(4) Long-term debt and cash flow hedges

Debt:

During the third quarter of 2014, we completed the following financing transactions:

In August, 2014, we entered into a fourth amendment to our credit agreement dated as of November 15, 2010, as amended (“Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement, which is scheduled to mature in August, 2019, consists of: (i) an $800 million revolving credit facility (no borrowings outstanding as of September 30, 2015), and; (ii) a $1.775 billion term loan A facility ($1.731 billion of borrowings outstanding as of September 30, 2015) which combined our previously outstanding term loan A and term loan A2 facilities which were scheduled to mature in 2016;

Repaid $550 million of outstanding borrowings pursuant to our previously outstanding term loan B facility which was scheduled to mature in 2016;

Increased the borrowing capacity on our existing accounts receivable securitization program (“Securitization”) to $360 million from $275 million, effective August 1, 2014. The Securitization, the terms of which remain the same as the previous agreement, as discussed below, is scheduled to mature in October, 2016;

Issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% senior secured notes due in 2019 (see below for additional disclosure);

Issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 4.750% senior secured notes due in 2022 (see below for additional disclosure);

Redeemed our previously outstanding $250 million, 7.00% senior unsecured notes due in 2018 on July 31, 2014 for an aggregate price equal to 104.56% of the principal amount.

Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at either (1) the ABR rate which is defined as the rate per annum equal to, at our election: 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 LIBOR 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, or (2) the one, two, three or six month LIBOR 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. As of September 30, 2015, the applicable margins were 0.50% for ABR-based loans, 1.50% for LIBOR-based loans under the revolving credit and term loan-A facilities.

As of September 30, 2015, we had no borrowings outstanding pursuant to the terms of our $800 million revolving credit facility and we had $744 million of available borrowing capacity, net of $17 million of outstanding borrowings pursuant to a short-term, on-demand credit facility and $39 million of outstanding letters of credit. The revolving credit facility includes a $125 million sub-limit for letters of credit. The Credit Agreement is secured by certain assets of the Company and our material subsidiaries and guaranteed by our material subsidiaries.

Pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement, term loan-A quarterly installment payments of approximately: (i) $11 million commenced during the fourth quarter of 2014 and are scheduled to continue through September, 2016, and; (ii) $22 million are scheduled from the fourth quarter of 2016 through June, 2019.

As discussed above, on August 1, 2014, our accounts receivable securitization program (“Securitization”), with a group of conduit lenders and liquidity banks which is scheduled to mature in October, 2016, was amended to increase the borrowing capacity to $360 million from $275 million. Substantially all of the patient-related accounts receivable of our acute care hospitals (“Receivables”) serve as collateral for the outstanding borrowings. 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, 2015, we had $300 million of outstanding borrowings and $60 million of additional capacity pursuant to the terms of our accounts receivable securitization program.

On August 7, 2014, we issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2019 (the “2019 Notes”) and $300 million aggregate principal amount of 4.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the “2022 Notes”, and together with the 2019 Notes, the “New Senior Secured Notes”). The New Senior Secured Notes were offered only to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. persons outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The New Senior Secured Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. Interest is payable on the New Senior Secured Notes on February 1 and August 1 of each year to the holders of record at the close of business on the January 15 and July 15 immediately preceding the related interest payment dates, commencing on February 1, 2015 until the maturity date of August 1, 2019 for the 2019 Notes and August 1, 2022 for the 2022 Notes.

On June 30, 2006, we issued $250 million of senior secured 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. Since we have the ability and intent to refinance the 7.125% Notes on or before the scheduled maturity date (June 30, 2016) either through the issuance of new long-term notes, a new long-term debt facility, or utilizing funds borrowed pursuant to our revolving credit facility, the 7.125% Notes are classified as long-term on our Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2015.

On July 31, 2014, we redeemed the $250 million, 7.00% senior unsecured notes (the “Unsecured Notes”), which were scheduled to mature on October 1, 2018, at a redemption price equal to 104.56% of the principal amount of the Unsecured Notes resulting in a make-whole premium payment of approximately $11 million. The Unsecured Notes were issued on September 29, 2010 and registered in April, 2011. Interest on the Unsecured Note was payable semiannually in arrears on April 1st and October 1st of each year.

In connection with entering into the previous 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, dividends and stock repurchases; 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, 2015.

As of September 30, 2015, the carrying value of our debt was $3.1 billion and the fair-value of our debt was $3.1 billion. The fair value of our debt was computed based upon quotes received from financial institutions. 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 and 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 shareholders’ equity. Amounts are reclassified from AOCI to the income statement in the period or periods 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 change 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 of our hedge instruments on a quarterly basis. We performed periodic assessments of the cash flow hedge instruments during 2014 and the first nine months of 2015 and determined the hedges to be highly effective. We also determined that any portion of the hedges deemed to be ineffective was de minimis and therefore there was no material effect on our consolidated financial position, operations or cash flows. The counterparties to the interest rate swap agreements expose us to credit risk in the event of nonperformance. However, at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, each swap agreement entered into by us was in a net liability position which would require us to make the settlement payments to the counterparties. We do not anticipate nonperformance by our counterparties. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.

Seven interest rate swaps on a total notional amount of $825 million matured in May, 2015. Four of these swaps, with a total notional amount of $600 million, became effective in December, 2011 and provided that we receive three-month LIBOR while the average fixed rate payable was 2.38%. The remaining three swaps, with a total notional amount of $225 million, became effective in March, 2011 and provided that we receive three-month LIBOR while the average fixed rate payable was 1.91%.

During the second quarter of 2015, we entered into four forward starting interest rate swaps whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $500 million and receive one-month LIBOR. Each of the four swaps became effective on July 15, 2015 and are scheduled to mature on April 15, 2019. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps is 1.40%.

During the third quarter of 2015, we entered into four additional forward starting interest rate swaps whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $400 million and receive one-month LIBOR. One swap on a notional amount of $100 million became effective on July 15, 2015, two swaps on a total notional amount of $200 million became effective on September 15, 2015 and another swap on a notional amount of $100 million becomes effective on December 15, 2015. All of these swaps are scheduled to mature on April 15, 2019. The average fixed rate payable on these four swaps is 1.23%.

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 $11 million at September 30, 2015, of which $8 million is included in other current liabilities and $3 million is included in other noncurrent liabilities. The fair value of our interest rate swaps was a liability of $6 million at December 31, 2014, all of which is included in other current liabilities.