Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

The following table shows the amounts recorded at our acute care hospitals for charity care and uninsured discounts, based on charges at established rates, for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013:

	(dollar amounts in thousands)
	2015					2014					2013
	Amount		%			Amount		%			Amount		%
Charity care	$	506,571		42	%	$	515,435		45	%	$	593,474		59	%
Uninsured discounts		696,463		58	%		620,587		55	%		405,296		41	%
Total uncompensated care	$	1,203,034		100	%	$	1,136,022		100	%	$	998,770		100	%

Estimated Cost of Providing Uncompensated Care

The estimated cost of providing uncompensated care, as reflected below, were based on a calculation which multiplied the percentage of operating expenses for our acute care hospitals to gross charges for those hospitals by the above-mentioned total uncompensated care amounts. The percentage of cost to gross charges is calculated based on the total operating expenses for our acute care facilities divided by gross patient service revenue for those facilities. An increase in the level of uninsured patients to our facilities and the resulting adverse trends in the provision for doubtful accounts and uncompensated care provided could have a material unfavorable impact on our future operating results.

	(amounts in thousands)
	2015		2014		2013
Estimated cost of providing charity care	$	77,557	$	78,475	$	95,675
Estimated cost of providing uninsured discounts related care		106,630		94,484		65,338
Estimated cost of providing uncompensated care	$	184,187	$	172,959	$	161,013

Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the two years ended December 31, 2015 were as follows (in thousands):

	Acute Care Services			Behavioral Health Services			Total Consolidated
Balance, January 1, 2014	$	383,011		$	2,666,005		$	3,049,016
Goodwill acquired during the period		4,088			246,124			250,212
Adjustments to goodwill (a)		0			(8,015	)		(8,015	)
Balance, December 31, 2014		387,099			2,904,114			3,291,213
Goodwill acquired during the period		2,480			316,427			318,907
Goodwill divested during the period		0			(1,497	)		(1,497	)
Adjustments to goodwill (a)		(72	)		(12,437	)		(12,509	)
Balance, December 31, 2015	$	389,507		$	3,206,607		$	3,596,114

Amounts Recognized in AOCI

The amounts recognized in AOCI for the two years ended December 31, 2015 were as follows (in thousands):

	Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Effective Cash Flow Hedges			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment			Minimum Pension Liability			Total AOCI
Balance, January 1, 2014, net of income tax	$	(14,170	)	$	0		$	(10,640	)	$	(24,810	)
2014 activity:
Pretax amount		17,332			(2,431	)		(14,270	)		631
Income tax effect		(6,409	)		0			5,356			(1,053	)
Change, net of income tax		10,923			(2,431	)		(8,914	)		(422	)
Balance, January 1, 2015, net of income tax		(3,247	)		(2,431	)		(19,554	)		(25,232	)
2015 activity:
Pretax amount		4,634			(1,728	)		2,177			5,083
Income tax effect		(2,163	)		0			(817	)		(2,980	)
Change, net of income tax		2,471			(1,728	)		1,360			2,103
Balance, December 31, 2015, net of income tax	$	(776	)	$	(4,159	)	$	(18,194	)	$	(23,129	)

Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share, for the periods indicated:

	Twelve Months Ended December 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Basic and diluted:
Net Income	$	750,698		$	604,996		$	554,023
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest		(70,170	)		(59,653	)		(43,290	)
Less: Net income attributable to unvested restricted share grants		(281	)		(236	)		(294	)
Net income attributable to UHS—basic and diluted	$	680,247		$	545,107		$	510,439
Basic earnings per share attributable to UHS:
Weighted average number of common shares—basic		98,797			98,826			98,033
Total basic earnings per share	$	6.89		$	5.52		$	5.21
Diluted earnings per share attributable to UHS:
Weighted average number of common shares		98,797			98,826			98,033
Net effect of dilutive stock options and grants based on the treasury stock method		1,897			1,718			1,328
Weighted average number of common shares and equivalents—diluted		100,694			100,544			99,361
Total diluted earnings per share	$	6.76		$	5.42		$	5.14