Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company uses interest rate derivative instruments to manage its interest costs and reduce the Company’s exposure to increases in floating interest rates. The Company manages its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates by maintaining a mix of fixed and variable rate debt. Using interest rate derivative instruments, the Company agrees to exchange, at specified intervals through 2017, the difference between fixed and variable interest amounts calculated by reference to agreed-upon notional principal amounts. The Company does not hold or issue derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes.

The Company, until de-designating in the three months ended March 31, 2013, had certain interest rate derivative instruments that were designated as cash flow hedging instruments for GAAP purposes. Such instruments effectively converted variable interest payments on certain debt instruments into fixed payments. For qualifying hedges, realized derivative gains and losses offset related results on hedged items in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company formally documented, designated and assessed the effectiveness of transactions that received hedge accounting.

The effect of interest rate derivatives on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets is presented in the table below:

	December 31, 2014			December 31, 2013
Accrued interest	$	2		$	8
Other long-term liabilities	$	16		$	22
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(22	)	$	(41	)

Changes in the fair value of interest rate derivative instruments that were designated as hedging instruments of the variability of cash flows associated with floating-rate debt obligations, and that met effectiveness criteria were reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The amounts were subsequently reclassified as an increase or decrease to interest expense in the same periods in which the related interest on the floating-rate debt obligations affected earnings (losses).

Due to repayment of variable rate credit facility debt without a LIBOR floor, certain interest rate derivative instruments were de-designated as cash flow hedges during the three months ended March 31, 2013, as they no longer met the criteria for cash flow hedging specified by GAAP. In addition, on March 31, 2013, the remaining interest rate derivative instruments that continued to be highly effective cash flow hedges for GAAP purposes were electively de-designated. On the date of de-designation, the Company completed a final measurement test for each interest rate derivative instrument to determine any ineffectiveness and such amount was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into gain on derivative instruments, net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. While these interest rate derivative instruments are no longer designated as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes, management continues to believe such instruments are closely correlated with the respective debt, thus managing associated risk. Interest rate derivative instruments not designated as hedges are marked to fair value, with the impact recorded as a gain or loss on derivative instruments, net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. The balance that remains in accumulated other comprehensive loss for these interest rate derivative instruments will be amortized over the respective lives of the contracts and recorded as a loss within gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. The estimated net amount of existing losses that are reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2014 that is expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next twelve months is approximately $9 million.

The effects of derivative instruments on the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive loss and consolidated statements of operations is presented in the table below.

	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	2014			2013			2012
Gain (loss) on derivative instruments, net:
Change in fair value of interest rate derivative instruments not designated as cash flow hedges	$	12		$	38		$	—
Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings as a result of cash flow hedge discontinuance	(19		)	(27		)	—
	$	(7	)	$	11		$	—
Interest expense:
Loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into interest expense	$	—		$	(10	)	$	(36	)

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had $1.4 billion and $2.2 billion in notional amounts of interest rate derivative instruments outstanding. As of December 31, 2014, this includes $150 million in delayed start interest rate derivative instruments that become effective in March 2015.  Also in March 2015, $300 million of currently effective swaps expire and therefore the notional amount of currently effective interest rate derivative instruments will decrease.

The notional amounts of interest rate instruments do not represent amounts exchanged by the parties and, thus, are not a measure of exposure to credit loss. The amounts exchanged were determined by reference to the notional amount and the other terms of the contracts.