Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Construction Commitments

At December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding commitments under construction contracts related to new construction, improvements, and renovations totaling approximately $16.4 million.

Litigation

The Company is a party to various legal actions, proceedings, and claims (some of which are not insured), and regulatory and other governmental audits and investigations in the ordinary course of its business. The Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of pending litigation, proceedings, and regulatory and other governmental audits and investigations. These matters could potentially subject the Company to sanctions, damages, recoupments, fines, and other penalties. The Department of Justice, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), or other federal and state enforcement and regulatory agencies may conduct additional investigations related to the Company’s businesses in the future that may, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial position, results of operations, and liquidity.

To address claims arising out of the Company’s operations, the Company maintains professional malpractice liability insurance and general liability insurance coverages through a number of different programs that are dependent upon such factors as the state where the Company is operating and whether the operations are wholly owned or are operated through a joint venture. For the Company’s wholly owned hospital and outpatient clinic operations, the Company currently maintains insurance coverages under a combination of policies with a total annual aggregate limit of up to $37.0 million for professional malpractice liability insurance and $40.0 million for general liability insurance. For the Company’s Concentra center operations, the Company currently maintains insurance coverages under a combination of policies with a total annual aggregate limit of up to $29.0 million for professional malpractice liability insurance and $29.0 million for general liability insurance. The Company’s insurance for the professional liability coverage is written on a “claims-made” basis, and its commercial general liability coverage is maintained on an “occurrence” basis. These coverages apply after a self-insured retention limit is exceeded. For the Company’s joint venture operations, the Company has designed a separate insurance program that responds to the risks of specific joint ventures. Most of the Company’s joint ventures are insured under a master program with an annual aggregate limit of up to $80.0 million, subject to a sublimit aggregate ranging from $23.0 million to $33.0 million for most joint ventures. The policies are generally written on a “claims-made” basis. Each of these programs has either a deductible or self-insured retention limit. The Company also maintains additional types of liability insurance covering claims which, due to their nature or amount, are not covered by or not fully covered by the applicable professional malpractice and general liability insurance policies, including workers compensation, property and casualty, directors and officers, cyber liability insurance, and employment practices liability insurance coverages. Our insurance policies generally are silent with respect to punitive damages so coverage is available to the extent insurable under the law of any applicable jurisdiction, and are subject to various deductibles and policy limits. The Company reviews its insurance program annually and may make adjustments to the amount of insurance coverage and self-insured retentions in future years. Significant legal actions, as well as the cost and possible lack of available insurance, could subject the Company to substantial uninsured liabilities. In the Company’s opinion, the outcome of these actions, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Healthcare providers are subject to lawsuits under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act. Qui tam lawsuits typically remain under seal (hence, usually unknown to the defendant) for some time while the government decides whether or not to intervene on behalf of a private qui tam plaintiff (known as a relator) and take the lead in the litigation. These lawsuits can involve significant monetary damages and penalties and award bounties to private plaintiffs who successfully bring the suits. The Company is and has been a defendant in these cases in the past, and may be named as a defendant in similar cases from time to time in the future.

Oklahoma City Investigation. On August 24, 2020, the Company and Select Specialty Hospital – Oklahoma City, Inc. (“SSH–Oklahoma City”) received civil investigative demands (“CIDs”) from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma seeking responses to interrogatories and the production of various documents principally relating to the documentation, billing and reviews of medical services furnished to patients at SSH-Oklahoma City. The Company understands that the investigation arose from a qui tam lawsuit alleging billing fraud related to charges for respiratory therapy services at SSH–Oklahoma City and Select Specialty Hospital – Wichita, Inc. The Company has produced documents in response to the CIDs and is fully cooperating with this investigation. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the timing and outcome of this matter.

Physical Therapy Billing. On October 7, 2021, the Company received a letter from a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (“DOJ”) stating that the DOJ, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), is investigating the Company in connection with potential violations of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq. The letter specified that the investigation relates to the Company’s billing for physical therapy services, and indicated that the DOJ would be requesting certain records from the Company. In October and December 2021, the DOJ requested, and the Company furnished, records relating to six of the Company’s outpatient therapy clinics in Florida. In 2022 and 2023, the DOJ requested certain data relating to all of the Company’s outpatient therapy clinics nationwide, and sought information about the Company’s ability to produce additional data relating to the physical therapy services furnished by the Company’s outpatient therapy clinics and Concentra. The Company has produced data and other documents requested by the DOJ and is fully cooperating on this investigation. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the timing and outcome of this matter.

California Department of Insurance Investigation. On February 5, 2024, Concentra received a subpoena from the California Department of Insurance relating to an investigation under the California Insurance Frauds Prevention Act (“IFPA”), Cal. Ins. Code § 1871.7 et seq., which allows a whistleblower to file a false claims lawsuit based on the submission of false or fraudulent claims to insurance companies. The subpoena seeks documentation relating mainly to Concentra’s billing and coding for physical therapy claims submitted to commercial insurers and workers compensation carriers located or doing business in California. The Company intends to produce the requested documents and to cooperate on this investigation. At this time, the Company is unable to predict the timing and outcome of this matter.

Perry Johnson & Associates, Inc. Data Breach. On November 10, 2023, Perry Johnson & Associates, Inc., a third-party vendor of health information technology solutions that provides medical transcription services (“PJ&A”), notified Concentra Health Services, Inc. (“Concentra”) that certain information related to particular Concentra patients was potentially affected by a cybersecurity event. This event occurred solely at PJ&A and was not the result of any activities or inaction on Concentra’s part. In February 2024, Concentra sent notices to almost four million patients who may have been impacted by the data breach. On February 20, 2024, Concentra became aware of a class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on February 19, 2024 against PJ&A and Concentra. The lawsuit was brought by Elliot Curry, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated. Plaintiff alleges, among other things, that he became the victim of identity theft as a result of the PJ&A data breach and that Concentra had lax data security policies. The Company is working with its cybersecurity risk insurance policy carrier and does not believe that the data breach or the lawsuit will have a material impact on its operations or financial performance. However, at this time, the Company is unable to predict the timing and outcome of this matter.

Medicare Dual-Eligible Litigation

The Company’s critical illness recovery hospitals pursued claims against CMS involving denied Medicare bad debt reimbursement for copayments and deductibles of dual-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries for cost reporting periods ending in 2005 through 2010. A U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the Company and ordered CMS to pay the Medicare bad debt reimbursement plus interest and, during the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company received reimbursement proceeds of $19.9 million plus accrued interest of $5.4 million. These amounts were recognized as other operating income and interest income, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2021.