Long-term debt and cash flow hedges	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Long-term debt and cash flow hedges [Abstract]
Long-term debt and cash flow hedges	(4) Long-term debt and cash flow hedges Debt: On September 21, 2012, we entered into a second amendment to our credit agreement, dated as of November 15, 2010, as amended on March 15, 2011, with several banks and other financial institutions (“Credit Agreement”). The second amendment, which was effective on September 21, 2012, provides for a new $900 million Term Loan-A (“Term Loan A2”) with a final maturity date of August 15, 2016 and extended the maturity date on approximately $777 million of our existing $800 million revolving credit facility, and $943 million of our existing Term Loan-A facility, by nine months to mature on August 15, 2016. Approximately $23 million of our revolving credit facility commitment and $45 million of our existing Term Loan-A was not extended and is scheduled to mature on November 15, 2015. The second amendment also provides for increased flexibility for refinancing and certain other modifications but substantially all other terms of the Credit Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2010 and as previously amended in March, 2011, including interest rates, remain unchanged. On September 21, 2012, we used $700 million of the proceeds from the new Term Loan-A2 to extinguish a portion of our higher priced, existing Term Loan-B facility. Current pricing under the new Term Loan-A2 is 100 basis points lower than the Term Loan-B facility and does not include a LIBOR floor whereas the Term Loan-B facility has a 1% LIBOR floor. The remainder of the new Term Loan-A2 was used to pay transaction related fees and expenses and to repay other floating rate debt. During the third quarter of 2012, in connection with the extinguishment of a portion of our Term Loan-B facility, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $29 million to write-off the related portion of the Term Loan-B deferred financing costs. The Credit Agreement, as amended on September 21, 2012, is a senior secured facility which provides for an aggregate commitment amount of $3.43 billion, comprised of a $800 million revolving credit facility, a $988 million Term Loan-A facility, a $746 million Term Loan-B facility and a $900 million Term Loan-A2 facility. The revolving credit facility includes a $125 million sub-limit for letters of credit. The Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and our material subsidiaries and guaranteed by our material subsidiaries. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at the ABR rate which is defined as the rate per annum equal to, at our election (1) the greatest of (a) the lender’s prime rate, (b) the weighted average of the federal funds rate, plus 0.5% and (c) one month Eurodollar rate plus 1%, in each case, plus an applicable margin based upon our consolidated leverage ratio at the end of each quarter ranging from 0.50% to 1.25% for revolving credit and Term Loan-A borrowings and 1.75% to 2.00% for Term Loan B borrowings or (2) the one, two, three or six month Eurodollar rate (at our election), plus an applicable margin based upon our consolidated leverage ratio at the end of each quarter ranging from 1.50% to 2.25% for revolving credit and Term Loan-A borrowings and ranging from 2.75% to 3.00% for Term Loan-B borrowings. The current applicable margins are 0.75% for ABR-based loans, 1.75% for Eurodollar-based loans under the revolving credit and Term Loan-A and Term Loan-A2 facilities and 2.75% under the Term Loan-B facility. The minimum Eurodollar rate for the Term Loan-B facility is 1.00%. As of September 30, 2012, we had $678 million of available borrowing capacity pursuant to the terms of our $800 million revolving credit facility, net of $59 million of outstanding borrowings (including borrowings outstanding pursuant to a short-term, on-demand credit facility) and $63 million of outstanding letters of credit. As of September 30, 2012, we had $15 million of outstanding borrowings under a short-term, on-demand credit facility. Outstanding borrowings pursuant to this facility are classified as long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheet since we have the intent and ability to refinance through available borrowings under the terms of our Credit Agreement. In October, 2010, we amended our accounts receivable securitization program (“Securitization”) with a group of conduit lenders and liquidity banks. We increased the size of the Securitization to $240 million (the “Commitments”), from $200 million, and extended the maturity date to October 25, 2013. In May, 2012, we further increased the size of the securitization by $35 million to $275 million. Substantially all of the patient-related accounts receivable of our acute care hospitals (“Receivables”) serve as collateral for the outstanding borrowings. The interest rate on the borrowings is based on the commercial paper rate plus a spread of 0.475% and there is a facility fee of 0.375% required on 102% on the Commitments. We have accounted for this Securitization as borrowings. We maintain effective control over the Receivables since, pursuant to the terms of the Securitization, the Receivables are sold from certain of our subsidiaries to special purpose entities that are wholly-owned by us. The Receivables, however, are owned by the special purpose entities, can be used only to satisfy the debts of the wholly-owned special purpose entities, and thus are not available to us except through our ownership interest in the special purpose entities. The wholly-owned special purpose entities use the Receivables to collateralize the loans obtained from the group of third-party conduit lenders and liquidity banks. The group of third-party conduit lenders and liquidity banks do not have recourse to us beyond the assets of the wholly-owned special purpose entities that securitize the loans. At September 30, 2012, we had $60 million of outstanding borrowings and $215 million of additional capacity pursuant to the terms of our accounts receivable securitization program. On September 29, 2010, we issued $250 million of 7.00% senior unsecured notes (the “Unsecured Notes”) which are scheduled to mature on October 1, 2018. The Unsecured Notes were registered in April, 2011. Interest on the Unsecured Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on April 1st and October 1st of each year. The Unsecured Notes can be redeemed in whole at anytime subject to a make-whole call at treasury rate plus 50 basis points prior to October 1, 2014. They are also redeemable in whole or in part at a price of: (i) 103.5% on or after October 1, 2014; (ii) 101.75% on or after October 1, 2015, and; (iii) 100% on or after October 1, 2016. These Unsecured Notes are guaranteed by a group of subsidiaries (each of which is a 100% directly owned subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc.) which fully and unconditionally guarantee the Unsecured Notes on a joint and several basis, subject to certain customary automatic release provisions. On June 30, 2006, we issued $250 million of senior notes which have a 7.125% coupon rate and mature on June 30, 2016 (the “7.125% Notes”). Interest on the 7.125% Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on June 30th and December 30th of each year. In June, 2008, we issued an additional $150 million of 7.125% Notes which formed a single series with the original 7.125% Notes issued in June, 2006. Other than their date of issuance and initial price to the public, the terms of the 7.125% Notes issued in June, 2008 are identical to and trade interchangeably with, the 7.125% Notes which were originally issued in June, 2006. In connection with the entering into of the Credit Agreement on November 15, 2010, and in accordance with the Indenture dated January 20, 2000 governing the rights of our existing notes, we entered into a supplemental indenture pursuant to which our 7.125% Notes (due in 2016) were equally and ratably secured with the lenders under the Credit Agreement with respect to the collateral for so long as the lenders under the Credit Agreement are so secured. Our Credit Agreement includes a material adverse change clause that must be represented at each draw. The Credit Agreement contains covenants that include a limitation on sales of assets, mergers, change of ownership, liens and indebtedness, transactions with affiliates and dividends; and requires compliance with financial covenants including maximum leverage and minimum interest coverage ratios. We are in compliance with all required covenants as of September 30, 2012. The carrying amount and fair value of our debt was $3.44 billion and $3.53 billion at September 30, 2012, respectively. The fair value of our debt was computed based upon quotes received from financial institutions and we consider these to be “level 2” in the fair value hierarchy as outlined in the authoritative guidance for disclosures in connection with debt instruments. Cash Flow Hedges: We manage our ratio of fixed to floating rate debt with the objective of achieving a mix that management believes is appropriate. To manage this risk in a cost-effective manner, we, from time to time, enter into interest rate swap agreements in which we agree to exchange various combinations of fixed and/or variable interest rates based on agreed upon notional amounts. We account for our derivative and hedging activities using the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) guidance which requires all derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, to be carried at fair value on the balance sheet. For derivative transactions designated as hedges, we formally document all relationships between the hedging instrument and the related hedged item, as well as its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking each hedge transaction. Derivative instruments designated in a hedge relationship to mitigate exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Cash flow hedges are accounted for by recording the fair value of the derivative instrument on the balance sheet as either an asset or liability, with a corresponding amount recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) within stockholders’ equity. Amounts are reclassified from AOCI to the income statement in the period or periods in which the hedged transaction affects earnings. We use interest rate derivatives in our cash flow hedge transactions. Such derivatives are designed to be highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows related to the hedged liability. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, the ineffective portion of the changes in expected cash flows of the hedged item are recognized currently in the income statement. For hedge transactions that do not qualify for the short-cut method, at the hedge’s inception and on a regular basis thereafter, a formal assessment is performed to determine whether changes in the fair values or cash flows of the derivative instruments have been highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items and whether they are expected to be highly effective in the future. The fair value of interest rate swap agreements approximates the amount at which they could be settled, based on estimates obtained from the counterparties. We assess the effectiveness and consideration of nonperformance risk of our hedge instruments on a quarterly basis. We performed periodic assessments of the cash flow hedge instruments during 2011 and the first nine months of 2012 and determined the hedges to be highly effective. We also determined that no significant portion of the hedges is ineffective as of September 30, 2012. The counterparties to the interest rate swap agreements expose us to credit risk in the event of nonperformance. We do not anticipate nonperformance by our counterparties. At September 30, 2012, each swap agreement entered into by us was in a net liability position which would require us to make the net settlement payments to the counterparties. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. During the first quarter of 2011, we entered into a forward starting interest rate cap on a total notional amount of $450 million from December, 2011 to December, 2012 reducing to $400 million from December, 2012 to December, 2013 whereby we paid a premium of $740,000 in exchange for the counterparty agreeing to pay the difference between 7.00% and three-month LIBOR if the three-month LIBOR rate rises above 7.00% during the term of the cap. If the three-month LIBOR does not reach 7.00% during the term of the cap, no payment is made to us. We also entered into six forward starting interest rate swaps in the first quarter of 2011 whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $425 million and receive three-month LIBOR. Three of these swaps with a total notional amount of $225 million became effective in March, 2011 and will mature in May, 2015. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps is 1.91%. The three remaining interest rate swaps with total notional amounts of $100 million, $25 million and $75 million became effective in December, 2011 and have fixed rates of 2.50%, 1.96% and 1.32%, and maturity dates in December, 2014, December, 2013 and December, 2012, respectively. During the fourth quarter of 2010, we entered into four forward starting interest rate swaps whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $600 million and receive three-month LIBOR. Each of the four swaps became effective in December, 2011 and will mature in May, 2015. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps is 2.38%. During the fourth quarter of 2007, we entered into an interest rate swap whereby we paid a fixed rate on a total notional principal amount of $75 million and receive three-month LIBOR. The fixed rate payable was 4.76% and it matured in October, 2012. We measure our interest rate swaps at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of our interest rate swaps is based primarily on quotes from banks. We consider those inputs to be “level 2” in the fair value hierarchy as outlined in the authoritative guidance for disclosures in connection with derivative instruments and hedging activities. The fair value of our interest rate swaps was a liability of $46 million at September 30, 2012, substantially all of which is included in other noncurrent liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet.

Long-term debt and cash flow hedges

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Long-term debt and cash flow hedges [Abstract]

(4) Long-term debt and cash flow hedges

Debt:

On September 21, 2012, we entered into a second amendment to our credit agreement, dated as of November 15, 2010, as amended on March 15, 2011, with several banks and other financial institutions (“Credit Agreement”). The second amendment, which was effective on September 21, 2012, provides for a new $900 million Term Loan-A (“Term Loan A2”) with a final maturity date of August 15, 2016 and extended the maturity date on approximately $777 million of our existing $800 million revolving credit facility, and $943 million of our existing Term Loan-A facility, by nine months to mature on August 15, 2016. Approximately $23 million of our revolving credit facility commitment and $45 million of our existing Term Loan-A was not extended and is scheduled to mature on November 15, 2015. The second amendment also provides for increased flexibility for refinancing and certain other modifications but substantially all other terms of the Credit Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2010 and as previously amended in March, 2011, including interest rates, remain unchanged.

On September 21, 2012, we used $700 million of the proceeds from the new Term Loan-A2 to extinguish a portion of our higher priced, existing Term Loan-B facility. Current pricing under the new Term Loan-A2 is 100 basis points lower than the Term Loan-B facility and does not include a LIBOR floor whereas the Term Loan-B facility has a 1% LIBOR floor. The remainder of the new Term Loan-A2 was used to pay transaction related fees and expenses and to repay other floating rate debt. During the third quarter of 2012, in connection with the extinguishment of a portion of our Term Loan-B facility, we recorded a pre-tax charge of $29 million to write-off the related portion of the Term Loan-B deferred financing costs.

The Credit Agreement, as amended on September 21, 2012, is a senior secured facility which provides for an aggregate commitment amount of $3.43 billion, comprised of a $800 million revolving credit facility, a $988 million Term Loan-A facility, a $746 million Term Loan-B facility and a $900 million Term Loan-A2 facility. The revolving credit facility includes a $125 million sub-limit for letters of credit. The Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company and our material subsidiaries and guaranteed by our material subsidiaries.

Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at the ABR rate which is defined as the rate per annum equal to, at our election (1) the greatest of (a) the lender’s prime rate, (b) the weighted average of the federal funds rate, plus 0.5% and (c) one month Eurodollar rate plus 1%, in each case, plus an applicable margin based upon our consolidated leverage ratio at the end of each quarter ranging from 0.50% to 1.25% for revolving credit and Term Loan-A borrowings and 1.75% to 2.00% for Term Loan B borrowings or (2) the one, two, three or six month Eurodollar rate (at our election), plus an applicable margin based upon our consolidated leverage ratio at the end of each quarter ranging from 1.50% to 2.25% for revolving credit and Term Loan-A borrowings and ranging from 2.75% to 3.00% for Term Loan-B borrowings. The current applicable margins are 0.75% for ABR-based loans, 1.75% for Eurodollar-based loans under the revolving credit and Term Loan-A and Term Loan-A2 facilities and 2.75% under the Term Loan-B facility. The minimum Eurodollar rate for the Term Loan-B facility is 1.00%.

As of September 30, 2012, we had $678 million of available borrowing capacity pursuant to the terms of our $800 million revolving credit facility, net of $59 million of outstanding borrowings (including borrowings outstanding pursuant to a short-term, on-demand credit facility) and $63 million of outstanding letters of credit. As of September 30, 2012, we had $15 million of outstanding borrowings under a short-term, on-demand credit facility. Outstanding borrowings pursuant to this facility are classified as long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheet since we have the intent and ability to refinance through available borrowings under the terms of our Credit Agreement.

In October, 2010, we amended our accounts receivable securitization program (“Securitization”) with a group of conduit lenders and liquidity banks. We increased the size of the Securitization to $240 million (the “Commitments”), from $200 million, and extended the maturity date to October 25, 2013. In May, 2012, we further increased the size of the securitization by $35 million to $275 million. Substantially all of the patient-related accounts receivable of our acute care hospitals (“Receivables”) serve as collateral for the outstanding borrowings. The interest rate on the borrowings is based on the commercial paper rate plus a spread of 0.475% and there is a facility fee of 0.375% required on 102% on the Commitments. We have accounted for this Securitization as borrowings. We maintain effective control over the Receivables since, pursuant to the terms of the Securitization, the Receivables are sold from certain of our subsidiaries to special purpose entities that are wholly-owned by us. The Receivables, however, are owned by the special purpose entities, can be used only to satisfy the debts of the wholly-owned special purpose entities, and thus are not available to us except through our ownership interest in the special purpose entities. The wholly-owned special purpose entities use the Receivables to collateralize the loans obtained from the group of third-party conduit lenders and liquidity banks. The group of third-party conduit lenders and liquidity banks do not have recourse to us beyond the assets of the wholly-owned special purpose entities that securitize the loans. At September 30, 2012, we had $60 million of outstanding borrowings and $215 million of additional capacity pursuant to the terms of our accounts receivable securitization program.

On September 29, 2010, we issued $250 million of 7.00% senior unsecured notes (the “Unsecured Notes”) which are scheduled to mature on October 1, 2018. The Unsecured Notes were registered in April, 2011. Interest on the Unsecured Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on April 1st and October 1st of each year. The Unsecured Notes can be redeemed in whole at anytime subject to a make-whole call at treasury rate plus 50 basis points prior to October 1, 2014. They are also redeemable in whole or in part at a price of: (i) 103.5% on or after October 1, 2014; (ii) 101.75% on or after October 1, 2015, and; (iii) 100% on or after October 1, 2016. These Unsecured Notes are guaranteed by a group of subsidiaries (each of which is a 100% directly owned subsidiary of Universal Health Services, Inc.) which fully and unconditionally guarantee the Unsecured Notes on a joint and several basis, subject to certain customary automatic release provisions.

On June 30, 2006, we issued $250 million of senior notes which have a 7.125% coupon rate and mature on June 30, 2016 (the “7.125% Notes”). Interest on the 7.125% Notes is payable semiannually in arrears on June 30th and December 30th of each year. In June, 2008, we issued an additional $150 million of 7.125% Notes which formed a single series with the original 7.125% Notes issued in June, 2006. Other than their date of issuance and initial price to the public, the terms of the 7.125% Notes issued in June, 2008 are identical to and trade interchangeably with, the 7.125% Notes which were originally issued in June, 2006.

In connection with the entering into of the Credit Agreement on November 15, 2010, and in accordance with the Indenture dated January 20, 2000 governing the rights of our existing notes, we entered into a supplemental indenture pursuant to which our 7.125% Notes (due in 2016) were equally and ratably secured with the lenders under the Credit Agreement with respect to the collateral for so long as the lenders under the Credit Agreement are so secured.

Our Credit Agreement includes a material adverse change clause that must be represented at each draw. The Credit Agreement contains covenants that include a limitation on sales of assets, mergers, change of ownership, liens and indebtedness, transactions with affiliates and dividends; and requires compliance with financial covenants including maximum leverage and minimum interest coverage ratios. We are in compliance with all required covenants as of September 30, 2012.

The carrying amount and fair value of our debt was $3.44 billion and $3.53 billion at September 30, 2012, respectively. The fair value of our debt was computed based upon quotes received from financial institutions and we consider these to be “level 2” in the fair value hierarchy as outlined in the authoritative guidance for disclosures in connection with debt instruments.

Cash Flow Hedges:

We manage our ratio of fixed to floating rate debt with the objective of achieving a mix that management believes is appropriate. To manage this risk in a cost-effective manner, we, from time to time, enter into interest rate swap agreements in which we agree to exchange various combinations of fixed and/or variable interest rates based on agreed upon notional amounts. We account for our derivative and hedging activities using the Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) guidance which requires all derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts, to be carried at fair value on the balance sheet. For derivative transactions designated as hedges, we formally document all relationships between the hedging instrument and the related hedged item, as well as its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking each hedge transaction.

Derivative instruments designated in a hedge relationship to mitigate exposure to variability in expected future cash flows, or other types of forecasted transactions, are considered cash flow hedges. Cash flow hedges are accounted for by recording the fair value of the derivative instrument on the balance sheet as either an asset or liability, with a corresponding amount recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) within stockholders’ equity. Amounts are reclassified from AOCI to the income statement in the period or periods in which the hedged transaction affects earnings. We use interest rate derivatives in our cash flow hedge transactions. Such derivatives are designed to be highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows related to the hedged liability. For derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges, the ineffective portion of the changes in expected cash flows of the hedged item are recognized currently in the income statement.

For hedge transactions that do not qualify for the short-cut method, at the hedge’s inception and on a regular basis thereafter, a formal assessment is performed to determine whether changes in the fair values or cash flows of the derivative instruments have been highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of the hedged items and whether they are expected to be highly effective in the future.

The fair value of interest rate swap agreements approximates the amount at which they could be settled, based on estimates obtained from the counterparties. We assess the effectiveness and consideration of nonperformance risk of our hedge instruments on a quarterly basis. We performed periodic assessments of the cash flow hedge instruments during 2011 and the first nine months of 2012 and determined the hedges to be highly effective. We also determined that no significant portion of the hedges is ineffective as of September 30, 2012. The counterparties to the interest rate swap agreements expose us to credit risk in the event of nonperformance. We do not anticipate nonperformance by our counterparties. At September 30, 2012, each swap agreement entered into by us was in a net liability position which would require us to make the net settlement payments to the counterparties. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

During the first quarter of 2011, we entered into a forward starting interest rate cap on a total notional amount of $450 million from December, 2011 to December, 2012 reducing to $400 million from December, 2012 to December, 2013 whereby we paid a premium of $740,000 in exchange for the counterparty agreeing to pay the difference between 7.00% and three-month LIBOR if the three-month LIBOR rate rises above 7.00% during the term of the cap. If the three-month LIBOR does not reach 7.00% during the term of the cap, no payment is made to us.

We also entered into six forward starting interest rate swaps in the first quarter of 2011 whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $425 million and receive three-month LIBOR. Three of these swaps with a total notional amount of $225 million became effective in March, 2011 and will mature in May, 2015. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps is 1.91%. The three remaining interest rate swaps with total notional amounts of $100 million, $25 million and $75 million became effective in December, 2011 and have fixed rates of 2.50%, 1.96% and 1.32%, and maturity dates in December, 2014, December, 2013 and December, 2012, respectively.

During the fourth quarter of 2010, we entered into four forward starting interest rate swaps whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $600 million and receive three-month LIBOR. Each of the four swaps became effective in December, 2011 and will mature in May, 2015. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps is 2.38%.

During the fourth quarter of 2007, we entered into an interest rate swap whereby we paid a fixed rate on a total notional principal amount of $75 million and receive three-month LIBOR. The fixed rate payable was 4.76% and it matured in October, 2012.

We measure our interest rate swaps at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of our interest rate swaps is based primarily on quotes from banks. We consider those inputs to be “level 2” in the fair value hierarchy as outlined in the authoritative guidance for disclosures in connection with derivative instruments and hedging activities. The fair value of our interest rate swaps was a liability of $46 million at September 30, 2012, substantially all of which is included in other noncurrent liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet.