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Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Community Health Systems, Inc. (the “Parent” or “Parent Company”) and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 and for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, such information contains all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year ending December 31, 2020. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Certain information and disclosures normally included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company believes the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019, contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 20, 2020 (“2019 Form 10-K”). Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

During the first quarter of 2020, the Company early adopted the SEC’s Financial Disclosures About Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities and Affiliates Whose Securities Collateralize a Registrant’s Securities rules, which simplify the disclosure requirements related to the Company’s registered debt securities under Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X (see Note 15).

Consolidation

Noncontrolling interests in less-than-wholly-owned consolidated subsidiaries of the Parent are presented as a component of total equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets to distinguish between the interests of the Parent Company and the interests of the noncontrolling owners. Noncontrolling interests that are redeemable or may become redeemable at a fixed or determinable price at the option of the holder or upon the occurrence of an event outside of the control of the Company are presented in mezzanine equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Substantially all of the Company’s operating costs and expenses are “cost of revenue” items. Operating costs that could be classified as general and administrative by the Company include the Company’s corporate office costs at its Franklin, Tennessee office, which were $41 million and $48 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $136 million and $135 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Included in these corporate office costs is stock-based compensation of $3 million and $2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $8 million for both of the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.

Throughout these notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, Community Health Systems, Inc., and its consolidated subsidiaries are referred to on a collective basis as the “Company.” This drafting style is not meant to indicate that the publicly traded Parent or any particular subsidiary of the Parent owns or operates any asset, business, or property. The hospitals, operations and businesses described in this filing are owned and operated by distinct and indirect subsidiaries of Community Health Systems, Inc.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition.

Net Operating Revenues

Net operating revenues are recorded at the transaction price estimated by the Company to reflect the total consideration due from patients and third-party payors in exchange for providing goods and services in patient care. These services are considered to be a single performance obligation and have a duration of less than one year. Revenues are recorded as these goods and services are provided. The transaction price, which involves significant estimates, is determined based on the Company’s standard charges for the goods and services provided, with a reduction recorded for price concessions related to third party contractual arrangements as well as patient discounts and other patient price concessions. During each of the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, the impact of changes to the inputs used to determine the transaction price was considered immaterial.

Currently, several states utilize supplemental reimbursement programs for the purpose of providing reimbursement to providers that is not specifically tied to an individual’s care, some of which offsets a portion of the cost of providing care to Medicaid and indigent patients. These programs are designed with input from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and are funded with a combination of state and federal resources, including, in certain instances, fees or taxes levied on the providers. Under these supplemental programs, the Company recognizes revenue and related expenses in the period in which amounts are estimable and collection is reasonably assured. Reimbursement under these programs is reflected in net operating revenues and fees, taxes or other program-related costs are reflected in other operating expenses.

The Company’s net operating revenues during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 have been presented in the following table based on an allocation of the estimated transaction price with the patient between the primary patient classification of insurance coverage (in millions):

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2020		2019		2020			2019
Medicare	$	723	$	811	$	2,086		$	2,519
Medicaid		419		437		1,167			1,316
Managed Care and other third-party payors		1,967		1,971		5,425			5,991
Self-pay		17		27		(8	)		99
Total	$	3,126	$	3,246	$	8,670		$	9,925

Patient Accounts Receivable

Patient accounts receivable are recorded at net realizable value based on certain assumptions determined by each payor. For third-party payors including Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care, the net realizable value is based on the estimated contractual reimbursement percentage, which is based on current contract prices or historical paid claims data by payor. For self-pay accounts receivable, which includes patients who are uninsured and the patient responsibility portion for patients with insurance, the net realizable value is determined using estimates of historical collection experience without regard to aging category. These estimates are adjusted for estimated conversions of patient responsibility portions, expected recoveries and any anticipated changes in trends.

Patient accounts receivable can be impacted by the effectiveness of the Company’s collection efforts. Additionally, significant changes in payor mix, business office operations, economic conditions or trends in federal and state governmental healthcare coverage could affect the net realizable value of accounts receivable. The Company also continually reviews the net realizable value of accounts receivable by monitoring historical cash collections as a percentage of trailing net operating revenues, as well as by analyzing current period net revenue and admissions by payor classification, days revenue outstanding, the composition of self-pay receivables between pure self-pay patients and the patient responsibility portion of third-party insured receivables, the impact of recent acquisitions and dispositions and the impact of current economic and other events.

Final settlements for some payors and programs are subject to adjustment based on administrative review and audit by third parties. As a result of these final settlements, the Company has recorded amounts due to third-party payors of $94 million and $83 million as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and these amounts are included in accrued liabilities-other in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Amounts due from third-party payors were $124 million and $137 million as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, and are included in other current assets in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Substantially all Medicare and Medicaid cost reports are final settled through 2016.

Charity Care

In the ordinary course of business, the Company renders services to patients who are financially unable to pay for hospital care. The Company’s policy is to not pursue collections for such amounts; therefore, the related charges for those patients who are financially unable to pay and that otherwise do not qualify for reimbursement from a governmental program are not reported in net operating revenues, and are thus classified as charity care. The Company determines amounts that qualify for charity care primarily based on the patient’s household income relative to the federal poverty level guidelines, as established by the federal government.

These charity care services are estimated to be $285 million and $126 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $751 million and $410 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, representing the value (at the Company’s standard charges) of these charity care services that are excluded from net operating revenues. The estimated cost incurred by the Company to provide these charity care services to patients who are unable to pay was approximately $36 million and $16 million during the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $90 million and $50 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The estimated cost of these charity care services was determined using a ratio of cost to gross charges and applying that ratio to the gross charges associated with providing care to charity patients for the period.

Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets

Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded a total combined net impairment charge and loss on disposal of approximately $48 million, of which (i) approximately $74 million was recorded to adjust the carrying value of long-lived assets at several hospitals where the Company is in discussions with potential buyers for divestiture at a sales price that indicates a fair value below carrying value, (ii) approximately $43 million was recorded related to certain hospitals that have been classified as held for sale based on the difference between the carrying value of the hospital disposal groups compared to their estimated fair value less costs to sell, (iii) approximately $3 million was recorded related to a hospital that closed on September 30, 2020, and (iv) approximately $1 million was recorded related to a shared service center that closed on July 31, 2020. The impairment charge was partially offset by a gain of approximately $73 million related to three hospitals sold on January 1, 2020 and one hospital sold on July 1, 2020. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, a net allocation of approximately $109 million of goodwill was allocated from the hospital operations reporting unit based on a calculation of each disposal groups’ relative fair value compared to the total reporting unit. The Company will continue to evaluate the potential for further impairment of the long-lived assets of underperforming hospitals as well as evaluate offers for potential sales. Based on such analysis, additional impairment charges may be recorded in the future.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recorded a total combined impairment charge and loss on disposal of approximately $70 million to reduce the carrying value of closed hospitals and certain hospitals that have been deemed held for sale based on the difference between the carrying value of the hospital disposal groups compared to estimated fair value less costs to sell. Included in the carrying value of the hospital disposal groups at September 30, 2019 is a net allocation of approximately $68 million of goodwill allocated from the hospital operations reporting unit goodwill based on a calculation of the disposal groups’ relative fair value compared to the total reporting unit.

COVID-19 Pandemic.

In January 2020, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) declared a national public health emergency due to a novel strain of coronavirus. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19, a disease caused by this coronavirus, a pandemic. The resulting measures to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19 and other developments related to COVID-19 have materially affected the Company’s results of operations during 2020. Where applicable, the impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, has been considered, including updated assessments of the recoverability of assets and evaluation of potential credit losses. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state governments have passed legislation, promulgated regulations and taken other administrative actions intended to assist healthcare providers in providing care to COVID-19 and other patients during the public health emergency. Sources of relief include the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), which was enacted on March 27, 2020, and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (the “PPPHCE Act”), which was enacted on April 24, 2020. Together, the CARES Act and the PPPHCE Act include $175 billion in funding to be distributed to eligible providers through the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (the “PHSSEF”). In addition, the CARES Act provides for an expansion of the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program whereby inpatient acute care hospitals and other eligible providers may request accelerated payment of up to 100% of their Medicare payment amount for a six-month period to be repaid through withholding of future Medicare fee-for-service payments. Various other state and local programs also exist to provide relief, either independently or through distribution of monies received via the CARES Act. During the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2020, the Company was a beneficiary of these stimulus measures, including the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program. The Company’s accounting policies for the recognition of these stimulus monies is as follows:

CARES Act and PPPHCE Act Funds

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company received approximately $719 million in payments through the PHSSEF and various state and local programs, net of amounts that have or will be repaid to HHS related to entities that are held-for-sale or that were previously divested. The Company previously recognized approximately $448 million of these payments as a reduction in operating costs and expenses during the six months ended June 30, 2020, which is denoted by the caption “pandemic relief funds” within the condensed consolidated statements of income (loss). While $155 million in such payments were received

during the three months ended September 30, 2020, the net effect of changes in the Company’s estimate on the basis of revised guidance from HHS in September 2020 (discussed below), the Company’s results of operations during such period and the receipt of additional payments, resulted in no additional pandemic relief funds being recognized during the three months ended September 30, 2020. The recognition of amounts received is conditioned upon the provision of care for individuals with possible or actual cases of COVID-19 after January 31, 2020, certification that payment will be used to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus and shall reimburse the recipient only for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenues, as defined by HHS, that are attributable to coronavirus, as well as receipt of the funds. Amounts are recognized as a reduction to operating costs and expenses only to the extent the Company is reasonably assured that underlying conditions are met.

The Company’s assessment of whether the terms and conditions for amounts received have been met considers all frequently asked questions and other interpretive guidance issued by HHS. On September 19, 2020, HHS issued a Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements (the “September 19, 2020 Notice”) which indicates that providers may recognize reimbursement for healthcare-related expenses, as defined therein, attributable to coronavirus that another source has not reimbursed and is not obligated to reimburse. Additionally, amounts received from the PHSSEF that are not fully expended on eligible healthcare-related expenses may be recognized as reimbursement for lost revenues, represented as a negative change in year-over-year net patient care operating income. This represents a substantial change in the definition of lost revenues which served as the basis of amounts recognized by the Company during the six months ended June 30, 2020. Providers may apply payments to lost revenues up to the amount of the 2019 net gain from healthcare-related sources or, for entities that reported a negative net operating gain in 2019, receipts from the PHSSEF may be recognized up to a net zero gain/loss in 2020. During the three months ended September 30, 2020, the Company’s estimate of the amount for which it is reasonably assured of meeting the underlying terms and conditions was updated based on, among other things, the September 19, 2020 Notice, the Company’s results of operations during such period and the receipt of additional payments during such period. Taking into account these countervailing factors, the Company believes that the amount previously recognized of approximately $448 million remains an appropriate estimate as of September 30, 2020. However, if the facts and circumstances that serve as the basis of the Company’s estimate as of September 30, 2020 had been applied to the estimate as of June 30, 2020, taking into account the September 19, 2020 Notice, the Company estimates that the pandemic relief funds recognized as a reduction to operating costs and expenses as of such date would have been reduced by approximately $66 million as of June 30, 2020.

On October 22, 2020, HHS issued an updated Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements and a Reporting Requirements Policy Update (together, the “October 22, 2020 Notice”) which, among other changes, effectively reinstates the definition of lost revenues that was the basis for the $448 million of pandemic relief funds recognized during the three and six months ended June 30, 2020. As a non-recognizable subsequent event, the Company’s estimate as of September 30, 2020, as set forth above, has not been updated for the October 22, 2020 Notice; additional information is included in Note 14.

Amounts received through the PHSSEF or state and local programs that have not yet been recognized as a reduction to operating costs and expenses or otherwise have not been refunded to HHS as of September 30, 2020, are reflected within accrued liabilities-other in the condensed consolidated balance sheet, and such unrecognized amounts may be recognized as a reduction in operating costs and expenses in future periods if the underlying conditions for recognition are met. As evidenced by the October 22, 2020 Notice, HHS’ interpretation of the underlying terms and conditions of such PHSSEF payments, including auditing and reporting requirements, continues to evolve. Additional guidance or new and amended interpretations of existing guidance on the terms and conditions of such PHSSEF payments may result in changes in the Company’s estimate of amounts for which the terms and conditions are reasonably assured of being met, and any such changes may be material. Additionally, any such changes may result in the Company’s inability to recognize additional PHSSEF payments or may result in the derecognition of amounts previously recognized, which (in any such case) may be material.

Medicare Accelerated Payments

Medicare accelerated payments of approximately $1.2 billion were received by the Company in April 2020. No additional Medicare accelerated payments have been received by the Company since such time, including during the three months ended September 30, 2020, and approximately $22 million of amounts previously received was repaid to CMS or assumed by buyers during the three months ended September 30, 2020 related to divested entities. Effective October 8, 2020, CMS is no longer accepting new applications for accelerated payments. Accordingly, the Company does not expect to receive additional Medicare accelerated payments. Payments under the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment program are advances that must be repaid. As of September 30, 2020, the program required CMS to begin recouping payments 120 days after receipt by the provider although no payments were recouped during the three or nine months ended September 30, 2020. Effective October 1, 2020, the program was amended such that providers are required to repay accelerated payments beginning one year after the payment was issued. After such one-year period, Medicare payments owed to providers will be recouped according to the repayment terms. The repayment terms specify that for the first 11 months after repayment begins, repayment will occur through an automatic recoupment of 25% of Medicare payments otherwise owed to the provider. At the end of the eleven-month period, recoupment will increase to 50% for six

months. At the end of the six months (29 months from the receipt of the initial accelerated payment), Medicare will issue a letter for full repayment of any remaining balance, as applicable. In such event, if payment is not received within 30 days, interest will accrue at the annual percentage rate of four percent (4%) from the date the letter was issued, and will be assessed for each full 30-day period that the balance remains unpaid. As of September 30, 2020, approximately $1.1 billion of Medicare accelerated payments are reflected within accrued liabilities-other in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. If the program requirements enacted on October 1, 2020 had been effective as of September 30, 2020, the Company estimates that approximately $873 million of the amount outstanding would be classified as a long-term liability. Such amount is based on an estimate of the total consideration for providing goods and services in patient care that will not be due from Medicare and used to offset the Medicare accelerated payments within one year.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements. In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform: Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” This ASU provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria that reference the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) or another rate that is expected to be discontinued. The amendments in the ASU are effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position or results of operations.

The Company has evaluated all other recently issued, but not yet effective, ASUs and does not expect the eventual adoption of these ASUs to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial position or results of operations.