NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

 

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021
OR
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________ to _____________
Commission File No. 001-13489
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Corporate Charter)
Delaware		52-2057472
(State of Incorporation)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

100 E. Vine Street
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130
(Address of principal executive offices)
Telephone Number: 615–890–2020
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.
Title of Each Class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of Each Exchange on which Registered
Shares of Common Stock	NHC	NYSE-American
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well–known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark 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 period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒      No ☐
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,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated filer ☒        Accelerated filer ☐        Non–accelerated filer ☐        Smaller reporting company ☐        Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark 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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b–2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of Common Stock held by non–affiliates on June 30, 2021 (based on the closing price of such shares on the NYSE American) was approximately $604.8 million. For purposes of the foregoing calculation only, all directors, named executive officers and persons known to the Registrant to be holders of 5% or more of the Registrant’s Common Stock have been deemed affiliates of the Registrant.

 

The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 9, 2022 was 15,449,868.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

The following documents are incorporated by reference into Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this Form 10–K:

The Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2022 shareholder’s meeting.

 

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Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this annual filing that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements.  NHC cautions investors that any forward-looking statements made involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance.  The risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following:  liabilities and other claims asserted against us and patient care liabilities, as well as the resolution of current litigation; availability of insurance and assets for indemnification; national and local economic conditions, including their effect on the availability and cost of labor, utilities and materials; the effect of government regulations and changes in regulations governing the healthcare industry, including our compliance with such regulations; changes in Medicare and Medicaid payment levels and methodologies and the application of such methodologies by the government and its fiscal intermediaries; the uncertainty of the extent, duration and effects of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic and the response of governments, and other factors referenced in this annual filing.

Investors should also refer to the risks identified in "Part 1. Item 1A. Risk Factors" for a discussion of various risk factors of the Company and that are inherent in the health care industry.  Given these risks and uncertainties, we can give no assurance that these forward-looking statements will, in fact, transpire and, therefore, caution investors not to place undue reliance on them.  The risks included here are not exhaustive.  All forward-looking statements represent NHC's best judgment as of the date of this filing.

PART 1

National HealthCare Corporation, which we also refer to as NHC or the Company, began business in 1971. Our principal business is the operation of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and a behavioral health hospital. Our business activities include providing sub–acute and post–acute skilled nursing care, intermediate nursing care, rehabilitative care, memory and Alzheimer’s care, senior living services, home health care services, hospice services, and behavioral health services. In addition, we provide management services, accounting and financial services, as well as insurance services to third party operators of health care facilities. We also own the real estate of 13 healthcare properties and lease these properties to third party operators. We operate in 10 states, and our owned and leased properties are located in the Southeastern, Northeastern, and Midwestern parts of the United States.

Description of the Business

The following table summarizes our operations by ownership status as of December 31, 2021:

We also operate a 16-bed behavioral health hospital that specializes in geriatric behavioral health. We currently have a 64-bed behavioral health hospital and a 16-bed behavioral health hospital under construction that are set to open in early 2022.

Net Patient Revenues. The services we provide include a comprehensive range of health care services. In fiscal 2021, 89.9% of our net operating revenues and grant income were derived from such health care services. Highlights of health care services activities during 2021 were as follows:

The following table shows the occupancy rates for our owned and leased skilled nursing facilities:

Other Revenues. We generate revenues from management, accounting and financial services to third party operators of healthcare facilities, from insurance services to our managed healthcare facilities, and from rental income. In fiscal 2021, 4.2% of our net operating revenues and grant income were derived from such sources. The significant sources of our other revenues are described as follows:

Government Stimulus Income.  We received government stimulus funds in 2021 and 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES ACT").  The CARES Act provided $2.2 trillion of economy-wide financial stimulus in the form of financial aid to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, states and municipalities.  The CARES Act appropriated $178 billion to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which is referred to as the Provider Relief Fund ("PRF").  The Company recorded $63,360,000 and $47,505,000 of government stimulus income from the PRF for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  As of December 31, 2021, government stimulus funds received but not recognized as income are $9,443,000 and are reflected in the current liability section of our consolidated balance sheet (provider relief funds).

Non–Operating Income. We generate non–operating income from equity in earnings of unconsolidated investments, dividends and realized gains and losses on marketable securities, interest income, and other miscellaneous non–operating income. The significant source of non–operating income is described as follows:

Equity in Earnings of Unconsolidated Investments. Earnings from investments in entities in which we lack control but have the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies are accounted for on the equity method. During the first five months of 2021, our most significant equity method investment was a 75.1% non–controlling ownership interest in Caris. As of June 11, 2021, the Company acquired the remaining 24.9% equity interest in Caris.  As of the acquisition date, Caris’ operations are consolidated into the Company's financial statements.

Quality of Patient Care

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) introduced the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families and caregivers compare skilled nursing facilities more easily. The Five-Star Quality Rating System gives each skilled nursing operation a rating of between one and five stars in various categories (five stars being the best). The Company has always strived for patient-centered care and quality outcomes as precursors to outstanding financial performance.

The tables below summarize NHC's overall performance in these Five-Star ratings versus the skilled nursing industry as of December 31, 2021:

Development and Growth

We are undertaking to expand our post–acute and senior health care operations while protecting our existing operations and markets. The following table lists our recent construction and purchase activities.

For the two behavioral health hospitals under construction, the two facilities are expected to begin operations late in the first quarter of 2022 or the beginning of the second quarter of 2022.  

Business Segments

The Company has two reportable operating segments: (1) inpatient services, which includes the operation of skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, and the one behavioral health hospital, and (2) homecare and hospice services. The Company also reports an “all other” category that includes revenues from rental income, management and accounting services fees, insurance services, and costs of the corporate office. See Note 7 in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further disclosure of the Company’s operating segments.

Customers and Sources of Revenues

No individual customer, or related group of customers, accounts for a significant portion of our revenues. We do not expect the loss of a single customer or group of related customers would have a material adverse effect.

Certain groups of patients receive funds to pay the cost of their care from a common source. The following table sets forth sources of net patient revenues for the periods indicated:

We attempt to attract an increased percentage of Medicare, managed care, and private pay patients by providing rehabilitative and other post–acute care services. These services are designed to speed the patient's recovery and allow the patient to return home as soon as it is practical.

Medicare is a health insurance program for the aged and certain other chronically disabled individuals operated by the federal government. Medicare covers skilled nursing services for beneficiaries who require nursing care and/or rehabilitation services following a discharge from an acute care hospital. For each eligible day a Medicare beneficiary is in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare pays the facility a daily payment, subject to adjustment for certain factors such as a wage index in the geographic area. The payment covers all services provided by the skilled nursing facility for the beneficiary that day, including room and board, nursing, therapy and drugs, as well as an estimate of capital–related costs to deliver those services.

Medicaid is a medical assistance program for the indigent, operated by individual states with the financial participation of the federal government. The states in which we operate primarily use a cost–based reimbursement system. Under cost–based reimbursement systems, the skilled nursing facility is reimbursed for the reasonable direct and indirect allowable costs it incurred in a base year in providing routine resident care services as defined by the program. Seniors who enter skilled nursing facilities as private pay patients can become eligible for Medicaid once they have substantially depleted their assets. Medicaid is generally the largest source of funding for most skilled nursing facilities.

Private pay, managed care, and other payment sources include commercial insurance, individual patient funds, managed care plans and the Veterans Administration. Although payment rates vary among these sources, market forces and costs largely determine these rates. Private paying patients, private insurance carriers and the Veterans Administration generally pay based on the center's charges or specifically negotiated contracts.

We contract with over 60 managed care organizations ("MCO's") and insurance carriers for the provision of healthcare services by our owned and managed healthcare facilities.

Government Regulation

General  

Health care is an area of extensive regulatory oversight and frequent regulatory change. The federal government and the states in which we operate regulate various aspects of our business. These regulatory bodies, among other things, require us annually to license our skilled nursing facilities and other health care businesses. To operate nursing facilities and provide health care services we must comply with federal, state and local laws relating to the delivery and adequacy of medical care, distribution of pharmaceuticals, equipment, personnel, operating policies, fire prevention, rate–setting, building codes and environmental protection.  Changes in the laws or new interpretations of existing laws as applied to the skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health, or other components of our health care businesses, may have a significant impact on our operations. 

Governmental and other authorities periodically inspect our healthcare facilities and home health and hospice agencies to assure that we continue to comply with their various standards. We must pass these inspections to continue our licensing under state law, to obtain certification under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and to continue our participation in the Veterans Administration program. We can only participate in other third–party programs if our facilities pass these inspections.

From time to time, we, like others in the health care industry, may receive notices from federal and state regulatory agencies alleging that we failed to comply with applicable standards. These notices may require us to take corrective action and may impose civil money penalties and/or other operating restrictions. If our skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, or hospice agencies fail to comply with these directives or otherwise fail to comply substantially with licensure and certification laws, rules and regulations, we could lose our certification as a Medicare and Medicaid provider and/or lose our licenses.

Local and state health and social service agencies and other regulatory authorities specific to their location regulate, to varying degrees, our assisted living facilities. Although regulations and licensing requirements vary significantly from state to state, they typically address, among other things, personnel education, training and records; facility services, including administration of medication, assistance with supervision of medication management and limited nursing services; physical plant specifications; furnishing of resident units; food and housekeeping services; emergency evacuation plans; and resident rights and responsibilities. If assisted living facilities fail to comply with licensing requirements, these facilities could lose their licenses. Most states also subject assisted living facilities to state or local building codes, fire codes and food service licensure or certification requirements. In addition, the manner and extent to which the assisted living industry is regulated at federal and state levels are evolving.

In all states in which we operate, before a skilled nursing facility can make a capital expenditure exceeding certain specified amounts or construct any new skilled health care beds, approval of the state health care regulatory agency or agencies must be obtained, and a Certificate of Need issued. The appropriate state health planning agency must review the Certificate of Need according to state specific guidelines before a Certificate of Need can be issued. A Certificate of Need is generally issued for a specific maximum amount of expenditure and the project must be completed within a specific time period. There is no advance assurance that we will be able to obtain a Certificate of Need in any instance. In some states, approval is also necessary in order to purchase existing health care beds, although the purchaser is normally permitted to avoid a full-scale Certificate of Need application procedure by giving advance written notice of the acquisition and giving written assurance to the state regulatory agency that the change of ownership will not result in a change in the number of beds, services offered and, in some cases, reimbursement rates at the facility.

While there are currently no significant legislative proposals to eliminate Certificates of Need pertaining to skilled nursing care in the states in which we do business, deregulation in the Certificate of Need area would likely result in increased competition and could adversely affect occupancy rates and the supply of licensed and certified personnel.

Health Care Reform  

In recent years, the U.S. Congress and certain state legislatures have passed a large number of laws and regulations intended to effect major change within the U.S. health care system, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively the "ACA").

Since a significant goal of federal health care reform is to transform the delivery of health care by holding providers accountable for the cost and quality of care provided, Medicare and many commercial third-party payors are implementing Accountable Care Organization ("ACO") models in which groups of providers share in the benefit and risk of providing care to an assigned group of individuals. Other reimbursement methodology reforms in which we are participating or expect to participate in include value–based purchasing, in which a portion of provider reimbursement is redistributed based on relative performance on designated economic, clinical quality, and patient satisfaction metrics. Also, CMS is implementing demonstration programs to bundle acute care and post–acute care reimbursement to hold providers accountable for costs across a broader continuum of care. These reimbursement methodologies and similar programs are likely to continue and expand, both in public and commercial health plans. Providers who respond successfully to these trends and can deliver quality care at lower costs are likely to benefit financially.

Patient Confidentiality

We are also subject to laws and regulations enacted to protect the confidentiality of patient health information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") has issued rules that govern our use and disclosure of protected health information. We have established policies and procedures to comply with HIPAA privacy and security requirements. We maintain a company-wide HIPAA compliance plan, that we believe complies with the HIPAA privacy and security regulations. The HIPAA privacy and security regulations have and will continue to impose significant costs to the Company in order to comply with these standards. Our operations are also subject to any federal or state privacy-related laws that are more restrictive than the privacy regulations issued under HIPAA. These laws vary and could impose additional penalties for privacy and security breaches.

Medicare and Medicaid Participation

All skilled nursing facilities, owned, leased or managed by us are certified to participate in Medicare. All but eight (seven owned and one managed) of our affiliated skilled nursing facilities participate in Medicaid. All our homecare and hospice agencies participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, with Medicare comprising the majority of their revenue.  Our behavioral health hospital also participates in the Medicare and Medicaid program.

During the fiscal years, we received payments from Medicare and, if participating, from Medicaid. We record as receivables the amounts we ultimately expect to receive under the Medicare and Medicaid programs and record into profit or loss any differences in amounts received at the time of interim or final settlements. There have not been any adjustments that have had a material adverse effect on the Company within the last three years.

Medicare Legislation and Regulations

Skilled Nursing Facilities

Medicare is uniform nationwide and reimburses skilled nursing facilities under a fixed payment methodology called the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System ("SNF PPS"). The SNF PPS includes a case-mix model called the Patient-Driven Payment Model (“PDPM”), which focuses on a resident’s condition and care needs, rather than the amount of care provided to determine reimbursement levels. PDPM utilizes clinically relevant factors for determining Medicare payment by using ICD-10 diagnosis codes and other patient characteristics as the basis for patient classification. PDPM utilizes five case-mix adjusted payment components: physical therapy (“PT”), occupational therapy (“OT”), speech language pathology (“SLP”), nursing and social services and non-therapy ancillary services (“NTA”). It also uses a sixth non-case mix component to cover utilization of skilled nursing facility resources that do not vary depending on resident characteristics.

On July 29, 2021, CMS released its final rule outlining fiscal year 2022 Medicare payment rates and policy changes for skilled nursing facilities, which began October 1, 2021. The fiscal year 2022 rule provided for an approximate 1.2% increase, or $410 million, compared to 2021 levels. The net increase includes a 2.7% market-basket update that is offset by a 0.7% productivity adjustment and a 0.8% market-basket forecast error adjustment.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES” Act) and subsequent related legislation temporarily suspended Medicare sequestration beginning May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. The Medicare sequestration policy reduces fee-for-service Medicare payments by 2 percent. Beginning April 1, 2022, the sequestration reductions will then be 1% from April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022.  The full 2% reduction is scheduled to go back into effect July 1, 2022.  The CARES Act extends the sequestration policy through 2030 in exchange for this temporary suspension, which the sequestration reduction for 2030 has been increased up to 3%.   

Homecares

Medicare is uniform nationwide and reimburses homecare agencies under a Patient-Driven Groupings Model (“PDGM”). Under PDGM, Medicare provides homecare agencies with payments for each 30-day period of care provided to beneficiaries. If a beneficiary is still eligible for care after the end of the first 30-day payment period, a second 30-day payment period can begin. There are no limits to the number of periods of care a beneficiary who remains eligible for the home health benefit can receive. While payment for each 30-day period of care is adjusted to reflect the beneficiary’s health condition and needs, a special outlier provision exists to ensure appropriate payment for those beneficiaries that have the most expensive care needs. The payment under the Medicare program is also adjusted for certain variables.

In November 2021, CMS released its final rule outlining calendar year 2022 Medicare payment rates. CMS projects payments to home health agencies in 2022 will increase in aggregate by 3.2%, or $570 million. The increase reflects the effects of the 2022 home health payment update percentage of 2.6%, an estimated 0.7% increase that reflects the effects of the updated fixed-dollar loss ratio, and an estimated 0.1% decrease in payments due to the changes in the rural add-on percentages for 2022. Additionally, CMS is expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (“HHVBP”) model nationwide with the first performance year of the expanded HHVBP Model to occur in 2023. Quality performance data from 2023 will be used to calculate payment adjustments under the expanded Model in 2025.

Hospice

Medicare payment rates are calculated as daily rates for each of four levels of care we deliver. Rates are set based on specific levels of care, are adjusted by a wage index to reflect healthcare labor costs across the country and are established annually through federal legislation. The following are the four levels of care provided under the hospice benefit:

Medicare payments are subject to two fixed annual caps, which are assessed on a provider number basis, and are broken into an inpatient cap amount and an overall payment cap. These cap amounts are calculated and published by the Medicare fiscal intermediary on an annual basis.

In July 2021, CMS released its final rule outlining fiscal year 2022 Medicare payment rates. CMS issued a rate increase of 2.0%, or $480 million, effective October 1, 2021. The increase is the result of a 2.7% market basket increase reduced by a 0.7% productivity adjustment. The fiscal year 2022 hospice payment updates also include an update to the statutory aggregate cap amount, which limits the overall payments per patient that are made annually. The cap amount for fiscal year 2022 is $31,297.61 compared to $30,683.93 for FY 2021.

Medicaid Legislation and Regulations

Skilled Nursing Facilities

State Medicaid plans subject to budget constraints are of particular concern to us. Changes in federal funding coupled with state budget problems and Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act have produced an uncertain environment. Most states will not keep pace with post-acute healthcare inflation. States are currently under pressure to pursue other alternatives to skilled nursing care such as community and home–based services.

Medicaid programs are funded jointly by the federal government and the states and are administered by states under approved plans.  Most state Medicaid payments are made under a prospective payment system or under programs which negotiate payment levels with individual providers.  Some states use, or have applied to use, waivers granted by CMS to implement expansion, impose different eligibility or enrollment restrictions, or otherwise implement programs that vary from federal standards.

Effective July 1, 2021 and for the fiscal year 2022, the state of Tennessee implemented specific individual nursing facility increases. We estimate the resulting increase in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year will be approximately $3,500,000 annually, or $875,000 per quarter.

Effective July 1, 2021 and for the fiscal year 2022, the state of Missouri implemented specific individual nursing facility increases. We estimate the resulting increase in revenue for the 2022 fiscal year will be approximately $2,000,000 annually, or $500,000 per quarter.

We have also received from many of the states in which we operate a supplemental Medicaid payment to help mitigate the incremental costs resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we have recorded $20,482,000 and $26,179,000, respectively, due to these supplemental Medicaid payments. We have recorded these payments in net patient revenues in our consolidated statements of operations.

Competition

In most of the communities in which we operate health care facilities, we compete with other health care facilities in the area.  There are hundreds of operators of post-acute healthcare services in each of these states and no single operator, including us, dominates any of the markets, except for some small rural markets which might have limited competition. In competing for patients and staff, we depend upon referrals from acute care hospitals, physicians, residential care facilities, church groups and other community service organizations. The reputation in the community and the physical appearance of our facilities are important in obtaining patients since members of the patient’s family generally participate to a greater extent in selecting skilled nursing facilities than in selecting an acute care hospital. We believe that by providing and emphasizing rehabilitative, as well as patient-centered healthcare services, we can broaden our patient base and to differentiate our operations from competing operations.

As we continue to expand into the senior living communities and behavioral health hospitals, we monitor proposed or existing competing operations. Our development goal is to link our skilled nursing facilities with our senior living communities and behavioral health hospitals, thereby obtaining a competitive advantage for both.

Our homecare and hospice agencies compete with other agencies in most communities we serve. Competition occurs for patients and employees. Our homecare and hospice agencies depend on hospital and physician referrals and reputation to maintain a healthy census.

Human Capital

Employees

As of December 31, 2021, we had 12,965 full-time and part-time employees (“partners”) through our Administrative Services Contractor (National Health Corporation). None were represented by a collective bargaining agreement. We believe relations with our partners are good. Our partners are guided by NHC’s Code of Conduct and they take pride in their work. The Company’s partners appreciate different perspectives and embrace the opportunity to work with those of diverse backgrounds.

Total Rewards

To attract and retain top talent, we believe we must offer and maintain competitive total rewards for our partners. These rewards include not only wages and salaries, but also health, welfare, and retirement benefits. Our partners accrue earned time off (“ETO”) with the flexibility to use this time at their discretion. We offer comprehensive health insurance coverage to all eligible partners as well as a partner and family sick time program which allows partners to accrue paid sick time based on hours worked and to use that time for themselves or family members in need of care. We offer a 401(k) plan which includes matching company contributions. Also, to foster a stronger sense of ownership, we offer an Employee Stock Purchase Plan where partners may purchase company stock through payroll deduction.

We face competition in employing and retaining nurses, technicians, aides, and other high-quality professional and non–professional employees. To enhance our competitive position, we offer a robust educational tuition reimbursement program, an American Dietetic Association approved internship program, specialty designed nurse aide training classes, and there is financial scholarship aid available for various health care vocation programs.

We also conduct an "Administrator in Training" course, which is 24 months in duration, for the professional training of administrators. Presently, we have five (two female and three male) full–time individuals in this program. Both of our regional senior vice presidents, four regional vice presidents, one regional administrator, and 53 of our 75 health care center administrators are graduates of this program.

We regularly utilize third-party consultants to conduct anonymous surveys to seek feedback from our partners on a variety of topics, including but not limited to, confidence in company leadership, competitiveness of our compensation and benefits package, career growth opportunities and improvements on how we can continue to make our company an employer of choice. The results are shared with our partners and reviewed by senior leadership, who analyze areas of progress or deterioration and prioritize actions and activities in response to this feedback to drive meaningful improvements in partner engagement.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our partners is our highest priority. We focus on safety training in order to maintain a safe work environment and minimize work-related injury. When the pandemic began, we ensured and continue to ensure that our partners have access to masks, thermometers, protective gloves, sanitizing supplies, and all personal protective equipment needed in order to protect themselves. We closely follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and local governments, and we take actions to ensure the safety of our partners. Some of the preventative measure we have implemented included:

Community

We have a long and proud history of investing in the communities where we live and work. Through the National Health Foundation (the “Foundation”) and The Foundation for Geriatric Education (“TFGE”) we give back by providing grants to nonprofits and providing tuition reimbursement to partners to further their education in the field of geriatrics. We also have a Compassion Fund which is used to help support partners in times of need. Many of our partners make a positive impact in the communities in which they live by donating their time and talent by volunteering and serving on boards of charitable organizations.

Environmental Sustainability

We are working diligently to minimize our effect on the environment by conserving energy and protecting our natural resources.  We are focusing on being more energy efficient and reducing our water use and wastewater discharges while continuing to provide a healthy environment for our patients, partners and visitors.  We are committed to adhering to applicable federal, state and local environmental regulations.  Our goal is to minimize environmental risks to our patients and in the communities which we operate. 

Through recycling programs, we are working to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.  Our electronic waste is recycled through a zero-landfill recycling company. 

Available Information

The Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and 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, are available free of charge at www.nhccare.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are electronically filed or furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). The SEC maintains a website that contains these reports as well as proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically. The SEC's website is at www.sec.gov. NHC's website and its content are not deemed incorporated by reference into this report.

You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10–K. These risk factors should be considered in connection with evaluating the forward–looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10–K, because these factors could cause the actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in forward–looking statements. The risks described below are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that are not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business operations. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Relating to Our Operations

COVID-19 and other pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of a contagious illness may adversely affect our operating results, cash flows and financial condition. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact and is expected to continue to have a negative impact on our business and results of operations. Although vaccines for the COVID-19 virus are widely available in the United States, COVID-19 cases remain high in some areas, and the disease continues to result in a significant number of hospitalizations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for serious illness and death from COVID-19.

COVID-19 and other pandemics, epidemics, or outbreaks of a contagious illness, and similar events, may cause harm to us, our partners (employees), our patients, our vendors and supply chain partners, and financial institutions, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The COVID-19 impacts may include, but would not be limited to:

The further spread of COVID-19, and the measures taken by federal and state governments and local health authorities intended to limit the spread of the virus, could impact the resources required to carry out our business as usual and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. For example, CMS issued an interim final rule in November 2021 that will require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in certain Medicare- and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers, including hospices, home health agencies and long-term care facilities, including SNFs. This vaccine mandate may result in heightened labor challenges. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our business and our financial results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Such developments may include the ongoing geographic spread of the virus, the severity and the duration of the pandemic, the timing, availability and effectiveness of medical treatments and vaccines (including additional doses of vaccines), the impact of any mutations of the virus, and the type, duration and efficacy of actions that may be taken by various governmental authorities to contain the virus or treat its impact, among others. Any of these developments, individually or in aggregate, could materially impact our business and our financial results and condition.

We depend on reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and other third–party payors, and reimbursement rates from such payors may be reduced. We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from third–party payors, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Third–party payor programs are highly regulated and are subject to frequent and substantial changes. Changes in the reimbursement rate or methods of payment from third–party payors, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs, or the implementation of other measures to reduce reimbursements for our services has in the past, and could in the future, result in a substantial reduction in our revenues and operating margins. For example, the Budget Control Act of 2011 requires automatic spending reductions to reduce the federal deficit, imposing Medicare spending reductions of up to 2% per fiscal year, with a uniform percentage across all Medicare programs. CMS began imposing a 2% reduction on Medicare claims in 2013, and these reductions have been extended through 2030. The CARES Act and related legislation temporarily suspends this 2% reduction through March 31, 2022, and reduces the sequestration adjustment from 2% to 1% from April 1 through June 30, 2022. The full 2% reduction will take effect July 1, 2022, and the reductions for 2030 have been increased to up to 3%. As a result of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ("ARPA"), an additional Medicare payment reduction of up to 4% was required to take effect in January 2022, but Congress has delayed implementation of this reduction until 2023.

Net revenue realizable under third–party payor agreements can change after examination and retroactive adjustment by payors during the claims settlement processes or as a result of post–payment audits. Payors may disallow requests for reimbursement based on determinations that certain costs are not reimbursable or reasonable because additional documentation is necessary or because certain services were not covered or were not reasonable and medically necessary.

There continue to be new laws, regulations, and proposals that could directly impose or indirectly result in further limitations on government and private payments to health care providers. For example, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (“IMPACT Act”) requires HHS, in conjunction with the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, to propose a unified post-acute care payment model by 2023. A unified post-acute care payment system would pay post-acute care providers, such as long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies, under a single framework according to a patient’s characteristics, rather than the post-acute care setting where the patient receives treatment. In some cases, states have enacted or are considering enacting measures designed to reduce their Medicaid expenditures, including transitioning Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care organizations, redefining Medicaid eligibility standards and shifting care away from institutional settings and toward home and community-based services. Several states are using demonstration projects to test new or existing approaches to payment and delivery of Medicaid benefits. Some private third-party payors rely on government payment systems to determine payment rates; therefore, reductions in Medicare, Medicaid and other government program reimbursement rates may negatively impact payments from private payors.

Our hospice agencies are subject to two payment caps that limit Medicare reimbursement each federal fiscal year, an inpatient cap and an aggregate cap. The inpatient cap limits the number of days of inpatient care to no more than 20% of total patient care days. The aggregate cap limits the total Medicare reimbursement that a hospice may receive based on an annual per-beneficiary cap amount and the number of Medicare patients served. If payments received by any one of our hospice provider numbers exceeds the inpatient or aggregate caps, we are required to reimburse Medicare for payments received in excess of the caps, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We cannot assure you that adequate reimbursement levels will continue to be available for the services provided by us. Further limits on the scope of services reimbursed and on reimbursement rates could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. It is possible that the effects of further refinements to payment systems that result in lower payments to us or cuts in state Medicaid funding could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. See Item 1, "Business – Government Regulation" and "Business - Medicare Legislation and Regulations".

The industry trend toward value-based purchasing may negatively impact our revenues.  There is a growing trend in the healthcare industry among both government and commercial payors toward value-based purchasing of healthcare services.  Value-based purchasing programs emphasize quality and efficiency of services, rather than volume of services. For example, CMS reimburses SNF providers using the PDPM, a payment methodology that classifies patients into payment groups based on clinical factors using diagnosis codes rather than by volume of services. In addition, CMS requires SNFs, home health agencies and hospices to report quality data in order to receive full reimbursement. Failure to report quality data or poor performance may negatively impact the amount of reimbursement received. CMS publishes quality measure data online through its Care Compare website, to allow the public to search and compare data for Medicare-certified providers.

Under the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program, CMS reduces SNF Medicare payments by 2 percentage points and redistributes the majority of these funds as incentive payments based on SNF quality measure performance. CMS has implemented a measure suppression policy for the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program for federal fiscal year 2022, in order to mitigate the effect that performance measures impacted by COVID-19 would otherwise have on performance scores and incentive payments. In January 2022, CMS began implementing a nationwide expansion of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (“HHVBP) Model. Under the model, home health agencies will receive increases or decreases to their Medicare fee-for-service payments of up to 5%, based on performance against specific quality measures relative to the performance of other providers. Data collected in each performance year will impact Medicare payments two years later. Calendar year 2023 is the first performance year under the expanded HHVBP Model that will affect payments.

Other initiatives aimed at improving the cost of care include alternative payment models, such as ACOs and bundled payment arrangements.  Medicare and many commercial third-party payors are implementing ACO models, in which groups of providers share in the benefit and risk of providing care to an assigned group of individuals at a lower cost. In addition, CMS is implementing programs to bundle acute care and post-acute care reimbursement to hold providers accountable for costs across a broader continuum of care. In October 2021, the CMS Innovation Center released an outline of its strategy for the next decade, noting the need to accelerate the movement to value-based care and drive broader system transformation. By 2030, the CMS Innovation Center aims to have all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries and the vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries in an accountable care relationship with providers who are responsible for quality and total medical costs. The CMS Innovation Center signaled its intent to streamline its payment models and to increase provider participation through implementation of more mandatory models.

These reimbursement methodologies and other value-based care initiatives are likely to continue and expand, at both the federal and state levels and in public and commercial health plans. It is unclear whether alternative payment models will successfully coordinate care and reduce costs or whether they will decrease overall reimbursement. As a result, it is difficult to predict how the trend toward value-based purchasing will ultimately affect our business. If we fail to meet or exceed quality performance standards under any applicable value-based purchasing program, perform at a level below the outcomes demonstrated by our competitors, or otherwise fail to effectively provide or coordinate the efficient delivery of quality health care services, our reputation in the industry may be negatively impacted, we may receive reduced reimbursement amounts, and we may owe repayments to payors, causing our revenues to decline. Failure to respond successfully to value-based purchasing trends could negatively impact our business, results of operations and/or financial condition.

By undertaking to provide management services, advisory services, and/or financial services to other entities, we become at least partially responsible for meeting the regulatory requirements of those entities. We provide management and/or financial services to skilled nursing facilities, assisting living facilities and independent living facilities owned by third parties. The "Risk Factors" contained herein as applying to us may in many instances apply equally to these other entities for which we provide services. We have in the past and may in the future be subject to claims from the entities to which we provide management, advisory or financial services, or to the claims of third parties to those entities. Any adverse determination in any legal proceeding regarding such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, our results of operation, our financial condition and cash flows.

We provide management services to skilled nursing facilities and other healthcare facilities under terms whereby the payments for our services are subject to subordination to other expenditures of the healthcare facility. Furthermore, there are certain third parties with whom we have contracted to provide services and which we have determined, based on insufficient historical collections and the lack of expected future collections, that the service revenue realization is uncertain. We may, therefore, make expenditures related to the provision of services for which we are not paid.

The cost to replace or retain qualified nurses, health care professionals and other key personnel may adversely affect our financial performance, and we may not be able to comply with certain states’ staffing requirements. We could experience significant increases in our operating costs due to shortages in qualified nurses, health care professionals and other key personnel. The market for these key personnel is highly competitive. We, like other health care providers, have experienced difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, especially facility administrators, nurses, certified nurses' aides and other important health care providers. There is currently a shortage of nurses, and trends indicate this shortage will continue or worsen in the future. The difficulty our skilled nursing facilities are experiencing in hiring and retaining qualified personnel has increased our average wage rate. We may continue to experience increases in our labor costs due to higher wages and greater benefits required to attract and retain qualified health care personnel. Our ability to control labor costs will significantly affect our future operating results. Additionally, if we fail to attract and retain qualified and skilled personnel, our ability to conduct our business operations effectively could be harmed.

Certain states in which we operate skilled nursing facilities have adopted minimum staffing standards and additional states may also establish similar requirements in the future. Our ability to satisfy these requirements will depend upon our ability to attract and retain qualified nurses, certified nurses' assistants, and other staff. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the imposition of fines or other sanctions. If states do not appropriate sufficient additional funds (through Medicaid program appropriations or otherwise) to pay for any additional operating costs resulting from minimum staffing requirements, our profitability may be adversely affected.

The staffing level required to receive a 5-star rating in the CMS Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System is determined based on analysis of the relationship between staffing levels and measures of nursing home quality. CMS places a strong emphasis on registered nurse (“RN”) staffing. The overall and RN staffing ratings are set to one star for nursing homes that report four or more days in the quarter with no RN on-site. Finally, staffing ratings are not suppressed for nursing homes that have five or more days with residents and no nurse staffing hours reported. CMS posts information on nursing home staffing measures on the Care Compare website including, as of January 2022, staff turnover rates and weekend staffing levels. This new data will be incorporated into the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System in July 2022.

Although we currently have no collective bargaining agreements with unions at our facilities, there is no assurance this will continue to be the case. If any of our facilities enter into collective bargaining agreements with unions, we could experience or incur additional administrative expenses associated with union representation of our employees.

Our senior management team has extensive experience in the healthcare industry. We believe they have been instrumental in guiding our business, instituting valuable performance and quality monitoring, and driving innovation. Accordingly, our future performance is substantially dependent upon the continued services of our senior management team. The loss of the services of any of these persons could have a material adverse effect upon us.

Disasters and similar events, which may increase as a result of climate change, may seriously harm our business. Natural and man–made disasters and similar events, including terrorist attacks and acts of nature such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires, may cause damage or disruption to us, our employees and our facilities, which could have an adverse impact on our patients and our business. In order to provide care for our patients, we are dependent on consistent and reliable delivery of food, pharmaceuticals, utilities and other goods to our facilities, and the availability of employees to provide services at our facilities. If the delivery of goods or the ability of employees to reach our facilities were interrupted in any material respect due to a natural disaster or other reasons, it would have a significant impact on our facilities and our business. Furthermore, the impact, or impending threat, of a natural disaster has in the past and may in the future require that we evacuate one or more facilities, which would be costly and would involve risks, including potentially fatal risks, for the patients. The impact of disasters and similar events is inherently uncertain. Such events could harm our patients and employees, severely damage or destroy one or more of our facilities, harm our business, reputation and financial performance, or otherwise cause our business to suffer in ways that we currently cannot predict.

Significant changes in the climate may occur in areas where our facilities are located and we may experience more frequent extreme weather events which may result in physical damage to or a decrease in demand for our facilities located in these areas or affected by these conditions. In addition, changes in federal and state legislation and regulation on climate change could result in increased capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our facilities without a corresponding increase in revenue. Climate change may also have indirect effects on our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable. Should the impact of climate change be material in nature, including destruction of our facilities, or occur for lengthy periods of time, our financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.

Future acquisitions or new developments may be difficult to complete, use significant resources, or be unsuccessful and could expose us to unforeseen liabilities. We may selectively pursue acquisitions or new developments in our target markets. Acquisitions and new developments may involve significant cash expenditures, debt incurrence, capital expenditures, additional operating losses, amortization of the intangible assets of acquired companies, dilutive issuances of equity securities and other expenses that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Acquisitions also involve numerous other risks, including difficulties integrating acquired operations, personnel and information systems, diversion of management's time from existing operations, potential losses of key employees or customers of acquired companies, assumptions of significant liabilities, exposure to unforeseen liabilities of acquired companies and increases in our indebtedness.

We cannot assure that we will succeed in obtaining financing for any acquisitions at a reasonable cost or that any financing will not contain restrictive covenants that limit our operating flexibility. We also may be unable to operate acquired facilities profitably or succeed in achieving improvements in their financial performance.

We also may face competition in acquiring any facilities. Our competitors may acquire or seek to acquire many of the facilities that would be suitable acquisition candidates for us. This could limit our ability to grow by acquisitions or increase the cost of our acquisitions.

In addition, federal and state regulation may adversely impact our ability to complete acquisitions or pursue new developments. For example, a Medicare regulation known as the “36 Month Rule” prohibits the buyer of a Medicare-certified home health agency from assuming the Medicare billing privileges of an acquired agency if the acquired agency either enrolled in Medicare or underwent a change in majority ownership fewer than 36 months prior to the acquisition, subject to certain exceptions. Instead, the buyer must enroll the acquired home health agency as a new provider with Medicare. The 36 Month Rule may increase competition for acquisition targets that are not subject to the rule and may cause significant Medicare billing delays for purchases of home health agencies that are subject to the rule. In addition, our ability to expand operations in a state depends on our ability to obtain necessary state licenses to operate and, where required, certificate of need approval. States may limit the number of licenses they issue. The failure to obtain any required license or certificate of need could impair our ability to operate or expand our business.

Upkeep of healthcare properties is capital intensive, requiring us to continually direct financial resources to the maintenance and enhancement of our physical plant and equipment. As of December 31, 2021, we leased or owned 66 skilled nursing facilities, 21 assisted living facilities, and four independent living facilities. Our ability to maintain and enhance our physical plant and equipment in a suitable condition to meet regulatory standards, operate efficiently and remain competitive in our markets requires us to commit a substantial portion of our free cash flow to continued investment in our physical plant and equipment. Certain of our competitors may operate centers that are not as old as our centers, or may appear more modernized than our centers, and therefore may be more attractive to prospective customers. In addition, the cost to replace our existing centers through acquisition or construction is substantially higher than the carrying value of our centers. We are undertaking a process to allocate more aggressive capital spending within our owned and leased facilities in an effort to address issues that arise in connection with an aging physical plant.

If factors, including factors indicated in these "Risk Factors" and other factors beyond our control render us unable to direct the necessary financial and human resources to the maintenance, upgrade and modernization of our physical plant and equipment, our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow could be adversely impacted.

We are defendants in significant legal actions, which are commonplace in our industry, and which could subject us to increased operating costs and substantial uninsured liabilities, which would materially and adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition. As is typical in the health care industry, we are subject to claims that our services have resulted in resident injury or other adverse effects. We, like our industry peers, have experienced an increasing trend in the frequency and severity of professional liability and workers’ compensation claims and litigation asserted against us. In some states in which we have significant operations, insurance coverage for the risk of punitive damages arising from professional liability claims and/or litigation may not, in certain cases, be available due to state law prohibitions or limitations of availability. We cannot assure you that we will not be liable for punitive damage awards that are either not covered or are in excess of our insurance policy limits. We also believe that there have been, and will continue to be, governmental investigations of long–term care providers, particularly in the area of Medicare/Medicaid false claims, as well as an increase in enforcement actions resulting from these investigations. Insurance is not available to cover such losses. Any adverse determination in a legal proceeding or governmental investigation, whether currently asserted or arising in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

Due to the rising cost and limited availability of professional liability and workers’ compensation insurance, we are largely self–insured on all of these programs and as a result, there is no limit on the maximum number of claims or amount for which we or our insurance subsidiaries can be liable in any policy period. Although we base our loss estimates on independent actuarial analyses using the information we have to date, the amount of the losses could exceed our estimates. In the event our actual liability exceeds our estimates for any given period, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely impacted. In addition, our insurance coverage might not cover all claims made against us. If we are unable to maintain our current insurance coverage, if judgments are obtained in excess of the coverage we maintain, if we are required to pay uninsured punitive damages, or if the number of claims settled within the self–insured retention currently in place significantly increases, we could be exposed to substantial additional liabilities. We cannot assure you that the claims we pay under our self–insurance programs will not exceed the reserves we have set aside to pay claims. The number of claims within the self–insured retention may increase.

If we fail to compete effectively with other health care providers, our revenues and profitability may decline. The health care services industry is highly competitive. Our skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, hospices, home care services and other operations compete on a local and regional basis with other nursing centers, health care providers, and senior living service providers that provide services similar to those we offer. Some of our competitors' facilities are located in newer buildings and may offer services not provided by us or are operated by entities having greater financial and other resources than us. Certain of our competitors are operated by not-for-profit, non-taxpaying or governmental agencies that can finance capital expenditures on a tax-exempt basis and that receive funds and charitable contributions unavailable to us.  Consolidations of not-for-profit entities may intensify this competitive pressure.  Many competing general acute care hospitals are larger and more established than our facilities.

There is also increasing consolidation in the third-party payer industry, including vertical integration efforts among third-party payers and healthcare providers.  Healthcare industry participants are increasingly implementing physician alignment strategies, such as employing physicians, acquiring physician practice groups and participating in ACOs or other clinical integration models.  Other industry participants, such as large employer groups and their affiliates, may intensify competitive pressure and affect the industry in ways that are difficult to predict.  Trends toward clinical transparency and value-based purchasing may impact our competitive position and patient volumes. 

Our facilities compete based on factors such as our reputation for quality care; the commitment and expertise of our staff; the quality and comprehensiveness of our treatment programs; the physical appearance, location and condition of our facilities and to a limited extent, the charges for services. In addition, we compete with other health care providers for customer referrals from hospitals and other providers. As a result, a failure to compete effectively with respect to referrals may have an adverse impact on our business. We cannot assure that increased competition in the future will not adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Possible changes in the case mix of patients and payor mix may significantly affect our profitability. The sources and amounts of our patient revenues will be determined by a number of factors, including licensed bed capacity and occupancy rates of our facilities, the mix of patients and the rates of reimbursement among payors. Changes in the case mix of the patients as well as payor mix among private pay, Medicare and Medicaid will significantly affect our profitability. Particularly, any significant increase in our Medicaid population could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flow, especially if states operating these programs continue to limit, or more aggressively seek limits on, reimbursement rates or service levels.

Private third–party payors continue to try to reduce health care costs. Private third–party payors are continuing their efforts to control health care costs through direct contracts with health care providers, increased utilization review and greater enrollment in managed care programs and preferred provider organizations, among other strategies. These private payors increasingly are demanding discounted fee structures and the assumption by health care providers of all or a portion of the financial risk. The ability of private payors to control healthcare costs may be enhanced by the increasing consolidation of insurance companies and the vertical integration of health insurers with healthcare providers. We could be adversely affected by the continuing efforts of private third–party payors to limit the amount of reimbursement we receive for health care services. We cannot assure you that reimbursement under private third–party payor programs will remain at levels comparable to present levels or will be sufficient to cover the costs allocable to patients eligible for reimbursement pursuant to such programs. Future changes in the reimbursement rates or methods of private or third–party payors or the implementation of other measures to reduce reimbursement for our services could result in a substantial reduction in our net operating revenues. As a result of competitive pressures, our ability to maintain operating margins through price increases to private patients is limited.

In addition, the failure to obtain, renew, or retain payor agreements with favorable contract terms may negatively impact our results of operations and/or revenue. Our ability to contract with payors depends on our quality of service and reputation, as well as other factors of which we may have little or no control, such as state appropriations and changes in provider eligibility requirements.

We are permitted to incur substantial debt, which could further exacerbate the risks described above. We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial indebtedness in the future. If debt is added, the related risks that we now face could intensify.

Risks Related to Government Regulation

We conduct business in a heavily regulated industry, and changes in, or violations of regulations may result in increased costs or sanctions that reduce our revenue and profitability. In the ordinary course of our business, we are regularly subject to inquiries, investigations and audits by federal and state agencies to determine whether we are in compliance with regulations governing the operation of, and reimbursement for, skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, assisted living and independent living facilities, hospice, home health agencies and our other operating areas. These regulations include those relating to licensure, certification and enrollment with government programs, conduct of operations, ownership of facilities, construction of new and additions to existing facilities, allowable costs, adequacy and quality of services, qualifications and training of personnel, communications with patients and consumers, billing and coding for services, adequacy and manner of documentation for services provided, minimum direct care spending ratios, services and prices for services, and pharmaceuticals and controlled substances. Various laws, including federal and state anti–kickback and anti–fraud statutes, prohibit certain business practices and relationships that might affect the provision and cost of health care services reimbursable under federal and/or state health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, including the payment or receipt of remuneration for the referral of patients whose care will be paid by federal governmental programs or fee-splitting arrangements between health care providers that are designed to induce the referral of patients to a provider for medical products and services.  Furthermore, many states prohibit business corporations from providing or holding themselves out as a provider of medical care. 

In addition, the Stark Law broadly defines the scope of prohibited physician referrals under federal health care programs to providers with which they have ownership or other financial arrangements. Many states have adopted, or are considering, legislative proposals similar to these laws, some of which extend beyond federal health care programs, to prohibit the payment or receipt of remuneration for the referral of patients and physician referrals regardless of the source of the payment for the care.

We also are subject to potential lawsuits under a federal whistle-blower statute designed to combat fraud and abuse in the health care industry, known as the federal False Claims Act.  These lawsuits can involve significant monetary awards to private plaintiffs who successfully bring these suits.  When a private party brings a qui tam action under the False Claims Act, it files the complaint with the court under seal, and the defendant will generally not be aware of the lawsuit until the government makes a determination whether it will intervene and take a lead in the litigation.  Even if, during an investigation, the court partially unseals a complaint to allow the government and a defendant to work toward a resolution of the complaint's allegations, the defendant is prohibited from revealing to anyone the existence of the complaint or that the partial unsealing has occurred. 

These laws and regulations are complex and limited judicial or regulatory interpretation exists. We cannot assure you that governmental officials charged with responsibility for enforcing the provisions of these laws and regulations will not assert that one or more of our arrangements are in violation of the provisions of such laws and regulations.

The regulatory environment surrounding the post–acute and long–term care industry has intensified, particularly for larger for–profit, multi–facility providers like us. The federal government has imposed extensive enforcement policies resulting in a significant increase in the number of inspections, citations of regulatory deficiencies and other regulatory sanctions, including terminations from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, denials of payment for new Medicare and Medicaid admissions and civil monetary penalties.

If we fail to obtain or renew required regulatory approvals or licenses or fail to comply, or are perceived as failing to comply, with other extensive laws and regulations applicable to our business, we could have our licenses suspended or revoked, become ineligible to receive government program reimbursement, be required to refund amounts received from Medicare, Medicaid or private payors, suffer civil or criminal penalties, suffer damage to our reputation in various markets or be required to make significant changes to our operations. Any of these sanctions could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition. Furthermore, should we lose licenses or certifications for many of our facilities as a result of regulatory action or otherwise, we could be deemed in default under some of our agreements, including agreements governing outstanding indebtedness.

We have established policies and procedures that we believe are sufficient to ensure that we will operate in substantial compliance with these anti–fraud and abuse requirements. From time to time, we may seek guidance as to the interpretation of these laws; however, there can be no assurance that such laws will ultimately be interpreted in a manner consistent with our practices.  In addition, we could be forced to expend considerable resources responding to an investigation or other enforcement action under these laws or regulations.  While we believe that our business practices are consistent with Medicare and Medicaid criteria, those criteria are often vague and subject to change and interpretation. We are unable to predict the future course of federal, state and local regulation or legislation, including Medicare and Medicaid statutes and regulations, or the intensity of federal and state enforcement actions. Aggressive anti–fraud actions have had and could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. See Item 1, "Business – Government Regulation".

We are unable to predict the ultimate impact of COVID-19 pandemic stimulus or relief legislation or the effect that such legislation or other government responses intended to assist healthcare providers in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state governments have passed legislation, promulgated regulations and taken other administrative actions intended to assist healthcare providers in providing care to COVID-19 and other patients and to provide financial relief to healthcare providers. Together, the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (“PPPHCE Act”), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (“CAA”) and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorize over $186 billion in funding to be distributed to health care providers through the Provider Relief Fund. These funds are intended to reimburse eligible providers, including public entities and Medicare and/or Medicaid-enrolled providers and suppliers, for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19. Recipients are not required to repay these funds, provided that they attest to and comply with certain terms and conditions, including not using Provider Relief Fund payments to reimburse expenses or losses that other sources are obligated to reimburse and submitting reports as required by HHS. Recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments are subject to audit requirements, and we expect that recipients of funds from the Provider Relief Fund will be subject to significant scrutiny by the federal government. We have structured and will continue to structure our use of these funds in accordance with the terms and conditions, but federal regulators may disagree with our interpretation of these terms and conditions and require that we repay some or all amounts received at our facilities or impose other penalties.

Beyond financial assistance, federal and state governments have enacted legislation and established regulations intended to expand access to and payment for telehealth services, increase access to medical supplies and equipment, prioritize review of drug applications to help with shortages of emergency drugs, and ease various legal and regulatory burdens on health care providers. HHS and CMS have announced other flexibilities for health care providers in response to COVID-19, such as relief from data submission requirements and measure suppression policies for providers participating in certain quality reporting programs. It is unclear how changes to these and other value-based programs will affect our financial condition.

There is still a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the CARES Act and related legislation passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic continues to evolve. Some of the measures allowing for flexibility in delivery of care and various financial supports for health care providers are available only for the duration of the national public health emergency (“PHE”) declared by HHS as a result of the pandemic, and it is unclear whether or for how long the PHE declaration will be extended. The current PHE determination expires April 16, 2022. The HHS Secretary may choose to renew the PHE declaration for successive 90-day periods for as long as the emergency continues to exist and may terminate the declaration whenever he determines that the PHE no longer exists. The federal government may consider additional stimulus and relief efforts, but we are unable to predict whether additional measures will be enacted or their impact. There can be no assurance as to the total amount of financial and other types of assistance we will ultimately receive under stimulus and relief legislation, and it is difficult to predict the impact of such legislation on our operations. Further, there can be no assurance that the terms and conditions of the Provider Relief Fund or other programs will not change in ways that affect funding we may receive, our ability to comply with such terms and conditions in the future or our eligibility to participate. We continue to assess the potential impact of COVID-19 and government responses to the pandemic, including the enactment and implementation of the CARES Act and related legislation on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our business may be impacted by healthcare reform efforts. In recent years, the U.S. Congress and certain state legislatures have considered and passed a large number of laws intended to result in significant changes to the healthcare industry, including the ACA. The ACA affects how healthcare services are delivered and reimbursed through the expansion of public and private health insurance coverage, reduction of growth in Medicare and Medicaid spending, and the establishment and expansion of programs that tie reimbursement to quality and integration. The ACA has been subject to legislative and regulatory changes and court challenges. Although the current presidential administration has indicated that it generally intends to protect and strengthen the ACA, it is possible that there may be continued changes to the ACA, its implementation or its interpretation. Changes by Congress or government agencies could eliminate or alter provisions beneficial to us, while leaving in place provisions reducing our reimbursement or otherwise negatively impacting our business.

There is also uncertainty regarding whether, when and what other health reform measures will be adopted, and the impact of such efforts on providers as well as other healthcare industry participants. Some members of Congress have proposed expanding government-funded coverage, including proposals to expand coverage of federally-funded insurance programs as an alternative to private insurance or to establish a single payor system (such reforms are often referred to as “Medicare for All”), and some states have implemented or proposed public health insurance options.

In addition, CMS administrators may make changes to Medicaid payment models or grant additional flexibilities to states in the administration of state Medicaid programs, including by expanding the scope of waivers under which states may implement Medicaid expansion provisions, impose different eligibility or enrollment restrictions, or otherwise implement programs that vary from federal standards. Other industry participants, such as private payors, may also introduce financial or delivery system reforms. We are unable to predict the nature and success of such initiatives. Healthcare reform initiatives may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

We are required to comply with laws governing the transmission and privacy and security of health information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or ("HIPAA"), requires the use of uniform electronic data transmission standards for healthcare claims and payment transactions submitted or received electronically.  In addition, as required by HIPAA, the HHS has issued privacy and security regulations that extensively regulate the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information (known as Protected Health Information, or PHI) and require covered entities, including healthcare providers and health plans, and vendors known as "business associates," to implement administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect the security of PHI.  Covered entities must report breaches of unsecured PHI without unreasonable delay to affected individuals, HHS and, in the case of larger breaches, the media.  The privacy, security and breath notification regulations have imposed, and will continue to impose, significant compliance costs on our operations. 

There are numerous other laws and legislative and regulatory initiatives at the federal and state levels addressing privacy and security concerns.  These laws vary and may impose additional obligations or penalties.  For example, additional federal and state obligations may apply to behavioral, addictive disorder and other types of sensitive information. Further, various state laws and regulations may require us to notify affected individuals in the event of a data breach involving individually identifiable information (even if no health-related information is involved).  In addition, the Federal Trade Commission uses its consumer protection authority to initiate enforcement actions in response to data breaches.  To the extent we fail to comply with one or more federal and/or state privacy and security requirements or if we are found to be responsible for the non-compliance of our vendors, we could be subject to substantial fines or penalties, as well as third-party claims, and suffer harm to our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity.

In addition, health care providers and industry participants are also subject to a growing number of requirements intended to promote the interoperability and exchange of patient health information. For example, beginning April 5, 2021, most health care providers and certain other entities are subject to information blocking restrictions pursuant to the 21st Century Cures Act that prohibit practices that are likely to interfere with the access, exchange or use of electronic health information, except as required by law or specified by HHS as a reasonable and necessary activity.

We are subject to employment-related laws and regulations which could increase our cost of doing business and subject us to significant back pay awards, fines and lawsuits.  Our operations are subject to a variety of federal, state and local employment-related laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs such matters as minimum wages, the Family Medical Leave Act, overtime pay, compensable time, record keeping and other working conditions, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the National Labor Relations Act, regulations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, regulations of the Office of Civil Rights, regulations of the Department of Labor (DOL), federal and state wage and hour laws, and a variety of similar laws enacted by the federal and state governments that govern these and other employment-related matters.  Because labor represents such a large portion of our operating costs, compliance with these evolving federal and state laws and regulations could substantially increase our cost of doing business while failure to do so could subject us to significant back pay awards, fines and lawsuits.  In addition, federal proposals to introduce a system of mandated health insurance and flexible work time and other similar initiatives could, if implemented, adversely affect our operations.  Our failure to comply with federal and state employment-related laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity. 

Our business is subject to a variety of federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. As a healthcare provider, we face regulatory requirements in areas of air and water quality control, medical and low–level radioactive waste management and disposal, asbestos management, response to mold and lead–based paint in our facilities and employee safety.

As an operator of healthcare facilities, we also may be required to investigate and remediate hazardous substances that are located on and/or under the property, including any such substances that may have migrated off, or may have been discharged or transported from the property. Part of our operations involves the handling, use, storage, transportation, disposal and discharge of medical, biological, infectious, toxic, flammable, and other hazardous materials, wastes, pollutants, or contaminants. In addition, we are sometimes unable to determine with certainty whether prior uses of our facilities and properties or surrounding properties may have produced continuing environmental contamination or noncompliance, particularly where the timing or cost of making such determinations is not deemed cost effective. These activities, as well as the possible presence of such materials in, on and under our properties, may result in damage to individuals, property, or the environment; may interrupt operations or increase costs; may result in legal liability, damages, injunctions or fines; may result in investigations, administrative proceedings, penalties or other governmental agency actions; and may not be covered by insurance.

We believe that we are in material compliance with applicable environmental and occupational health and safety requirements. However, we cannot assure you that we will not encounter environmental liabilities in the future, and such liabilities may result in material adverse consequences to our operations or financial condition.

We are subject to federal and state income taxes.  Changes in tax laws and regulations or the interpretation of such laws could adversely affect our position on income taxes and estimated income liabilities.  Uncertain tax positions may arise where tax laws may allow for alternative interpretations or where the timing of recognition of income is subject to judgment. We believe we have adequate provisions for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. However, because of uncertainty of interpretation by various tax authorities and the possibility that there are issues that have not been recognized by management, we cannot guarantee we have accurately estimated our tax liabilities. We believe that our liabilities reflect the anticipated outcome of known uncertain tax positions in conformity with ASC Topic 740 Income Taxes.

We are also subject to regular reviews, examinations, and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities with respect to our taxes.  There are uncertainties and ambiguities in the application of the Tax Act and it is possible that the IRS cold issue subsequent guidance or take positions on audit that differ from our interpretations and assumptions.  Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, if a taxing authority disagrees with the positions we have taken, we could face additional tax liability, including interest and penalties.  Our effective tax rate could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings in states with different statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, change in tax laws and regulations, changes in our interpretations of tax laws, including the Tax Act. Unanticipated changes in our tax rates or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our profitability.  There can be no assurance that payment of such additional amounts upon final adjudication of any disputes will not have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.

Risks Related to Our Structure and Public Company Compliance

Failure to maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act could result in a restatement of our financial statements, cause investors to lose confidence in our financial statements and our company and have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price. We produce our consolidated financial statements in accordance with the requirements of U.S. GAAP. Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports to help mitigate the risk of fraud and to operate successfully as a publicly traded company. As a public company, we are required to document and test our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.

Testing and maintaining internal controls can divert our management's attention from other matters that are important to our business. We may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 or our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to issue an unqualified report if we conclude that our internal controls over financial reporting are not effective. If either we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting or our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to provide us with an unqualified report as required by Section 404, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information and our company, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock, and cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations in the future, which in turn could impact our ability to raise additional financing if needed in the future.

Increasing costs of being publicly owned are likely to impact our future consolidated financial position and results of operations. In connection with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, we are subject to rules requiring our management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to have effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting in place, we could be unable to provide timely and reliable financial information which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Significant regulatory changes, including the Sarbanes–Oxley Act and rules and regulations promulgated as a result of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, have increased, and in the future, are likely to further increase general and administrative costs. In order to comply with the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, the listing standards of the NYSE exchange, and rules implemented by the SEC, we have had to hire additional personnel and utilize additional outside legal, accounting and advisory services, and may continue to require such additional resources. Moreover, in the rapidly changing regulatory environment in which we operate, there is significant uncertainty as to what will be required to comply with many of the regulations. As a result, we may be required to spend substantially more than we currently estimate, and may need to divert resources from other activities, as we develop our compliance plans.

New accounting pronouncements or new interpretations of existing standards could require us to make adjustments in our accounting policies that could affect our financial statements. The Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), the SEC, or other accounting organizations or governmental entities issue new pronouncements or new interpretations of existing accounting standards that sometimes require us to change our accounting policies and procedures. Future pronouncements or interpretations could require us to change our policies or procedures and have a significant impact on our future financial statements.

Provision for losses in our financial statements may not be adequate. Loss provisions in our financial statements for self–insured programs are made on an undiscounted basis in the relevant period. These provisions are based on internal and external evaluations of the merits of individual claims, analysis of claims history and independent actuarially determined estimates. Our management reviews the methods of determining these estimates and establishing the resulting accrued liabilities frequently, with any material adjustments resulting from being reflected in current earnings. Although we believe that our provisions for self–insured losses in our financial statements are adequate, the ultimate liability may be in excess of the amounts recorded. In the event the provisions for losses reflected in our financial statements are inadequate, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected.

Implementation of new information technology could cause business interruptions and negatively affect our profitability and cash flows. We continue to refine and implement our information technology to improve customer service, enhance operating efficiencies and provide more effective management of business operations. Implementation of information technology carries risks such as cost overruns, project delays and business interruptions and delays. If we experience a material business interruption as a result of the implementation of our existing or future information technology infrastructure or are unable to obtain the projected benefits of this new infrastructure, it could adversely affect us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We depend on the proper function and availability of our information systems. We are dependent on the proper function and availability of our information systems. Though we have taken steps to protect the safety and security of our information systems and the data maintained within those systems, there can be no assurance that our safety and security measures and disaster recovery plan will prevent damage or interruption of our systems and operations, and we may be vulnerable to losses associated with the improper functioning, security breach or unavailability of our information systems. Failure to maintain proper function and availability of our information systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity.

In addition, certain software supporting our business and information systems are licensed to us by independent software developers. Our inability or the inability of these developers, to continue to maintain and upgrade our information systems and software could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. In addition, costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems also could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and liquidity.

Cybersecurity risks could harm our ability to operate effectively. Cybersecurity refers to the combination of technologies, processes and procedures established to protect information technology systems and data from unauthorized access, attack, or damage. We rely on our information systems to provide security for processing, transmission and storage of confidential patient, resident, employee other consumer information, such as personally identifiable information, including information relating to health protected by HIPAA. Although we have taken steps to protect the security of our information systems, medical devices that store sensitive data, and the data maintained in those systems and devices, it is possible that our safety and security measures will not prevent improper functioning or the improper access or disclosure of personally identifiable information such as in the event of cyber-attacks. We may be at increased risk because we outsource certain services or functions to, or have systems that interface with, third parties. Some of these third parties may store or have access to our data and may not have effective controls, processes, or practices to protect our information from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. A breach or attack, including those caused by updates and other releases, affecting any of these third parties could harm our business. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic may have an adverse impact on our information technology systems and our ability to securely preserve confidential information, including risks associated with telecommuting issues when our employees work remotely.

If personally identifiable information of our patients or others is improperly accessed, tampered with or distributed, we may incur significant costs to remediate possible injury to the affected patients, and we may be subject to sanctions and civil or criminal penalties if we are found to be in violation of the privacy or security rules under HIPAA or other similar federal or state laws protecting confidential personally identifiable information. 

Security breaches, including physical or electronic break–ins, computer viruses, attacks by hackers and similar breaches can create system disruptions or shutdowns or the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Additionally, healthcare businesses are increasingly targets of cyberattacks, whereby hackers disrupt business operations or obtain protected health information, often demanding large ransoms. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any cybersecurity vulnerabilities.  The occurrence of any of these events could result in harm to patients; business interruptions or delays; the loss, misappropriation, corruption, or unauthorized access of data; litigation and potential liability under privacy, security and consumer protection laws or other applicable laws; reputational damage; or federal and state governmental inquiries.  Any failure to maintain proper functionality and security of our information systems could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. 

We may not be able to meet all our capital needs. We cannot assure you that our business will generate cash flow from operations that anticipated revenue growth and improvement of operating efficiencies will be realized or that future borrowings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to service any future indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. We may need incur indebtedness, sell assets or certain discretionary capital expenditures.

The performances of our fixed–income and our equity investment portfolios are subject to a variety of investment risks. Our investment portfolios are comprised principally of fixed–income securities and common equities. Our fixed–income portfolio is actively managed by an investment group and includes short–term investments and fixed–maturity securities. The performances of our fixed–income and our equity portfolios are subject to a number of risks, including:

In addition, the success of our investment strategies and asset allocations in the fixed–income portfolio may vary depending on the market environment. The fixed–income portfolio's performance also may be adversely impacted if, among other factors: there is a lack of transparency regarding the underlying businesses of the issuers of the securities that we purchase; credit ratings assigned to such securities by nationally recognized credit rating agencies are based on incomplete information or prove unwarranted; or our risk mitigation strategies are ineffective for the applicable market conditions.

The common equity portfolio is subject to general movements in the values of equity markets and to the changes in the prices of the securities we hold. Equity markets, sectors, industries, and individual securities may be subject to high volatility and to long periods of depressed or declining valuations.

If the fixed–income or equity portfolios, or both, were to suffer a decrease in value due to market, sector, or issuer–specific conditions to a substantial degree, our liquidity, financial position, and financial results could be materially adversely affected.

Our stock price is volatile and fluctuations in our operating results, quarterly earnings and other factors may result in declines in the price of our common stock. Equity markets are prone to, and in the last few years have experienced, extreme price and volume fluctuations. Volatility over the past few years has had a significant impact on the market price of securities issued by many companies, including us and other companies in the healthcare industry. If we are unable to operate our businesses as profitably as we have in the past or as our stockholders expect us to in the future, the market price of our common stock will likely decline as stockholders could sell shares of our common stock when it becomes apparent that the market expectations may not be realized. In addition to our operating results, many economic and other factors beyond our control could have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock including:

We may not be able to pay or maintain dividends and the failure to do so would adversely affect our stock price.  We currently pay a quarterly dividend on our common stock and our Board intends to continue to pay a quarterly dividend.  However, our ability to pay and maintain cash dividends is based on many factors, including our financial condition, funds from operations, the level of our capital expenditures and future business prospects, our ability to make and finance acquisitions, anticipated operating cost levels, the level of demand for our beds, the rates we charge and actual results that may vary substantially from estimates.  Some of the factors are beyond our control and a change in any such factor could affect our ability to pay or maintain dividends.  The failure to pay or maintain dividends could adversely affect our stock price. 

None.

Healthcare Facilities Leased to Others

The following table includes certain information regarding healthcare facilities which are owned by us and leased to others:

⁽¹⁾Leased from NHI

⁽²⁾Ascension at Home St. Thomas is owned by a separate limited liability company. The Company owns 50% of the limited liability company.

General and Professional Liability Insurance and Lawsuits

The senior care industry has experienced increases in both the number of personal injury/wrongful death claims and in the severity of awards based upon alleged negligence by nursing facilities and their employees in providing care to residents. The Company has been, and continues to be, subject to claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business, including potential claims related to patient care and treatment. The defense of these lawsuits may result in significant legal costs, regardless of the outcome, and can result in large settlement amounts or damage awards.

As a result of the terms of our insurance policies and our use of a wholly-owned insurance company, we have retained significant self–insured risk with respect to general and professional liability. Additional insurance is purchased through third party providers that serve to supplement the coverage provided through our wholly-owned captive insurance company. We use independent actuaries to assist management in estimating our exposures for claims obligations (for both asserted and unasserted claims) related to exposures in excess of coverage limits, and we maintain reserves for these obligations. It is possible that claims against us could exceed our coverage limits and our reserves, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

General Litigation

Qui Tam Litigation

United States of America, ex rel. Jennifer Cook and Sally Gaither v. Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc., NHC HealthCare/Moulton, LLC, et al., Case No. 2:20-CV-00877-AMM (N.D. Ala.)  This is a qui tam case originally filed under seal on June 22, 2020. The United States declined intervention on March 1, 2021. Thereafter, the Plaintiff filed an amended Complaint against Dr. Sanja Malhotra, Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc. and other entities that Dr. Malhotra is alleged to own or in which he has a financial interest.  The Complaint also named multiple skilled nursing facilities as Defendants, including NHC Healthcare/Moulton, LLC, an affiliate of National HealthCare Corporation. The Complaint alleges that nurse practitioners affiliated with Dr. Malhotra provided free services to the facilities in exchange for referrals to entities owned by or in which Dr. Malhotra had a financial interest in violation of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. NHC Healthcare/Moulton, LLC denies the allegations and is vigorously defending the claim. A motion to dismiss was filed on November 4, 2021.  On January 28, 2022, the district court stayed this matter and administratively terminated the motion to dismiss pending the U.S. Supreme Court's review of a petition for certiorari filed in an unrelated matter, but involving one of the legal arguments raised in the motion to dismiss.  We expect that motion to dismiss will be renewed once the stay is lifted.  There is no expected timeline for the lifting of the stay.  

Not applicable.

PART II

Market Information

Our common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE-American exchange under the symbol “NHC”. On December 31, 2021, NHC had approximately 8,600 stockholders, comprised of approximately 1,900 stockholders of record and an additional 6,700 stockholders indicated by security position listings.

Dividend Policy

We do not have a formal dividend policy, but we currently intend to continue to pay regular quarterly dividends to the holders of our common stock. The Company has paid a common dividend since 2004, although there can be no assurances that our quarterly dividends will be declared, paid or increased in the future.

Stock Repurchase Programs

In 2021, the Company purchased 8,437 shares of its common stock for a total cost of $836,000. In 2020, the Company purchased 797 shares of its common stock for a total cost of $53,000. In 2019, the Company purchased 10,396 shares of its common stock for a total cost of $872,000. The shares were funded from cash on hand and were cancelled and returned to the status of authorized but unissued.

Equity Compensation Plans

The following table sets forth information regarding our equity compensation plans:

The following graph and chart compare the cumulative total stockholder return for the period from December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2021 on an investment of $100 in (i) NHC’s common stock, (ii) the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index ("S&P 500 Index") and (iii) the Standard & Poor’s Health Care Index ("S&P Health Care Index"). Cumulative total stockholder return assumes the reinvestment of all dividends. Stock price performances shown in the graph are not necessarily indicative of future price performances.

Overview

National HealthCare Corporation, which we also refer to as NHC or the Company, is a leading provider of post–acute care and senior health care services. At December 31, 2021, we operate or manage 75 skilled nursing facilities with 9,473 1icensed beds, 24 assisted living facilities, five independent living facilities, one behavioral health hospital, 34 homecare agencies, and 28 hospice agencies located in 10 states. These operations are provided by separately funded and maintained subsidiaries. In addition, we provide management services, accounting and financial services, and insurance services to third party operators of healthcare properties. We also own the real estate of 13 healthcare properties and lease these properties to third party operators.

Impact of COVID-19

In early March 2020, COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel strain of the coronavirus, was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. As a provider of healthcare services, we are significantly exposed to the public health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  NHC’s primary objective has remained the same throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: that is to protect the health and safety of our patients, residents, and partners (employees). We continue to follow all guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), and state and local health departments to prevent the spread of the disease within our operations. 

We began our first vaccination clinics in our skilled nursing facilities around the middle of December 2020. As the vaccination clinics progressed and as the vaccine became more accessible, we began to see a significant decline in COVID-19 cases among our operations. With the COVID-19 cases significantly declining during the first and second quarters of 2021, the census in our skilled nursing facilities began to increase. Although our census continued to increase in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, the trajectory of our census was slowed due to the spike in the Delta and Omicron variants during the second half of 2021.

The pandemic continues to have a material impact on the Company's loss of revenues, operating expenses, and the labor and workforce environment.  Our operating expenses remain elevated with incentive compensation being paid to our frontline partners, as well as increased costs of personal protective equipment (“PPE”), sanitizers and cleaning supplies, and COVID-19 testing of our patients and partners. Despite the continued disruption of COVID-19 to our operations, our capital and financial resources, including our overall liquidity, remain strong. Our liquidity provides us with significant flexibility to maintain the strength of our balance sheet in periods of uncertainty or stress.

At this time, we are not able to quantify the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on our future financial results, but the developments related to COVID-19 have adversely affected our financial performance in 2021. The ultimate impact of the pandemic on our financial results will depend on, among other factors, the duration and severity of the pandemic, the volume of acute and post-acute healthcare patients cared for across the broader health care systems, the timing and availability of effective medical treatments and vaccines, and the impact of government actions and administrative regulations on our industry and broader economy, including future government stimulus efforts. We have received and may continue to receive payments and advances from the various federal and state initiatives. These legislative initiatives have been beneficial to partially mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our results of operations and financial position to date. The federal and state governments may consider additional stimulus and relief efforts, but we are unable to predict whether any of the additional stimulus measures will be enacted or their impact.

Legislation and Government Stimulus Due to COVID-19

The U.S. government enacted several laws beginning in March 2020 designed to help the nation respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new laws impacted healthcare providers in a variety of ways, but the largest legislation from a monetary relief perspective is the CARES Act. Through the CARES Act, as well as the PPPCHE, the federal government allocated $178 billion to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, which is referred to as the Provider Relief Fund. The Provider Relief Fund is administered through grants and other mechanisms to skilled nursing providers, home health providers, hospitals, and other Medicare and Medicaid enrolled providers to cover any unreimbursed health care related expenses or lost revenue attributable to the public health emergency resulting from COVID-19.    

The Provider Relief Fund grants come with terms and condition certifications in which all providers are required to submit documents to ensure the funds will be used for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. The Company recorded $63,360,000 and $47,505,000 of government stimulus income from the Provider Relief Funds for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.  The grant income was determined on a systemic basis in line with the recognition of specific expenses and lost revenues for which the grants are intended to compensate. The Company’s assessment of whether the terms and conditions for amounts received have been met for income recognition and the Company’s related income calculation considered all frequently asked questions and other interpretive guidance issued to date by HHS.

As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, amounts not recognized as income are $9,443,000 and $16,068,000, respectively, and are reflected in the current liability section of our consolidated balance sheet (provider relief funds). We anticipate incurring additional COVID-19 related expenses or lost revenues in the future; therefore, at this time, we believe we will fully utilize the remaining $9,443,000 of provider relief funds before the reporting requirement deadline that is required by the U.S. HHS.

Additionally, as part of the CARES Act, the legislation included an expansion of the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program. We received approximately $51,253,000 as part of this program. These funds are applied against claims for services provided to Medicare patients after approximately one year from the date we received the funds. Recoupment of the accelerated payments began in the second quarter of 2021. As of December 31, 2021, $15,022,000 of the accelerated payments remain and is reflected within contract liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet.

The CARES Act and subsequent related legislation temporarily suspended Medicare sequestration beginning May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022. The Medicare sequestration policy reduces fee-for-service Medicare payments by 2 percent. Beginning April 1, 2022, the sequestration reductions will then be 1% from April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022.  The full 2% reduction is scheduled to go back into effect July 1, 2022.  The CARES Act extends the sequestration policy through 2030 in exchange for this temporary suspension, which the sequestration reduction for 2030 has been increased up to 3%.   

The CARES Act also temporarily permitted employers to defer the deposit and payment of the employer’s portion of the social security taxes (6.2% of employee wages) that otherwise would have been due between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020. The provision requires that the deferred taxes be paid over a two-year period with half the amount required to be paid by December 31, 2021, and the other half by December 31, 2022. At December 31, 2021, we have deferred $10,545,000 of the Company’s share of the social security taxes. 

We have also received from many of the states in which we operate a supplemental Medicaid payment to help mitigate the incremental costs resulting from the COVID-19 public health emergency. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we have recorded $20,482,000 and $26,179,000, respectively, in net patient revenues in our consolidated statements of operations for these supplemental Medicaid payments.

Executive Summary

Earnings

To monitor our earnings, we have developed budgets and management reports to monitor labor, census, and the composition of revenues. Inflationary increases in our costs may cause net earnings from patient services to decline.

Occupancy

A primary area of management focus continues to be the rates of occupancy within our skilled nursing facilities. The overall census in owned and leased skilled nursing facilities for 2021 was 80.6% compared to 83.6% in 2020 and 90.3% in 2019.

With the average length of stay decreasing for a skilled nursing patient, as well as the increased availability of assisted living facilities and home and community-based services, the challenge of maintaining desirable patient census levels has been amplified. Management has undertaken a number of steps in order to best position our current and future health care facilities. This includes working internally to examine and improve systems to be most responsive to referral sources and payors. Additionally, NHC is in various stages of partnerships with hospital systems, payors, and other post–acute alliances to better position ourselves so we are an active participant in the delivery of post-acute healthcare services.

Quality of Patient Care

CMS introduced the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families and caregivers compare skilled nursing facilities more easily. The Five-Star Quality Rating System gives each skilled nursing operation a rating of between one and five stars in various categories (five stars being the best). The Company has always strived for patient-centered care and quality outcomes as precursors to outstanding financial performance.

The tables below summarize NHC's overall performance in these Five-Star ratings versus the skilled nursing industry as of December 31, 2021:

Development and Growth

We are undertaking to expand our post–acute and senior health care operations while protecting our existing operations and markets. The following table lists our recent construction and purchase activities.

For the two behavioral health hospitals under construction, the two facilities are expected to begin operations late in the first quarter of 2022 or the beginning of the second quarter of 2022.

Accrued Risk Reserves

Our accrued professional liability and workers’ compensation reserves totaled $98,048,000 and $99,537,000 at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and are a primary area of management focus. We have set aside restricted cash and restricted marketable securities to fund our professional liability and workers’ compensation reserves.

As to exposure for professional liability claims, we have developed performance measures to bring focus to the patient care issues most likely to produce professional liability exposure, including in–house acquired pressure ulcers, significant weight loss and numbers of falls. These programs for certification, which we regularly modify and improve, have produced measurable improvements in reducing these incidents. Our experience is that achieving goals in these patient care areas improves both patient and employee satisfaction.

Segment Reporting

The Company has two reportable operating segments: (1) inpatient services, which includes the operation of skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, and one behavioral health hospital, and (2) homecare and hospice services. These reportable operating segments are consistent with information used by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”), to assess performance and allocate resources.

The Company also reports an “all other” category that includes revenues from rental income, management and accounting services fees, insurance services, and costs of the corporate office. For additional information on these reportable segments see Note 1 - “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies”.

The Company’s CODM evaluates performance and allocates capital resources to each segment based on an operating model that is designed to improve the quality of patient care and profitability of the Company while enhancing long-term shareholder value. The CODM does not review assets by segment in his resource allocation and therefore, assets by segment are not disclosed below.

The following tables set forth the Company’s consolidated statements of operations by business segment (in thousands):

Non-GAAP Financial Presentation

The Company is providing certain non-GAAP financial measures as the Company believes that these figures are helpful in allowing investors to more accurately assess the ongoing nature of the Company’s operations and measure the Company’s performance more consistently across periods. Therefore, the Company believes this information is meaningful in addition to the information contained in the GAAP presentation of financial information. The presentation of this additional non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Specifically, the Company believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial information should exclude the following items: the unrealized gains or losses on our marketable equity securities, operating results for the newly constructed healthcare facilities not at full capacity, any gains on the acquisition of equity method investments, gains on the sale of healthcare facilities, stock-based compensation expense, and impairments of long-lived assets and notes receivable.

The operating results for the newly constructed healthcare facilities not at full capacity for the year ended December 31, 2021 include facilities that began operations from 2019 to 2021 (one memory care facility and two behavioral health hospitals that have incurred expenses and expected to open during 2022). The operating results for the newly constructed healthcare facilities not at full capacity for the year ended December 31, 2020 include facilities that began operations from 2018 to 2020 (one memory care facility). The operating results for the newly constructed healthcare facilities not at full capacity for the year ended December 31, 2019 include facilities that began operations from 2017 to 2019 (one skilled nursing facility, two assisted living facilities, and one memory care facility).

The table below provides reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP items (dollars in thousands, except per share data):

Results of Operations

The following table and discussion set forth items from the consolidated statements of operations as a percentage of net operating revenues and grant income for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Percentage of Net Operating Revenues

The following table sets forth the increase or (decrease) in certain items from the consolidated statements of operations as compared to the prior period (dollars in thousands).

Period to Period Increase (Decrease)