Income Taxes

Our Provision for income tax expense of $43.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 primarily resulted from the application of our estimated effective blended federal and state income tax rate. Our Provision for income tax expense of $111.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 primarily resulted from the application of our estimated effective blended federal and state income tax rate as well as tax benefits resulting from exercises and vesting of share-based compensation. Our Provision for income tax expense of $42.1 million and $124.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, primarily resulted from the application of our estimated effective blended federal and state income tax rate.

We have state net operating losses (“NOLs”) of $62.0 million that expire in various amounts at varying times through 2031. The $91.6 million of net deferred tax assets included in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2017 reflects management’s assessment it is more likely than not we will be able to generate sufficient future taxable income to utilize those deferred tax assets based on our current estimates and assumptions. As of September 30, 2017, we maintained a valuation allowance of $28.4 million due to uncertainties regarding our ability to utilize a portion of our state NOLs and other credits before they expire. The amount of the valuation allowance has been determined for each tax jurisdiction based on the weight of all available evidence including management’s estimates of taxable income for each jurisdiction in which we operate over the periods in which the related deferred tax assets will be recoverable. It is possible we may be required to increase or decrease our valuation allowance at some future time if our forecast of future earnings varies from actual results on a consolidated basis or in the applicable state tax jurisdictions, or if the timing of future tax deductions differs from our expectations.

During the third quarter of 2016, we filed a non-automatic tax accounting method change related to billings denied under pre-payment claims reviews conducted by certain of our Medicare Administrative Contractors. In March 2017, the IRS approved our request resulting in additional tax benefits of approximately $55 million through September 30, 2017. Approximately $39 million of this amount represents pre-payment claims denials received in years prior to and including the year ended December 31, 2015. These benefits are expected to reverse as pre-payment claims denials are settled and collected. This change did not have a material impact on our effective tax rate.

Total remaining gross unrecognized tax benefits were $0.3 million and $2.8 million as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, all of which would affect our effective tax rate if recognized. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending liability for unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in millions):



	Gross Unrecognized Income Tax Benefits
Balance at December 31, 2016	$	2.8
Gross amount of decreases in unrecognized tax benefits related to prior periods	(0.4		)
Decreases in unrecognized tax benefits relating to settlements with taxing authorities	(2.1		)
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	0.3

Our continuing practice is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. Interest recorded as part of our income tax provision during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 was not material. Accrued interest income related to income taxes as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was not material.

In December 2014, we signed an agreement with the IRS to begin participating in their Compliance Assurance Process, a program in which we and the IRS endeavor to agree on the treatment of significant tax positions prior to the filing of our federal income tax return. We renewed this agreement in December 2015 for the 2016 tax year and in December 2016 for the 2017 tax year. As a result of these agreements, the IRS surveyed our 2013, 2012, and 2011 federal income tax returns and is currently examining 2016 and 2017. Our 2014 federal income tax return has been filed, and the IRS has not indicated its intent to examine or survey this return. In February 2017, the IRS issued a no-change Revenue Agent’s Report effectively closing our 2015 tax audit. We have settled federal income tax examinations with the IRS for all tax years through 2013 as well as 2015. Our state income tax returns are also periodically examined by various regulatory taxing authorities. We are currently under audit by three states for tax years ranging from 2012 through 2015.

For the tax years that remain open under the applicable statutes of limitation, amounts related to unrecognized tax benefits have been considered by management in its estimate of our potential net recovery of prior years’ income taxes. Based on discussions with taxing authorities, we do not anticipate that any of our unrecognized tax benefits will be released within the next 12 months.