CERTAIN LEGAL AND OTHER MATTERS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

CERTAIN LEGAL AND OTHER MATTERS

CERTAIN LEGAL AND OTHER MATTERS

The following is a description of certain lawsuits, claims, governmental investigations and audits and other legal proceedings to which the Company is subject.

Government Inquiries and Investigations

On January 3, 2017, the Company received a subpoena from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts, requesting certain information relating to the Company’s payments and other interactions with the American Kidney Fund and any efforts to educate patients qualified or enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid about enrollment in ACA-compliant individual marketplace plans, among other related matters under applicable healthcare laws. As the Company has done with the other regulators who have expressed interest in such matters, the Company cooperated fully with the government. The Company believes that this investigation related to a complaint, unsealed on August 1, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, that named certain of its competitors, the AKF and certain unidentified parties as defendants. The complaint alleges violations of the federal False Claims Act and various state false claims acts. The Department of Justice elected not to intervene in the matter. While the Company was not identified as a defendant in the matter, the Company can make no assurance that it will not be named as one of the unidentified defendant parties.

In October 2018, the Staff of the SEC requested that the Company voluntarily provide documents and information relating to certain revenue recognition, collections and related matters. Following receipt of the SEC request, the Company responded by producing documents and information to the Staff. On March 27, 2019, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K (the “March 27 Form 8-K”) that described, among other things, certain preliminary findings arising from the review being conducted by the Audit Committee of the Board, which commenced following receipt of the SEC request. On March 28, 2019, the Company received a subpoena from the Staff of the SEC, which reiterated the SEC’s prior request and required the production of additional documents and information relating to the matters disclosed in the March 27 Form 8-K and related matters. On June 19, 2019, the Company received an additional subpoena from the Staff of the SEC, which required the production of additional related documents and information. The Company has received and may receive additional requests for documents and information from the Staff. The Company has cooperated fully with this investigation and will continue to do so.

Shareholder and Derivative Claims

On March 28, 2019 and April 19, 2019, putative shareholder class action complaints were filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against the Company and certain of its current and former executive officers. Both complaints alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 thereunder related to the matters disclosed in the March 27 Form 8-K and certain prior filings. The complaints sought unspecified damages on behalf of the individuals or entities that purchased or otherwise acquired ARA’s securities from August 10, 2016 to March 27, 2019. On July 3, 2019, the complaints were consolidated and a lead plaintiff was appointed for the putative shareholder class action complaint, captioned Ali Vandevar, et al. v. American Renal Associates Holdings Inc., et al., No. 19-09074-ES-MA (the “Vandevar Action”). On November 11, 2019, the lead plaintiff filed a consolidated amended complaint against the Company and certain of its current and former executive officers. The amended complaint asserts federal securities laws claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder related to the matters disclosed in the March 27 Form 8-K and certain prior filings. On January 17, 2020, the Company filed a

motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On February 24, 2020, the lead plaintiff filed an opposition to the motion to dismiss. On February 26, 2020, the parties participated in a mediation. On March 11, 2020, the parties reached an agreement in principle to resolve the claims asserted in this lawsuit, and such settlement will be subject to court approval. The principal terms agreed upon by the parties contemplate a settlement payment of $5,775, which is expected to be made by the Company’s insurer, in exchange for a release of claims. The settlement will resolve the claims currently asserted against all defendants in the action without any liability or wrongdoing attributed to them, and defendants continue to deny all of the allegations and claims asserted in this action. 

On July 25, 2019, a derivative lawsuit, Luke Johnson v. Joseph A. Carlucci, et al., 2:19-CV-15812-JMV-JBC, was filed, purportedly on behalf of the Company, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against the members of the Company’s board of directors and certain of its current and former executive officers. The lawsuit asserts claims for violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment and waste of corporate assets based on, among other things, the Restatement and the related material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, alleged misstatements and omissions in the Company’s 2017 and 2018 proxy statements, compensation paid to the individual defendants and the costs incurred in connection with the Restatement process. The lawsuit seeks, among other things, recovery of damages sustained by the Company as a result of the individual defendants’ alleged misconduct, a direction to the Company to hold an annual meeting of stockholders and reforms to the Company’s corporate governance and internal procedures. The complaint also seeks restitution and costs and attorney’s fees. On October 4, 2019, the court stayed the lawsuit until final resolution of the Vandevar Action. On February 26, 2020, the parties participated in a mediation. On March 27, 2020, the parties reached an agreement in principle to resolve the claims asserted in this lawsuit, and such settlement will be subject to court approval. The principal terms agreed upon by the parties contemplate certain corporate governance actions taken by the Company in exchange for a release of claims. The settlement will resolve the claims currently asserted against all defendants in the action without any liability or wrongdoing attributed to them, and defendants will continue to deny all of the allegations and claims asserted in this action. 

The Company, the Board, and its current and former executive officers could become subject to additional litigation relating to these matters.

Other

From time to time, the Company is subject to various legal actions and proceedings involving claims incidental to the conduct of its business, including contractual and related disputes with commercial payors and others and professional and general liability claims, as well as audits and investigations by various government entities. Based on information currently available, established reserves, available insurance coverage and other resources, the Company does not believe that the outcomes of any such pending actions, proceedings or investigations are likely to be, individually or in the aggregate, material to its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, legal actions and proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties, and it is possible that the ultimate resolution of such matters, if unfavorable, may be materially adverse to the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

No assurance can be given as to the timing or outcome of the legal matters discussed above, nor can any assurance be given as to whether the filing of these lawsuits and any inquiries will affect the Company’s business relationships, or the Company’s business generally. The Company cannot predict the outcome of any of these matters, and an adverse result in one or more of them could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Although the Company is not currently subject to any formal regulatory investigations or proceedings other than those described herein, there is no assurance that any such investigations or proceedings will not be commenced by any U.S. federal or state healthcare or other regulatory agencies. In addition, the Company may in the future be subject to additional inquiries, investigations, litigation or other proceedings or actions, regulatory or otherwise, arising in relation to the matters described above and related litigation and investigative matters. An unfavorable outcome of any such litigation or regulatory proceeding or action could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company also records in Certain legal and other matters, legal fees and other expenses relating to matters that it believes do not reflect its core business operations.

Resolved Matters

The wholly owned operating subsidiary of ARA, American Renal Associates LLC (“ARA OpCo”), and its subsidiary, American Renal Management LLC (“ARM”), were defendants in lawsuits filed by affiliates of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (“United”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (Case Number 9:16-cv-81180-KAM), filed July 1, 2016, and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Case Number 1:18-cv-10622-ADB), filed March 30, 2018. On July 2, 2018, ARA OpCo and ARM executed a binding Settlement Term Sheet with the plaintiffs with respect to a settlement to resolve all ongoing litigation between the Company and United, and on August 1, 2018, the parties entered into a final settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) on substantially the same terms as provided in the Settlement Term Sheet. The Settlement Agreement included a release of all claims arising from or related to the above-referenced litigations that were asserted or that could have been asserted against the Company or against the nephrologists or other healthcare providers who have entered into joint venture arrangements or medical directorships with the Company (the “Joint Venture Providers”) and the joint venture entities without any admission of liability or wrongdoing. Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, the Company will make total settlement payments of $32,000, inclusive of administrative fees and fees for plaintiffs’ counsel, in five installments, with an initial present value of $29,614, which is included in Certain legal and other matters in the Consolidated Statement of Operations during the year ended December 31, 2018. As of March 31, 2020, of the remaining present value of $12,532, $6,573 is classified as Accrued expenses and other current liabilities and $5,959 is classified in Other long-term liabilities. The Company paid the first installment of $10,000 on August 1, 2018 and the second installment of $8,000 August 1, 2019 and the Company expects to pay $7,000 on August 1, 2020, $3,500 on August 1, 2021 and $3,500 on August 1, 2022. The Company also agreed to share certain information with United and to follow certain procedures with respect to patients covered by United. Subject to the mutual releases provided in the Settlement Agreement, United also agreed to renew, reinstate, and/or not to terminate the network agreements for any Joint Venture Providers whose network agreements United terminated or chose not to renew from August 1, 2017 through the date of the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement included customary terms and conditions. In connection with the Settlement Agreement, the Company also entered into a three-year national network agreement with United on August 1, 2018 that provides for specified reimbursement rates for patients covered by Medicare Advantage, Medicaid HMO and commercial insurance products over the term of the agreement. The in-network agreement went into effect on September 1, 2018.