Community Health Systems, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2017 Results with Net Operating Revenues of $4.144 Billion

FRANKLIN, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2017-- Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) (the “Company”) today announced financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017.

The following highlights the financial and operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2017, that are further discussed below:

• Net operating revenues totaled $4.144 billion.
• Net loss attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(137) million, or $(1.22) per share (diluted), compared with net loss of $(1.432) billion, or $(12.91) per share (diluted) for the same period in 2016.
• Adjusted EBITDA was $435 million.
• Loss from continuing operations attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(1.17) per share (diluted).
• Adjusted for certain items discussed below, loss from continuing operations attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(0.25) per share (diluted).
• Cash flow from operations was $261 million, compared with $338 million for the same period in 2016, representing a 22.8 percent decrease.
• On a same-store basis, both admissions and adjusted admissions decreased 2.5 percent, compared with the same period in 2016.

Financial and statistical data for 2016 include the following in operating results through the effective date of each respective transaction:

• On April 29, 2016, the Company completed the spin-off of Quorum Health Corporation (“QHC”), comprised of 38 affiliated hospitals and related outpatient services in 16 states, together with Quorum Health Resources, LLC, a subsidiary providing management advisory and consulting services to non-affiliated hospitals. Same-store operating results and statistical data exclude information for the hospitals divested in the spin-off of QHC in the comparable period in 2016.
• On April 29, 2016, the Company sold its unconsolidated minority equity interests in Valley Health System, LLC and Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, LLC, both joint ventures with Universal Health Systems, Inc. comprising a total of five hospitals in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• On December 31, 2016, the Company sold an 80 percent majority ownership interest in its home care division to a subsidiary of Almost Family, Inc. Same-store operating results exclude the home care division in the comparable period in 2016.
• On May 1, 2017, the Company sold 11 hospitals as part of its ongoing portfolio rationalization efforts. Same-store operating results exclude the results of these hospitals divested in 2017 and the comparable period in 2016. An additional nine hospitals were sold effective June 30, 2017, and July 1, 2017. Actual and same-store operating results include the results of these hospitals in 2017 and the comparable periods in 2016.

Net operating revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2017, totaled $4.144 billion, a 9.7 percent decrease, compared with $4.590 billion for the same period in 2016. Loss from continuing operations attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(131) million, or $(1.17) per share (diluted), for the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared with $(1.431) billion, or $(12.90) per share (diluted), for the same period in 2016. During the three months ended June 30, 2017, the Company recorded a non-cash expense totaling $80 million related to impairment charges to reduce the value of long-lived assets, primarily allocated goodwill, at hospitals that the Company has identified for sale. The impairment charges do not have an impact on the calculation of the Company’s financial covenants under the Company’s Credit Facility.

The results for the three months ended June 30, 2017, included a loss of $(0.77) per share (diluted) related to impairment and (gain) loss on sale of businesses, loss of $(0.06) per share (diluted) from early extinguishment of debt, loss of $(0.04) per share (diluted) related to government and other legal settlements, loss of $(0.01) per share (diluted) related to employee termination benefits and other restructuring charges, and loss of $(0.04) per share (diluted) related to expense from fair value adjustments on the CVR agreement liability accounted for at fair value related to the HMA legal proceedings, and related legal expenses. Excluding these items, loss from continuing operations was $(0.25) per share (diluted).

Net loss attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(137) million, or $(1.22) per share (diluted) for the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared with $(1.432) billion, or $(12.91) per share (diluted) for the same period in 2016. Discontinued operations for the three months ended June 30, 2017, consisted of $(0.01) per share (diluted) of losses from operations of entities sold or held for sale and $(0.04) per share (diluted) for impairment of hospitals sold or held for sale for a total after-tax loss of approximately $(6) million. Weighted-average shares outstanding (diluted) were 112 million for the three months ended June 30, 2017, and 111 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2017, was $435 million compared with $563 million for the same period in 2016, representing a 22.7 percent decrease.

The consolidated operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2017, reflect a 10.8 percent decrease in total admissions, and an 11.2 percent decrease in total adjusted admissions, compared with the same period in 2016. On a same-store basis, both admissions and adjusted admissions decreased 2.5 percent during the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. On a same-store basis, net operating revenues decreased 0.7 percent during the three months ended June 30, 2017, compared with the same period in 2016.

Net operating revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2017, totaled $8.629 billion, a 10.0 percent decrease, compared with $9.589 billion for the same period in 2016. Loss from continuing operations attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(328) million, or $(2.94) per share (diluted), for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared with $(1.418) billion, or $(12.82) per share (diluted), for the same period in 2016. During the six months ended June 30, 2017, the Company recorded a non-cash expense totaling $330 million related to impairment charges to reduce the value of long-lived assets, primarily allocated goodwill, at hospitals that the Company has identified for sale. The impairment charges do not have an impact on the calculation of the Company’s financial covenants under the Company’s Credit Facility.

The results for the six months ended June 30, 2017, included the loss of $(2.68) per share (diluted) related to impairment and (gain) loss on sale of businesses, loss of $(0.18) per share (diluted) from early extinguishment of debt, loss of $(0.01) per share (diluted) related to employee termination benefits and other restructuring charges, and loss of $(0.08) per share (diluted) related to expense from fair value adjustments on the CVR agreement liability accounted for at fair value related to the HMA legal proceedings, and related legal expenses. These expenses were partially offset by income of $0.19 per share (diluted) related to government and other legal settlements, net of related legal expenses, primarily as a result of the previously announced settlement of the shareholder derivative action in January 2017. Excluding these items, loss from continuing operations was $(0.17) per share (diluted).

Net loss attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. common stockholders was $(335) million, or $(3.01) per share (diluted) for the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared with $(1.421) billion, or $(12.85) per share (diluted) for the same period in 2016. Discontinued operations for the six months ended June 30, 2017, consisted of $(0.02) per share (diluted) of losses from operations of entities sold or held for sale and $(0.04) per share (diluted) for impairment of hospitals sold or held for sale for a total after-tax loss of approximately $(7) million. Weighted-average shares outstanding (diluted) were 112 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017, and 111 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2017, was $963 million compared with $1.196 billion for the same period in 2016, representing a 19.5 percent decrease.

The consolidated operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2017, reflect an 11.1 percent decrease in total admissions, and an 11.9 percent decrease in total adjusted admissions, compared with the same period in 2016. On a same-store basis, both admissions and adjusted admissions decreased 1.8 percent during the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. On a same-store basis, net operating revenues increased 0.1 percent during the six months ended June 30, 2017, compared with the same period in 2016.

The Company completed its divestitures of one hospital on June 30, 2017, and eight hospitals on July 1, 2017, bringing its total completed divestitures to 20 hospitals, out of the previously announced 30 hospitals subject to definitive agreements. The Company expects to complete the sale of the remaining 10 hospitals subject to definitive agreements by September 30, 2017.

In addition to the previously announced divestiture of 30 hospitals, the Company continues to receive interest from acquirers for certain of its hospitals. The Company is pursuing these interests for sale transactions involving hospitals with a combined total of at least $1.5 billion in annual net operating revenues and combined mid-single digit Adjusted EBITDA margins.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is EBITDA adjusted to add back net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and to exclude the effect of discontinued operations, loss from early extinguishment of debt, impairment and (gain) loss on sale of businesses, gain on sale of investments in unconsolidated affiliates, expense incurred related to the spin-off of QHC, expense incurred related to the sale of a majority ownership interest in the Company’s home care division, (income) expense related to government and other legal settlements and related costs, expenses related to employee termination benefits and other restructuring charges, and expense (income) from fair value adjustments on the CVR agreement liability accounted for at fair value related to the HMA legal proceedings, and related legal expenses. For information regarding why the Company believes Adjusted EBITDA presents useful information to investors, and for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders, see footnote (e) to the Financial Highlights, Financial Statements and Selected Operating Data below.

Commenting on the results, Wayne T. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Community Health Systems, Inc., said, “Obviously, we are disappointed with our performance during the second quarter. Our financial results reflect weaker than expected volumes, which negatively affected our net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA performance. We are seeing better results in certain areas, and we continue to work on a number of initiatives to drive operational and financial improvements. In terms of our divestiture program, we completed several transactions during the second quarter and remain on track to complete other announced divestitures in the third quarter of 2017. We also announced that we are pursuing the disposition of additional hospitals, as we shift to a smaller, stronger portfolio of assets.”

Included on pages 18, 19, 20 and 21 of this press release are tables setting forth the Company’s 2017 annual earnings guidance. The updated 2017 guidance is based on the Company’s historical operating performance, current trends and other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable at this time, and reflects the impact of planned divestitures that the Company expects to occur in 2017.

Community Health Systems, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded hospital companies in the United States and a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in communities across the country. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns, leases or operates 137 affiliated hospitals in 21 states with an aggregate of approximately 22,000 licensed beds.

The Company’s headquarters are located in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb south of Nashville. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CYH.” More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.chs.net.

Community Health Systems, Inc. will hold a conference call on Wednesday, August 2, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. Central, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, to review financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to a live Internet broadcast of the conference call by clicking on the Investor Relations link of the Company’s website at www.chs.net. To listen to the live call, please go to the website at least fifteen minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call and will continue to be available through September 2, 2017. Copies of this press release and conference call slide show, as well as the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (including this press release), will be available on the Company’s website at www.chs.net.

Regulation FD Disclosure

Set forth below is selected information concerning the Company’s projected consolidated operating results for the year ending December 31, 2017. These projections update selected guidance issued on May 1, 2017, and are based on the Company’s historical operating performance, current trends and other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable at this time. The 2017 guidance should be considered in conjunction with the assumptions included herein. See pages 20 and 21 for a list of factors that could affect the future results of the Company or the healthcare industry generally.

The following is provided as guidance to analysts and investors:

The following assumptions were used in developing the 2017 guidance provided above:

• The divestiture of 30 hospitals included in continuing operations, in respect of which the Company has divested or entered into a definitive agreement, consisting of ten separate contemplated transactions. These hospitals generated approximately $3.4 billion of net operating revenues in 2016 with mid-single digit Adjusted EBITDA margins. The Company assumes these divestitures will generate approximately $1.95 billion in gross proceeds, including working capital. The Company assumes all of these divestitures will close at various dates during the first nine months of 2017.
• The Company’s projections also exclude the following:
  • Gains associated with the settlement of the shareholder derivative action in January 2017;
  • Payments related to the CVRs issued in connection with the HMA acquisition, and changes in the valuation of liabilities underlying the CVR;
  • Losses from the early extinguishment of debt;
  • Impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets;
  • Employee termination benefits and restructuring costs;
  • Resolution of government investigations or other significant legal settlements;
  • Costs incurred in connection with the planned divestitures; and
  • Other significant gains or losses that neither relate to the ordinary course of business nor reflect the Company’s underlying business performance.
• The Company has two small hospitals which remain held for sale for which the operating results have been classified in discontinued operations and have been excluded from the Company’s guidance.

Other assumptions used in the above guidance:

• Health Information Technology (HITECH) electronic health records incentive reimbursement of approximately $25 million to $30 million for the year ending December 31, 2017.
• Same-store hospital annual adjusted admissions decline of (2.0)% to (1.0)% for 2017, which does not take into account service closures and weather-related or other unusual events.
• Expressed as a percentage of net operating revenues, depreciation and amortization of approximately 5.7% to 5.8% for 2017. Additionally, this is a fixed cost and the percentages may change as revenue varies. Such amounts exclude the possible impact of any future hospital fixed asset impairments and additional hospitals which may be classified as held for sale.
• Interest expense, expressed as a percentage of net operating revenues, of approximately 5.6% to 5.7%; however, interest expense may vary as revenue varies. Interest expense has been adjusted to reflect the Company’s refinancing transactions in March 2017 and May 2017 and the repayment of debt with proceeds from the anticipated divestitures, based on the expected timing of those divestitures. Projected interest expense does not consider any future refinancing transactions. Total fixed rate debt, including swaps, is expected to average approximately 75% to 85% of total debt during 2017.
• Expressed as a percentage of net operating revenues, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests of approximately 0.5% to 0.6% for 2017.
• Expressed as a percentage of income from continuing operations before income taxes, provision for income taxes of approximately 30.0% to 31.0% for 2017, which includes the impact of adopting ASU 2016-09 on the tax provision for the vesting of equity-based compensation.

A reconciliation of the Company’s projected 2017 Adjusted EBITDA, a forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure, to the Company’s projected net (loss) income attributable to Community Health Systems, Inc. stockholders, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, is shown below:

• Capital expenditures are projected as follows (in millions):

• Net cash provided by operating activities, excluding cash flows related to the CVR and settlement of legal contingencies, is projected as follows (in millions):

• Weighted-average shares outstanding are projected to be between approximately 112 million to 113 million for 2017.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risk and uncertainties. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding projections, expected operating results, and other events that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or that include words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “thinks,” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and may be beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, the Company cannot give any assurance that its expectations will in fact occur and cautions that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could affect the future results of the Company or the healthcare industry generally and could cause the Company’s expected results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release.

These factors include, among other things:

• general economic and business conditions, both nationally and in the regions in which we operate;
• the impact of the potential repeal of or significant changes to the Affordable Care Act, its implementation or its interpretation, as well as changes in other federal, state or local laws or regulations affecting our business;
• the extent to which states support increases, decreases or changes in Medicaid programs, implement health insurance exchanges or alter the provision of healthcare to state residents through regulation or otherwise;
• the future and long-term viability of health insurance exchanges, which may be affected by whether a sufficient number of payors participate as well as the impact of the 2016 federal elections on the Affordable Care Act;
• risks associated with our substantial indebtedness, leverage and debt service obligations, including our ability to refinance such indebtedness on acceptable terms or to incur additional indebtedness;
• demographic changes;
• changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental regulations;
• potential adverse impact of known and unknown government investigations, audits, and federal and state false claims act litigation and other legal proceedings;
• our ability, where appropriate, to enter into and maintain provider arrangements with payors and the terms of these arrangements, which may be further affected by the increasing consolidation of health insurers and managed care companies;
• changes in, or the failure to comply with, contract terms with payors and changes in reimbursement rates paid by federal or state healthcare programs or commercial payors;
• any potential additional impairments in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long-lived assets, or changes in the useful lives of other intangible assets;
• changes in inpatient or outpatient Medicare and Medicaid payment levels;
• the effects related to the continued implementation of the sequestration spending reductions and the potential for future deficit reduction legislation;
• increases in the amount and risk of collectability of patient accounts receivable, including decreases in collectability which may result from, among other things, self-pay growth in states that have not expanded Medicaid and difficulties in recovering payments for which patients are responsible, including co-pays and deductibles;
• the efforts of insurers, healthcare providers and others to contain healthcare costs, including the trend toward value-based purchasing;
• our ongoing ability to demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology and recognize income for the related Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments to the extent such payments have not expired;
• increases in wages as a result of inflation or competition for highly technical positions and rising supply and drug costs due to market pressure from pharmaceutical companies and new product releases;
• liabilities and other claims asserted against us, including self-insured malpractice claims;
• competition;
• our ability to attract and retain, at reasonable employment costs, qualified personnel, key management, physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers;
• trends toward treatment of patients in less acute or specialty healthcare settings, including ambulatory surgery centers or specialty hospitals;
• changes in medical or other technology;
• changes in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles;
• the availability and terms of capital to fund any additional acquisitions or replacement facilities or other capital expenditures;
• our ability to successfully make acquisitions or complete divestitures, including the disposition of hospitals and non-hospital businesses pursuant to our portfolio rationalization and deleveraging strategy, our ability to complete any such acquisitions or divestitures on desired terms or at all (including to realize the anticipated amount of proceeds from contemplated dispositions), the timing of the completion of any such acquisitions or divestitures, and our ability to realize the intended benefits from any such acquisitions or divestitures;
• the impact that changes in our relationships with joint venture or syndication partners could have on effectively operating our hospitals or ancillary services or in advancing strategic opportunities;
• our ability to successfully integrate any acquired hospitals, including those of HMA, or to recognize expected synergies from acquisitions;
• the impact of seasonal severe weather conditions;
• our ability to obtain adequate levels of general and professional liability insurance;
• timeliness of reimbursement payments received under government programs;
• effects related to outbreaks of infectious diseases;
• the impact of the external, criminal cyber-attack suffered by us in the second quarter of 2014, including potential reputational damage, the outcome of our investigation and any potential governmental inquiries, the outcome of litigation filed against us in connection with this cyber-attack, the extent of remediation costs and additional operating or other expenses that we may continue to incur, and the impact of potential future cyber-attacks or security breaches;
• any failure to comply with the terms of the Corporate Integrity Agreement;
• the concentration of our revenue in a small number of states;
• our ability to realize anticipated cost savings and other benefits from our current strategic and operational cost savings initiatives; and
• the other risk factors set forth in our other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The consolidated operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be experienced for any future periods. The Company cautions that the projections for calendar year 2017 set forth in this press release are given as of the date hereof based on currently available information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Source: Community Health Systems, Inc.

Community Health Systems, Inc.
Thomas J. Aaron, 615-465-7000
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer