Acquisitions (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Acquisitions [Abstract]

Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]

Historically, the Company has been involved in a program to acquire providers of pharmaceutical products and related pharmacy services to long-term care facilities and their residents as well as patients in other care settings.  The Company’s strategy has included the acquisition of freestanding institutional pharmacy businesses as well as other assets, generally insignificant in size, which have been combined with existing pharmacy operations to augment their internal growth.  From time-to-time, the Company may acquire other businesses which complement the Company’s core businesses.

In the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the Company incurred acquisition and other related costs of approximately $1.4 million, $25.5 million and $5.3 million, respectively, which were primarily related to professional fees and acquisition related restructuring costs for acquisitions offset in part by a reduction of the Company’s original estimate of contingent consideration payable for certain acquisitions.

During the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the Company completed one, two and four acquisitions of businesses (all of which were in the LTC segment), respectively, none of which were, individually or in the aggregate, significant to the Company.  Acquisitions of businesses required cash payments of approximately $35 million, $102 million and $112 million (including amounts payable pursuant to acquisition agreements relating to prior-period acquisitions) in 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.  The impact of these aggregate acquisitions on the Company’s overall goodwill balance has been reflected in the disclosures at the “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” note.  The net assets and operating results of acquisitions have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.

Amounts contingently payable through 2013, primarily representing payments originating from earnout provisions of acquisitions which were completed prior to January 1, 2009, were immaterial as of December 31, 2012.