Income Taxes and Distributions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Income Taxes And Distributions [Abstract]
Income Taxes And Distributions	18. Income Taxes and Distributions We elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our first taxable year. To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, at least 90% of taxable income (excluding 100% of net capital gains) must be distributed to stockholders. REITs that do not distribute a certain amount of current year taxable income in the current year are also subject to a 4% federal excise tax. The main differences between undistributed net income for federal income tax purposes and financial statement purposes are the recognition of straight-line rent for reporting purposes, basis differences in acquisitions, recording of impairments, differing useful lives and depreciation and amortization methods for real property and the provision for loan losses for reporting purposes versus bad debt expense for tax purposes. Under the provisions of the REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act of 2007 (“RIDEA”), for taxable years beginning after July 30, 2008, a REIT may lease “qualified health care properties” on an arm’s-length basis to a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) if the property is operated on behalf of such TRS by a person who qualifies as an “eligible independent contractor.” Generally, the rent received from the TRS will meet the related party rent exception and will be treated as “rents from real property.” A “qualified health care property” includes real property and any personal property that is, or is necessary or incidental to the use of, a hospital, nursing facility, assisted living facility, congregate care facility, qualified continuing care facility, or other licensed facility which extends medical or nursing or ancillary services to patients. We have entered into various joint ventures that were structured under RIDEA. Resident level rents and related operating expenses for these facilities are reported in the unaudited consolidated financial statements and are subject to federal and state income taxes as the operations of such facilities are included in TRS entities. Certain net operating loss carryforwards could be utilized to offset taxable income in future years. Income tax expense reflected in the financial statements primarily represents U.S. federal and state and local income taxes as well as non-U.S. income based or withholding taxes on certain investments located in jurisdictions outside the U.S. The income tax benefit for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, was primarily due to operating income or losses, offset by certain discrete items at our TRS entities. In 2014, we established certain wholly-owned direct and indirect subsidiaries in Luxembourg and Jersey and transferred interests in certain foreign investments into this holding company structure. The structure includes a property holding company that is tax resident in the United Kingdom. No material adverse current tax consequences in Luxembourg, Jersey or the United Kingdom resulted from the creation of this holding company structure and all of the subsidiary entities in the structure are treated as disregarded entities of the company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The company reflects current and deferred tax liabilities for any such withholding taxes incurred as a result of this holding company structure in its consolidated financial statements. Generally, given current statutes of limitations, we are subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the year ended December 31, 2011 and subsequent years and by state taxing authorities for the year ended December 31, 2010 and subsequent years. The company and its subsidiaries are also subject to audit by the Canada Revenue Agency and provincial authorities generally for periods subsequent to our initial investments in Canada in May 2012, by HM Revenue & Customs for periods subsequent to our initial investments in the United Kingdom in August 2012 and by Luxembourg taxing authorities generally for periods subsequent to our establishment of certain Luxembourg-based subsidiaries during 2014.

18. Income Taxes and Distributions

We elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our first taxable year. To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, at least 90% of taxable income (excluding 100% of net capital gains) must be distributed to stockholders. REITs that do not distribute a certain amount of current year taxable income in the current year are also subject to a 4% federal excise tax. The main differences between undistributed net income for federal income tax purposes and financial statement purposes are the recognition of straight-line rent for reporting purposes, basis differences in acquisitions, recording of impairments, differing useful lives and depreciation and amortization methods for real property and the provision for loan losses for reporting purposes versus bad debt expense for tax purposes.

Under the provisions of the REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act of 2007 (“RIDEA”), for taxable years beginning after July 30, 2008, a REIT may lease “qualified health care properties” on an arm’s-length basis to a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) if the property is operated on behalf of such TRS by a person who qualifies as an “eligible independent contractor.” Generally, the rent received from the TRS will meet the related party rent exception and will be treated as “rents from real property.” A “qualified health care property” includes real property and any personal property that is, or is necessary or incidental to the use of, a hospital, nursing facility, assisted living facility, congregate care facility, qualified continuing care facility, or other licensed facility which extends medical or nursing or ancillary services to patients. We have entered into various joint ventures that were structured under RIDEA. Resident level rents and related operating expenses for these facilities are reported in the unaudited consolidated financial statements and are subject to federal and state income taxes as the operations of such facilities are included in TRS entities. Certain net operating loss carryforwards could be utilized to offset taxable income in future years.

Income tax expense reflected in the financial statements primarily represents U.S. federal and state and local income taxes as well as non-U.S. income based or withholding taxes on certain investments located in jurisdictions outside the U.S. The income tax benefit for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, was primarily due to operating income or losses, offset by certain discrete items at our TRS entities. In 2014, we established certain wholly-owned direct and indirect subsidiaries in Luxembourg and Jersey and transferred interests in certain foreign investments into this holding company structure. The structure includes a property holding company that is tax resident in the United Kingdom. No material adverse current tax consequences in Luxembourg, Jersey or the United Kingdom resulted from the creation of this holding company structure and all of the subsidiary entities in the structure are treated as disregarded entities of the company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The company reflects current and deferred tax liabilities for any such withholding taxes incurred as a result of this holding company structure in its consolidated financial statements.

Generally, given current statutes of limitations, we are subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the year ended December 31, 2011 and subsequent years and by state taxing authorities for the year ended December 31, 2010 and subsequent years. The company and its subsidiaries are also subject to audit by the Canada Revenue Agency and provincial authorities generally for periods subsequent to our initial investments in Canada in May 2012, by HM Revenue & Customs for periods subsequent to our initial investments in the United Kingdom in August 2012 and by Luxembourg taxing authorities generally for periods subsequent to our establishment of certain Luxembourg-based subsidiaries during 2014.