CLAIMS AND LAWSUITS |
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| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CLAIMS AND LAWSUITS | CLAIMS AND LAWSUITS We operate in a highly regulated and litigious industry. Healthcare companies are subject to numerous investigations by various governmental agencies. Further, private parties have the right to bring qui tam or “whistleblower” lawsuits against companies that allegedly submit false claims for payments to, or improperly retain overpayments from, the government and, in some states, private payers. We and our subsidiaries have received inquiries in recent years from government agencies, and we may receive similar inquiries in future periods. We are also subject to class action lawsuits, employment-related claims and other legal actions in the ordinary course of business. Some of these actions may involve large demands, as well as substantial defense costs. We cannot predict the outcome of current or future legal actions against us or the effect that judgments or settlements in such matters may have on us. We are also subject to a non-prosecution agreement, as described in our Annual Report. If we fail to comply with this agreement, we could be subject to criminal prosecution, substantial penalties and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, any of which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. We record accruals for estimated losses relating to claims and lawsuits when available information indicates that a loss is probable and we can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss or a range of loss. Significant judgment is required in both the determination of the probability of a loss and the determination as to whether a loss is reasonably estimable. These determinations are updated at least quarterly and are adjusted to reflect the effects of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel and technical experts, and other information and events pertaining to a particular matter. If a loss on a material matter is reasonably possible and estimable, we disclose an estimate of the loss or a range of loss. In cases where we have not disclosed an estimate, we have concluded that the loss is either not reasonably possible or the loss, or a range of loss, is not reasonably estimable, based on available information. Shareholder Derivative Litigation In January 2017, the Dallas County District Court consolidated two previously disclosed shareholder derivative lawsuits filed by purported shareholders of the Company’s common stock on behalf of the Company against current and former officers and directors into a single matter captioned In re Tenet Healthcare Corporation Shareholder Derivative Litigation. The plaintiffs filed a consolidated shareholder derivative petition in February 2017. (A separate shareholder derivative lawsuit, captioned Horwitz, derivatively on behalf of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, was filed in January 2017 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas; however, on January 19, 2018, the plaintiff in the Horwitz matter voluntarily dismissed his case.) The consolidated shareholder derivative petition alleges that false or misleading statements or omissions concerning the Company’s financial performance and compliance policies, specifically with respect to the previously disclosed civil qui tam litigation and parallel criminal investigation of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries (together, the “Clinica de la Mama matters”), caused the price of the Company’s common stock to be artificially inflated. In addition, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants violated GAAP by failing to disclose an estimate of the possible loss or a range of loss related to the Clinica de la Mama matters. The plaintiffs claim that they did not make demand on the Company’s board of directors to bring the lawsuit because such a demand would have been futile. In May 2017, the judge in the consolidated shareholder derivative litigation entered an order staying that matter pending the final resolution of the previously disclosed consolidated securities litigation that was ultimately dismissed in December 2017. The Company intends to vigorously defend against the allegations in the remaining purported shareholder derivative lawsuit. Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Registered Nurses in San Antonio In Maderazo, et al. v. VHS San Antonio Partners, L.P. d/b/a Baptist Health Systems, et al., filed in June 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, a purported class of registered nurses employed by three unaffiliated San Antonio-area hospital systems allege those hospital systems, including our Baptist Health System, and other unidentified San Antonio regional hospitals violated Section §1 of the federal Sherman Act by conspiring to depress nurses’ compensation and exchanging compensation-related information among themselves in a manner that reduced competition and suppressed the wages paid to such nurses. The suit seeks unspecified damages (subject to trebling under federal law), interest, costs and attorneys’ fees. The case was stayed from 2008 through mid-2015. At this time, we are awaiting the court’s ruling on class certification and will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against the plaintiffs’ allegations. It remains impossible at this time to predict the outcome of these proceedings with any certainty; however, we believe that the ultimate resolution of this matter will not have a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Ordinary Course Matters We are also subject to other claims and lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business, including potential claims related to, among other things, the care and treatment provided at our hospitals and outpatient facilities, the application of various federal and state labor laws, tax audits and other matters. Although the results of these claims and lawsuits cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the ultimate resolution of these ordinary course claims and lawsuits will not have a material effect on our business or financial condition. New claims or inquiries may be initiated against us from time to time. These matters could (1) require us to pay substantial damages or amounts in judgments or settlements, which, individually or in the aggregate, could exceed amounts, if any, that may be recovered under our insurance policies where coverage applies and is available, (2) cause us to incur substantial expenses, (3) require significant time and attention from our management, and (4) cause us to close or sell hospitals or otherwise modify the way we conduct business. The table below presents reconciliations of the beginning and ending liability balances in connection with legal settlements and related costs recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017:
For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, we recorded costs of $6 million and $5 million, respectively, in continuing operations in connection with significant legal proceedings and governmental investigations. |
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