Acquisitions (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Acquisitions [Abstract]

Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]

Historically, the Company’s business model involved acquiring 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 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, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred acquisition and other related costs of approximately, $2 million and $1 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. No such costs were incurred in the year ended December 31, 2014.

During each of the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2012, the Company completed one acquisition, both of which were in the LTC segment and were not significant to the Company. No acquisitions were completed in 2013. Acquisitions of businesses required cash payments of approximately $2 million, $4 million and $35 million (including amounts payable pursuant to acquisition agreements relating to prior-period acquisitions) in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The aggregate impact of these acquisitions on the Company’s overall goodwill balance has been reflected in “Note 7 - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”. The net assets and operating results of acquisitions have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition.