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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Employee
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Financial Statement Presentation
Basis of Financial Statement Presentation
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (Labcorp® or the Company) is a leading global life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. By leveraging its unparalleled diagnostics and drug development capabilities, the Company provides insights and accelerates innovations to improve health and improve lives. With more than 80,000 employees, the Company serves clients in more than 100 countries.
The Company reports its business in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics (Dx) and Labcorp Drug Development (DD). For further financial information about these segments, including information for each of the last three fiscal years regarding revenue, operating income, and other important information, see Note 19 Business Segment Information. In 2022, Dx and DD contributed 61% and 39%, respectively, of revenues to the Company, and in 2021 contributed 64% and 36%, respectively.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries for which it exercises control. Long-term investments in affiliated companies in which the Company exercises significant influence, but which it does not control, are accounted for using the equity method. Investments in which the Company does not exercise significant influence (generally, when the Company has an investment of less than 20% and no representation on the investee's board of directors) are accounted for at fair value or at cost minus impairment adjusted for observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer for those investments that do not have readily determinable fair values. All significant inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated. The Company does not have any variable interest entities or special purpose entities whose financial results are not included in the consolidated financial statements.
The financial statements of the Company's operating foreign subsidiaries are measured using the local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates as of the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated at average monthly exchange rates prevailing during the year. Resulting translation adjustments are included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income.”
Reimbursable Out of Pocket Expenses Policy Reimbursable Out-of-Pocket ExpensesDD pays on behalf of its customers certain out-of-pocket costs for which the Company is reimbursed at cost, without mark-up or profit. Out-of-pocket costs paid by DD are reflected in cost of revenues, while the reimbursements received are reflected in revenues in the consolidated statements of operations.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenue includes direct labor and related benefit charges, reimbursable expenses, other direct costs, shipping and handling fees, and an allocation of facility charges and information technology costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of administrative payroll and related benefit charges, advertising and promotional expenses, administrative travel and an allocation of facility charges and information technology costs. Cost of advertising is expensed as incurred.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Significant estimates include implicit price concessions, revenue estimates, the allowances for doubtful accounts, deferred tax assets, fair values of acquired assets and assumed liabilities in business combinations, fair value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, amortization lives for acquired intangible assets, and accruals for self-insurance reserves, litigation reserves and pensions. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to impact the Company’s business and financial results depend on numerous evolving factors including, but not limited to the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact to worldwide macroeconomic conditions including interest rates, employment rates and health insurance coverage, the speed of the anticipated recovery, and governmental and business reactions to the pandemic. The Company assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to the Company and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of December 31, 2022, and through the date of this Annual Report. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, the Company’s implicit price
concessions and credit losses, equity investments, and the carrying value of goodwill and other long-lived assets. The Company’s future assessment of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, could impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods.
Concentration of Credit Risk Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable.
The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents with various major financial institutions. The total cash and cash equivalent balances that exceeded the balances insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission, were approximately $428.1 and $1,471.0 at December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
Substantially all of the Company’s accounts receivable are with companies in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industry and individuals. However, concentrations of credit risk are mitigated due to the number of the Company’s customers as well as their dispersion across many different geographic regions.
Although Dx has receivables due from U.S. and state governmental agencies, the Company does not believe that such receivables represent a credit risk since the related healthcare programs are funded by U.S. and state governments, and payment is primarily dependent upon submitting appropriate documentation. Accounts receivable balances (gross) from Medicare and Medicaid were $85.8 and $94.5 at December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
For the Company's operations in Ontario, Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ministry) determines who can establish a licensed community medical laboratory and caps the amount that each of these licensed laboratories can bill the government sponsored healthcare plan. The Ontario government-sponsored healthcare plan covers the cost of commercial laboratory testing performed by the licensed laboratories. The provincial government discounts the annual testing volumes based on certain utilization discounts and establishes an annual maximum it will pay for all community laboratory tests. The agreed-upon reimbursement rates are subject to Ministry review at the end of year and can be adjusted (at the government's discretion) based upon the actual volume and mix of test work performed by the licensed healthcare providers in the province during the year. There were no capitated accounts receivable balances from the Ontario government sponsored healthcare plan at December 31, 2022. The balance was CAD 7.2 at December 31, 2021.
The portion of the Company's accounts receivable due from patients comprises the largest portion of credit risk. At December 31, 2022, and 2021, receivables due from patients represented approximately 15.3% and 16.7% of the Company's consolidated gross accounts receivable, respectively. The Company applies assumptions and judgments including historical collection experience and reasonable and supportable forecasts for assessing collectability and determining allowances for doubtful accounts for accounts receivable from patients.
Earnings Per Share
Earnings per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings attributable to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net earnings including the impact of dilutive adjustments by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive shares, as if they had been issued at the earlier of the date of issuance or the beginning of the period presented. Potentially dilutive common shares result primarily from the Company’s outstanding stock options, restricted stock awards, performance share awards, and accelerated share repurchases.
The following represents a reconciliation of basic earnings per share to diluted earnings per share: 
 202220212020
IncomeSharesPer Share
Amount
IncomeSharesPer Share
Amount
IncomeSharesPer Share
Amount
Basic earnings per share$1,279.1 91.1 $14.05 $2,377.3 96.7 $24.60 $1,556.1 97.3 $15.99 
Stock options and stock awards— 0.5  — 0.8  — 0.7  
Diluted earnings per share$1,279.1 91.6 $13.97 $2,377.3 97.5 $24.39 $1,556.1 98.0 $15.88 
The following table summarizes the potential common shares not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because their impact would have been antidilutive:
 Years Ended December 31,
 202220212020
Stock options0.20.10.2
Stock Compensation Plans
Stock Compensation Plans
The Company measures stock compensation cost for all equity awards at fair value on the date of grant and recognizes compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of restricted stock units is determined based on the number of shares granted and the quoted price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. The grant date fair value of performance awards is based on a Monte Carlo simulated fair value for the relative (as compared to the peer companies) total shareholder return component of the performance awards. Such value is recognized as an expense over the service period, net of estimated forfeitures and the Company's determination of whether it is probable that the performance targets will be achieved. At the end of each reporting period, the Company reassesses the probability of achieving performance targets. The estimation of equity awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment and the Company considers many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including types of awards, employee class, and historical experience. Forfeitures are recognized as a reduction of compensation expense in earnings in the period in which they occur.
See Note 13 Stock Compensation Plans for assumptions used in calculating compensation expense for the Company’s stock compensation plans.
Cash Equivalents Cash EquivalentsCash and cash equivalents consist of highly liquid instruments, such as commercial paper, time deposits, and other money market instruments, which have maturities when purchased of three months or less.
Inventories Supplies InventoryInventories, consisting primarily of purchased laboratory and customer supplies and finished goods, are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value. Supplies accounted for $412.8 and $371.5 and finished goods accounted for $57.8 and $29.9 of total inventory at December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The Company's inventory reserve balance was $23.3 and $40.1, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization expense is computed on all classes of assets based on their estimated useful lives, as indicated below, using the straight-line method.
Years
Buildings and building improvements10-35
Machinery and equipment3-10
Furniture and fixtures5-10
Software3-10
Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the term of the related leases. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to operations as incurred. Retirements, sales and other disposals of assets are recorded by removing the cost and accumulated depreciation from the related accounts with any resulting gain or loss reflected in the consolidated statements of operations.
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. If the carrying value is no longer recoverable based upon the undiscounted future cash flows of the asset, the amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset.
Capitalized Software Costs
Capitalized Software Costs
The Company capitalizes purchased software that is ready for service and capitalizes software development costs incurred on significant projects starting from the time that the preliminary project stage is completed and the Company commits to funding a project until the project is substantially complete and the software is ready for its intended use. Capitalized costs include direct material and service costs and payroll and payroll-related costs. Research and development (R&D) costs and other computer software maintenance costs related to software development are expensed as incurred. Capitalized software costs are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the underlying system ranging from three to
fifteen years, generally five years. Amortization begins once the underlying system is substantially complete and ready for its intended use.
Intangible Assets
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected periods to be benefited, as set forth in the table below, such as legal life for patents and technology and contractual lives for non-compete agreements.
 Years
Customer relationships10-36
Patents, licenses and technology3-15
Non-compete agreements3-5
Trade names1-15
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt Issuance Costs
The costs related to the issuance of debt are capitalized, netted against the related debt for presentation purposes and amortized to interest expense over the terms of the related debt.
Professional Liability Professional LiabilityThe Company is self-insured (up to certain limits) for professional liability claims arising in the normal course of business, generally related to the testing and reporting of laboratory test results. The Company estimates a liability that represents the ultimate exposure for aggregate losses below those limits. The liability is based on assumptions and factors for known and incurred but not reported claims, including the frequency and payment trends of historical claims.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes utilizing the asset and liability method. Under this method deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and for tax loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company does not recognize a tax benefit unless the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that the benefit will be sustained on audit by the taxing authority based solely on the technical merits of the associated tax position. If the recognition threshold is met, the Company recognizes a tax benefit
measured at the largest amount of the tax benefit that the Company believes is greater than 50% likely to be realized. The Company records interest and penalties in income tax expense.
Minimum threshold percentage required to recognize income tax benefit (in hundredths) 50.00%
Derivative Financial Instruments
Derivative Financial Instruments
The Company addresses its exposure to market risks, principally the market risk associated with changes in interest rates and currency exchange rates, through a controlled program of risk management that includes, from time to time, the use of derivative financial instruments. The Company does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. The Company does not believe that its exposure to market risk is material to the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
Interest rate swap agreements, which have been used by the Company from time to time in the management of interest rate exposure, are accounted for at fair value. These derivative financial instruments are accounted for as fair value hedges that increase or decrease the value of the Senior Notes with the offset being recorded as a component of other long-term assets or liabilities, as applicable. As the specific terms and notional amounts of the derivative financial instruments match those of the fixed-rate debt being hedged, the derivative instruments are assumed to be perfectly effective hedges and accordingly, there is no impact to the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Cash flows from the interest rate swaps are including in operating activities.
Cross currency swap agreements, which have been used by the Company to hedge the foreign currency exposure of its net investment in a foreign subsidiary denominated in non-U.S. currency, are accounted for at fair value. Changes in the fair value of the cross-currency swaps are charged or credited through accumulated other comprehensive income in the Consolidated Balance Sheet until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. The cumulative amount of the fair value hedging adjustments are recognized as currency translation within the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings.
Foreign currency forward contracts, which have been used by the Company to hedge foreign currency receivables, are recognized as assets or liabilities at their fair value. These contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting and the changes in fair value are recorded directly to earnings. The contracts are short-term in nature and the fair value of these contracts is based on market prices for comparable contracts. The fair value of these contracts is not significant as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Fair value measurements for financial assets and liabilities are determined based on the assumptions that a market participant would use in pricing an asset or liability. A three-tiered fair value hierarchy draws distinctions between market participant assumptions based on (i) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets (Level 1), (ii) inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2), and (iii) unobservable inputs that require the Company to use present value and other valuation techniques in the determination of fair value (Level 3).
Entity Number of Employees 80,000
Research and Development
Research and Development
The Company expenses R&D costs as incurred.
Lessee, Leases
Leases
All leases with a lease term greater than 12 months, regardless of lease type classification, are recorded as an obligation on the balance sheet with a corresponding right-of-use asset. Both finance and operating leases are reflected as liabilities on the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of the lease payments to be made over the lease term. Right-of-use assets are valued at the initial measurement of the lease liability, plus any initial direct costs or rent prepayments, minus lease incentives and any deferred lease payments. The classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.
A certain number of these leases contain rent escalation clauses either fixed or adjusted periodically for inflation or market rates that are factored into the Company's determination of lease payments. The Company also has variable lease payments that do not depend on a rate or index, for items such as volume purchase commitments, which are recorded as variable cost when incurred. As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company estimates an incremental borrowing rate based on the credit quality of the Company and by comparing interest rates available in the market for similar borrowings, and adjusting this amount based on the impact of collateral over the term of each lease. The Company uses this rate to discount payments to present value. Some operating leases contain renewal options, some of which also include options to early terminate the leases. The exercise of these options is at the Company's discretion and the Company evaluates each renewal option to determine if it is reasonably possible to be exercised and should be included in the accounting lease term. See Note 5 Leases to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Goodwill, Policy
The Company assesses goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, which are not amortized, for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The annual impairment test for goodwill includes an option to perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying value. Reporting units are businesses with discrete financial information that is available and reviewed by management. If the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then the Company performs the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The Company may also choose to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in its goodwill assessment and proceed directly to performing the quantitative assessment. The Company recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value.
In the qualitative assessment, the Company considers relevant events and circumstances for each reporting unit, including (i) current year results, (ii) financial performance versus management’s annual and five-year strategic plans, (iii) changes in the reporting unit carrying value since prior year, (iv) industry and market conditions in which the reporting unit operates, (v) macroeconomic conditions, including discount rate changes, and (vi) changes in products or services offered by the reporting unit. If applicable, performance in recent years is compared to forecasts included in prior quantitative valuations. Based on the results of the qualitative assessment, if the Company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying values of the reporting unit, then no quantitative assessment is performed.
The quantitative assessment includes the estimation of the fair value of each reporting unit as compared to the carrying value of the reporting unit. The Company estimates the fair value of a reporting unit using both income-based and market-based valuation methods. The income-based approach is based on the reporting unit's forecasted future cash flows that are discounted to the present value using the reporting unit's weighted average cost of capital. For the market-based approach, the Company utilizes a number of factors such as publicly available information regarding the market capitalization of the Company as well as operating results, business plans, market multiples, and present value techniques. Based upon the range of estimated values developed from the income and market-based methods, the Company determines the estimated fair value for the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, the goodwill is not impaired and no further review is required.
Management performed its annual goodwill and intangible asset impairment testing as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2022. The Company elected to perform the qualitative assessment for goodwill and intangible assets for the domestic Dx reporting units, and a quantitative assessment for all of the DD reporting units, and the Canadian reporting unit which includes indefinite-lived assets consisting of acquired Canadian licenses. Based upon the results of the qualitative and quantitative assessments, the Company concluded that the fair values of each of its reporting units, as of October 1, 2022, were greater than the carrying values. For the early development reporting unit, which is part of the DD segment, the fair value of the business exceeded the book value by approximately 10%.
In December 2022, a significant supplier of the early development reporting unit was no longer able to provide critical testing supplies resulting in an expectation of lower near term revenue and profitability and potential higher future costs. Based on this information, management prepared a new forecast and updated the impairment testing valuations as of December 31, 2022. Based on the quantitative impairment assessment performed in the same manner as the Company's annual quantitative assessment, the Company concluded that the fair value was less than carrying value for the early development reporting unit and recorded a goodwill impairment of $260.0 in the DD segment.
Although the Company believes that the current assumptions and estimates used in its goodwill analysis are reasonable, supportable, and appropriate, continued efforts to maintain or improve the performance of these businesses could be impacted by unfavorable or unforeseen changes which could impact the existing assumptions used in the impairment analysis. Various factors could reasonably be expected to unfavorably impact existing assumptions: primarily delays in new customer bookings and the related delay in revenue from new customers, increases in customer termination activity or increases in operating costs. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the estimates and assumptions made for the purposes of the goodwill impairment analysis will prove to be accurate predictions of future performance. It is possible that the Company's conclusions regarding impairment or recoverability of goodwill or intangible assets in any reporting unit could change in future periods. There can be no assurance that the estimates and assumptions used in the Company's goodwill and intangible asset impairment testing performed as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2022 or at the end of the year will prove to be accurate predictions of the future, if, for example, (i) the businesses do not perform as projected, (ii) overall economic conditions in 2023 or future years
vary from current assumptions (including changes in discount rates), (iii) business conditions or strategies for a specific reporting unit change from current assumptions, including loss of major customers, (iv) investors require higher rates of return on equity investments in the marketplace or (v) enterprise values of comparable publicly traded companies, or actual sales transactions of comparable companies, were to decline, resulting in lower multiples of revenues and EBITDA.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy
Foreign Currencies
For subsidiaries outside of the U.S. that operate in a local currency environment, income and expense items are translated to U.S. dollars at the monthly average rates of exchange prevailing during the period, assets and liabilities are translated at period-end exchange rates and equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates. Translation adjustments are accumulated in a separate component of shareholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets and are included in the determination of comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of comprehensive earnings and consolidated statements of changes in shareholders’ equity. Transaction gains and losses are included in the determination of net income in the consolidated statements of operations.