Billings for services reimbursed by third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, are recorded as revenues net of allowances for differences between amounts billed and the estimated receipts from such payers. Adjustments to the allowances, based on actual receipts from the third-party payers, are recorded upon settlement. Billings to the Medicare and Medicaid programs were approximately 17% of the Company's consolidated net revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. Under capitated arrangements with healthcare insurers, the Company recognizes revenue based on a predetermined monthly reimbursement rate for each member of an insurer's health plan regardless of the number or cost of services provided by the Company.

Revenues from the Company's risk assessment services, healthcare information technology, clinical trials testing (see Note 6 regarding the contribution of the clinical trials testing business to a newly formed joint venture effective July 1, 2015), and diagnostics products businesses (see Note 6 regarding the sale of the Focus Diagnostics products business on May 13, 2016) are recognized when persuasive evidence of a final agreement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; the price of the product or service is fixed or determinable; and collectibility from the customer is reasonably assured.

Taxes on Income

The provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Current and deferred income taxes are measured based on the tax laws that are enacted as of the balance sheet date of the relevant reporting period. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases using tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period when the change is enacted. Tax benefits from uncertain tax positions are recognized only if the tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position.

Earnings Per Share

The Company's unvested restricted stock units that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends are participating securities and, therefore, are included in the earnings allocation in computing earnings per share using the two-class method. Basic earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income, adjusted for earnings allocated to participating securities, by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income, adjusted for earnings allocated to participating securities, by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding after giving effect to all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding during the period. Potentially dilutive common shares include the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and performance share units granted under the Company's Amended and Restated Employee Long-Term Incentive Plan (“ELTIP”) and its Amended and Restated Non-Employee Director Long-Term Incentive Plan (“DLTIP”). Earnings allocable to participating securities include the portion of dividends declared as well as the portion of undistributed earnings during the period allocable to participating securities.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company records stock-based compensation as a charge to earnings net of the estimated impact of forfeited awards. As such, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation cost only for those stock-based awards that are estimated to ultimately vest over their requisite service period, based on the vesting provisions of the individual grants. The cumulative effect on current and prior periods of a change in the estimated forfeiture rate is recognized as compensation cost in earnings in the period of the change. The terms of the Company's performance share unit awards allow the recipients of such awards to earn a variable number of shares based on the achievement of the performance goals specified in the awards. Stock-based compensation expense associated with performance share units is recognized based on management's best estimates of the achievement of the performance goals specified in such awards and the resulting number of shares that will be earned. The cumulative effect on current and prior periods of a change in the estimated number of performance share units expected to be earned is recognized as compensation cost in earnings in the period of the change. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense related to the Company's Amended Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) based on the 15% discount at purchase. For further details regarding stock-based compensation, see Note 16.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company determines fair value measurements used in its consolidated financial statements based upon the exit price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants exclusive of any transaction costs, as determined by either the principal market or the most advantageous market.

Inputs used in the valuation techniques to derive fair values are classified based on a three-level hierarchy. The basis for fair value measurements for each level within the hierarchy is described below with Level 1 having the highest priority and Level 3 having the lowest.

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable in active markets.

Level 3: Valuations derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable.

Foreign Currency

The Company predominately uses the U.S. dollar as its functional currency. The functional currency of the Company's foreign operating subsidiaries generally is the applicable local currency. Assets and liabilities denominated in non-U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates as of the end of the reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at the average monthly exchange rates during the year. Resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders' equity. Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions, which are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency, are included within other operating (income) expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations. Transaction gains and losses have historically not been material. The Company may be exposed to market risk for changes in foreign exchange rates primarily under certain intercompany receivables and payables. From time to time, the Company uses foreign exchange forward contracts to mitigate the exposure of the eventual net cash inflows or outflows resulting from these intercompany transactions. The Company's foreign exchange exposure is not material to the Company's consolidated financial condition. The Company does not hedge its net investment in non-U.S. subsidiaries because it views those investments as long-term in nature.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly-liquid investments with original maturities, at the time acquired by the Company, of three months or less.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk are principally cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable and derivative financial instruments. The Company's policy is to place its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments in highly-rated financial instruments and institutions. Concentration of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is mitigated by the diversity of the Company's payers and their dispersion across many different geographic regions, and is limited to certain payers who are large buyers of the Company's services. To reduce risk, the Company routinely assesses the financial strength of these payers and, consequently, believes that its accounts receivable credit risk exposure, with respect to these payers, is limited. While the Company has receivables due from federal and state governmental agencies, the Company does not believe that such receivables represent a credit risk since the related healthcare programs are funded by federal and state governments, and payment is primarily dependent on submitting appropriate documentation. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, receivables due from government payers under the Medicare and Medicaid programs represent approximately 15% and 16%, respectively, of the Company's consolidated net accounts receivable. The portion of the Company's accounts receivable due from patients comprises the largest portion of credit risk. As of both December 31, 2016 and 2015, receivables due from patients represent approximately 17% of the Company's consolidated net accounts receivable. The Company applies assumptions and judgments including historical collection experience for assessing collectibility and determining allowances for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable from patients.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable are reported at realizable value, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, which is estimated and recorded in the period the related revenue is recorded. The Company has a standardized approach to estimate and review the collectibility of its receivables based on a number of factors, including the period they have been outstanding. Historical collection and payer reimbursement experience is an integral part of the estimation process related to allowances for doubtful accounts. In addition, the Company regularly assesses the state of its billing operations in order to identify issues which may impact the collectibility of these receivables or reserve estimates. Changes to the allowances for doubtful accounts estimates are recorded as an adjustment to bad debt expense within selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Receivables deemed to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts at the time such receivables are written-off. Recoveries of receivables previously written-off are recorded as credits to the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Inventories

Inventories, which consist principally of testing supplies and reagents, are valued at the lower of cost (first in, first out method) or market.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. Major renewals and improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred for computer software developed or obtained for internal use are capitalized for application development activities and expensed as incurred for preliminary project activities and post-implementation activities. Capitalized costs include external direct costs of materials and services consumed in developing or obtaining internal-use software, payroll and payroll-related costs for employees who are directly associated with the internal-use software project, and interest costs incurred, when material, while developing internal-use software. Capitalization of such costs ceases when the project is substantially complete and ready for its intended purpose. Costs for maintenance and training are expensed as incurred. The Company capitalizes interest on borrowings during the active construction period of major capital projects. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the underlying assets and is amortized over the expected useful lives of the assets. Depreciation and amortization are provided on the straight-line method over expected useful asset lives as of December 31, 2016 as follows:


•	buildings and improvements, ranging up to thirty-one and a half years;


•	laboratory equipment and furniture and fixtures, ranging from five to twelve years;


•	leasehold improvements, the lesser of the useful life of the improvement or the remaining life of the building or lease, as applicable; and


•	computer software developed or obtained for internal use, five years.

In connection with the Company’s annual review of the estimated useful lives of its property, plant and equipment completed during the first quarter of 2016, the Company revised the estimated useful lives of certain classes of its property, plant and equipment. In order to better reflect the Company's current expectations regarding the use of its assets, the recent operational improvements from its Invigorate program and considering historical and other data, the Company revised the estimated useful lives of its laboratory equipment from a range of five to seven years to a range of seven to ten years, furniture and fixtures from a range of three to seven years to a range of five to twelve years and computer software obtained for internal use from three years to five years. The change in estimated useful lives was accounted for prospectively as a change in accounting estimate effective in the first quarter of 2016. The impact of this change for the year ended December 31, 2016, was a decrease in depreciation expense and an increase in operating income of $37 million and an increase in net income of $23 million, or $0.16 per share on a basic and diluted basis.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of the acquiree (including the fair value of non-controlling interests) over the recognized bases of the net identifiable assets acquired and includes the future economic benefits from other assets that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is periodically reviewed for impairment and an impairment charge is recorded in the periods in which the recorded carrying value of goodwill is more than its implied fair value. The goodwill test is performed at least annually, or more frequently, in the case of other events that indicate a potential impairment.

The annual impairment test includes an option to perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more-likely-than-not that a reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying value prior to, or as an alternative to, performing the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, the Company determines that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, no further analysis is required.

The quantitative impairment test is a two-step process that begins with the estimation of the fair value of the reporting unit. The first step screens for potential impairment and the second step measures the amount of the impairment, if any. The fair value of the reporting unit is based upon either a discounted cash flows analysis that converts future cash flow amounts into a single discounted present value amount or a market approach. The Company assesses the valuation methodology based upon the relevance and availability of the data at the time it performs the valuation. As part of the first step to assess potential impairment, management compares the estimate of fair value for the reporting unit to the carrying value of the reporting unit. If the carrying value is greater than the estimate of fair value, the Company would then proceed to the second step to measure the impairment, if any. The second step compares the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying value. The implied fair value is determined by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities of that unit as if the reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination and the fair value of the reporting unit was the purchase price paid to acquire the reporting unit. The excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the amounts assigned to its assets and liabilities is the implied fair value of goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill is greater than its implied fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in the amount of the excess.

On a quarterly basis, management performs a review of the Company's business to determine if events or changes in circumstances have occurred which could have a material adverse effect on the fair value of the Company and its goodwill. If such events or changes in circumstances were deemed to have occurred, the Company would perform an impairment test of goodwill as of the end of the quarter and record any noted impairment loss. The Company performs its annual impairment test during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31st.

For the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company performed the qualitative assessment for its DIS and risk assessment services reporting units. Based on the totality of information available for the DIS and risk assessment services reporting units, the Company concluded that it was more-likely-than-not that the estimated fair values were greater than the carrying values of the reporting units, and as such, no further analysis was required. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company performed step one of the goodwill impairment test for its diagnostic products reporting unit, which was disposed of in 2016 as a result of the sale of the Focus Diagnostics products business (see Note 6), and concluded that goodwill of the reporting unit was not impaired.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets are recognized at fair value, as an asset apart from goodwill if the asset arises from contractual or other legal rights, or if it is separable. Intangible assets, principally representing the cost of customer-related intangibles, non-competition agreements and technology acquired, are capitalized and amortized on the straight-line method over their expected useful life, which generally ranges from five to twenty years. Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives, consisting principally of acquired tradenames, are not amortized, but instead are periodically reviewed for impairment.

The Company reviews indefinite-lived intangible assets periodically for impairment and an impairment charge is recorded in the periods in which the recorded carrying value of indefinite-lived intangibles is more than its estimated fair value. The indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment test is performed at least annually, or more frequently in the case of other events that indicate a potential impairment.

Based upon the Company’s most recent annual impairment tests completed during the fourth quarter of the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company concluded that indefinite-lived intangible assets were not impaired.

The Company reviews the recoverability of its long-lived assets (including amortizable intangible assets), other than goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, when events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. Evaluation of possible impairment is based on the Company's ability to recover the asset from the expected future pre-tax cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) of the related operations. If the expected undiscounted pre-tax cash flows are less than the carrying amount of such asset, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between the estimated fair value and carrying amount of the asset.

Investments

The Company's investments, which are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets, are comprised of trading securities, available-for-sale securities and other investments. The classification of an investment depends on our intent and ability to hold the investment.

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Trading securities represent participant-directed investments of deferred employee compensation and related Company matching contributions held in trusts pursuant to the Company's supplemental deferred compensation plans (see Note 16). Trading securities are carried at fair value with both realized and unrealized gains and losses recorded currently in earnings as a component of non-operating expenses within other (expense) income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, gains from trading equity securities totaled $3 million, $0 million, and $3 million, respectively.

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Available-for-sale equity securities consists of an investment in registered shares of a public corporation. Available-for-sale equity securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within stockholders' equity and realized gains and losses recorded in other (expense) income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had gross unrealized losses from available-for-sale equity securities of $5 million.


•	Other investments do not have readily determinable fair values and consist of investments in preferred and common shares of privately held companies and are accounted for under the cost method.

Gains and losses on securities sold are based on the average cost method. The Company periodically reviews its investments to determine whether a decline in fair value below the cost basis is other-than-temporary. The primary factors considered in the determination are: the length of time that the fair value of the investment is below carrying value; the financial condition, operating performance and near-term prospects of the investee; and the Company's intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for a recovery in fair value. If the decline in fair value is deemed to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is written down to fair value.

Investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 consisted of the following:



	2016		2015

Available-for-sale equity securities	$	3	$	6
Trading equity securities	51		49
Other investments	6		8
Total	$	60	$	63

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks for changes in interest rates and, from time to time, foreign currencies. This strategy includes the use of interest rate swap agreements, forward starting interest rate swap agreements, interest rate lock agreements and foreign currency forward contracts to manage its exposure to movements in interest and currency rates. The Company has established policies and procedures for risk assessment and the approval, reporting and monitoring of derivative financial instrument activities. These policies prohibit holding or issuing derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. The Company does not enter into derivative financial instruments that contain credit-risk-related contingent features or requirements to post collateral.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company is exposed to interest rate risk on its cash and cash equivalents and its debt obligations. Interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents may fluctuate as interest rates change; however, due to their relatively short maturities, the Company does not hedge these assets or their investment cash flows and the impact of interest rate risk is not material. The Company's debt obligations consist of fixed-rate and variable-rate debt instruments. The Company's primary objective is to achieve the lowest overall cost of funding while managing the variability in cash outflows within an acceptable range. In order to achieve this objective, the Company has entered into interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps involve the periodic exchange of payments without the exchange of underlying principal or notional amounts. Net settlements between the counterparties are recognized as an adjustment to interest expense.

The Company accounts for these derivatives as either an asset or liability measured at its fair value. The fair value is based upon model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable in active markets and includes an adjustment for the credit risk of the obligor's non-performance. For a derivative instrument that has been formally designated as a fair value hedge, fair value gains or losses on the derivative instrument are reported in earnings, together with offsetting fair value gains or losses on the hedged item that are attributable to the risk being hedged. For derivatives that have been formally designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivatives is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and the ineffective portion is recorded in earnings. Upon maturity or early termination of an effective interest rate swap designated as a cash flow hedge, unrealized gains or losses are deferred in stockholders' equity, as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss, and are amortized as an adjustment to interest expense over the period during which the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings, which is when the Company recognizes interest expense on the hedged cash flows. At inception and quarterly thereafter, the Company formally assesses whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of the hedged item. All components of each derivative financial instrument's gain or loss are included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness. If it is determined that a derivative ceases to be a highly effective hedge, the Company discontinues hedge accounting and any deferred gains or losses related to a discontinued cash flow hedge shall continue to be reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss, unless it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur. If it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur by the originally specified time period, the Company discontinues hedge accounting, and any deferred gains or losses reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss are classified into earnings immediately.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) encompasses all changes in stockholders' equity (except those arising from transactions with stockholders) and includes net income, net unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale securities, foreign currency translation adjustments and deferred gains and losses related to certain derivative financial instruments (see Note 15).

New Accounting Standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an ASU on revenue recognition. This ASU outlines a single comprehensive model to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. This standard supersedes existing revenue recognition requirements and eliminates most industry-specific guidance from GAAP. The core principle of the revenue recognition standard is to require an entity to recognize as revenue the amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for goods or services as it transfers control to its customers. The standard requires additional disclosures including those that are qualitative and quantitative disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of this ASU to the first quarter of 2018, with early adoption permitted beginning in the first quarter of 2017. The ASU can be applied using a full retrospective method or a modified retrospective method of adoption. The Company expects to adopt the ASU in the first quarter of 2018 using the full retrospective method and continues to assess the impact of this ASU on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Based on its preliminary assessment, the Company expects the majority of the amounts that have historically been classified as bad debt expense, primarily related to patient responsibility, will be reflected as a reduction of the transaction price and therefore as a reduction in revenue. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or cash flows.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an ASU on the recognition and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities. This ASU requires that all equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. However, companies may elect to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. In addition, the ASU eliminates the requirement to disclose the method and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2018. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that amends accounting for leases. Under the new guidance, a lessee will recognize assets and liabilities for most leases on its balance sheet but will recognize expense on its statement of operations similar to current lease accounting. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2019 with early adoption permitted. The new guidance must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach, and provides for certain practical expedients. The adoption of this ASU will result in a significant increase to the Company’s balance sheet for lease liabilities and right-of-use assets, which has not yet been quantified. The Company is currently evaluating this and the other effects of adoption of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that simplifies the transition to the equity method of accounting by requiring adoption as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. Therefore, upon qualifying for the equity method of accounting as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, no retroactive adjustment of the investment is required. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that simplifies several aspects of the accounting for stock-based compensation award transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, classification on the statement of cash flows and accounting for forfeitures. In the second quarter of 2016, the Company elected to early adopt this standard, effective January 1, 2016. As a result:

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Excess income tax benefits and deficiencies from stock-based compensation arrangements are recognized as a discrete item within income tax expense, rather than additional paid-in capital. The adoption of this provision, which was done on a prospective basis, resulted in the classification of $9 million of tax benefits in income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2016. In addition, excess income tax benefits and deficiencies are no longer considered when applying the treasury stock method for computing the effect of dilutive securities, which resulted in an increase in the effect of the dilutive securities for the year ended December 31, 2016.


•	Excess income tax benefits from stock-based compensation arrangements are classified as an operating activity and cash paid for employee payroll tax withholdings by directly withholding shares are classified as a financing activity in the consolidated statements of cash flows. The adoption of these provisions, which was done on a retrospective basis, resulted in the reclassification of:


◦	$5 million and $0 million of excess tax benefits related to the settlement of stock-based compensation awards from financing to operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively; and


◦	$7 million and $6 million of taxes paid related to employee payroll tax withholdings on stock issued under stock-based compensation plans from operating to financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

In addition, the ASU permits the Company to make a policy election to either estimate the forfeitures expected to occur in order to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period or to account for forfeitures in the period they occur. The Company elected to continue to estimate the forfeitures expected to occur in order to determine the amount of compensation cost to be recognized in each period.

In June 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that changes the impairment model for most financial instruments, including trade receivables from an incurred loss method to a new forward-looking approach, based on expected losses. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020 and must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition approach. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this ASU on the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In August 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that clarifies how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2018 with early adoption permitted and must be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. Upon adoption cash payments for debt retirement costs would be reclassified from operating cash outflows to financing cash outflows in the statement of cash flows.

In November 2016, the FASB issued an ASU that clarifies the presentation and classification of restricted cash in the statement of cash flows. The ASU requires that amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be presented with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2018 with early adoption permitted and must be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued an ASU that provides guidance on evaluating when a set of transferred assets and activities (set) is a business. If an entity determines that substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, then the set is not a business. If this threshold is not met, then the entity needs to evaluate whether the set meets the requirement that a business include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of the adoption of this ASU on the Company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In January 2017, the FASB issued an ASU that simplifies the quantitative test for goodwill impairment. The guidance eliminates step two in the current two-step process so that any goodwill impairment is measured as the amount by which the reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. The ASU is effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows.