BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Baxter International Inc. and its subsidiaries (the company or Baxter) have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (2016 Annual Report).

In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the interim periods. All such adjustments, unless otherwise noted herein, are of a normal, recurring nature. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full year.

Certain reclassifications have been made to conform the prior period condensed consolidated statements to the current period presentation.

Accounting for Venezuelan Operations

Currency restrictions enacted in Venezuela require Baxter to obtain approval from the Venezuelan government to exchange Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars and require such exchange to be made at the official exchange rate established by the government. In the first quarter of 2016, the Venezuelan government moved from the three-tier exchange rate system to a two-tiered exchange rate system and the official rate for food and medicine imports was adjusted from 6.3 to 10 bolivars per U.S. dollar. Due to a recent decline in transactions settled at the official rate or the secondary rate and limitations on the company’s ability to repatriate funds generated by its Venezuela operations, the company concluded in the second quarter of 2017 that it no longer met the accounting criteria for control over its business in Venezuela and the company deconsolidated its Venezuelan operations on June 30, 2017. As a result of deconsolidating the Venezuelan operations, the company recorded a pre-tax charge of $33 million in other (income) expense, net in the second quarter of 2017. This charge included the write-off of the company’s investment in its Venezuelan operations, related unrealized translation adjustments and elimination of intercompany amounts. Beginning in the third quarter of 2017, the company no longer included the results of its Venezuelan business in its consolidated financial statements.

Hurricane Maria

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused damage to certain of the company's assets in Puerto Rico and disrupted operations. Insurance, less applicable deductibles and subject to any coverage exclusions, covers the repair or replacement of the company's assets that suffered loss or damage, and the company is working closely with its insurance carriers and claims adjusters to ascertain the full amount of insurance proceeds due to the company as a result of the damages and the loss the company suffered. The company's insurance policies also provide coverage for interruption to its business, including lost profits, and reimbursement for other expenses and costs that have been incurred relating to the damages and losses suffered. In the third quarter of 2017, the Company recorded $21 million of pre-tax charges related to damages caused by the hurricane, including $11 million related to the impairment of damaged inventory and fixed assets as well as $10 million of idle facility and other costs. These amounts were recorded as a component of cost of sales in the condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017. At this time, the full amount of combined property damage and business interruption costs and recoveries cannot be estimated, and accordingly, no additional amounts, including amounts for anticipated insurance recoveries, have been recorded as of September 30, 2017.

New Accounting Standards

New accounting standards

Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-12, Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which amends ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The purpose of this ASU is to better align a company’s risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships, simplify the hedge accounting requirements, and improve the disclosures of hedging arrangements. The effective date for this ASU is January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The company is evaluating the potential effects on the consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which amends ASC 715, Compensation – Retirement Benefits, to require employers that present a measure of operating income in their statements of earnings to include only the service cost component of net periodic postretirement benefit cost in operating expenses. The service cost component of net periodic postretirement benefit cost should be presented in the same operating expense line items as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net benefit cost, including interest costs, expected return on assets, amortization of prior service cost/credit, and settlement and curtailment effects, are to be included separately and outside of any subtotal of operating income. The company intends to adopt the standard effective January 1, 2018.  This guidance will impact the presentation of the company’s consolidated statements of income with no impact on net income.  Upon adoption of the standard on January 1, 2018, operating income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, will be recast to increase $8 million and $25 million, respectively, with a corresponding increase in other (income) expense, net.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which amends the existing accounting standards for revenue recognition. ASU No. 2014-09 is based on principles that govern the recognition of revenue at an amount an entity expects to be entitled when products are transferred to customers. ASU No. 2014-09 will be effective for the company beginning on January 1, 2018. The standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of adoption.  The company has completed an assessment of the new standard and is currently executing its detailed implementation plan and developing processes for gathering information for required disclosures.  Based on the work performed to date, the company does not expect the adoption of the new standard to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. The company expects to adopt the standard using the modified retrospective method.

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

As of January 1, 2017, the company adopted on a prospective basis ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which amends ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation. The updated guidance requires all tax effects related to share-based payments to be recorded in income tax expense in the consolidated statement of income. Previous guidance required that tax effects of deductions in excess of share-based compensation costs (windfall tax benefits) be recorded in additional paid-in capital, and tax deficiencies be recorded in additional paid-in capital to the extent of previously recognized windfall tax benefits, with the remainder recorded in income tax expense. The new guidance also requires the cash flows resulting from windfall tax benefits to be reported as operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows, rather than the previous requirement to present windfall tax benefits as an inflow from financing activities and an outflow from operating activities. As a result of the adoption, net income and operating cash flow for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, increased by approximately $18 million and $48 million, respectively.  The prior periods have not been restated and therefore, windfall tax benefits of $8 million and $35 million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, were not included in net income and were included as an inflow from financing activities and an outflow from operating activities in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows.