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Relationship with Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") and Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Relationship with Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") and Related Party Transactions

(2) Relationship with Universal Health Services, Inc. (“UHS”) and Related Party Transactions

Leases: We commenced operations in 1986 by purchasing certain properties from subsidiaries of UHS and immediately leasing the properties back to the respective subsidiaries. The base rentals and lease and renewal terms for each of the hospitals leased to subsidiaries of UHS as of March 31, 2024, are provided below. The base rents are paid monthly. The lease on McAllen Medical Center also provides for bonus rent which is paid quarterly based upon a computation that compares the hospital’s current quarter revenue to a corresponding quarter in the base year. The hospital leases with subsidiaries of UHS, with the exception of the lease on Clive Behavioral Health Hospital (which is operated by UHS in a joint venture with an unrelated third party), are unconditionally guaranteed by UHS and are cross-defaulted with one another. The lease for the Clive facility is guaranteed on a several basis by UHS (52%) and Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa (48%).

The combined revenues generated from the leases on the three acute care and three behavioral health care hospital facilities leased to subsidiaries of UHS at March 31, 2024, accounted for approximately 24% and 26% of our consolidated revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. In addition to the six UHS hospital facilities, we have twenty-one properties consisting of medical/office buildings, (including one newly constructed medical office building ("MOB") that was substantially completed during the first quarter of 2023 and one MOB that was acquired during the third quarter of 2023), and FEDs that are either wholly or jointly-owned by us that include tenants which are subsidiaries of UHS. The aggregate revenues generated from UHS-related tenants comprised approximately 41% and 40% of our consolidated revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

On December 31, 2021, we entered into an asset purchase and sale agreement with UHS and certain of its affiliates, which was amended during the first quarter of 2022, pursuant to the terms of which: (i) a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS purchased from us, the real estate assets of the Inland Valley Campus of Southwest Healthcare System located in Wildomar, California, at its fair market value of $79.6 million; (ii) two wholly-owned subsidiaries of UHS transferred to us, the real estate assets of Aiken Regional Medical Center, (“Aiken”), located in Aiken, South Carolina (which includes an acute care hospital and a behavioral health pavilion), at its fair-market value of approximately $57.7 million, and Canyon Creek Behavioral Health (“Canyon Creek”), located in Temple, Texas, at its fair-market value of approximately $26.0 million, and; (iii) we paid approximately $4.1 million in cash to UHS.

As a result of UHS’ purchase option within the lease agreements of Aiken and Canyon Creek, the transaction is accounted for as a failed sale leaseback in accordance with U.S. GAAP and the properties acquired by us in connection with the asset purchase and sale agreement with UHS, as amended, were accounted for as financing arrangements and our consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include financing receivables related to this transaction of $83.2 million and $83.3 million, respectively.

Also on December 31, 2021, Aiken and Canyon Creek (as lessees), entered into a master lease and individual property leases as amended, (with us as lessor), for initial lease terms on each property of approximately twelve years, ending on December 31, 2033. Subject to the terms of the master lease, Aiken and Canyon Creek have the right to renew their leases, at the then current fair market rent (as defined in the master lease), for seven, five-year optional renewal terms. Pursuant to the leases, as amended during the first quarter of 2022, the

aggregate annual rental rate during 2024 on the acquired properties, which is payable to us on a monthly basis, is approximately $5.9 million ($4.1 million related to Aiken and $1.8 million related to Canyon Creek). The portion of the lease payments that is included in our consolidated statements of income, and reflected as interest income on financing leases, was approximately $1.4 million for each of the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. There is no bonus rental component applicable to either of these leases.

Pursuant to the terms of the master leases by and among us and certain subsidiaries of UHS, dated December 24, 1986 and December 31, 2021 (the “Master Leases”), which govern the leases of McAllen Medical Center, Wellington Regional Medical Center (governed by the Master Lease dated December 24, 1986), Aiken Regional Medical Center and Canyon Creek Behavioral Health (governed by the Master Lease dated December 31, 2021, as amended), all of which are hospital properties that are wholly-owned subsidiaries of UHS, UHS has the option, among other things, to renew the leases at the lease terms described below by providing notice to us at least 90 days prior to the termination of the then current term. UHS also has the right to purchase the respective leased facilities from us at their appraised fair market value upon any of the following: (i) at the end of the lease terms or any renewal terms; (ii) upon one month’s notice should a change of control of the Trust occur, or; (iii) within the time period as specified in the leases in the event that UHS provides notice to us of their intent to offer a substitution property/properties in exchange for one (or more) of the four wholly-owned UHS hospital facilities leased from us, should we be unable to reach an agreement with UHS on the properties to be substituted. Additionally, UHS has rights of first refusal to: (i) purchase the respective leased facilities during and for a specified period after the lease terms at the same price, terms and conditions of any third-party offer, or; (ii) renew the lease on the respective leased facility at the end of, and for a specified period after, the lease term at the same terms and conditions pursuant to any third-party offer.

In addition, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS is the managing, majority member in a joint-venture with an unrelated third-party that operates, and leases from us, Clive Behavioral Health. This 100-bed behavioral health care facility is located in Clive, Iowa and was completed and opened in late December, 2020 and the hospital lease commenced on December 31, 2020. The lease on this facility is triple net and has an initial term of 20 years with five 10-year renewal options. On each January 1st through 2040 (and potentially through 2070 if the first three of five, 10-year renewal options are exercised), the annual rental will increase by 2.75% on a cumulative and compounded basis. The first three of the five 10-year renewal options will provide for annual rental as stipulated in the lease (2041 through 2070) and the two additional 10-year lease renewal options will be at fair market value lease rates (2071 through 2090). Pursuant to the lease on this facility, the joint venture has the option to, among other things, renew the lease at the terms specified in the lease agreement by providing notice to us at least 270 days prior to the termination of the then current term. The joint venture also has the right to purchase the leased facility from us at its appraised fair market value upon either of the following: (i) by providing notice at least 270 days prior to the end of the lease terms or any renewal terms, or; (ii) upon 30 days’ notice anytime within 12 months of a change of control of the Trust (UHS also has this right should the joint venture decline to exercise its purchase right). Additionally, the joint venture has rights of first offer to purchase the facility prior to any third-party sale.

The table below details the existing lease terms and renewal options for each of the hospital leases that are related to UHS as of March 31, 2024, consisting of three acute care hospitals and three behavioral health hospitals:

 

Hospital Name

 

Annual
Minimum
Rent

 

 

End of
Lease Term

 

Renewal
Term
(years)

 

 

McAllen Medical Center

 

$

5,485,000

 

 

December, 2026

 

 

5

 

(a)

Wellington Regional Medical Center

 

$

6,639,000

 

 

December, 2026

 

 

5

 

(b)

Aiken Regional Medical Center/Aurora Pavilion Behavioral Health Services

 

$

4,072,000

 

 

December, 2033

 

 

35

 

(c)

Canyon Creek Behavioral Health

 

$

1,841,000

 

 

December, 2033

 

 

35

 

(c)

Clive Behavioral Health Hospital

 

$

2,775,000

 

 

December, 2040

 

 

50

 

(d)

 

(a)
UHS has one 5-year renewal option at existing lease rates (through 2031).
(b)
UHS has one 5-year renewal option at fair market value lease rates (through 2031; see additional disclosure below). The annual rental will increase by 2.5% on an annual compounded basis on each January 1st through 2026.
(c)
UHS has seven 5-year renewal options at fair market value lease rates (2034 through 2068). The annual rental rate will increase by 2.25% on a cumulative and compounded basis on each January 1st through 2033.
(d)
The UHS-related joint venture has five 10-year renewal options; the first three of the five 10-year renewal options will be at computed lease rates as stipulated in the lease (2041 through 2070) and the last two 10-year renewal options will be at fair market lease rates (2071 through 2090). On each January 1st through 2040 (and potentially through 2070 if the first three of five, 10-year renewal options are exercised), the annual rental will increase by 2.75% on a cumulative and compounded basis.

Upon the December 31, 2021 expiration of the lease on Wellington Regional Medical Center located in West Palm Beach, Florida, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS exercised its fair market value renewal option and renewed the lease for a 5-year term scheduled to expire on December 31, 2026. Effective January 1, 2024, the annual lease rate for this hospital, which is payable to us monthly, is $6.6 million and on each January 1st thereafter through 2026, the annual rent will increase by 2.50% on a cumulative and compounded basis (there is no bonus rental component of the lease payment).

Management cannot predict whether the leases with wholly-owned subsidiaries of UHS, which have renewal options at existing lease rates or fair market value lease rates, or any of our other leases, will be renewed at the end of their lease term. If the leases are not renewed at their current rates or the fair market value lease rates, we would be required to find other operators for those facilities and/or enter into leases on terms potentially less favorable to us than the current leases. In addition, if subsidiaries of UHS exercise their options to purchase the respective leased hospital or FED facilities upon expiration of the lease terms, our future revenues could decrease if we were unable to earn a favorable rate of return on the sale proceeds received, as compared to the rental revenue currently earned pursuant to these leases.

During the third quarter of 2023, we acquired the McAllen Doctor's Center, an MOB located in McAllen, Texas for a purchase price of approximately $7.6 million, including transaction costs. The building has approximately 79,500 rentable square feet and is 100% master leased to McAllen Hospitals, L.P, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS. The triple-net master lease is for twelve years scheduled to expire on August 31, 2035. McAllen Hospitals, L.P. has the option to renew the lease term for three consecutive ten-year terms. The initial annual base rent is approximately $624,000.

During the first quarter of 2023, construction was substantially completed on Sierra Medical Plaza I, a multi-tenant MOB located in Reno, Nevada, consisting of approximately 86,000 rentable square feet. This MOB is located on the campus of the Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center, a newly constructed acute care hospital that is owned and operated by a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS, which was completed and opened during April of 2022. The cost of the MOB is estimated to be approximately $35 million, approximately $29 million of which was incurred as of March 31, 2024. In connection with this MOB, we entered into a ground lease and master flex-lease agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS. The master flex lease agreement has a ten-year term scheduled to expire on March 31, 2033, and covers approximately 68% of the rentable square feet of the MOB at an initial minimum rent of $1.3 million annually plus a pro-rata share of the common area maintenance expenses. The master flex-lease is subject to a reduction during the term based upon the execution of third-party leases. The ground lease and the master flex lease each commenced during March, 2023.

We are the lessee on thirteen ground leases with subsidiaries of UHS (for consolidated and unconsolidated investments), including one that commenced in March, 2023. The remaining lease terms on the ground leases with subsidiaries of UHS range from approximately 25 years to approximately 74 years. The annual aggregate lease payments on these properties are approximately $571,000 during each of the years ended 2024 through 2028, and an aggregate of $31.3 million thereafter. See Note 7 for additional lease accounting disclosure.

Officers and Employees: Our officers are all employees of a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS and although as of March 31, 2024 we had no salaried employees, our officers do typically receive annual stock-based compensation awards in the form of restricted stock. In special circumstances, if warranted and deemed appropriate by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees, our officers may also receive one-time special compensation awards in the form of restricted stock and/or cash bonuses.

Advisory Agreement: UHS of Delaware, Inc. (the “Advisor”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of UHS, serves as Advisor to us under an advisory agreement dated December 24, 1986, and as amended and restated as of January 1, 2019 (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is obligated to present an investment program to us, to use its best efforts to obtain investments suitable for such program (although it is not obligated to present any particular investment opportunity to us), to provide administrative services to us and to conduct our day-to-day affairs. All transactions between us and UHS must be approved by the Trustees who are unaffiliated with UHS (the “Independent Trustees”). In performing its services under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor may utilize independent professional services, including accounting, legal, tax and other services, for which the Advisor is reimbursed directly by us. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated for any reason upon sixty days written notice by us or the Advisor. The Advisory Agreement expires on December 31 of each year; however, it is renewable by us, subject to a determination by the Independent Trustees, that the Advisor’s performance has been satisfactory. The Advisory Agreement was renewed for 2024 with the same terms as the Advisory Agreement in place during 2023 and 2022.

Our advisory fee for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, was computed at 0.70% of our average invested real estate assets, as derived from our condensed consolidated balance sheets. Based upon a review of our advisory fee and other general and administrative expenses, as compared to an industry peer group, the advisory fee computation remained unchanged for 2024 as compared to 2023 and 2022. The average real estate assets for advisory fee calculation purposes exclude certain items from our condensed consolidated balance sheet such as, among other things, accumulated depreciation, cash and cash equivalents, lease receivables, deferred charges and other assets. The advisory fee is payable quarterly, subject to adjustment at year-end based upon our audited financial statements. Advisory fees incurred and paid (or payable) to UHS amounted to approximately $1.3 million for each of the three-month periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, and were based upon average invested real estate assets of $765 million and $744 million, respectively.

Share Ownership: As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, UHS owned 5.7% of our outstanding shares of beneficial interest.

SEC reporting requirements of UHS: UHS is subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC and is required to file annual reports containing audited financial information and quarterly reports containing unaudited financial information. Since the aggregate revenues generated from the UHS-related tenants comprised approximately 41% and 40% of our consolidated revenues during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and since a subsidiary of UHS is our Advisor, you are encouraged to obtain the

publicly available filings for Universal Health Services, Inc. from the SEC’s website. These filings are the sole responsibility of UHS and are not incorporated by reference herein.