NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Amedisys, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Amedisys,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a multi-state provider of home health and hospice services with approximately 82%, 84% and 82% of our revenue derived from Medicare for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, we owned and operated 316 Medicare-certified home health care centers and 80 Medicare-certified hospice care centers in 34 states within the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Use of Estimates Our accounting and reporting policies conform with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates. Reclassifications and Comparability Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods' financial statements in order to conform to the current period's presentation. Our exit activity during the last three years may affect the comparability of our operating results. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the results of operations for the care centers closed, sold or classified as held for sale during 2012 and 2013 are presented in discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements. See Note 3 – Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale for additional information regarding our discontinued operations. Principles of Consolidation These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amedisys, Inc., and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in our accompanying consolidated financial statements, and business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in our consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition. In addition to our wholly owned subsidiaries, we also have certain equity investments that are accounted for as set forth below. Equity Investments We consolidate investments when the entity is a variable interest entity and we are the primary beneficiary or if we have controlling interests in the entity, which is generally ownership in excess of 50%. During 2013, we recorded a $1.3 million goodwill impairment charge related to an investment we currently consolidate. Third party equity interests in our consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. We account for investments in entities in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50% or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a variable interest entity in which we are the primary beneficiary. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $18.8 million as of December 31, 2014 and $11.9 million as of December 31, 2013. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20% ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee. The aggregate carrying amount of our cost method investment was $5.0 million as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS, CONSOLIDATION AND PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Amedisys, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Amedisys,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a multi-state provider of home health and hospice services with approximately 82%, 84% and 82% of our revenue derived from Medicare for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, we owned and operated 316 Medicare-certified home health care centers and 80 Medicare-certified hospice care centers in 34 states within the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Use of Estimates

Our accounting and reporting policies conform with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”). In preparing the consolidated financial statements, we are required to make estimates and assumptions that impact the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications and Comparability

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods' financial statements in order to conform to the current period's presentation. Our exit activity during the last three years may affect the comparability of our operating results. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the results of operations for the care centers closed, sold or classified as held for sale during 2012 and 2013 are presented in discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements. See Note 3 – Discontinued Operations and Assets Held for Sale for additional information regarding our discontinued operations.

Principles of Consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Amedisys, Inc., and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in our accompanying consolidated financial statements, and business combinations accounted for as purchases have been included in our consolidated financial statements from their respective dates of acquisition. In addition to our wholly owned subsidiaries, we also have certain equity investments that are accounted for as set forth below.

Equity Investments

We consolidate investments when the entity is a variable interest entity and we are the primary beneficiary or if we have controlling interests in the entity, which is generally ownership in excess of 50%. During 2013, we recorded a $1.3 million goodwill impairment charge related to an investment we currently consolidate. Third party equity interests in our consolidated joint ventures are reflected as noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements.

We account for investments in entities in which we have the ability to exercise significant influence under the equity method if we hold 50% or less of the voting stock and the entity is not a variable interest entity in which we are the primary beneficiary. The book value of investments that we accounted for under the equity method of accounting was $18.8 million as of December 31, 2014 and $11.9 million as of December 31, 2013. We account for investments in entities in which we have less than a 20% ownership interest under the cost method of accounting if we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investee. The aggregate carrying amount of our cost method investment was $5.0 million as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.

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