Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries and include all adjustments, which were of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2013 and the results of its operations and changes in its cash flow for the years ended December 31,2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Certain foreign subsidiaries, represented by the European segment, are consolidated using a November 30 fiscal year end in order to meet filing deadlines. No material subsequent events have occurred related to the European segment, which would require disclosure or adjustment to the Company’s financial statements. All significant intercompany transactions are eliminated.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates: The consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Inventories

Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market with cost determined by the first-in, first-out method. Market values are based on the lower of replacement cost or estimated net realizable value. Finished goods and work in process inventories include material, labor and manufacturing overhead costs. Inventories have been reduced by an allowance for excess and obsolete inventories. The estimated allowance is based on management’s review of inventories on hand compared to estimated future usage and sales.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment are stated on the basis of cost. The Company principally uses the straight-line method of depreciation for financial reporting purposes based on annual rates sufficient to amortize the cost of the assets over their estimated useful lives. Machinery and equipment as well as furniture and fixtures are generally depreciated using lives of 3 to 10 years, while buildings and improvements are depreciated using lives of 5 to 40 years. Accelerated methods of depreciation are used for federal income tax purposes. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Amortization of assets under capital leases is included in depreciation expense.

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An asset would be considered impaired when the future net undiscounted cash flows generated by the asset are less than its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value.

Goodwill and Other Intangibles

Goodwill and Other Intangibles: In accordance with Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, ASC 350, goodwill and indefinite lived intangibles are subject to annual impairment testing. For purposes of the goodwill impairment test, the fair value of each reporting unit is estimated by forecasting cash flows and discounting those cash flows using appropriate discount rates. The fair values are then compared to the carrying value of the net assets of each reporting unit. Intangibles assets are also reviewed for impairment by estimating forecasted cash flows and discounting those cash flows as needed to calculate impairment amounts.

During 2013, the Company recognized intangible write-down charges of $1,523,000 comprised of: trademarks with indefinite lives impairment of $568,000, a trademark with a definite life impairment of $123,000, customer list impairment of $442,000 and a developed technology impairment of $223,000 each recorded in the IPG segment and a customer list impairment of $167,000 recorded in the North America/HME segment.

As a result of the Company's 2012 intangible impairment review, the Company recognized intangible write-down charges of $773,000 comprised of: trademark impairment with an indefinite life of $279,000 and developed technology impairment of $398,000 in the IPG segment and a patent impairment of $96,000 in the North America/HME segment.

In 2011, the Company recorded goodwill impairment charges of $39,729,000 and $7,990,000 related to the Asia/Pacific and North America/Home Medical Equipment (North America/HME) segments, respectively, and intangible asset impairment amounts of $625,000, $508,000, $427,000 and $201,000 were recorded for the IPG, North America/HME, Europe and Asia/Pacific segments, respectively. These impairments were the result of actual and future projected cash flows associated with these intangibles being insufficient to justify the carrying values.

Accrued Warranty Cost

Accrued Warranty Cost: Generally, the Company’s products are covered by warranties against defects in material and workmanship for various periods depending on the product from the date of sale to the customer. Certain components carry a lifetime warranty. A provision for estimated warranty cost is recorded at the time of sale based upon actual experience. The Company continuously assesses the adequacy of its product warranty accrual and makes adjustments as needed. Historical analysis is primarily used to determine the Company’s warranty reserves. Claims history is reviewed and provisions are adjusted as needed. However, the Company does consider other events, such as a product recall, which could warrant additional warranty reserve provision. See Current Liabilities in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a reconciliation of the changes in the warranty accrual.

Product Liability Cost

Product Liability Cost: The Company is self-insured in North America for product liability exposures through its captive insurance company, Invatection Insurance Company, which currently has a policy year that runs from September 1 to August 31 and insures annual policy losses up to $10,000,000 per occurrence and $13,000,000 in the aggregate. The Company also has additional layers of external insurance coverage insuring up to $75,000,000 in aggregate losses per policy year arising from individual claims anywhere in the world that exceed the captive insurance company policy limits or the limits of the Company’s per country foreign liability limits, as applicable. There can be no assurance that Invacare’s current insurance levels will continue to be adequate or available at affordable rates.

Product liability reserves are recorded for individual claims based upon historical experience, industry expertise and other indicators. Additional reserves, in excess of the specific individual case reserves, are provided for incurred but not reported claims based upon actuarial valuations at the time such valuations are conducted. Historical claims experience and other assumptions are taken into consideration by the Company in estimating the ultimate reserves. For example, the actuarial analysis assumes that historical loss experience is an indicator of future experience, that the distribution of exposures by geographic area and nature of operations for ongoing operations is expected to be very similar to historical operations with no dramatic changes and that the government indices used to trend losses and exposures are appropriate. Estimates made are adjusted on a regular basis and can be impacted by actual loss awards and settlements on claims. While actuarial analysis is used to help determine adequate reserves, the Company is responsible for the determination and recording of adequate reserves in accordance with accepted loss reserving standards and practices.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition: Invacare’s revenues are recognized when products are shipped or service provided to unaffiliated customers, risk of loss is passed and title is transferred. Revenue Recognition, ASC 605, provides guidance on the application of generally accepted accounting principles to selected revenue recognition issues. Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of goods sold.

Sales are made only to customers with whom the Company believes collection is reasonably assured based upon a credit analysis, which may include obtaining a credit application, a signed security agreement, personal guarantee and/or a cross corporate guarantee depending on the credit history of the customer. Credit lines are established for new customers after an evaluation of their credit report and/or other relevant financial information. Existing credit lines are regularly reviewed and adjusted with consideration given to any outstanding past due amounts.

The Company offers discounts and rebates, which are accounted for as reductions to revenue in the period in which the sale is recognized. Discounts offered include: cash discounts for prompt payment, base and trade discounts based on contract level for specific classes of customers. Volume discounts and rebates are given based on large purchases and the achievement of certain sales volumes. Product returns are accounted for as a reduction to reported sales with estimates recorded for anticipated returns at the time of sale. The Company does not sell any goods on consignment.

Distributed products sold by the Company are accounted for in accordance with the revenue recognition guidance in ASC 605-45-05. The Company records distributed product sales gross as a principal since the Company takes title to the products and has the risks of loss for collections, delivery and returns.

Product sales that give rise to installment receivables are recorded at the time of sale when the risks and rewards of ownership are transferred. As such, interest income is recognized based on the terms of the installment agreements. Installment accounts are monitored and if a customer defaults on payments, interest income is no longer recognized. All installment accounts are accounted for using the same methodology, regardless of duration of the installment agreements. The Company has entered into an agreement with De Lage Landen, Inc. (“DLL”), a third party financing company, to provide the majority of future lease financing to Invacare customers.

Research and Development

Research and Development: Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and included in cost of products sold. The Company’s annual expenditures for product development and engineering were approximately $24,544,000, $24,459,000 and $27,556,000 for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Advertising

Advertising: Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Advertising expenses amounted to $17,530,000, $20,017,000 and $19,523,000 for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, the majority of which is incurred for advertising in the United States.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation Plans: The Company accounts for share based compensation under the provisions of the Compensation—Stock Compensation, ASC 718. The amounts of stock-based compensation expense recognized were as follows (in thousands):

	2013		2012		2011
Stock-based compensation expense recognized as part of selling, general and administrative expense	$	5,957	$	6,545	$	6,640

The amounts above reflect compensation expense related to restricted stock awards and nonqualified stock options awarded under the Invacare Corporation 2013 Equity Compensation Plan and 2003 Performance Plan. Stock-based compensation is not allocated to the business segments, but is reported as part of All Other as shown in the Company’s Business Segment Note to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes: The Company uses the liability method in measuring the provision for income taxes and recognizing deferred tax assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. The liability method requires that deferred income taxes reflect the tax consequences of currently enacted rates for differences between the tax and financial reporting bases of assets and liabilities. With the exception of two subsidiaries, foreign subsidiaries with undistributed earnings are considered to have such earnings indefinitely reinvested and, accordingly with the exception of the two subsidiaries, no provision for income taxes has been provided for $48,000,000 of unremitted earnings of these foreign subsidiaries. The amount of the unrecognized deferred tax liability for temporary differences related to investments in foreign subsidiaries that are permanently reinvested is not practically determinable. The Company has recorded the deferred tax impact of the unremitted earnings of the two subsidiaries for which the earnings are not permanently reinvested.

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments:Derivatives and Hedging, ASC 815, requires companies to recognize all derivative instruments in the consolidated balance sheet as either assets or liabilities at fair value. The accounting for changes in fair value of a derivative is dependent upon whether or not the derivative has been designated and qualifies for hedge accounting treatment and the type of hedging relationship. For derivatives designated and qualifying as hedging instruments, the Company must designate the hedging instrument, based upon the exposure being hedged, as a fair value hedge, cash flow hedge, or a hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation.

The Company recognizes its derivative instruments as assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet measured at fair value. A majority of the Company’s derivative instruments are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges. Accordingly, the effective portion of the gain or loss on the derivative instrument is reported as a component of other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. The remaining gain or loss on the derivative instrument in excess of the cumulative change in the fair value of the hedged item, if any, is recognized in current earnings during the period of change.

Foreign Currency Translation

Foreign Currency Translation: The functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries outside the United States is the applicable local currency. The assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at year-end exchange rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at monthly average exchange rates. Gains and losses resulting from translation of balance sheet items are included in accumulated other comprehensive earnings.

Net Earnings Per Share

Net Earnings Per Share: Basic earnings per share are computed based on the weighted-average number of Common Shares and Class B Common Shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share are computed based on the weighted-average number of Common Shares and Class B Common Shares outstanding plus the effects of dilutive stock options and awards outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share can potentially be impacted by the convertible notes should the conditions be met to make the notes convertible or if average market price of Company stock for the period exceeds the conversion price of $24.79. For periods in which there was a net loss, loss per share assuming dilution utilized weighted average shares-basic.

Defined Benefit Plans

Defined Benefit Plans: The Company’s benefit plans are accounted for in accordance with Compensation-Retirement Benefits, ASC 715 which requires plan sponsors to recognize the funded status of their defined benefit postretirement benefit plans in the consolidated balance sheet, measure the fair value of plan assets and benefit obligations as of the balance sheet date and to recognize changes in that funded status in the year in which the changes occur through comprehensive income.