1.	Organization and summary of significant accounting policies

Organization

DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. primarily operates two major lines of business and, to a lesser extent, various other ancillary services and strategic initiatives, including our international dialysis operations. The Company’s largest line of business is its U.S. dialysis and related lab services business, which operates kidney dialysis centers and provides related lab services primarily in outpatient dialysis centers and in contracted hospitals within the U.S. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated or provided administrative services through a network of 1,954 U.S. outpatient dialysis centers throughout 44 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 153,000 patients. The Company’s other major line of business is HCP, which is a patient- and physician-focused integrated healthcare delivery and management company that provides medical services to members primarily through capitation contracts with some of the nation’s leading health plans.

In addition, as of December 31, 2012, the Company operated or provided administrative services to 36 outpatient dialysis centers located in eight countries outside of the U.S. The Company’s U.S. dialysis and related lab services business and HCP qualify as separately reportable segments and the Company’s other ancillary services and strategic initiatives, including its international operations, have been combined and disclosed in the other segments category.

Basis of presentation

These consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP). The financial statements include DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and its subsidiaries, partnerships and other entities in which it maintains a 100% or majority voting interest, another controlling financial interest, or of which it is considered the primary beneficiary (collectively, the Company). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Non-marketable equity investments are recorded under the equity or cost method of accounting based upon whether the Company has significant influence over the investee. For the Company’s international subsidiaries, local currencies are considered their functional currencies. Translation adjustments result from translating the Company’s international subsidiaries’ financial statements from their functional currencies into the Company’s reporting currency (USD).

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date these consolidated financial statements were issued and has included all necessary disclosures.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, contingencies and noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions. Although actual results in subsequent periods will differ from these estimates, such estimates are developed based on the best information available to management and management’s best judgments at the time made. All significant assumptions and estimates underlying the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes are regularly reviewed and updated when necessary. Changes in estimates are reflected in the financial statements based upon on-going actual experience trends, or subsequent settlements and realizations depending on the nature and predictability of the estimates and contingencies. Interim changes in estimates related to annual operating costs are applied prospectively within annual periods.

The most significant assumptions and estimates underlying these financial statements and accompanying notes involve revenue recognition and accounts receivable, impairments of long-lived assets and valuation adjustments, accounting for income taxes, quarterly and annual variable compensation accruals, consolidation of variable interest entities, purchase accounting valuation estimates, other fair value estimates, stock-based compensation and medical liability claims. Specific estimating risks and contingencies are further addressed within these notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Patient service net revenues and accounts receivable

Operating revenues are recognized in the period services are provided. Revenues consist primarily of payments from Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health plans for dialysis and ancillary services provided to patients. A usual and customary fee schedule is maintained for the Company’s dialysis treatments and other patient services; however, actual collectible revenue is normally recognized at a discount from the fee schedule.

Revenues associated with Medicare and Medicaid programs are recognized based on: (a) the payment rates that are established by statute or regulation for the portion of payment rates paid by the government payor (e.g., 80% for Medicare patients) and (b) for the portion not paid by the primary government payor, estimates of the amounts ultimately collectible from other government programs paying secondary coverage (e.g., Medicaid secondary coverage), the patient’s commercial health plan secondary coverage, or the patient. Effective January 1, 2011, the Company’s reimbursements from Medicare are now subject to certain variations under Medicare’s single bundled payment rate system, whereby reimbursements can be adjusted for certain patient characteristics and other factors. The Company’s revenue recognition will depend upon its ability to effectively capture, document and bill for Medicare’s base payment rate as well as these other variable factors.

Revenues associated with commercial health plans are estimated based on contractual terms for the patients under healthcare plans with which the Company has formal agreements, non-contracted health plan coverage terms if known, estimated secondary collections, historical collection experience, historical trends of refunds and payor payment adjustments (retractions), inefficiencies in the Company’s billing and collection processes that can result in denied claims for payments, and regulatory compliance issues.

Commercial revenue recognition also involves significant estimating risks. With many larger, commercial insurers the Company has several different contracts and payment arrangements, and these contracts often include only a subset of the Company’s centers. It is often not possible to determine which contract, if any, should be applied prior to billing. In addition, for services provided by non-contracted centers, final collection may require specific negotiation of a payment amount, typically at a significant discount from the Company’s usual and customary rates.

Under Medicare’s bundled payment rate system, services covered by Medicare are now subject to a greater degree of estimating risk, whereby reimbursements from Medicare can vary significantly depending upon certain patient characteristics and other variable factors. Prior to January 1, 2011, services covered by Medicare as well as Medicaid were less subject to estimating risks since both Medicare and Medicaid rates used a prospective payment method established in advance with definitive terms. Even with the bundled payment rate system, Medicare payments for bad debt claims are still subject to individual center profitability, as established by cost reports, and require evidence of collection efforts. As a result, billing and collection of Medicare bad debt claims can be delayed significantly, and final payment is subject to audit.

Medicaid payments, when Medicaid coverage is secondary, can also be difficult to estimate. For many states, Medicaid payment terms and methods differ from Medicare, and may prevent accurate estimation of individual payment amounts prior to billing.

The Company’s range of revenue estimating risk for the dialysis and related lab services segment is generally expected to be within 1% of its revenue. Changes in revenue estimates for prior periods are not material.

HCP revenue

The Company’s associated medical groups are licensed to contract with health maintenance organizations (HMOs), to provide physician services in California, and to provide both hospital and physician services under global risk capitation contracts in Florida and Nevada. HCP’s revenues consist primarily of fees for medical services provided by these medical group entities’ payments from capitated contracts with various HMOs and revenues under risk-sharing programs. Capitation revenue under HMO contracts is prepaid monthly based on the number of enrollees electing physicians affiliated with one of the medical group entities as their health care provider, regardless of the level of actual medical services utilized. Capitation revenue is reported as revenue in the month in which enrollees are entitled to receive health care. A portion of the capitation revenue pertaining to Medicare enrollees is subject to possible retroactive premium risk adjustments based on their individual acuity. Due to lack of sufficient data to project the amount of such retroactive adjustments, the Company records any corresponding retroactive revenues in the year of receipt.

Capitation and risk-sharing revenue

Depending on the applicable state regulation regarding global risk capitation, revenues may be received by the Company or by an independent hospital with which the Company contracts under various managed care-related administrative services agreements. In the Florida and Nevada service markets, the global capitation revenue is recorded by the Company with the corresponding cost of medical care reported by the Company as patient care costs. In California, the Company receives professional capitation and either the health plan retains in a shared risk pool or the independent hospitals receive the institutional capitation revenues. The revenues are used to pay medical claims for the related enrollees. The Company is entitled to any residual amounts and bears the risk of any deficits. In all cases, an estimate is made for the cost of medical services that have been incurred and where no medical claim has been received (IBNR).

Under risk-sharing programs, the medical groups share in the risk for hospitalization services and earn additional incentive revenues or incur penalties based on the utilization of hospital services. Estimated shared-risk receivables from the HMOs are recorded based upon hospital utilization and associated costs incurred by assigned HMO enrollees, including an estimate of IBNR compared to budgeted funding. Differences between actual contract settlements and estimated receivables are recorded in the year of final settlement. The medical groups also receive other incentive payments from health plans based on specified performance and quality criteria. These amounts are accrued when earned and the amounts can be reasonably estimated, and are included in HCP’s revenues.

Patient service revenues

Patient service revenues earned by HCP are recognized in the period services are provided, net of an estimated contractual allowance.

Other revenues

Other revenues consist of the non-patient service revenues associated with the ancillary services and strategic initiatives, management and administrative support services that are provided to outpatient dialysis centers that the Company does not own or in which the Company owns a minority equity interest, retail pharmacies and medical consulting services. In addition, the Company receives payments from payors not directly related to patient care. The Company also provides administrative and management support services to a joint venture that provides medical services in which the Company owns a 50% interest. Management fees are principally determined as a percentage of the managed operations’ revenues or cash collections and in some cases an additional component based upon a percentage of operating income. Management fees are included in net revenues when earned and represent less than 1% of total consolidated operating revenues. Revenues related to medical consulting services are recognized in the period services are provided.

Allowance for uncollectible accounts

Net revenue recognition and allowances for uncollectible billings require the use of estimates of the amounts that will ultimately be realized considering, among other items, retroactive adjustments that may be associated with regulatory reviews, audits, billing reviews and other matters. The Company’s policy is to write-off any uncollectible accounts receivable balance only after all collection efforts have been exhausted or when write-off is mandated by federal or state policies or required by certain payor contracts. It is also the Company’s policy to write-off any accounts receivable balance associated with any payors or patients when the Company receives notification of a bankruptcy filing.

Other income

Other income includes interest income on cash investments and other non-operating gains from investment transactions.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash equivalents are short-term highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at date of purchase.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market and consist principally of pharmaceuticals and dialysis-related supplies. Rebates related to inventory purchases are recorded when earned and are based on certain qualification requirements which are dependent on a variety of factors including future pricing levels by the manufacturer and data submission.

Funds on deposit with a third party

The Company has established a risk sharing arrangement with a local hospital, wherein the Company shares in any surplus or deficit. One of the terms of this agreement is the establishment of a segregated investment fund to ensure adequate cash to pay IBNR. The Company and the hospital monitor the reserve balance to maintain the adequacy of funds on deposit. The Company has recorded $70,922 as of December 31, 2012, in other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization and is further reduced by any impairments. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation and amortization expenses are computed using the straight-line method over the useful lives of the assets estimated as follows: buildings, 20 to 40 years; leasehold improvements, the shorter of their economic useful life or the expected lease term; and equipment and information systems, principally 3 to 8 years. Disposition gains and losses are included in current operating expenses.

Investments

Based upon the Company’s intentions and strategy concerning investments in debt and equity securities, the Company classifies certain debt securities as held-to-maturity and measures them at amortized cost. The Company classifies equity securities that have readily determinable fair values and certain other debt securities as available for sale and measures them at fair value. Unrealized gains or losses from available for sale investments are recorded in other comprehensive income until realized.

Amortizable intangibles

Amortizable intangible assets and liabilities include customer relationships, trade names, provider networks, practice management tools, non-competition and similar agreements, lease agreements, hospital acute services contracts, deferred debt financing costs and the alliance and product supply agreement, each of which have finite useful lives. Amortization expense is computed using the straight-line method over the useful lives of the assets estimated as follows: customer relationships, ten to twenty years; trade names, provider networks and practice management tools, two to fifteen years; non-competition and similar agreements, two to ten years; The alliance and product supply agreement, ten years; and lease agreements and hospital acute service contracts, over the term of the lease or contract period, respectively. Deferred debt financing costs are amortized to debt expense over the term of the related debt using the effective interest method.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the difference between the fair value of acquired businesses and the fair value of the identifiable tangible and intangible net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized, but is assessed for valuation impairment as circumstances warrant and at least annually. An impairment charge would be recorded to the extent the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The Company operates several reporting units for goodwill impairment assessments. See Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Long-lived assets, including property and equipment, equity investments in non-consolidated businesses, and amortizable intangible assets, are reviewed for possible impairment at least annually and whenever significant events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred, including changes in the Company’s business strategy and plans, changes in the quality or structure of its relationships with its partners or deteriorating operating performance of individual outpatient dialysis centers or other operations. An impairment is indicated when the sum of the expected future undiscounted net cash flows identifiable to an asset or asset group is less than its carrying amount. Impairment losses are measured based upon the difference between the actual or estimated fair values, which are based on market values, net realizable values or projections of discounted net cash flows, as appropriate, compared to the carrying amount of the asset. Impairment charges are included in operating expenses.

Medical liability costs

The medical groups are responsible for integrated care that the associated physicians and contracted hospitals provide to assigned HMO enrollees. The Company provides integrated care to health plan enrollees through a network of contracted providers under sub-capitation and direct patient service arrangements, company-operated clinics and staff physicians. Medical costs for professional and institutional services rendered by contracted providers are recorded as patient care costs in the consolidated statements of income. Costs for operating medical clinics, including the salaries of medical and non-medical personnel and support costs, are also recorded in patient care costs.

An estimate of amounts due to contracted physicians, hospitals, and other professional providers is included in medical payables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Medical claims payable include claims reported as of the balance sheet date and estimates of IBNR. Such estimates are developed using actuarial methods and are based on many variables, including the utilization of health care services, historical payment patterns, cost trends, product mix, seasonality, changes in membership, and other factors. The estimation methods and the resulting reserves are continually reviewed and updated. Many of the medical contracts are complex in nature and may be subject to differing interpretations regarding amounts due for the provision of various services. Such differing interpretations may not come to light until a substantial period of time has passed following the contract implementation. Any adjustments to reserves are reflected in current operations.

Income taxes

Federal and state income taxes are computed at current enacted tax rates less tax credits using the asset and liability method. Deferred taxes are adjusted both for items that do not have tax consequences and for the cumulative effect of any changes in tax rates from those previously used to determine deferred tax assets or liabilities. Tax provisions include amounts that are currently payable, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities that arise because of temporary differences between the timing of when items of income and expense are recognized for financial reporting and income tax purposes, changes in the recognition of tax positions and any changes in the valuation allowance caused by a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts expected to be realized.

The Company uses a recognition threshold of more-likely-than-not and a measurement attribute on all tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return in order to be recognized in the financial statements. Once the recognition threshold is met, the tax position is then measured to determine the actual amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements.

Self insurance

The Company maintains insurance reserves for professional and general liability and workers’ compensation in excess of certain individual and or aggregate amounts not covered by third-party carriers. The Company estimates the self-insured retention portion of professional and general liability and workers’ compensation risks using third-party actuarial calculations that are based upon historical claims experience and expectations for future claims. In addition, HCP has purchased its primary professional and general liability insurance from California Medical Group Insurance (CMGI) in which the Company owns an equity interest of 67%.

Noncontrolling interests

Noncontrolling interests represent third-party minority equity ownership interests in consolidated entities which are majority-owned by the Company, as well as the equity ownership interests in entities that are not owned by the Company but which are consolidated for financial statement reporting purposes. As of December 31, 2012, third parties held noncontrolling ownership interests in approximately 250 consolidated entities.

Stock-based compensation

The Company’s stock-based compensation awards are measured at their estimated fair values on the date of grant if settled in shares, or at their estimated fair values at the end of each reporting period if settled in cash. The value of stock-based awards so measured is recognized as compensation expense on a cumulative straight-line basis over the vesting terms of the awards, adjusted for expected forfeitures. Stock-based compensation to be settled in shares is recorded to the Company’s shareholders’ equity, while stock-based compensation to be settled in cash is recorded to a liability.

Interest rate swap and cap agreements

The Company has several interest rate swap agreements as a means of hedging its exposure to and volatility from variable-based interest rate changes as part of its overall interest rate risk management strategy. These agreements are designated as cash flow hedges and are not held for trading or speculative purposes. The swap agreements have the economic effect of converting the LIBOR variable component of the Company’s interest rate to fixed rates on the Company’s Term Loan A outstanding balance. In addition, the Company has several interest rate cap agreements that have the economic effect of capping the Company’s maximum exposure to LIBOR variable interest rate changes on specific portions of the Company’s Term Loan B totaling $1,250,000. See Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

Fair value estimates

The Company currently measures the fair value of certain assets, liabilities (including contingent earn-out consideration) and noncontrolling interests subject to put provisions (temporary equity) based upon certain valuation techniques that include observable or unobservable market inputs and assumptions that market participants would use in pricing these assets, liabilities and temporary equity. The Company has also classified its assets, liabilities and temporary equity into the appropriate fair value hierarchy levels as defined by the FASB. See Note 23 to the consolidated financial statements for further details.

New accounting standards

On January 1, 2012, the Company adopted the FASB, ASU No. 2011-08, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. This standard amends the two-step goodwill impairment test required under the prior accounting guidance. This amendment allows reporting entities the option to first assess certain qualitative factors to ascertain whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount to determine whether the two-step impairment test is necessary. If an entity concludes that certain events or circumstances demonstrate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the entity is required to proceed to step one of the two-step goodwill impairment test. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

On January 1, 2012, the Company adopted FASB’s ASU No. 2011-07, Health Care Entities-Presentation and Disclosure of Patient Service Revenue, Provision for Bad Debts, and the Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. This standard amends the prior presentation and disclosure requirements for health care entities that recognize significant amounts of patient service revenues at the time the services are rendered without assessing the patient’s ability to pay. This standard requires health care entities to reclassify the provision for bad debts from an operating expense to a deduction from patient service revenues. In addition, this standard requires more disclosure on the policies for recognizing revenue, assessing bad debts, as well as quantitative and qualitative information regarding changes in the allowance for doubtful accounts. This standard was applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented. Upon adoption of this standard, the Company changed its presentation of its provision for uncollectible accounts related to patient service revenues as a deduction from its patient service operating revenues and enhanced its disclosures as indicated above. See Note 3 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for further details.

On January 1, 2012, the Company adopted FASB’s ASU No. 2011-05 as amended by ASU No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income—Presentation of Comprehensive Income. This standard amends the prior presentation requirements for comprehensive income by eliminating the presentation of the components of other comprehensive income within the statement of equity. This standard allows two alternatives on how to present the various components of comprehensive income. These alternatives are either to report the components of comprehensive income separately on the income statement or to present total other comprehensive income and the components of other comprehensive income in a separate statement. This standard does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item must be reclassified into net income. The FASB temporarily deferred the requirement to present separate line items on the statement of income for the amounts that would be realized and reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income into net income. No timetable has been set for FASB’s reconsideration of this item. This standard, except for the deferred requirements described above, was applied retrospectively. Upon adoption of this standard, the Company presented total other comprehensive income and the components of other comprehensive income in a separate statement of comprehensive income.

On January 1, 2012, the Company adopted FASB’s ASU No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement. This standard amends the current fair value measurement and disclosure requirements to improve comparability between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The intent of this standard is to update the disclosures that describe several of the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and to enhance disclosures about fair value measurements in a manner that will improve consistency between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. This standard does not change the application of the requirements on fair value measurements and disclosures. This standard was applied prospectively, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.