RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued new guidance related to accounting for employee share-based payments, which simplifies how income tax effects of share-based payments are recorded, simplifies the minimum statutory tax withholding requirements and allows an accounting policy election to recognize forfeitures when they occur. The new guidance is effective for us beginning with annual and interim periods in 2017. Earlier adoption is permitted in any interim period, with any adjustments reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to accounting for leases which requires lessees to record assets and liabilities reflecting the leased assets and lease obligations, respectively, while following the dual model for recognition in statements of income requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to current operating leases) while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to current capital leases). The new guidance is effective for us beginning with annual and interim periods in 2019, with earlier adoption permitted, and requires retrospective application to previously issued annual and interim financial statements. We are currently evaluating the impact on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

In January 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to classification and measurement of financial instruments which requires equity securities that are not accounted for using the equity method or that do not result in consolidation, to be accounted for at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through net income. The new guidance is effective for us beginning with annual and interim periods in 2018 with early adoption permitted under certain circumstances. We are currently evaluating the impact, if any, on our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.

In May 2015, the FASB issued new guidance requiring insurance entities to provide additional disclosures about claim liabilities including paid claims development information by accident year and claim frequency data and related methodologies. The guidance is effective for us beginning with the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and interim periods beginning in 2017. We are currently evaluating the impact the new guidance will have on our disclosures.

In April 2015, the FASB issued new guidance to help entities determine whether a cloud computing arrangement contains a software license that should be accounted for as internal-use software or as a service contract. We adopted this new guidance prospectively on January 1, 2016, which did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

In March 2015, the FASB issued new guidance which changed the presentation of debt issuance costs from an asset to a direct reduction of the related debt liability. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2016 on a retrospective basis by directly deducting unamortized debt issuance costs from long-term debt on our balance sheet for all periods presented. Debt issuance costs had previously been classified in our balance sheet as other long-term assets.

In February 2015, the FASB issued an amendment to current consolidation guidance that modified the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities or voting interest entities, eliminating the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, and affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities that are involved with variable interest entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. We adopted this new guidance on January 1, 2016, which did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

In May 2014, the FASB issued new guidance that amends the accounting for revenue recognition. The amendments are intended to provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improve comparability of revenue recognition practices, and improve disclosure requirements. Insurance contracts are not included in the scope of this new guidance. In July 2015, the FASB decided to defer the effective date provided in the new revenue guidance by one year. Giving effect to this deferral, the new guidance is effective for us beginning with annual and interim periods in 2018. We are currently evaluating the impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.

There are no other recently issued accounting standards that apply to us or that are expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.