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COVID-19 Pandemic
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Subsequent Events [Abstract]  
COVID-19 Pandemic  COVID-19 Pandemic

The United States broadly continues to experience the pandemic caused by COVID-19, which has significantly disrupted, and likely will continue to significantly disrupt for some period, the nation’s economy, the senior living industry, and the Company’s business. The pandemic and the Company’s response efforts began to adversely impact the Company’s occupancy and resident fee revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily during the second half of March as new resident leads, visits (including virtual visits), and move-in activity declined significantly compared to typical levels. This trend continued through April 2020. The Company’s home health average daily census also began to decrease in March 2020 as referrals declined significantly due to suspension of elective medical procedures and discharges increasing as a result of stay-at-home orders and recommendations. The Company expects further deterioration of its resident fee revenue resulting from fewer move-ins and resident attrition inherent in its business, which may increase due to the impacts of COVID-19. Lower than normal controllable move-out activity during the pandemic may continue to partially offset future adverse revenue impacts.

Facility operating expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020 includes $10.0 million of incremental direct costs to prepare for and respond to the pandemic, including costs for acquisition of additional personal protective equipment ("PPE"), medical equipment, and cleaning and disposable food service supplies, enhanced cleaning and environmental sanitation costs, and increased labor expense. Such costs have escalated following March 31, 2020, and the Company expects such costs to further include increased workers compensation expense, health plan expense, insurance premiums and retention, and consulting and professional services costs, as well as costs for COVID-19 testing of residents and associates where not otherwise covered by government payor or third-party insurance sources. The Company is not able to reasonably predict the total amount of costs it will incur related to the pandemic, and such costs are likely to be substantial.
In response to the pandemic, on March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act) into law. The legislation provides liquidity and financial relief to certain businesses, among other things. As of March 31, 2020, the Company estimated that grants or other funding mechanisms to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19 would partially offset potential reductions in cash flows for the Health Care Services segment. The impacts to the Company of certain provisions of the CARES Act are summarized below.
During April 2020, the Company received $29.5 million of grants from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (the "Emergency Fund") administered by the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), which was expanded by the CARES Act to provide grants or other funding mechanisms to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues attributable to COVID-19. The amount of the grants the Company received was based primarily on its relative share of aggregate 2019 Medicare fee-for-service reimbursements, and the grants are primarily related to home health, hospice, outpatient therapy, and skilled nursing care provided through its Health Care Services and CCRCs segments. Grants received are subject to the terms and conditions of the program, including that such funds may only be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and will reimburse only for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to COVID-19. The Company continues to evaluate the terms, conditions, and permitted uses associated with the grants, including requirements of HHS, and is in the process of determining what portions of these grants that the Company will be able to retain and use.
During April 2020, the Company received $85.0 million under the Accelerated and Advance Payment Program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS"), which was temporarily expanded by the CARES Act. Under the program, the Company has requested acceleration/advancement of 100% of its Medicare payment amount for a 3-month period. Repayments of accelerated/advanced payments are required to begin 120 days after their issuance through offsets of new Medicare claims, and all accelerated/advanced payments are due 210 days following their issuance.
Under the CARES Act, the Company may elect to defer payment of the employer portion of social security payroll taxes incurred from March 27, 2020 to December 31, 2020. One-half of such deferral amount will become due on each of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022. The Company intends to utilize this deferral program to delay payment of approximately $76 million of the employer portion of payroll taxes estimated to be incurred between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020.
The CARES Act temporarily suspended the 2% Medicare sequestration for the period May 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, which will primarily benefit the Company’s Health Care Services segment.
The Company cannot predict with reasonable certainty the impacts that COVID-19 ultimately will have on its business, results of operations, cash flow, and liquidity, and the Company’s preparation and response efforts may delay or negatively impact its strategic initiatives, including plans for future growth. The ultimate impacts of COVID-19 will depend on many factors, some of which cannot be foreseen, including the duration, severity, and geographic concentrations of the pandemic and any resurgence of
the disease; the impact of COVID-19 on the nation’s economy and debt and equity markets and the local economies in the Company’s markets; the development and availability of COVID-19 infection and antibody testing, therapeutic agents, and vaccines and the prioritization of such resources among businesses and demographic groups; government financial and regulatory relief efforts that may become available to business and individuals; perceptions regarding the safety of senior living communities during and after the pandemic; changes in demand for senior living communities and the Company’s ability to adapt its sales and marketing efforts to meet that demand; the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s residents’ and their families’ ability to afford its resident fees, including due to changes in unemployment rates, consumer confidence, and equity markets caused by COVID-19; changes in the acuity levels of the Company’s new residents; the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on seniors generally and those residing in the Company’s communities; the duration and costs of the Company’s preparation and response efforts, including increased equipment, supplies, labor, litigation, and other expenses; the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s ability to complete financings, refinancings, or other transactions (including dispositions) or to generate sufficient cash flow to cover required interest and lease payments and to satisfy financial and other covenants in the Company’s debt and lease documents; increased regulatory requirements and enforcement actions resulting from COVID-19, including those that may limit the Company’s collection efforts for delinquent accounts; and the frequency and magnitude of legal actions and liability claims that may arise due to COVID-19 or the Company’s response efforts.