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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations

Nature of Operations

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (the “Company,” “Hillrom,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) was incorporated on August 7, 1969 in the State of Indiana and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Hill-Rom and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. In addition, we also consolidate variable interest entities (“VIEs”) where Hill-Rom is considered to have a controlling financial interest. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation, including the intercompany transactions with consolidated VIEs. Where our ownership interest is less than 100%, the noncontrolling interests are reported in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.
Use of Estimates
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 certain assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense in the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Examples of such estimates include, but are not limited to, our accounts receivable reserves (Note 1), accrued warranties (Note 1), the impairment of intangibles and goodwill (Note 4), use of the spot yield curve approach for pension expense (Note 8), income taxes (Note 1 and Note 11) and commitments and contingencies (Note 16).

Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider investments in marketable securities and other highly liquid instruments with a maturity of three months or less at date of purchase to be cash equivalents. All of our marketable securities may be freely traded.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of amounts held in a trust account to redeem all of our previously outstanding senior unsecured 5.75% notes due September 2023.
Trade Accounts Receivable
Trade Accounts Receivable

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest, unless the transaction is an installment sale with extended payment terms. Provisions for doubtful accounts are recorded as a component of operating expense and represent our best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses and collection risk in our existing accounts receivable. Receivables are generally reviewed for collectability based on historical collection experience for each receivable type and are also reviewed individually for collectability. Account balances are charged against the allowance when we believe it is probable the receivable will not be recovered. We do not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to our customers.

Within rental revenue, domestic third-party payers’ reimbursement process requires extensive documentation, which has had the effect of slowing both the billing and cash collection cycles relative to the rest of the business, and therefore, increasing total accounts receivable. Because of the extensive documentation required and the requirement to settle a claim with the primary payer
prior to billing the secondary and/or patient portion of the claim, the collection period for a claim in a portion of our business may, in some cases, be extended.

We generally hold our trade accounts receivable until they are paid. Certain long-term receivables are occasionally sold to third parties; however, any recognized gain or loss on such sales has historically not been material.

Inventories
Inventories

Inventories are valued at lower of cost or market. Inventory costs are determined by the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for approximately 30% and 23% of our inventories as of September 30, 2019 and 2018. Costs for other inventories have been determined principally by the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method.
Costs for inventories costs are determined principally by the FIFO method of inventory accounting, which approximates current cost. However, the LIFO method is used for certain inventories comprising approximately 30% and 23% of our total inventories as of September 30, 2019 and 2018. If the FIFO method of inventory accounting had been used for all inventories, they would have been approximately $0.3 million and $0.6 million higher than reported as of September 30, 2019 and 2018.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful life of the assets using principally the straight-line method. Ranges of estimated useful lives are as follows:
 
Useful Life
Land improvements
6 - 15 years
Buildings and building equipment
10 - 40 years
Machinery and equipment
3 - 10 years
Equipment leased to others
2 - 10 years


When property, plant and equipment is retired from service or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related amount of depreciation or amortization are eliminated from the asset and accumulated depreciation accounts. The difference, if any, between the net asset value and the proceeds on sale are charged or credited to income.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair Value Measurements

Fair value measurements are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:
 
Level 1: Financial instruments with unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets and liabilities.

Level 2: Financial instruments with observable inputs other than those included in Level 1 such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3: Financial instruments with unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Unobservable inputs reflect our own assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk). Unobservable inputs shall be developed based on the best information available in the circumstances, which might include our own data.

We record cash and cash equivalents, as disclosed on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, as Level 1 instruments and certain other investments and derivatives as Level 2 instruments as they are not actively quoted. Except for the adoption of revised disclosure guidance related to investments held by our pension plan as discussed in Note 8, there have been no significant changes in our classification among assets and liabilities. Refer to Note 6 for disclosure of our debt instrument fair values.
Guarantees Guarantees

We routinely grant limited warranties on our products with respect to defects in material and workmanship. The terms of these warranties are generally one year; however, certain components and products have substantially longer warranty periods. We recognize a reserve with respect to these obligations at the time of product sale, with subsequent warranty claims recorded directly against the reserve. The amount of the warranty reserve is determined based on historical trend experience for the covered products. For more significant warranty-related matters, which might require a field corrective action, separate reserves are established when such events are identified and the cost of correction can be reasonably estimated.

In the normal course of business, we enter into various other guarantees and indemnities in our relationships with suppliers, service providers, customers, business partners and others. Examples of these arrangements would include guarantees of product performance, indemnifications to service providers and indemnifications of our actions to business partners. These guarantees and indemnifications have not historically had a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations, nor do we expect them to although indemnifications associated with our actions generally have no dollar limitations.

In conjunction with our acquisition and divestiture activities, we have entered into select guarantees and indemnifications of performance with respect to the fulfillment of our commitments under applicable purchase and sale agreements. The arrangements generally indemnify the buyer or seller for damages associated with breach of contract, inaccuracies in representations and warranties surviving the closing date and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments retained under the applicable contract. With respect to divestitures, we also routinely enter into non-competition agreements for varying periods of time. Guarantees and indemnifications with respect to acquisition and divestiture activities, if triggered, could have an adverse impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Accrued Rebates
Accrued Rebates

We provide rebates and sales incentives to certain customer groups and distributors. We also have arrangements where we provide rebates to certain distributors that sell to end-user customers at prices determined under a contract between us and the end-user customer. Provisions for rebates are recorded as a reduction in net revenue when revenue is recognized.
Retirement Plans
Retirement Plans

We sponsor retirement and postretirement benefit plans covering certain employees. Expense recognized in relation to these defined benefit retirement and postretirement health care plans is based upon actuarial valuations and inherent in those valuations are key assumptions including discount and mortality rates, and where applicable, expected returns on assets, projected future salary rates and projected health care cost trends. The discount rates used in the valuation of our defined benefit pension and postretirement plans are evaluated annually based on current market conditions. In setting these rates we utilize long-term bond indices and yield curves as a preliminary indication of interest rate movements, and then make adjustments to the respective indices to reflect differences in the terms of the bonds covered under the indices in comparison to the projected outflow of our obligations. Our overall expected long-term rate of return on pension assets is based on historical and expected future returns, which are inflation adjusted and weighted for the expected return for each component of the investment portfolio. Our rate of assumed compensation increase is also based on our specific historical trends wage adjustments.

We account for our defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans by recognizing the funded status of a benefit plan in the balance sheet. We also recognize in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) certain gains and losses that arose in the period. See Note 8 for key assumptions and further discussion related to our pension and postretirement plans.

Environmental Liabilities
Environmental Liabilities

Expenditures that relate to an existing environmental condition caused by past operations, and which do not contribute to future revenue generation, are expensed. A reserve is established when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These reserves are determined without consideration of possible loss recoveries from third parties.

Specific costs included in environmental expense and reserves include site assessment, development of a remediation plan, clean-up costs, post-remediation expenditures, monitoring, fines, penalties and legal fees. Reserve amounts represent the expected undiscounted future cash outflows associated with such plans and actions.

Self Insurance
Self Insurance

We are generally self-insured up to certain stop-loss limits for certain employee health benefits, including medical, drug and dental. Our policy is to estimate reserves based upon a number of factors including known claims, estimated incurred but not reported claims and outside actuarial analysis, which are based on historical information along with certain assumptions about future events. Such estimated reserves are classified as Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Refer to Note 16 for additional information.
Treasury Stock
Treasury Stock

Treasury stock consists of our common shares that have been issued, but subsequently reacquired. We account for treasury stock purchases under the cost method. When these shares are reissued, we use an average-cost method to determine cost. Proceeds in excess of cost are credited to additional paid-in capital.

Revenue Recognition - Sales and Rentals
Revenue Recognition — Sales and Rentals

Revenue is recognized as performance obligations are satisfied, either at a point in time or over time, driven by the nature of the obligation that is contracted to be provided to our customers. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring goods or providing services. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer, and is the unit of account in the contract. A contract’s transaction price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation and recognized as revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. Certain of our contracts have multiple performance obligations. For contracts with multiple performance obligations, we allocate the contract’s transaction price to each performance obligation using our best estimate of the standalone selling price of each distinct good or service in the contract.
The majority of our capital equipment revenue is recognized at a point in time, primarily based on the transfer of title, except in circumstances where we are also required to install the equipment, for which revenue is recognized upon customer acceptance of the installation. Performance obligations involving the provision of services and revenue from rental usage of our products are recognized over the time period specified in the contractual arrangement with the customer. Shipping and handling activities are considered to be fulfillment activities and are not considered to be a separate performance obligation.
Revenue is presented net of several types of variable consideration including rebates, discounts and product returns, which are estimated at the time of sale generally using the expected value method, although the most likely amount method is also used for certain types of variable consideration. These estimates take into consideration historical experience, current contractual and statutory requirements, specific known market events and trends, industry data, and forecasted customer buying and payment patterns.
Certain costs associated with obtaining a contract, which primarily comprise sales commissions earned by Company personnel, are capitalized until such time as the related performance obligations are completed and the related revenue is recognized.
Contract liabilities arise as a result of cash received from customers at inception of contracts or where the timing of billing for services precedes satisfaction of our performance obligations. Such remaining performance obligations represent the portion of the contract price for which work has not been performed and are primarily related to our installation and service contracts.
Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are directly imposed on a revenue producing transaction between us and our customers, including but not limited to sales taxes, use taxes and value added taxes, are excluded from revenue and cost.

Cost of Revenue
Cost of Net Revenue

Cost of goods sold for product sales consists primarily of purchased material costs, fixed manufacturing expense, variable direct labor, overhead costs and costs associated with the distribution and delivery of products to our customers. Rental expenses consist of costs associated directly with rental revenue, including depreciation, maintenance, logistics and service center facility and personnel costs.
Research and Development Costs
Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.In addition, certain costs for software development technology held for sale are capitalized as intangibles and are amortized over a period of three to five years once the software is ready for its intended use.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive Income

We include the after-tax effect of unrealized gains or losses on our available-for-sale securities, interest and foreign currency hedges, foreign currency translation adjustments and pension or other defined benefit postretirement plans’ actuarial gains or losses and prior service costs or credits in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). See Note 9 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.
Foreign Currency Translation
Foreign Currency

The functional currency of foreign operations is generally the local currency in the country of domicile. Assets and liabilities of foreign operations are primarily translated into U.S. dollars at year-end rates of exchange and the income statements are translated at the average rates of exchange prevailing in the year. Adjustments resulting from translation of the financial statements of foreign operations into U.S. dollars are excluded from the determination of net income, but included as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Foreign currency gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are included in our results of operations and are not material. Foreign currency movements on items designated as net investment hedges were recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation under fair value provisions. Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the value of the award and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. In order to determine the fair value of stock options on the date of grant, we utilize a Binomial model. In order to determine the fair value of other performance-based stock awards on the date of grant, we utilize a Monte Carlo model. Inherent in this model are assumptions related to a volatility factor, expected life, risk-free interest rate, dividend yield and expected forfeitures. The risk-free interest rate is based on factual data derived from public sources. The volatility factor, expected life, dividend yield and expected forfeiture assumptions require judgment utilizing historical information, peer data and future expectations. Restricted stock units (“RSUs”) are measured based on the fair market price of our common stock on the date of grant, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, multiplied by the number of units granted. See Note 12 for further details.

Income Taxes
Income Taxes

Hillrom and its eligible subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. income tax return. Foreign operations file income tax returns in a number of jurisdictions. We have a variety of deferred tax assets in numerous tax jurisdictions which are computed using an asset and liability approach to reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the financial reporting carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and the corresponding income tax amounts. These deferred tax assets are subject to periodic assessment as to recoverability. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the benefits will not be realized, valuation allowances are recognized. In evaluating whether it is more likely than not that we would recover these deferred tax assets, future taxable income, the reversal of existing temporary differences and tax planning strategies are considered.

As of September 30, 2019, we had valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, on a tax-effected basis, primarily related to certain foreign deferred tax attributes that are not expected to be utilized. The valuation allowance total was not significantly impacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) enacted in the United States in December 2017. We believe that our estimates for the valuation allowances recorded against deferred tax assets are appropriate based on current facts and circumstances.

We account for uncertain income tax positions using a threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The difference between the tax benefit recognized in the financial statements for an uncertain income tax position and the tax benefit claimed in the tax return is referred to as an unrecognized tax benefit. See Note 11 for further details.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activity
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activity

We use derivative financial instruments to manage the economic impact of fluctuations in currency exchange and interest rates. Derivative financial instruments related to currency exchange rates include forward purchase and sale agreements which generally have terms no greater than 15 months. Additionally, interest rate swaps and cross-currency interest rate swaps are sometimes used to convert some or all of our long-term debt to either a fixed or variable rate.

Derivative financial instruments are recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as either assets or liabilities and are measured at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are recorded each period in the Statement of Consolidated Income or the Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income, depending on whether a derivative is designated and considered effective as part of a hedge transaction, and if it is, the type of hedge transaction. The Company's derivatives are considered to be highly effective under hedge accounting principles. The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. As a result of being effective, gains and losses on derivative instruments reported in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are subsequently included in the Statement of Consolidated Income in the periods in which earnings are affected by the hedged item. These activities have not had a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements for the periods presented herein.