LTC PROPERTIES INC - Annual Report: 2018 (Form 10-K)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10‑K

 

Commission file number: 1‑11314

LTC PROPERTIES, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

2829 Townsgate Road, Suite 350

Westlake Village, California 91361

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 981‑8655

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: NONE

Indicate by checkmark if the Registrant is a well‑known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by checkmark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒   No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S‑T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S‑K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10‑K or any amendment to this Form 10‑K. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non‑accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act.:

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Act). Yes ☐  No ☒

The aggregate market value of voting and non‑voting common equity held by non‑affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $1,667,067,000 as of June 30, 2018 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter).

The number of shares of common stock outstanding as of February 25, 2019 was 39,713,946.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K where indicated.

 

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward‑looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, adopted pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not purely historical may be forward‑looking. You can identify some of the forward‑looking statements by their use of forward‑looking words, such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or “anticipates,” or the negative of those words or similar words. Forward‑looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties regarding events, conditions and financial trends that may affect our future plans of operation, business strategy, results of operations and financial position. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or contemplated by such forward‑ looking statements, including, but not limited to, the status of the economy; the status of capital markets (including prevailing interest rates) and our access to capital; the income and returns available from investments in health care related real estate (including our ability to re‑lease properties upon expiration of a lease term); the ability of our borrowers and lessees to meet their obligations to us; our reliance on a few major operators; our dependence on operators for revenue and cash flow; the bankruptcy, insolvency or financial deterioration of our lessees; potential limitations on our remedies when mortgage loans default; competition faced by our borrowers and lessees within the health care industry; regulation of the health care industry by federal, state and local governments; changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement amounts (including due to federal and state budget constraints); compliance with and changes to regulations and payment policies within the health care industry; debt that we may incur and changes in financing terms; our ability to continue to qualify as a real estate investment trust; the relative illiquidity of our real estate investments; and risks and liabilities in connection with properties owned through limited liability companies and partnerships. For a discussion of these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contemplated in the forward‑looking statements, please see the discussion under “Risk Factors” contained in this report and in other information contained in this report and our publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any responsibility to update or revise any of these factors or to announce publicly any revisions to forward‑looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

LTC Properties, Inc.

Table of Contents

 

PART I

Item 1.  BUSINESS

General

LTC Properties, Inc., a health care real estate investment trust (“REIT”), was incorporated on May 12, 1992 in the State of Maryland and commenced operations on August 25, 1992. We invest primarily in seniors housing and health care properties through sale-leaseback transactions, mortgage financing, joint ventures and structured finance solutions including mezzanine lending. Our primary objectives are to create, sustain and enhance stockholder equity value and provide current income for distribution to stockholders through real estate investments in seniors housing and health care properties managed by experienced operators. To meet these objectives, we attempt to invest in properties that provide opportunity for additional value and current returns to our stockholders and diversify our investment portfolio by geographic location, operator, property type and form of investment.

We primarily invest in the following type of properties:

We conduct and manage our business as one operating segment, rather than multiple operating segments, for internal reporting and internal decision making purposes. We include ALF, ILF, MC, and combinations thereof in the ALF property classification.

Portfolio

The following table summarizes our real estate investment portfolio as of December 31, 2018 (dollar amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the information in the table above, see Item 2. Properties for more information about our portfolio.

As of December 31, 2018 we had $1.3 billion in carrying value of net real estate investments, consisting of $1.1 billion or 82.0% invested in owned and leased properties and $0.2 billion or 18.0% invested in mortgage loans secured by first mortgages.

Owned Properties.  The following table summarizes our investment in owned properties at December 31, 2018 (dollar amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

 

Owned properties are leased pursuant to non‑cancelable operating leases generally with an initial term of 10 to 15 years. Many of the leases contain renewal options. The leases provide for fixed minimum base rent during the initial and renewal periods. The majority of our leases contain provisions for specified annual increases over the rents of the prior year and that increase is generally computed in one of four ways depending on specific provisions of each lease:

Each lease is a triple net lease which requires the lessee to pay all taxes, insurance, maintenance and repairs, capital and non‑capital expenditures and other costs necessary in the operations of the facilities. Generally our leases provide for one or more of the following: security deposits, property tax impounds, and credit enhancements such as corporate or personal guarantees or letters of credit. In addition, our leases are typically structured as master leases and multiple master leases with one operator, and are generally cross defaulted. The following table summarizes the concentration of our top ten operators of owned properties for 2018 and percentage of rental revenue, excluding rental income from properties sold, for those operators for 2018 and 2017:

Mortgage Loans.  As part of our strategy of making long-term investments in properties used in the provision of long-term health care services, we provide mortgage financing on such properties based on our established investment underwriting criteria. We have also provided construction loans that by their terms convert into purchase/lease transactions or permanent financing mortgage loans upon completion of construction. Substantially all of our mortgage loan investments currently relate to skilled nursing facilities. The following table summarizes our investments in mortgage loans secured by first mortgages at December 31, 2018 (dollar amounts in thousands):

 

 

In general, the mortgage loans may not be prepaid except in the event of the sale of the collateral property to a third-party that is not affiliated with the borrower, although partial prepayments (including the prepayment premium) are often permitted where a mortgage loan is secured by more than one property upon a sale of one or more, but not all, of the collateral properties to a third-party which is not an affiliate of the borrower. The terms of the mortgage loans generally impose a premium upon prepayment of the loans depending upon the period in which the prepayment occurs, whether such prepayment was permitted or required, and certain other conditions such as upon the sale of the property under a pre‑existing purchase option, destruction or condemnation, or other circumstances as approved by us. The prepayment premium is based on a yield maintenance formula. In addition to a lien on the mortgaged property, the loans are generally secured by certain non‑real estate assets of the properties and contain certain other security provisions in the form of letters of credit and/or security deposits.

Investment Policies and Strategies

Our investment policy is to invest primarily in income‑producing seniors housing and health care properties. Over the past three years, we have underwritten SNF, ALF, ILF, MC and combinations thereof and 4 parcels of land for a total of approximately $325.0 million.

Historically our investments have consisted of:

In evaluating potential investments, we consider factors such as:

Prior to an investment, we conduct a property site review to assess the general physical condition of the property and the potential of additional services. In addition, we review third-party environmental reports, land surveys, and market studies (if applicable) as well as conduct a financial due diligence review of the property before the investment is made.

We believe skilled nursing centers are the lowest cost provider for certain levels of acuity; therefore, such facilities play a vital role in our nation’s health care delivery system. Our investments include direct ownership, development, first and second mortgages secured by skilled nursing centers and mezzanine loans. We prefer to invest in a property that has a significant market presence in its community and where state certificate of need and/or licensing procedures limit the entry of competing properties.

We believe that assisted living, independent living and memory care communities are an important sector in the seniors housing and health care industry and our investments include direct ownership, development, real estate joint ventures, mezzanine loans and mortgages secured by assisted living, independent living and/or memory care communities.

We may incur additional indebtedness when, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, it is advisable. We may incur such indebtedness to make investments in additional seniors housing and health care properties or to meet the distribution requirements imposed upon REITs under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. For other short‑term purposes, we may, from time to time, negotiate lines of credit, or arrange for other short‑term borrowings from banks or otherwise. We may also arrange for long-term borrowings through public or private offerings or from institutional investors.

In addition, we may incur mortgage indebtedness on real estate which we have acquired through purchase, foreclosure or otherwise. We may also obtain mortgage financing for unleveraged or underleveraged properties in which we have invested or may refinance properties acquired on a leveraged basis.

We have attempted to diversify our portfolio by operator, by property type, and geographically. Our primary marketing and business development strategy is to increase awareness of our presence and build long-term relationships in the seniors housing and health care industry by supporting targeted industry trade organizations, attending industry specific conferences and events attended by seniors housing and care providers, and seeking out speaking engagements at industry related events as well as interviews in industry publications. We believe this targeted marketing and business development effort has provided deal flow opportunities and will continue to provide opportunities for new investments in 2019. Since competition from investors as well as other capital providers for large transactions consisting of fully-marketed, multi-property portfolios generally result in valuations above our targeted investment criteria, our marketing and business development efforts focus on sourcing relationships with regionally based operating companies to execute on single property transactions (for acquisition, mortgage financing or development), or smaller multi-property portfolios that are not broadly marketed by third-party intermediaries which complement our historic investment execution and are priced at yields that are accretive to our stockholders.

Competition

In the health care industry, we compete for real property investments with health care providers, other health care related REITs, real estate partnerships, banks, private equity funds, venture capital funds and other investors. Many

of our competitors are significantly larger and have greater financial resources and lower cost of capital than we have available to us. Our ability to compete successfully for real property investments will be determined by numerous factors, including our ability to identify suitable acquisition targets, our ability to negotiate acceptable terms for any such acquisition and the availability and our cost of capital.

The lessees and borrowers of our properties compete on a local, regional and, in some instances, national basis with other health care providers. The ability of the lessee or borrower to compete successfully for patients or residents at our properties depends upon several factors, including the levels of care and services provided by the lessees or borrowers, the reputation of the providers, physician referral patterns, physical appearances of the properties, family preferences, financial condition of the operator and other competitive systems of health care delivery within the community, population and demographics.

REIT Tax Status

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that we annually distribute to our shareholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains. As a REIT, we generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on the taxable income we distribute to our shareholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the generally applicable corporate tax rate. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain state and local taxes on our income, property or net worth and U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed income.

Health Care Regulation

Overview

The health care industry is heavily regulated by the government. Our borrowers and lessees who operate health care facilities are subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and local governments. These laws and regulations are subject to frequent and substantial changes resulting from legislation, adoption of rules and regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations of existing law. These changes may have a dramatic effect on the definition of permissible or impermissible activities, the relative costs associated with doing business and the amount of reimbursement by both government and other third-party payors. These changes may be applied retroactively. The ultimate timing or effect of these changes cannot be predicted. The failure of any borrower of funds from us or lessee of any of our properties to comply with such laws, requirements and regulations could result in sanctions or remedies such as denials of payment for new Medicare and Medicaid admissions, civil monetary penalties, state oversight and loss of Medicare and Medicaid participation or licensure. Such action could affect our borrower’s or lessee’s ability to operate its facility or facilities and could adversely affect such borrower’s or lessee’s ability to make debt or lease payments to us.

The properties we own and the manner in which they are operated are affected by changes in the reimbursement, licensing and certification policies of federal, state and local governments. Properties may also be affected by changes in accreditation standards or procedures of accrediting agencies. In addition, expansion (including the addition of new beds or services or acquisition of medical equipment) and occasionally the discontinuation of services of health care facilities are, in some states, subjected to state and regulatory approval through “certificate of need” laws and regulations.

Health Care Reform and Other Legislative Developments

In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended (the “Affordable Care Act”). The Affordable Care Act is designed to expand access to affordable health insurance, contain health care costs, and institute a variety of health policy reforms. This sweeping law expanded the insured population, but also reduced federal health care spending and imposed additional requirements on our lessees and borrowers. Among other things, the Affordable Care Act: reduced Medicare skilled nursing facility reimbursement by a so-called “productivity adjustment” based on economy-wide productivity gains; required the development of a value-

based purchasing program for Medicare skilled nursing facility services; authorized bundled payment programs, which can include post-acute services; and provided incentives to state Medicaid programs to promote community-based care as an alternative to institutional long-term care services. In addition, the Affordable Care Act impacts both us and our lessees and borrowers as employers, including requirements related to the health insurance we offer to our respective employees. Many aspects of the Affordable Care Act have been implemented through regulations and subregulatory guidance, as discussed further below. President Trump and some members of Congress have called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and replacement with alternative reforms. In December 2017, the President signed into law a tax reform bill that repeals the Affordable Care Act’s penalty for individuals who fail to maintain health coverage meeting certain minimum standards. Additional revisions of the Affordable Care Act could be made in future, although the details and timing of any such actions are unknown at this time. There can be no assurance that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act or any subsequent modifications will not adversely impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of our lessees and borrowers, which subsequently could materially adversely impact our revenue and operations. 

Under the sequestration provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2011, as amended, a 2% cut to Medicare payments to providers and health plans cuts generally has applied to Medicare fee-for-service claims on or after April 1, 2013. As further amended by subsequent legislation, the Medicare sequestration cuts are currently scheduled to be applied through fiscal year 2025, although Congress and the Administration could enact legislation to extend or modify sequestration at any time. There can be no assurances that enacted or future budget control mechanisms will not have an adverse impact on the financial condition of our borrowers and lessees, which subsequently could materially adversely impact our company.

The Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 required the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a skilled nursing facility “value-based purchasing program” tying Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities to their performance on certain new readmissions measures, applicable to services furnished beginning October 1, 2018. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 set the annual skilled nursing facility prospective payment system update for fiscal year 2018 at 1%, and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 established an update of 2.4% for fiscal year 2019. Additional reforms affecting the payment for and availability of health care services have been proposed at the state level and adopted by certain states.

Congress and state legislatures can be expected to continue to review and assess alternative health care delivery systems and payment methodologies, including potential changes in Medicare and Medicaid payment policy for skilled nursing facility services and other types of post-acute care. Additional changes in laws, new interpretations of existing laws, or other changes in payment methodologies may have a dramatic effect on the definition of permissible or impermissible activities, the relative costs associated with doing business and the amount of reimbursement by the government and other third-party payors. There can be no assurances that enacted or future legislation will not have an adverse impact on the financial condition of our borrowers and lessees, which subsequently could materially adversely impact our company.

Reimbursement

The ability of our borrowers and lessees to generate revenue and profit determines the underlying value of that property to us. Revenues of our borrowers and lessees of skilled nursing centers are generally derived from payments for patient care. Sources of such payments for skilled nursing facilities include the federal Medicare program, state Medicaid programs, private insurance carriers, managed care organizations, preferred provider arrangements, and self-insured employers, as well as the patients themselves.

A significant portion of the revenue of our skilled nursing center borrowers and lessees is derived from governmentally-funded reimbursement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Because of significant health care costs paid by such government programs, both federal and state governments have adopted and continue to consider various health care reform proposals to control health care costs. In many instances, revenues from Medicaid programs are insufficient to cover the actual costs incurred in providing care to Medicaid patients. In addition, all states have been making changes to their long-term care delivery systems that emphasize home and community-based long-term care services, in some cases coupled with cost-controls for institutional providers. Increasingly, state Medicaid programs are providing coverage through managed care programs under contracts with private health plans, which is intended to

decrease state Medicaid costs. The federal government also has adopted various policies to promote community-based alternatives to institutional services. The Trump Administration and Congress are also considering revising federal payments to state Medicaid programs to establish block grants or impose per capita limits on federal Medicaid payments to states. As states and the federal government continue to respond to budget pressures, future reduction in Medicaid payments for skilled nursing facility services could have an adverse effect on the financial condition of our borrowers and lessees which could, in turn, adversely impact the timing or level of their payments to us. 

With regard to the Medicare program, over the years there have been efforts to contain Medicare fee-for-service spending, promote Medicare managed care, and, more recently, tie reimbursement to quality of care. CMS annually updates Medicare skilled nursing facility prospective payment system rates and other policies. On July 31, 2017, CMS released a final rule updating Medicare skilled nursing facility rates and policies for fiscal year 2018, which began on October 1, 2017. CMS expected the rule to increase overall payments to skilled nursing facilities by $370 million in fiscal year 2018, or 1%, compared to fiscal year 2017 levels. The 1% update for fiscal year 2018 was set by Congress in 2015 legislation. On July 31, 2018, CMS issued a final rule updating skilled nursing facility rates and policies for fiscal year 2019. The final rule includes a 2.4% payment increase, which CMS projects will increase overall payments to skilled nursing facilities by $820 million in fiscal year 2019 compared with fiscal year 2018 levels. The final rule also replaces the existing Resource Utilization Groups, Version IV (“RUG–IV”) case mix classification system with a new model beginning in fiscal year 2020. The new case mix classification system, called the “Patient-Driven Payment Model,” will base Medicare payment on resident needs rather than the amount of therapy a resident receives.  Additionally, the SNF Value-Based Purchasing (“VBP”) Program went into effect October 1, 2018. Under the VBP Program, CMS reduces Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities by 2%. CMS will then return approximately 60% of the withheld amount to skilled nursing facilities based on their relative performance on a readmission measure. The remaining portion of the withheld amount will be retained in the Medicare Trust Fund. There can be no assurance that any future reductions in Medicare skilled nursing facility payment rates or other policy changes impacting long-term care facilities would not have an adverse effect on the financial condition of our borrowers and lessees which could, in turn, adversely impact the timing or level of their payments to us.

CMS also has implemented a variety of Medicare bundled payment programs that seek to promote greater care coordination and more efficient use of resources. Certain of these models, such as the Medicare Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement and Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced models, have impacted post-acute care, including skilled nursing facility services. There can be no assurances that new Medicare payment models will not adversely affect revenues of our skilled nursing center borrowers and lessees and thereby adversely affect those borrowers’ and lessees’ abilities to make their debt or lease payments to us.

Moreover, health care facilities continue to experience pressures from private payors attempting to control costs; reimbursement from private payors has in some cases fallen relative to government payors. Governmental and public concern regarding health care costs may result in significant reductions in payment to health care facilities, and there can be no assurance that future payment rates for either governmental or private payors will be sufficient to cover cost increases in providing services to patients. Any changes in reimbursement policies which reduce reimbursement to levels that are insufficient to cover the cost of providing patient care could adversely affect revenues of our skilled nursing center borrowers and lessees and to a much lesser extent our assisted living community borrowers and lessees and thereby adversely affect those borrowers’ and lessees’ abilities to make their debt or lease payments to us. Failure of the borrowers or lessees to make their debt or lease payments would have a direct and material adverse impact on us.

Fraud and Abuse Enforcement

Various federal and state laws govern financial and other arrangements between health care providers that participate in, receive payments from, or make or receive referrals for work in connection with government funded health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. These laws, known as the fraud and abuse laws, include the federal anti-kickback statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration directly or indirectly in return for, or to induce, the referral, or arrange for the referral, of an individual to a person for the furnishing of an item or service for which payment may be made under federal health care programs. In addition, the federal physician self-referral law, commonly known as the Stark Law, prohibits physicians and certain other types of practitioners from making referrals for certain designated health services paid in whole or in part by Medicare and Medicaid to entities with which the practitioner or a member of the practitioner’s immediate family

has a financial relationship, unless the financial relationship fits within an applicable exception to the Stark Law. The Stark Law also prohibits the entity receiving the referral from seeking payment under the Medicare program for services rendered pursuant to a prohibited referral. Sanctions for violating the Stark Law include civil monetary penalties of up to $24,748 per prohibited service provided, assessments equal to three times the dollar value of each such service provided and exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Many states have enacted similar fraud and abuse laws which are not necessarily limited to items and services for which payment is made by federal health care programs. Violations of these laws may result in fines, imprisonment, denial of payment for services, and exclusion from federal and/or other state-funded programs. Other federal and state laws authorize the imposition of penalties, including criminal and civil fines and exclusion from participation in federal health care programs for submitting false claims, improper billing and other offenses. Federal and state government agencies have continued rigorous enforcement of criminal and civil fraud and abuse laws in the health care arena. Our borrowers and lessees are subject to many of these laws, and some of them could in the future become the subject of a governmental enforcement action.

Environmental Regulation

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner of real property or a secured lender (such as us) may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances at, under or disposed of in connection with such property, as well as other potential costs relating to hazardous or toxic substances (including government fines and damages for injuries to persons and adjacent property). Such laws often impose such liability without regard to whether the owner or secured lender knew of, or was responsible for, the presence or disposal of such substances and may be imposed on the owner or secured lender in connection with the activities of an operator of the property. The cost of any required remediation, removal, fines or personal or property damages and the owner’s or secured lender’s liability therefore could exceed the value of the property, and/or the assets of the owner or secured lender. In addition, the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly dispose of or remediate such substances, may adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell or rent such property or to borrow using such property as collateral which, in turn, would reduce our revenues.

Although the mortgage loans that we provide and leases covering our properties require the borrower and the lessee to indemnify us for certain environmental liabilities, the scope of such obligations may be limited and we cannot assure that any such borrower or lessee would be able to fulfill its indemnification obligations.

Insurance

It is our current policy, and we intend to continue this policy, that all borrowers of funds from us and lessees of any of our properties secure adequate comprehensive property and general and professional liability insurance that covers us as well as the borrower and/or lessee. Even though that is our policy, certain borrowers and lessees have been unable to obtain general and professional liability insurance in the specific amounts required by our leases or mortgages because the cost of such insurance and some insurers have stopped offering such insurance for long-term care facilities. Additionally, in the past, insurance companies have filed for bankruptcy protection leaving certain of our borrowers and/or lessees without coverage for periods that were believed to be covered prior to such bankruptcies. The unavailability and associated exposure as well as increased cost of such insurance could have a material adverse effect on the lessees and borrowers, including their ability to make lease or mortgage payments. Although we contend that as a non‑possessory landlord we are not generally responsible for what takes place on real estate we do not possess, claims including general and professional liability claims may still be asserted against us which may result in costs and exposure for which insurance is not available. Certain risks may be uninsurable, not economically insurable or insurance may not be available and there can be no assurance that we, a borrower or lessee will have adequate funds to cover all contingencies. If an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs with respect to one or more of our properties, we could be subject to an adverse claim including claims for general or professional liability, could lose the capital that we have invested in the properties, as well as the anticipated future revenue for the properties and, in the case of debt which is with recourse to us, we would remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the properties. Certain losses, such as losses due to floods or seismic activity if insurance is available, may be insured subject to certain limitations including large deductibles or co‑payments and policy limits.

Employees

At December 31, 2018, we employed 21 people. Our employees are not members of any labor union, and we consider our relations with our employees to be excellent.

Investor Information

We make available to the public free of charge through our internet website our Annual Report on Form 10‑K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10‑Q, Current Reports on Form 8‑K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such reports with, or furnish such reports to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Our internet website address is www.LTCreit.com. We are not including the information contained on our website as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.

The SEC also maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information we file. The internet address of the SEC website is www.sec.gov.

You may contact our Investor Relations Department at:

LTC Properties, Inc.

2829 Townsgate Road, Suite 350

Westlake Village, California 91361

Attn: Investor Relations

(805) 981‑8655

 

Item 1A.  RISK FACTORS

This section discusses risk factors that may affect our business, operations, and financial condition. If any of these risks, as well as other risks and uncertainties that we have not yet identified or that we currently think are not material, actually occur, we could be materially adversely affected and the value of our securities could decline. In addition, these risk factors contain “forward‑looking statements” as discussed above under the heading “Cautionary Statement.” The following information should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis, and the consolidated financial statements and related notes in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.

A Failure to Maintain or Increase our Dividend Could Reduce the Market Price of Our Stock. The ability to maintain or raise our common dividend is dependent, to a large part, on growth of funds available for distribution. This growth in turn depends upon increased revenues from additional investments and loans, rental increases and mortgage rate increases.

We May Have Limited Access to Capital At Times, Which Could Cause Our Growth to Slow. A REIT is required to make dividend distributions and retains little cash flow for growth. As a result, growth for a REIT is generally through the steady investment of new capital in real estate assets. At December 31, 2018, we had $2.7 million of cash on hand, $488.0 million available under our unsecured revolving line of credit and $93.8 million available under our shelf agreement with Prudential Investment Management, Inc. We also have the potential ability to access the capital markets through the issuance of $184.1 million of common stock under our equity distribution agreement and an indeterminate amount through the issuance of debt and/or equity securities under an automatic shelf registration statement. As a result, we currently believe our liquidity and various sources of available capital are sufficient to fund operations and development commitments, meet debt service obligations (both principal and interest), make dividend distributions and finance future investments should we determine such future investments are financially feasible. However, there may be times when we will have limited access to capital from the equity and/or debt markets. During such periods, virtually all of our available capital would be required to meet existing commitments and to reduce existing debt. We may not be able, during such periods, to obtain additional equity and/or debt capital or dispose of assets on favorable terms, if at all, at the time we require additional capital to acquire health care properties on a competitive basis or meet our obligations.

Income and Returns from Health Care Facilities Can be Volatile.  There is a possibility that the health care properties in which we invest will not generate income sufficient to meet operating expenses, will generate income and

capital appreciation, if any, at rates lower than those anticipated or will yield returns lower than those available through investments in comparable real estate or other investments are additional risks of investing in health care related real estate. Income from properties and yields from investments in our properties may be affected by many factors, including changes in governmental regulation (such as zoning laws and government payment), general or local economic conditions (such as fluctuations in interest rates and employment conditions), the available local supply of and demand for improved real estate, a reduction in rental income as the result of an inability to maintain occupancy levels, natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes and floods) or similar factors.

We Depend on Lease Income and Mortgage Payments from Real Property.  Approximately 97.0% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018, was derived from lease income and mortgage payments from real property. Our revenue would be adversely affected if a significant number of our borrowers or lessees were unable to meet their obligations to us or if we were unable to lease our properties or make mortgage loans on economically favorable terms. There can be no assurance that any lessee will exercise its option to renew its lease upon the expiration of the initial term. There can be no assurance that if such failure to renew were to occur, or if we did not re‑lease a property to a current lessee, we could lease the property to others on favorable terms, at the same rent as the current rent, or on a timely basis.

We Rely on a Few Major Operators. During the year ended December 31, 2018, approximately 37.8% of our revenues from leases were generated from three operators. The failure, inability or unwillingness of these operators to meet their obligations to us could materially reduce our cash flow as well as our results of operations, which could in turn reduce the amount of dividends we pay, cause our stock price to decline and have other material adverse effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition.   

We Depend on our Operators For Revenue and Cash Flow.  Substantially all of our revenues and sources of cash flows from operations are derived from operating lease rentals and interest earned on outstanding loans receivable. Our investments in owned properties and mortgage loans represent our primary source of liquidity to fund distributions and are dependent upon the performance of the operators on their lease and loan obligations and the rates earned thereon. Our financial position and ability to make distributions may be adversely affected by financial difficulties experienced by any of our lessees or borrowers, or in the event any such operator does not renew and/or extend its relationship with us or our borrowers when it expires.

The Bankruptcy, Insolvency or Financial Deterioration of our Lessees Could Delay or Prevent Us From Collecting Unpaid Rents or Require Us to Find New Tenants to Operate our Properties. We have limited control over the success or failure of our operators’ businesses. If an operator experiences financial or legal difficulties, the operator may fail to make its rent payments when due or declare bankruptcy, either of which could result in the termination of the operator’s lease and adversely affect us. In the case of a master lease, this risk is magnified, as an operator default could reduce or eliminate rental revenue from several properties. If an operator is unable to comply with the terms of its leases, we may be forced to modify the leases in ways that are unfavorable to us. Alternatively, the failure of an operator to perform its obligations under its lease or other agreements with us could force us to declare a default, terminate the lease and transition or sell the property. We cannot provide any assurances that we would be able to find a suitable replacement operator, re-lease the property on substantially equivalent or better terms than the prior lease, or at all, successfully reposition the property for other uses, or sell the property on terms that are favorable to us. If a lessee seeks bankruptcy protection, the Bankruptcy Court may impose an automatic stay that would preclude us from collecting pre-bankruptcy obligations from that operator or seizing its property. An operator bankruptcy could also delay our efforts to collect past due amounts owed to us under the applicable lease and ultimately preclude collection of all or a portion of those amounts. In such a case, we may recover substantially less than the full value of any secured or unsecured claims we hold.

Our Remedies May Be Limited When Mortgage Loans Default.  To the extent we invest in mortgage loans, such mortgage loans may or may not be recourse obligations of the borrower and generally will not be insured or guaranteed by governmental agencies or otherwise. In the event of a default under such obligations, we may have to foreclose on the property underlying the mortgage or protect our interest by acquiring title to a property and thereafter make substantial improvements or repairs in order to maximize the property’s investment potential. Borrowers may contest enforcement of foreclosure or other remedies, seek bankruptcy protection against such enforcement and/or bring claims for lender liability in response to actions to enforce mortgage obligations. If a borrower seeks bankruptcy protection, the Bankruptcy Court may impose an automatic stay that would preclude us from enforcing foreclosure or other remedies

against the borrower. Declines in the value of the property may prevent us from realizing an amount equal to our mortgage loan upon foreclosure.

Our Borrowers and Lessees Face Competition in the Health Care Industry. The long-term care industry is highly competitive and we expect that it may become more competitive in the future. Our borrowers and lessees are competing with numerous other companies providing similar long-term care services or alternatives such as home health agencies, hospices, life care at home, community-based service programs, retirement communities and convalescent centers. Additionally, our borrowers and lessees are employers who compete for labor. Accordingly, our borrowers and lessees are sensitive to changes in the labor market and wages and benefits offered to their employees, which can impact their ability to remain competitive. There can be no assurance that our borrowers and lessees will not encounter increased competition in the future which could limit their ability to attract residents or expand their businesses and therefore affect their ability to make their debt or lease payments to us.

The Health Care Industry is Heavily Regulated by the Government. Our borrowers and lessees who operate health care facilities are subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and local governments. These laws and regulations are subject to frequent and substantial changes resulting from legislation, adoption of rules and regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations of existing law. These changes may have a dramatic effect on the definition of permissible or impermissible activities, the relative costs associated with doing business and the amount of reimbursement by both government and other third-party payors. These changes may be applied retroactively. The ultimate timing or effect of these changes cannot be predicted. For instance, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended (the “Affordable Care Act”) may be subject to revision, replacement, or repeal. In addition, CMS has adopted regulations that impose new standards for long-term care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. See Item 1. Business—Health Care Regulation.  The failure of any borrower of funds from us or lessee of any of our properties to comply with such laws, requirements and regulations could affect its ability to operate its facility or facilities and could adversely affect such lessee’s or borrower’s ability to make lease or debt payments to us.

Federal and State Health Care Cost Containment Measures Including Reductions in Reimbursement From Third-Party Payors Such as Medicare and Medicaid Could Adversely Affect Us and The Ability of Our Operators to Make Payments to Us. The ability of our borrowers and lessees to generate revenue and profit determines the underlying value of that property to us. Revenues of our borrowers and skilled nursing center lessees are generally derived from payments for patient care. Sources of such payments include the federal Medicare program, state Medicaid programs, private insurance carriers, health care service plans, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider arrangements, self-insured employers, as well as the patients themselves. 

The health care industry continues to face increased government and private payor pressure on health care providers to control costs. Federal legislative and regulatory policies have been adopted and may continue to be proposed that would reduce Medicare and/or Medicaid payments to nursing facilities. Moreover, state budget pressures continue to result in adoption of Medicaid provider payment reductions in some states. Increasingly, state Medicaid programs are providing coverage through managed care programs under contracts with private health plans, which is intended to decrease state Medicaid costs. The Trump Administration and Congress are also considering revising federal payments to state Medicaid programs to establish block grants or impose per capita limits on federal Medicaid payments to states. See Item 1. Business—Health Care Regulation. In light of continuing federal and state Medicaid program reforms, budget cuts, and regulatory initiatives, no assurance can be given that the implementation of such regulations and reforms will not have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or results of operations of our lessees and/or borrowers which, in turn, could affect their ability to meet their contractual obligations to us.

We Could Incur More Debt.  We operate with a policy of incurring debt when, in the opinion of our Board of Directors, it is advisable. We may incur additional debt by borrowing under our unsecured revolving line of credit or the uncommitted private shelf agreement, mortgaging properties we own and/or issuing debt securities in a public offering or in a private transaction. Accordingly, we could become more highly leveraged. The degree of leverage could have important consequences to stockholders, including affecting our ability to obtain, in the future, additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general corporate purposes and making us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally.

We Could Fail to Collect Amounts Due Under Our Straight‑line Rent Receivable Asset.  U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires us to calculate the total rent we will receive as a fixed amount over the life of the lease and recognize that revenue evenly over that life. In a situation where a lease calls for fixed rental increases during the life of the lease, rental income recorded in the early years of a lease is higher than the actual cash rent received which creates an asset on the consolidated balance sheet called straight‑line rent receivable. At some point during the lease, depending on the rent levels and terms, this reverses and the cash rent payments received during the later years of the lease are higher than the rental income recognized which reduces the straight‑line rent receivable balance to zero by the end of the lease. We periodically assess the collectability of the straight‑line rent receivable. If during our assessment we determined that we were unlikely to collect a portion or the entire straight‑line rent receivable asset, we may provide a reserve against the previously recognized straight‑line rent receivable asset for a portion or up to its full value that we estimate may not be recoverable.

Our Assets May be Subject to Impairment Charges.  We periodically but not less than quarterly evaluate our real estate investments and other assets for impairment indicators. The judgment regarding the existence of impairment indicators is based on factors such as market conditions, operator performance and legal structure. If we determine that an impairment has occurred, we would be required to make an adjustment to the net carrying value of the asset which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the write‑off occurs.

A Failure to Reinvest Cash Available to Us Could Adversely Affect Our Future Revenues and Our Ability to Increase Dividends to Stockholders; There is Considerable Competition in Our Market for Attractive Investments.  From time to time, we will have cash available from (1) proceeds of sales of shares of securities, (2) proceeds from new debt issuances, (3) principal payments on our mortgages and other investments, (4) sale of properties, and (5) funds from operations. We may reinvest this cash in health care investments and in accordance with our investment policies, repay outstanding debt or invest in qualified short-term or long-term investments. We compete for real estate investments with a broad variety of potential investors. The competition for attractive investments negatively affects our ability to make timely investments on acceptable terms. Delays in acquiring properties or making loans will negatively impact revenues and perhaps our ability to increase distributions to our stockholders.

Our Failure to Qualify as a REIT Would Have Serious Adverse Consequences to Our Stockholders.  We intend to operate so as to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. We believe that we have been organized and have operated in a manner which would allow us to qualify as a REIT under the Code beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 1992. However, it is possible that we have been organized or have operated in a manner which would not allow us to qualify as a REIT, or that our future operations could cause us to fail to qualify. Qualification as a REIT requires us to satisfy numerous requirements (some on an annual and quarterly basis) established under highly technical and complex Code provisions for which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations, and involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control. For example, in order to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income in any year must be derived from qualifying sources, and we must pay dividends to stockholders aggregating annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and by excluding capital gains). Legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly change the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences of such qualification.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal and state income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax for taxable years ending prior to January 1, 2018) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions, we would be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we lost qualification. If we lose our REIT status, our net earnings available for investment or distribution to stockholders would be significantly reduced for each of the years involved. In addition, we would no longer be required to make distributions to stockholders.

Recent Changes to the U.S. Tax Laws Could Have a Significant Negative Impact on the Overall Economy, Our Tenants, Our Investors, and Our Business. On December 22, 2017, H.R. 1, commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) was signed into law making significant changes to the Code. Relevant changes include, but are not limited to the following:

While the changes in the TCJA generally appear to be favorable with respect to REITs, the extensive changes to non-REIT provisions in the Code may have unanticipated effects on us or our stockholders. Moreover, Congressional leaders have recognized that the process of adopting extensive tax legislation in a short amount of time without hearings and substantial time for review is likely to have led to drafting errors, issues needing clarification and unintended consequences that will have to be reviewed in subsequent tax legislation. At this point, it is not clear when Congress will address these issues or when the Internal Revenue Service will issue administrative guidance on the changes made in the TCJA.

As a result of the changes to U.S. federal tax laws implemented by the TCJA, our taxable income and the amount of distributions to our stockholders required in order to maintain our REIT status, and our relative tax advantage as a REIT, may significantly change. The long-term impact of the TCJA on the overall economy, government revenues, our tenants, us, and the real estate industry cannot be reliably predicted at this early stage of the new law’s implementation. Furthermore, the TCJA may negatively impact certain of our tenants’ operating results, financial condition, and future business plans. The TCJA may also result in reduced government revenues, and therefore reduced government spending, which may negatively impact some of our tenants that rely on government funding. There can be no assurance that the TCJA will not negatively impact our operating results, financial condition, and future business operations.

Provisions in Our Articles of Incorporation May Limit Ownership of Shares of Our Capital Stock.  In order for us to qualify as a REIT, no more than 50% in value of the outstanding shares of our stock may be beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of each taxable year. To ensure qualification under this test, our Articles of Incorporation provide that, subject to exceptions, no person may beneficially own more than 9.8% of outstanding shares of any class or series of our stock, including our common stock. Our Board of Directors may exempt a person from the 9.8% ownership limit upon such conditions as the Board of Directors may direct. However, our Board of Directors may not grant an exemption from the 9.8% ownership limit if it would result in the termination of our status as a REIT. Shares of capital stock in excess of the 9.8% ownership limitation that lack an applicable exemption may lose rights to dividends and voting, and may be subject to redemption. As a result of the limitations on ownership set forth in our Articles of Incorporation, acquisition of any shares of capital stock that would result in our disqualification as a REIT may be limited or void. The 9.8% ownership limitation also may have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in control of us, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of our assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of our capital stock.

Our Real Estate Investments are Relatively Illiquid.  Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, tend to limit our ability to vary our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions. All of our properties are “special purpose” properties that cannot be readily converted to general residential, retail or office use. Health care facilities that participate in Medicare or Medicaid must meet extensive program requirements, including physical plant and operational requirements, which are revised from time to time. Such requirements may include a duty to admit Medicare and Medicaid patients, limiting the ability of the facility to increase its private pay census beyond certain limits. Medicare and Medicaid facilities are regularly inspected to determine compliance, and may be excluded from the programs—in some cases without a prior hearing—for failure to meet program requirements. Transfers of operations of nursing homes and other health care‑related facilities are subject to regulatory approvals not

required for transfers of other types of commercial operations and other types of real estate. Thus, if the operation of any of our properties becomes unprofitable due to competition, age of improvements or other factors such that our lessee or borrower becomes unable to meet its obligations on the lease or mortgage loan, the liquidation value of the property may be substantially less than the net book value or the amount owing on any related mortgage loan, than would be the case if the property were readily adaptable to other uses. The receipt of liquidation proceeds or the replacement of an operator that has defaulted on its lease or loan could be delayed by the approval process of any federal, state or local agency necessary for the transfer of the property or the replacement of the operator with a new operator licensed to manage the facility. In addition, certain significant expenditures associated with real estate investment, such as real estate taxes and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in income from the investment. Should such events occur, our income and cash flows from operations would be adversely affected.

We are Subject to Risks and Liabilities in Connection with Properties Owned Through Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships. We currently have an investment in a limited liability company and we may make additional investments through these ventures in the future. Partnership or limited liability company investments may involve risks such as the following:

We will, however, generally seek to maintain sufficient control of our partnerships and limited liability companies to permit us to achieve our business objectives. Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of available funds that we may invest in partnerships or limited liability companies. The occurrence of one or more of the events described above could have a direct and adverse impact on us.

Risks Associated with Property Development that Can Render a Project Less Profitable or Not Profitable, and, Under Certain Circumstances, Prevent Completion of Development Activities Undertaken.  Our business includes development of seniors housing and health care properties. Ground up development presents additional risk, including but not limited to the following:

These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent completion of development activities once undertaken, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Item 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

 

Item 2.  PROPERTIES

Here and throughout this Annual Report on Form 10‑K wherever we provide details of our properties’ bed/unit count, the number of beds/units applies to skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, memory care and behavioral health care properties only. This number is based upon unit/bed counts shown on operating licenses provided to us by lessees/borrowers or units/beds as stipulated by lease/mortgage documents. These numbers often differ, usually not materially by property, from units/beds in operation at any point in time. The differences are caused by such things as operators converting a patient/resident room for alternative uses, such as offices or storage, or converting a multi‑patient room/unit into a single patient room/unit. We monitor our properties on a routine basis through site visits and reviews of current licenses. In an instance where such change would cause a de‑licensing of beds or in our opinion impact the value of the property, we may take action against the lessee/borrower to preserve the value of the property/collateral.

Owned Properties.  The following table sets forth certain information regarding our owned properties as of December 31, 2018 (dollars amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

 

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our lease expirations for our owned properties as of December 31, 2018 (dollars amounts in thousands):

 

Mortgage Loans.  The following table sets forth certain information regarding our mortgage loans as of December 31, 2018 (dollars amounts in thousands):

 

 

Item 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are and may become from time to time a party to various claims and lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of our business, which in our opinion are not singularly or in the aggregate anticipated to be material to our results of operations or financial condition. Claims and lawsuits may include matters involving general or professional liability asserted against the lessees or borrowers of our properties, which we believe under applicable legal principles are not our responsibility as a non‑possessory landlord or mortgage holder. We believe that these matters are the responsibility of our lessees and borrowers pursuant to general legal principles and pursuant to insurance and indemnification provisions in the applicable leases or mortgages. We intend to continue to vigorously defend such claims and lawsuits.

Item 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable