(4) Long-term debt and cash flow hedges

Debt:

On August 7, 2014, we entered into a Fourth Amendment (the “Fourth Amendment”) to our credit agreement dated as of November 15, 2010, as amended on March 15, 2011, September 21, 2012 and May 16, 2013, among UHS, as borrower, the several banks and other financial institutions from time to time parties thereto, as lenders (“Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement, as amended, which is scheduled to mature in August, 2019, consists of: (i) an $800 million revolving credit facility ($195 million of borrowings outstanding as of March 31, 2016), and; (ii) a $1.775 billion term loan A facility ($1.708 billion of borrowings outstanding as of March 31, 2016) which combined our previously outstanding term loan A and term loan A2 facilities which were scheduled to mature in 2016.

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 March 31, 2016, the applicable margins were 0.50% for ABR-based loans and 1.50% for LIBOR-based loans under the revolving credit and term loan-A facilities.

As of March 31, 2016, we had $195 million of borrowings outstanding pursuant to the terms of our $800 million revolving credit facility and we had $552 million of available borrowing capacity, net of $19 million of outstanding borrowings pursuant to a short-term, on-demand credit facility and $34 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 (which generally excludes asset classes such as substantially all of the patient-related accounts receivable of our acute care hospitals, certain real estate assets and assets held in joint-ventures with third-parties) 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.

Pursuant to the terms of our $400 million accounts receivable securitization program with a group of conduit lenders and liquidity banks (“Securitization”), which is scheduled to mature in December, 2018, 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 March 31, 2016, we had $350 million of outstanding borrowings and $50 million of additional borrowing capacity pursuant to the terms of the Securitization.

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. After giving effect to the $445 million spent in early May, 2016 in connection with the purchase of the minority ownership interests held by a third-party in six acute care hospitals located in Las Vegas, Nevada, as disclosed herein, the 7.125% Notes are classified as current maturities of long-term debt as of March 31, 2016 since we no longer have the capacity to refinance the 7.125% Notes utilizing funds borrowed pursuant to our revolving credit facility. As of December 31, 2015, the 7.125% Notes are classified as long-term on our Consolidated Balance Sheet since we previously had the ability and intent to refinance the 7.125% Notes utilizing funds borrowed pursuant to our revolving credit facility.

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 March 31, 2016.

At March 31, 2016, the carrying value and fair value of our debt were each approximately $3.3 billion. At December 31, 2015, the carrying value and fair value of our debt were each approximately $3.5 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 2015 and the first three months of 2016 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. 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 2015, we entered into nine forward starting interest rate swaps whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $1.0 billion and receive one-month LIBOR. The average fixed rate payable on these swaps, which are scheduled to mature on April 15, 2019, is 1.31%. These interest rates swaps consist of:

Four forward starting interest rate swaps, entered into during the second quarter of 2015, 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%;

Four forward starting interest rate swaps, entered into during the third quarter of 2015, 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 became 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%, and;

One interest rate swap, entered into during the fourth quarter of 2015, whereby we pay a fixed rate on a total notional amount of $100 million and receive one-month LIBOR. The swap became effective on December 15, 2015 and is scheduled to mature on April 15, 2019. The fixed rate payable on this swap is 1.21%.

We measure our interest rate swaps at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of our interest rate swaps is based on quotes from our counterparties. 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. At March 31, 2016, the fair value of our interest rate swaps was a net liability of $16 million of which $7 million is included in other current liabilities and $9 million is included in other noncurrent liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet. At December 31, 2015, the fair value of our interest rate swaps was a net liability of $1 million comprised of a $5 million asset which is included in other assets offset by a $6 million liability which is included in other current liabilities on the accompanying balance sheet.