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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

# FORM 10-K

### þ ANNUAL REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

## THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20 20

¨ Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the Transition Period from ________ to________

#### Commission File Number: 1-8351

#####

##### CHEMED CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

## Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) Suite 2600, 255 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio (Address of principal executive offices) | 31-0791746 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) 45202-4726 (Zip Code)

(513) 762-6690

(Registrant’s Telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered
Capital Stock – Par Value $1 Per Share | CHE | New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See definition of “accelerated filer, large accelerated filer, smaller reporting company and emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

(Check One): Large Accelerated Filer þ Accelerated Filer ¨ Non-accelerated Filer ¨ Smaller Reporting Company ¨

Emerging Growth Company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to ins management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ¨ No þ

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing price of said stock on the New York Stock Exchange – Composite Transaction Listing on June 30, 2020 ($451.07 per share), was $7,056,295,051.

At February 12, 2021, 16,032,904 shares of Chemed Capital Stock (par value $1 per share) were outstanding.

## DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Document | Where Incorporated
2020 Annual Report to Stockholders (specified portions) Proxy Statement for Annual Meeting to be held May 17, 2021 | Parts I, II, and IV Part III

## CHEMED CORPORATION

2020 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

Table of Contents

PART I |  |
Item 1. | Business | 1
Item 1A | Risk Factors | 12
Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments | 21
Item 2. | Properties | 21
Item 3. | Legal Proceedings | 21
Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures | 22
PART II |  |
Item 5. | Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | 22
Item 6. | Selected Financial Data | 26
Item 7. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 26
Item.7A. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk | 26
Item 8. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 26
Item 9. | Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 26
Item 9A. | Controls and Procedures | 26
Item 9B. | Other Information | 27
PART III |  |
Item 10. | Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance | 27
Item 11. | Executive Compensation | 27
Item 12. | Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters | 27
Item 13. | Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence | 27
Item 14. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 27
PART IV |  |
Item 15. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules | 29
Item 16. | Form 10-K Summary | 30

Item 1. Business

General

Chemed Corporation (the “Company” or “Chemed”) was incorporated in Delaware in 1970 as a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. and succeeded to the business of W.R. Grace & Co.’s Special Products Group as of April 30, 1971 and remained a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co. until March 10, 1982.

Chemed purchases, operates and divests subsidiaries engaged in diverse business activities for the purposes of maximizing shareholder value. The Company’s day to day operating businesses are managed on a decentralized basis. There are few integrated business functions between the operating units and Chemed (such as sales, marketing or purchasing). Chemed’s corporate office management participates in and is ultimately responsible for long term strategic planning, significant capital allocation decisions, investment activities, financial reporting, tax, legal and the selection of the key executives of each of the operating businesses. Since its inception, the Company has engaged in twelve significant acquisitions or divestitures of diverse business units.

During 2020, Chemed conducted its business operations in two segments: the VITAS segment (“VITAS”) and the Roto-Rooter segment (Roto-Rooter). VITAS provides hospice and palliative care services to its patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers. Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration and other related services to residential and commercial customers.

Forward Looking Statements

This Annual Report contains or incorporates by reference certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends such statements to be subject to the safe harbors created by that legislation. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

Financial Information about Industry Segments

The required segment and geographic data for the Company’s continuing operations (as described below) for three years ended December 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are shown in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements on pages 58-59 of the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders and are incorporated herein by reference.

Description of Business by Segment

The information called for by this item is included within Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing on pages 58-59 of the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders is incorporated herein by reference.

Product and Market Development

Each segment of the Company’s business analyzes opportunities for the development and marketing of new services and products. While new products and services and new market development are important factors for the long term growth of each active segment of the Company’s business, the Company does not expect that any new products and services or marketing effort, including those in the development stage, will require the investment of a material amount of the Company’s assets.

Patents, Service Marks and Licenses

The Roto-Rooter trademarks and service marks have been used and advertised since 1935 by Roto-Rooter Corporation, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of the Company. The Roto-Rooter marks are among the most highly recognized trademarks and service marks in the United States. The Company considers the Roto-Rooter marks to be a valuable asset and a significant factor in the marketing of Roto-Rooter’s franchises, products and services and the products and services provided by its franchises.

“VITAS” and “Innovative Hospice Care” are trademarks and servicemarks of VITAS Healthcare Corporation. The Company and its subsidiaries also own certain trade secrets including training manuals, cost information, patient information and software source code. Certain states require certificates of need to conduct hospice operations. In those states, we consider certificates of need valuable assets.

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Seasonality

Roto-Rooter’s revenue and operating results are impacted by significant weather patterns across the United States. Significant changes in precipitation or temperatures in areas we have company-owned and independent contractor operations will generally affect the revenue and operating results at Roto-Rooter.

A significant portion of our VITAS business is operated in the state of Florida. The vast majority of our patients are Medicare recipients. Medicare patients relocating to Florida during the winter months generally result in higher admissions and revenue for our Florida programs during that period.

Customer Concentration

Roto-Rooter’s business has a large and diverse customer base. Over 90% of VITAS’ revenue is from the United States government through the Medicare program. The loss of a portion or all of our Medicare revenue would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Competition

Roto-Rooter

All aspects of the sewer, drain and pipe cleaning, plumbing repair, excavation and water restoration businesses are highly competitive. Competition is fragmented in most markets with local and regional firms providing the primary competition. The principal methods of competition are advertising, range of services provided, name recognition, emergency-service availability, speed and quality of customer service, service guarantees, and pricing.

VITAS

Hospice care in the United States is competitive. Plans of care for hospice services are not proprietary. As a result, VITAS competes and differentiates itself primarily on the basis of its ability to deliver quality, responsive services within the requirements of Medicare’s hospice conditions of participation. VITAS is one of the nation’s largest providers of hospice services in an industry dominated primarily by small, community-based hospices. Approximately 27% of all hospice providers are not-for-profit. Because the hospice care industry is highly fragmented, VITAS competes with a large number of organizations.

VITAS also competes with a number of national and regional hospice providers, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and other health care providers. Many providers offer home care to patients who are terminally ill, and some actively market palliative care and hospice-like programs. In addition, various health care companies have diversified into the hospice market. Some of these health care companies have greater financial resources than VITAS. Relatively few barriers to entry exist in the majority of markets served by VITAS. Accordingly, other companies that are not currently providing hospice care may enter these markets and expand the variety of services they offer to include hospice.

Research and Development

The Company continuously works to develop new services, products and processes, improve existing services, products and processes, and develop new and different uses of existing products. The research and development expenditures from continuing operations have not been nor are they expected to be material.

Government Regulations

Roto-Rooter

Roto-Rooter’s franchising activities are subject to various federal and state franchising laws and regulations, including the rules and regulations of the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) regarding the offering or sale of franchises. The rules and regulations of the FTC require that Roto-Rooter provide all the prospective franchises with specific information regarding the franchise program and Roto-Rooter in the form of a detailed franchise offering circular. In addition, a number of states require Roto-Rooter to register its franchise offering prior to offering or selling franchises in the state. Various state laws also provide for certain rights in favor of franchisees, including (i) limitations on the franchisor’s ability to terminate a franchise except for good cause, (ii) restrictions on the franchisor’s ability to deny renewal of a franchise, (iii) circumstances under which the franchisor may be required to purchase certain inventory of franchisees when a franchise is terminated or not renewed in violation of such laws, and (iv) provisions relating to arbitration. Roto-Rooter’s ability to engage in the plumbing repair business is also subject to certain limitations and restrictions imposed by state and local licensing laws and regulations.

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VITAS

General. The health care industry and VITAS’ hospice programs are subject to extensive federal and state regulation. VITAS’ hospices are licensed as required under state law as either hospices or home health agencies, or both, depending on the regulatory requirements of each particular state. In addition, VITAS’ hospices are required to meet certain conditions of participation to be eligible to receive payments as hospices under Medicare and Medicaid programs. All of VITAS’ hospices, other than those currently in development, are certified for participation as hospices in the Medicare program, and are also eligible to receive payments as hospices from the Medicaid program in each of the states in which VITAS operates. VITAS’ hospices are subject to periodic survey by governmental authorities or private accrediting entities to assure compliance with state licensing, certification and accreditation requirements.

Medicare Conditions of Participation. Federal regulations require that a hospice program satisfy certain Conditions of Participation (“COP”) to be certified and receive Medicare payment for the services it provides. Failure to comply with the conditions of participation may result in sanctions, up to and including decertification from the Medicare program. See “Surveys and Audits” below.

The Medicare COP for hospice programs include the following:

Governing Body. Each hospice must have a governing body that assumes full responsibility for the policies and the overall operation of the hospice and for ensuring that all services are provided in a manner consistent with accepted standards of practice. The governing body must designate one individual who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the hospice.

Medical Director. Each hospice must have a medical director who is a physician and who assumes responsibility for overseeing the medical component of the hospice’s patient care program.

Direct Provision of Core Services. Medicare limits those services for which the hospice may use individual independent contractors or contract agencies to provide care to patients. Specifically, substantially all nursing, social work, and counseling services must be provided directly by hospice employees meeting specific educational and professional standards. During periods of peak patient loads or under extraordinary circumstances, the hospice may be permitted to use contract workers, but the hospice must agree in writing to maintain professional, financial and administrative responsibility for the services provided by those individuals or entities.

Professional Management of Non-Core Services. A hospice may arrange to have non-core services such as therapy services, home health aide services, medical supplies or drugs provided by a non-employee or outside entity. If the hospice elects to use an independent contractor to provide non-core services, however, the hospice must retain professional management responsibility for the arranged services and ensure that the services are furnished in a safe and effective manner by qualified personnel, and in accordance with the patient’s plan of care.

Plan of Care. The patient’s attending physician, the medical director or the designated hospice physician, and interdisciplinary team must establish an individualized written plan of care prior to providing care to any hospice patient. The plan must assess the patient’s needs and identify services to be provided to meet those needs and must be reviewed and updated at specified intervals.

Continuation of Care. A hospice may not discontinue or reduce care provided to a Medicare beneficiary if the individual becomes unable to pay for that care.

Informed Consent. The hospice must obtain the informed consent of the hospice patient, or the patient’s legal representative, that specifies the type of care services that may be provided as hospice care, which is palliative and not curative care. The patient or the patient’s legal representative must also acknowledge that by choosing hospice care, certain other Medicare benefits are waived.

Training. A hospice must provide ongoing training for its employees.

Quality Assurance. A hospice must conduct ongoing and comprehensive self-assessments of the quality and appropriateness of care it provides and that its contractors provide under arrangements to hospice patients.

Interdisciplinary Team. A hospice must designate an interdisciplinary team to provide or supervise hospice care services. The interdisciplinary team develops and updates plans of care, and establishes policies governing the day-to-day provision of hospice services. The team must include at least a physician, registered nurse, social worker and spiritual or other counselor. A registered nurse must be designated to coordinate the plan of care.

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Volunteers. Hospice programs are required to recruit and train volunteers to provide patient care services or administrative services. Volunteer services must be provided in an amount equal to at least five percent of the total patient care hours provided by all paid hospice employees and contract staff.

Licensure. Each hospice and all hospice personnel must be licensed, certified or registered in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Central Clinical Records. Hospice programs must maintain clinical records for each hospice patient that are organized in such a way that they may be easily retrieved. The clinical records must be complete and accurate and protected against loss, destruction and unauthorized use.

Surveys and Audits. Hospice programs are subject to periodic survey by federal and state regulatory authorities and private accrediting entities to ensure compliance with applicable licensing and certification requirements and accreditation standards. Regulators conduct periodic surveys of hospice programs and provide reports containing statements of deficiencies for alleged failure to comply with various regulatory requirements. Survey reports and statements of deficiencies are common in the healthcare industry. In most cases, the hospice program and regulatory authorities will agree upon any steps to be taken to bring the hospice into compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. In some cases, however, a state or federal regulatory authority may take a number of adverse actions against a hospice program, including the imposition of fines, payment suspensions, temporary suspension of admission of new patients to the hospice’s service, or, in extreme circumstances, decertification from participation in the Medicare or Medicaid programs or revocation of the hospice’s license.

CMS has recently started implementing a Targeted Probe and Educate (“TPE”) program, designed to improve compliance in submitting Medicare claims and reduce deficiencies. In the TPE program, a healthcare provider has up to three rounds of review to sufficiently improve results, or the provider may face significant action from CMS. During the rounds of a TPE review, payment of claims subject to the review is delayed.

From time to time VITAS receives survey reports containing statements of deficiencies and sustains related adverse actions. VITAS reviews such reports and takes appropriate corrective action, including where appropriate, appealing the reports and any adverse actions discussed in the reports. VITAS believes that its hospices are in material compliance with applicable licensure and certification requirements. If a VITAS hospice were found to be out of compliance and actions were taken against a VITAS hospice, they could materially adversely affect the hospice’s ability to continue to operate, to provide certain services and to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which could materially adversely affect VITAS.

Billing Audits/Claims Reviews. The Medicare program and its Medicare Administrative Contractors and other payors periodically conduct pre-payment or post-payment reviews and other reviews and audits of health care claims, including hospice claims. There is pressure from state and federal governments and other payors to scrutinize health care claims to determine their validity and appropriateness. In order to conduct these reviews, the payor requests documentation from VITAS and then reviews that documentation to determine compliance with applicable rules and regulations, including the eligibility of patients to receive hospice benefits, the appropriateness of the care provided to those patients and the documentation of that care. VITAS’ claims are periodically subject to review and audit. We make appropriate provisions in our accounting records to reduce our revenue for anticipated denial or delay of payment related to these audits and reviews. We believe our hospice programs comply with all payor requirements at the time of billing. However, we cannot predict whether future billing reviews or similar audits by payors will result in material delays, suspensions, denials or reductions in revenue.

Corporate Integrity Agreement. VITAS and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement (“CIA”) with the Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) on October 30, 2017 in connection with the settlement of a False Claims Act case. The CIA formalizes various aspects of VITAS’ already existing Compliance Program and contains requirements designed to document ongoing compliance with federal healthcare program requirements. It has a term of five years during which it imposes monitoring, reporting, certification, oversight, screening and training obligations, certain of which had previously been implemented by VITAS. VITAS is currently in year three of its obligations under the CIA. It also requires VITAS to engage an Independent Review Organization to perform auditing and review functions and to prepare reports regarding compliance with federal healthcare programs. In the event of breach of the CIA, VITAS could become liable for payment of stipulated penalties or could be excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

Certificate of Need Laws and Other Restrictions. Some states, including Florida, have certificate of need or similar health planning laws that apply to hospice care providers. These states may require some form of state agency review or approval prior to opening a new hospice program, to adding or expanding hospice services, to undertaking significant capital expenditures or under other specified circumstances. Approval under these certificate of need laws is generally conditioned on the showing of a demonstrable need for services in the community. VITAS may seek to develop, acquire or expand hospice programs in states having certificate of need laws. To the extent that state agencies require VITAS to obtain a certificate of need or other similar approvals to expand services at

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existing hospice programs or to make acquisitions or develop hospice programs in new or existing geographic markets, VITAS’ plans could be adversely affected by a failure to obtain such certificate or approval. In addition, competitors may seek administratively or judicially to challenge such an approval or proposed approval by the state agency. Such a challenge, whether or not ultimately successful, could adversely affect VITAS.

Limitations on For-Profit Ownership. A few states have laws that restrict the development and expansion of for-profit hospice programs. For example, in New York, a hospice generally cannot be owned by a corporation that has another corporation as a stockholder. These types of restrictions could affect VITAS’ ability to expand into New York, or in other jurisdictions with similar restrictions.

Limits on the Acquisition or Conversion of Non-Profit Health Care Organizations. A number of states have enacted laws that restrict the ability of for-profit entities to acquire or otherwise assume the operations of a non-profit health care provider. Some states may require government review, public hearings, and/or government approval of transactions in which a for-profit entity proposes to purchase certain non-profit healthcare organizations. Heightened scrutiny of these transactions may significantly increase the costs associated with future acquisitions of non-profit hospice programs in some states, otherwise increase the difficulty in completing those acquisitions or prevent them entirely. VITAS cannot assure that it will not encounter regulatory or governmental obstacles in connection with any proposed acquisition of non-profit hospice programs in the future.

Professional Licensure and Participation Agreements. Many hospice employees are subject to federal and state laws and regulations governing the ethics and practice of their profession, including physicians, physical, speech and occupational therapists, social workers, home health aides, pharmacists and nurses. In addition, those professionals who are eligible to participate in the Medicare, Medicaid or other federal health care programs as individuals must not have been excluded from participation in those programs at any time.

State Licensure of Hospice. Each of VITAS’ hospices must be licensed in the state in which it operates. State licensure rules and regulations require that VITAS’ hospices maintain certain standards and meet certain requirements, which may vary from state to state. VITAS believes that its hospices are in material compliance with applicable licensure requirements. If a VITAS hospice were found to be out of compliance and actions were taken against a VITAS hospice, they could materially adversely affect the hospice’s ability to continue to operate, to provide certain services and to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which could materially adversely affect VITAS.

Overview of Government Payments—General. Over 95% of VITAS’ revenue consisted of payments from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Such payments are made primarily on a “per diem” basis. Under the per diem reimbursement methodology, VITAS is essentially at risk for the cost of eligible services provided to hospice patients. Profitability is therefore largely dependent upon VITAS’ ability to manage the costs of providing hospice services to patients. Increases in operating costs, such as labor and supply costs that are subject to inflation and other increases, without a compensating increase in Medicare and Medicaid rates, could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business in the future. The Medicare and Medicaid programs are increasing pressure to control health care costs and to decrease or limit increases in reimbursement rates for health care services. As with most government programs, the Medicare and Medicaid programs are subject to statutory and regulatory changes, possible retroactive and prospective rate and payment adjustments, administrative rulings, freezes and funding reductions, all of which may adversely affect the level of program payments and could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business. VITAS’ levels of revenues and profitability are subject to the effect of legislative and regulatory changes, including possible reductions in coverage or payment rates, increased scrutiny of claims necessitating additional resources to respond, or changes in methods of payment, by the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Overview of Government Payments – Medicare

Medicare Eligibility Criteria. To receive Medicare payment for hospice services, the hospice medical director and, if the patient has one, the patient’s attending physician, must certify and describe in a brief narrative that the patient has a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. This determination is made based on the physician’s clinical judgment. Due to the uncertainty of such prognoses, however, it is likely and expected that some percentage of hospice patients will not die within six months of entering a hospice program. The Medicare program (among other third-party payers) recognizes that terminal illnesses often do not follow an entirely predictable course, and therefore the hospice benefit remains available to beneficiaries so long as the hospice physician or the patient’s attending physician continues to certify that the patient’s life expectancy remains six months or less and the patient or patient’s legal representative, continues to maintain the hospice election. Specifically, the Medicare hospice benefit provides for two initial 90 day benefit periods followed by an unlimited number of 60 day periods. In order to qualify for hospice care, a Medicare beneficiary must elect hospice care and waive any right to other Medicare benefits related to his or her terminal illness. A Medicare beneficiary may revoke his or her election of the Medicare hospice benefit at any time and resume receiving regular Medicare benefits. The patient may elect the hospice benefit again at a later date so long as he or she remains eligible. The Medicare program, however, has reaffirmed that Medicare hospice beneficiaries are not limited to six months of coverage and that there is no limit on how long a

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Medicare beneficiary can continue to receive hospice benefits and services, provided that the beneficiary continues to meet the eligibility criteria under the Medicare hospice program.

Levels of Care. Medicare pays for hospice services on a prospective payment system basis under which VITAS receives an established payment rate for each day that it provides hospice services to a Medicare beneficiary. These rates are subject to annual adjustments for inflation and vary based upon the geographic location where the services are provided. The rate VITAS receives depends on which level of care is being provided to the beneficiary.

There are four levels of care and related reimbursement within the Medicare Hospice Benefit. These levels of care are Routine Home Care, Continuous Care, Inpatient Care and Respite Care. Medicare hospice providers are required under Medicare’s Conditions of Participation and their regulations to provide all four levels of care, available on a 24/7 basis, when appropriate.

VITAS, as required under Medicare’s Conditions of Participation and their regulations, has the ability to provide all levels of care to its patients. The actual level of care a patient receives on any given day is based upon the clinical needs of the patient.

Routine Home Care. The routine home care rate is paid for each day that a patient is in a hospice program and is not receiving one of the other categories of hospice care. The routine home care rate is a two tiered rate, with a higher rate for the first 60 days of a hospice patient’s care and a lower rate for days 61 and after. In addition, there is a Service Intensity Add-on payment which covers direct home care visits conducted by a registered nurse or social worker in the last seven days of a hospice patient’s life, reimbursed up to 4 hours per day in 15 minute increments at the continuous care rate.

General Inpatient Care. The general inpatient care rate is paid when a patient requires inpatient services for a short period for pain control or symptom management which cannot be managed in other settings. General inpatient care services must be provided in a Medicare or Medicaid certified hospital or long-term care facility or at a freestanding inpatient hospice facility with the required registered nurse staffing.

Continuous Home Care. Continuous home care, which VITAS refers to as “Intensive Comfort Care,” is provided to patients while at home, during periods of crisis when intensive monitoring and care, primarily nursing care, is required in order to achieve palliation or management of acute medical symptoms. Continuous home care requires a minimum of 8 hours of care within a 24 hour day, which begins and ends at midnight. The care must be predominantly nursing care provided by either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. While the published Medicare continuous home care rates are daily rates, Medicare actually pays for continuous home care in 15 minute increments. This 15 minute rate is calculated by dividing the daily rate by 96.

Respite Care. Respite care permits a hospice patient to receive services on an inpatient basis for a short period of time in order to provide relief for the patient’s family or other caregivers from the demands of caring for the patient. A hospice can receive payment for respite care for a given patient for up to five consecutive days at a time, after which respite care is reimbursed at the routine home care rate.

Medicare Payment for Physician Services. Payment for direct patient care physician services delivered by hospice physicians is billed separately by the hospice to the Medicare Administrative Contractors and paid at the lesser of the actual charge or the Medicare allowable charge for these services. This payment is in addition to the per diem rates VITAS receives for hospice care. Payment for hospice physicians’ administrative and general supervisory activities is included in the daily rates discussed above. Payments for attending physician professional services (other than services furnished by hospice physicians) are not paid to the hospice, but rather are paid directly to the attending physician by the Medicare Administrative Contractors. For fiscal 2020, less than 2% of VITAS’ net revenue was attributable to physician services.

Medicare Limits on Hospice Care Payments. Medicare payments for hospice services are subject to two additional limits or “caps”. Each of VITAS’ hospice programs is separately subject to both of these “caps”. Both of these “caps” are determined on an annual basis for the period running from November 1 through October 31 of each year.

First, under a Medicare rule known as the “80-20” rule applicable to the Medicare inpatient services, if the number of inpatient care days furnished by a hospice to Medicare beneficiaries exceeds 20% of the total days of hospice care furnished by such hospice to Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare payments to the hospice for inpatient care days exceeding the cap are reduced to the routine home care rate.

Second, Medicare payments to a hospice are also subject to a separate cap based on overall average payments per admission. Any payments exceeding this overall hospice cap must be refunded by the hospice. This cap was set at $29,964.78 per admission for the twelve month period ended on October 31, 2020, increased to $30,683.93 for the twelve month period ending on October 31, 2021,

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and is adjusted annually to account for inflation. VITAS’ hospices may be subject to future payment reductions or recoupments as the result of this cap.

Medicare Managed Care Programs. The Medicare program has entered into contracts with managed care companies to provide managed care benefits to Medicare beneficiaries who elect to participate in managed care programs. These managed care programs are commonly referred to as Medicare HMOs, Medicare Advantage or Medicare risk products. VITAS provides hospice care to Medicare beneficiaries who participate in these managed care programs, and VITAS is paid for services provided to these beneficiaries in the same way and at the same rates as those of other Medicare beneficiaries who are not in a Medicare managed care program. Under current Medicare policy, Medicare pays the hospice directly for services provided to these managed care program participants.

Overview of Government Payments – Medicaid

Medicaid Coverage and Reimbursements. State Medicaid programs are another source of VITAS’ net patient revenue. Medicaid is a state-administered program financed by state funds and federal funds to provide medical assistance to the indigent and certain other eligible persons. For those states that elect to provide a hospice benefit, the Medicaid program is required to pay the hospice at rates at least equal to the rates provided under Medicare and calculated using the same methodology. States maintain flexibility to establish their own hospice election procedures and to limit the number and duration of benefit periods for which they will pay for hospice services. Reimbursement from state Medicaid programs in 2020 accounted for approximately 5% of VITAS’ revenues.

Nursing Home Residents. For VITAS’ patients who receive nursing home care under a state Medicaid program and who elect hospice care under Medicare or Medicaid, VITAS contracts with nursing homes for the nursing homes’ provision of room and board services. In addition to the applicable Medicare or Medicaid hospice daily or hourly rate, the state generally must pay VITAS an amount equal to at least 95% of the Medicaid daily nursing home rate for room and board services furnished to the patient by the nursing home. Under VITAS’ standard nursing home contracts, VITAS pays the nursing home for these room and board services at the Medicaid daily nursing home rate.

Managed Medicaid. In some states in which VITAS operates, the state legislatures have established managed Medicaid programs. Managed Medicaid programs outsource the process of eligibility determination and payment by Medicaid to private insurance companies. In some states, participants are required to choose a managed Medicaid provider. VITAS negotiates participant eligibility and documentation requirements, as well as hospice pay rates with each managed Medicaid provider. These requirements and pay rates may or may not align with the applicable Medicare hospice regulations and pay rates.

Adjustments to Medicare and Medicaid Payment Rates.

Payment rates under the Medicare and Medicaid programs are adjusted annually for inflation based upon the Hospital Market Basket Index and the Consumer Price Index; however, the adjustments have historically been less than actual inflation. These base rates are further modified by the Hospice Wage Index to reflect local differences in wages according to the revised wage index. Effective April 1, 2013, the Federal government implemented a 2% reimbursement cut for all Medicare programs, including hospice. It is possible that there will be further modifications to the rate structure under which the Medicare or Medicaid programs pay for hospice care services; the current cut is scheduled to last through the Federal Government’s fiscal year 2027. Any future reductions in the rate of increase or an actual decrease in Medicare and Medicaid payments may have an adverse impact on VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profitability. On July 31, 2015, CMS published the final full year 2016 hospice wage index providing guidance to hospice providers regarding changes to hospice reimbursement for full year 2016. Effective January 1, 2016 the routine home care rate changed to reflect a two-tiered rate, with a higher rate for the first 60 days of a hospice patient’s care, and a lower rate for days 61 and after. In addition, the full year 2016 wage rule provides reimbursement of a Service Intensity Add-on payment. This Service Intensity Add-on payment also went into effect on January 1, 2016, and applies to direct home care visits conducted by a registered nurse or social worker in the last seven days of a hospice patient’s life while on the routine home care level of care.

On August 6, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the fiscal year 2020 hospice wage index and payment rate update (FY 2020 update). The FY 2020 update includes the normal yearly inflationary increase by level of care plus a rebasing of the continuous care, inpatient care and respite care rates. The rebasing of these levels of care was to reflect non-inflationary changes in providers’ costs over time. The rebasing increased the national average reimbursement rate for continuous care by 39.9% and inpatient care by 34.7%. Respite care is not material to our operations. The rebasing of these levels of care was effective on October 1, 2019. On July 31, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the 2021 inflationary increase, which was 2.4%

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was passed. Among other things, it suspended the 2% reimbursement cut for all Medicare programs for the period May 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. On December 27, 2020, a second COVID relief bill was passed extending this suspension until March 31, 2021.

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Other Healthcare Regulations

Federal and State Anti-Kickback Laws and Safe Harbor Provisions. The federal Anti-Kickback Law makes it a felony to knowingly and willingly offer, pay, solicit or receive any form of remuneration in exchange for referring, recommending, arranging, purchasing, leasing or ordering items or services covered by a federal health care program including Medicare or Medicaid. The Anti-Kickback Law applies regardless of whether the remuneration is provided directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind. Although the Anti-Kickback statute does not prohibit all financial transactions or relationships that providers of healthcare items or services may have with each other, interpretations of the law have been very broad. Under current law, courts and federal regulatory authorities have stated that this law is violated if even one purpose (as opposed to the sole or primary purpose) of the arrangement is to induce referrals.

Violations of the Anti-Kickback Law carry potentially severe penalties including imprisonment of up to ten years, criminal fines of up to $100,000 per act, civil money penalties of up to $100,000 per act, and additional damages of up to three times the amounts claimed or remuneration offered or paid. Federal law also authorizes exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs for violations of the Anti-Kickback Law.

The Anti-Kickback Law contains several statutory exceptions to the broad prohibition. In addition, Congress authorized the OIG to publish numerous “safe harbors” that exempt some practices from enforcement action under the Anti-Kickback Law and related laws. These statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protect various bona fide employment relationships, contracts for the rental of space or equipment, personal service arrangements, and management contracts, among other things, provided that certain conditions set forth in the statute or regulations are satisfied. The safe harbor regulations, however, do not comprehensively describe all lawful relationships between healthcare providers and referral sources, and the failure of an arrangement to satisfy all of the requirements of a particular safe harbor does not mean that the arrangement is unlawful. Failure to comply with the safe harbor provisions, however, may mean that the arrangement will be subject to scrutiny.

Many states, including states where VITAS does business, have adopted similar prohibitions against payments that are intended to induce referrals of patients, regardless of the source of payment. Some of these state laws lack explicit “safe harbors” that may be available under federal law. Sanctions under these state anti-kickback laws may include civil money penalties, license suspension or revocation, exclusion from the Medicare or Medicaid programs, and criminal fines or imprisonment. Little precedent exists regarding the interpretation or enforcement of these statutes.

VITAS is required under the Medicare conditions of participation and some state licensing laws to contract with numerous healthcare providers and practitioners, including physicians, hospitals and nursing homes, and to arrange for these individuals or entities to provide services to VITAS’ patients. In addition, VITAS has contracts with other suppliers, including pharmacies, ambulance services and medical equipment companies. Some of these individuals or entities may refer, or be in a position to refer, patients to VITAS, and VITAS may refer, or be in a position to refer, patients to these individuals or entities. These arrangements may not qualify for a safe harbor. VITAS from time to time seeks guidance from regulatory counsel as to the changing and evolving interpretations and the potential applicability of these anti-kickback laws to its programs, and in response thereto, takes such actions as it deems appropriate. The Company generally believes that VITAS’ contracts and arrangements with providers, practitioners and suppliers do not violate applicable anti-kickback laws. However, the Company cannot assure that such laws will ultimately be interpreted in a manner consistent with VITAS’ practices.

HIPAA Anti-Fraud Provisions. HIPAA includes several revisions to existing health care fraud laws by permitting the imposition of civil monetary penalties in cases involving violations of the anti-kickback statute or contracting with excluded providers. In addition, HIPAA created statutes making it a federal felony to engage in fraud, theft, embezzlement, or the making of false statements with respect to healthcare benefit programs, which include private, as well as government programs. In addition, federal enforcement officials have the ability to exclude from the Medicare and Medicaid programs any investors, officers and managing employees associated with business entities that have committed healthcare fraud, even if the investor, officer or employee had no actual knowledge of the fraud.

OIG Fraud Alerts, Advisory Opinions and Other Program Guidance. The OIG identifies and seeks to eliminate fraud, abuse and waste in HHS programs. The OIG conducts audits, investigations and inspections and issues public pronouncements identifying practices that may be subject to heightened scrutiny. There have been a number of hospice related audits and reviews conducted. These reviews and recommendations have included:

Ensuring that Medicare hospice eligibility determinations are made in accordance with the Medicare regulations; and

Revising the annual cap on hospice benefits to better reflect the cost of care provided.

From time to time, various federal and state agencies, such as HHS and the OIG, issue a variety of pronouncements, including fraud alerts, the OIG’s Annual Work Plan and other reports, identifying practices that may be subject to heightened governmental

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scrutiny. The Company cannot predict what, if any, changes may be implemented in coverage, reimbursement, or enforcement policies as a result of these OIG reviews and recommendations.

On October 30, 2017, the Company entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) to resolve civil litigation under the False Claims Act brought by the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) on behalf of the OIG and various relators concerning VITAS, filed in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Missouri. The Company denied any violation of law and agreed to settlement without admission of wrongdoing.

In connection with the settlement VITAS and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a corporate integrity agreement (“CIA”) on October 30, 2017. The CIA formalizes various aspects of VITAS’ already existing Compliance Program and contains requirements designed to document compliance with federal healthcare program requirements. It has a term of five years during which it imposes monitoring, reporting, certification, oversight, screening and training obligations, certain of which had previously been implemented by VITAS. It also requires VITAS to engage an Independent Review Organization to perform audit and review functions and to prepare reports regarding compliance with federal healthcare programs. In the event of breach of the CIA, VITAS could become liable for payment of stipulated penalties or could be excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

Federal False Claims Acts. The federal law includes several criminal and civil false claims provisions, which provide that knowingly submitting claims for items or services that were not provided as represented may result in the imposition of multiple damages, administrative civil money penalties, criminal fines, imprisonment, and/or exclusion from participation in federally funded healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, the OIG may impose extensive and costly corporate integrity requirements upon a healthcare provider that is the subject of a false claims judgment or settlement. These requirements may include the creation of a formal compliance program, the appointment of a government monitor, and the imposition of annual reporting requirements and audits conducted by an independent review organization to monitor compliance with the terms of the agreement and relevant laws and regulations. The Affordable Care Act also contains provisions aimed at strengthening fraud and abuse enforcement.

As described above, VITAS and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a CIA with the OIG on October 30, 2017 in connection with the prior settlement of a False Claims Act Case.

The Civil False Claims Act prohibits the known filing of a false claim or the known use of false statements to obtain payments. Penalties for violations include fines ranging from $5,500 to $11,000 (as adjusted for inflation), plus treble damages, for each claim filed. Provisions in the Civil False Claims Act also permit individuals to bring actions against individuals or businesses in the name of the government as “qui tam” relators. If a qui tam relator’s claim is successful, he or she is entitled to share the government’s recovery.

Both direct enforcement activity by the government and qui tam actions have increased significantly and have increased the risk that a healthcare company may have to defend a false claims action, pay fines or be excluded from the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs as a result of an investigation arising out of this type of an action. Because of the complexity of the government regulations applicable to the healthcare industry, the Company cannot assure that VITAS will not be the subject of other actions under the False Claims Act.

State False Claims Laws. Several states in which VITAS currently operates have adopted state false claims laws that mirror to some degree the federal false claims laws. While these statutes vary in scope and effect, the penalties for violating these false claims laws include administrative, civil and/or criminal fines and penalties, imprisonment, and the imposition of multiple damages.

The Stark Law and State Physician Self-Referral Laws. Section 1877 of the Social Security Act, commonly known as the “Stark Law”, prohibits physicians from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients for “designated health services” to entities in which they hold an ownership or investment interest or with whom they have a compensation arrangement, subject to a number of statutory and regulatory exceptions. Penalties for violating the Stark Law are severe and include:

Denial of payment;

Civil monetary penalties of $15,000 per referral or $100,000 for “circumvention schemes;” (each adjusted for inflation)

Assessments equal to 200% of the dollar value of each such service provided; and

Exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Hospice care itself is not specifically listed as a designated health service; however, certain services that VITAS provides, or in the future may provide, are among the services identified as designated health services for purposes of the self-referral laws. The

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Company cannot assure that future regulatory changes will not result in hospice services becoming subject to the Stark Law’s ownership, investment or compensation prohibitions in the future.

Many states where VITAS operates have laws similar to the Stark Law, but with broader effect because they apply regardless of the source of payment for care. Penalties similar to those listed above as well as the loss of state licensure may be imposed in the event of a violation of these state self-referral laws. Little precedent exists regarding the interpretation or enforcement of these statutes.

Civil Monetary Penalties. The Civil Monetary Penalties Statute provides that civil penalties ranging between $20,000 and $100,000 per claim or act (each adjusted for inflation) may be imposed on any person or entity that knowingly submits improperly filed claims for federal health benefits or that offers or makes payment to induce a beneficiary or provider to reduce or limit the use of health care services or to use a particular provider or supplier. Civil monetary penalties may be imposed for violations of the anti-kickback statute and for the failure to return known overpayments, among other things.

Prohibition on Employing or Contracting with Excluded Providers. The Social Security Act and federal regulations state that individuals or entities that have been convicted of a criminal offense related to the delivery of an item or service under Medicare or Medicaid programs or that have been convicted, under state and federal law, of a criminal offense relating to neglect or abuse of residents in connection with the delivery of a healthcare item or service cannot participate in any federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Additionally, individuals and entities convicted of fraud, that have had their licenses revoked or suspended, or that have failed to provide services of adequate quality also may be excluded from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Federal regulations prohibit Medicare providers, including hospice programs, from submitting claims for items or services or their related costs if an excluded provider furnished those items or services. The OIG maintains a list of excluded persons and entities. Nonetheless, it is possible that VITAS might unknowingly bill for services provided by an excluded person or entity with whom it contracts. The penalty for contracting with an excluded provider may range from civil monetary penalties of $100,000 (as adjusted for inflation) and damages of up to three times the amount of payment that was inappropriately received.

Corporate Practice of Medicine and Fee Splitting. Most states have laws that restrict or prohibit anyone other than a licensed physician, including business entities such as corporations, from employing physicians and/or prohibit payments or fee-splitting arrangements between physicians and corporations or unlicensed individuals. Penalties for violations of corporate practice of medicine and fee-splitting laws vary from state to state, but may include civil or criminal penalties, the restructuring or termination of the business arrangements between the physician and unlicensed individual or business entity, or even the loss of the physician’s license to practice medicine. These laws vary widely from state to state both in scope and origin (e.g. statute, regulation, Attorney General opinion, court ruling, agency policy) and in most instances have been subject to only limited interpretation by the courts or regulatory bodies.

VITAS employs or contracts with physicians to provide medical direction and patient care services to its patients. VITAS has made efforts in those states where certain contracting or fee arrangements are restricted or prohibited to structure those arrangements, including its palliative care offerings, in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. Despite these efforts, however, the Company cannot assure that agency officials charged with enforcing these laws will not interpret VITAS’ contracts with employed or independent contractor physicians as violating the relevant laws or regulations. Future determinations or interpretations by individual states with corporate practice of medicine or fee splitting restrictions may force VITAS to restructure its arrangements with physicians in those locations.

Health Information Practices. There currently are numerous legislative and regulatory initiatives at both the state and federal levels that address patient privacy concerns. In particular, federal regulations issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and the Health Information Technology for Electronic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”) require VITAS to protect the privacy and security of patients’ individual health information. HIPAA and HITECH do not automatically preempt applicable state laws and regulations concerning VITAS’ use, disclosure and maintenance of patient health information, which means that VITAS is subject to a complex regulatory scheme that, in many instances, requires VITAS to comply with both federal and state laws and regulations. If we are found to have violated these laws, we could be subject to sanctions, fines, damages, and other civil and criminal penalties. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for the Health Information Technology recently published its final rule regarding interoperability and information blocking, designed to improve coordination within the healthcare system and patients’ access to their electronic health information. The deadline for compliance with these regulations is April 5, 2021. The penalty for violating the information blocking regulation may include civil monetary penalties.

Additional Federal and State Regulation. Federal and state governments also regulate various aspects of the hospice industry. In particular, VITAS’ operations are subject to federal and state health regulatory laws covering professional services, the dispensing of drugs and certain types of hospice activities. Some of VITAS’ employees are subject to state laws and regulations governing the ethics and professional practice of medicine, respiratory therapy, pharmacy and nursing.

Compliance with Health Regulatory Laws. VITAS maintains an internal regulatory compliance review program and from time to time retains regulatory counsel for guidance on compliance matters. The Company cannot assure, however, that VITAS’ practices,

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if reviewed, would be found to be in compliance with applicable health regulatory laws, as such laws ultimately may be interpreted, or that any non-compliance with such laws would not have a material adverse effect, including an effect on its brand reputation, on VITAS.

Environmental Matters

Roto-Rooter’s operations are subject to various federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding environmental matters and other aspects of the operation of a sewer and drain cleaning, plumbing, and water restoration services business. For certain other activities, such as septic tank and grease trap pumping, Roto-Rooter is subject to state and local environmental health and sanitation regulations.

At December 31, 2020, the Company’s accrual for its estimated liability for potential environmental cleanup and related costs arising from the 1991 sale of DuBois Chemicals Inc. (“DuBois”) amounted to $1.7 million. Of this balance, $901,000 is included in other liabilities and $826,000 is included in other current liabilities. The Company is contingently liable for additional DuBois-related environmental cleanup and related costs up to a maximum of $14.9 million. On the basis of a continuing evaluation of the Company’s potential liability, and in consultation with the Company’s environmental attorney, management believes that it is not probable this additional liability will be paid. Accordingly, no provision for this contingent liability has been recorded. Although it is not presently possible to reliably project the timing of payments related to the Company’s potential liability for environmental costs, management believes that any adjustments to its recorded liability will not materially adversely affect its financial position or results of operations.

The Company, to the best of its knowledge, is currently in compliance in all material respects with the environmental laws and regulations affecting its operations. Such environmental laws, regulations and enforcement proceedings have not required the Company to make material increases in or modifications to its capital expenditures and they have not had a material adverse effect on sales or net income. Capital expenditures for the purpose of complying with environmental laws and regulations during 2019 and 2020 with respect to continuing operations are not expected to be material in amount; there can be no assurance, however, that presently unforeseen legislative enforcement actions will not require additional expenditures.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2020, the Company, including its subsidiaries Roto-Rooter and VITAS, had a total of 15,544 employees.

As Roto-Rooter and VITAS are both service businesses, the Company recognizes and appreciates that our employees are crucial to our success, and that the attraction and retention of top talent, as well as the training and promotion of that talent, must be key focuses of our businesses.

Roto-Rooter’s focus on hiring and retaining the right people starts during the recruitment process, where both local and centralized teams are involved in the process. After hire, new employees are given appropriate training for their individual roles, with new hires in many roles being managed by a “Hiring Manager” for their first year of employment. Additional training is given throughout employees’ careers, both on the job and in the classroom, with trainings evolving as employees advance within Roto-Rooter’s promote-from-within culture. Roto-Rooter instills as key values that part of each employee’s job is to both “Take Care of the Customer” and “Make it a Great Place to Work.”

VITAS also focuses on hiring, training and promoting the right talent, and believes that its vision of providing the best available patient and family care is delivered by its committed and compassionate employees. It has an automated recruitment process, designed to increase efficiencies and decrease the time to fill open positions, as well as continue to grow its brand presence in the talent market. VITAS has implemented a new learning management system to deploy training to its employees on a regular basis, across a range of topics, including clinical, process, functional, leadership, safety, and compliance. Through this continued learning, as well as performance evaluation through continuously developing data metrics and appropriate key performance indicators, VITAS seeks to identify and promote the right individuals to advance within the organization.

Both businesses continually evaluate their compensation and benefit structures in their applicable markets and work to ensure that they are able to maintain their competitive place in the talent market so they can continue to deliver the quality services and value for which each business is known.

Maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce is necessary to continue our success. Diverse perspectives help foster continued innovation. Moreover, as a provider of services, our businesses understand that a diverse and inclusive workforce is necessary to best identify and build relationships with our equally diverse customers and patients. Both Roto-Rooter and VITAS have established and maintained diverse workforces that are constantly evolving to better resemble the communities and populations that we serve.

Finally, the Company’s continued success depends on maintaining a safe and healthy work force. Both Roto-Rooter and VITAS operate businesses where the safety of its employees is a significant focus. Both businesses pay significant attention to ensuring

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that their employees are trained in proper safety policy and procedure and adhere to the same. During the current pandemic, both businesses have adapted quickly and effectively to new safety challenges, including sourcing PPE for employees and ensuring that it is available as needed, implementing new protocols in their offices or in dealing with customers and patients (including expanding telehealth offerings), contracting with third parties to ensure that COVID tests and vaccines are available, and making work-from-home or other different working arrangements available when feasible.

Acquisitions

In 2020, Roto-Rooter completed the acquisition of a Roto-Rooter franchise and the related assets in Bloomington, IN for $2.2 million in cash.

In 2019, Roto-Rooter made two separate acquisitions of territories from former franchisees. The territories purchased are primarily located in the southwestern United States, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Dallas, and Phoenix. These acquisitions were part of Roto-Rooter’s ongoing strategy of acquiring franchises to boost productivity, market share and profitability.

Available Information

The Company’s Internet address is www.chemed.com. The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are electronically available through the SEC (http://www.sec.gov) or the Company’s website as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

Annual reports, press releases, Board Committee charters, Code of Ethics, Corporate governance guidelines and other printed materials may be obtained from the website or from Chemed Investor Relations without charge by writing to, 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 2600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 or by calling 800-2CHEMED or 800-224-3633. The Company intends to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K by posting such information on its website.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, in evaluating us and our Capital Stock. They are not the only ones facing the Company. Other risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We continue to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of our business and geographies, including how it will impact our customers, team members, suppliers, vendors, business partners and distribution channels. The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant volatility, uncertainty and economic disruption, which will adversely affect our business operations and may materially and adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

For additional information regarding specific risk factors related to COVID-19 pandemic, see Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation under Part I., Item 2 of this Annual Report on Form-10K.

GENERAL

The agreements and instruments governing borrowing capacity contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our ability to operate our business and adversely affect the price of our Capital Stock.

The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our instruments of indebtedness restrict our ability to incur additional debt; issue and sell capital stock of subsidiaries; sell assets; engage in transactions with affiliates; restrict distributions from subsidiaries; incur liens; engage in business other than permitted businesses; engage in sale/leaseback transactions; engage in mergers or consolidations; make capital expenditures; make guarantees; make investments and acquisitions; enter into operating leases; hedge interest rates; and prepay other debt.

Moreover, if we are unable to meet the terms of the financial covenants or if we breach any of these covenants, a default could result under one or more of these agreements. A default, if not waived by our lenders, could accelerate repayment of our outstanding indebtedness. If acceleration occurs, we may not be able to repay our debt and it is unlikely that we would be able to borrow sufficient additional funds to refinance such debt on acceptable terms. In the event of any default under our credit facilities, the lenders thereunder could elect to declare all outstanding borrowings, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other fees, to be due and payable, and to require us to apply all of our available cash to repay these borrowings, any of which would be an event of default.

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We depend on our management team and the loss of their service could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success depends to a large extent upon the continued services of our executive management team. The loss of key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, we cannot assure you that we will be able to attract or retain other skilled personnel in the future.

Environmental and safety compliance costs and liabilities could increase our expenses and adversely affect our financial condition.

Our operations are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations that prohibit or restrict the discharge of pollutants into the environment and regulate employee exposure to hazardous substance in the workplace. Failure to comply with these laws could subject us to material costs and liabilities, including civil and criminal fines, costs to cleanup contamination we cause and, in some circumstances, costs to cleanup contamination we discover on our own property but did not cause.

Because we use and generate hazardous materials in some of our operations, we are potentially subject to material liabilities relating to the cleanup of contamination and personal injury claims. In addition, we have retained certain environmental liabilities in connection with the sale of former businesses. We are currently funding the cleanup of historical contamination at one of our former properties and contributing to the cleanup of third-party sites as a result of our sale of our former subsidiary DuBois Chemicals Inc. Although we have established a reserve for these liabilities, actual cleanup costs may exceed our current estimates due to factors beyond our control, such as the discovery of additional contamination or the enforcement of more stringent cleanup requirements. New laws and regulations or their stricter enforcement, the discovery of presently unknown conditions or the receipt of additional claims for indemnification could require us to incur costs or become the basis for new or increased liabilities including impairment of our brand that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to certain anti-takeover statutes that might make it more difficult to effect a change in control of the Company.

We are subject to the anti-takeover provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits us from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. The application of Section 203 could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control that could be advantageous to stockholders.

An adverse ruling against us in certain litigation could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We are involved in litigation incidental to the conduct of our business currently and from time to time. The damages claimed against us in some of these cases can be substantial. See the “Legal Proceedings” sections of this 10-K and the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of particular matters. We cannot assure you that we will prevail in pending cases. Regardless of the outcome, such litigation is costly to manage, investigate and defend, and the related defense costs, diversion of management’s time and related publicity may adversely affect the conduct of our business and the results of our operations.

We have historically incurred debt to finance the operations of the Company.

The Company has historically had debt service obligations and has the ability through its existing credit facility to incur debt that may restrict our operating flexibility. We cannot assure you that our cash flow from operations would be sufficient to service our future operating needs, which would require us to borrow additional funds, or restructure or otherwise refinance our debt. In addition, the Company has the ability to expand its existing debt and borrowing capacity subject to various restrictions and covenants defined by its creditors. The interest rate the Company pays will fluctuate from time to time based upon a number of factors including current LIBOR rates and Company operating performance. Significant changes in these factors could result in a material change in the Company’s interest expense.

Our future ability to repay or to refinance our indebtedness and to pay interest on our indebtedness will depend on our operating performance, which may be affected by factors beyond our control. These factors could include operating difficulties, increased operating costs, our competitors’ actions and regulatory developments. Our ability to meet our debt service and other obligations may depend in significant part on the extent to which we successfully implement our business strategy. We cannot assure you that we will be able to implement our strategy fully or that the anticipated results of our strategy will be realized. Credit market conditions may make it difficult for us to obtain new financing or refinance our current debt on terms and conditions acceptable to us.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our potential debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional equity capital or restructure our debt. We cannot assure you that our

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cash flows and capital resources would be sufficient to make scheduled payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness in the future or that alternative measures would successfully meet our debt service obligations.

Issues associated with the actual or perceived effects of COVID-19 or another epidemic, pandemic, or similar widespread public health concern, could adversely affect our businesses.

Our businesses may be negatively impacted by the fear of exposure to or actual effects of COVID-19 or another epidemic, pandemic, or similar widespread public health concern. Negative impacts may include, but not be limited to: restrictions or limitations on our ability to continue operations and service our patients and customers in-person, changes in demand for our services or mix of services demanded, additional costs for PPE and other items or processes necessitated to maintain the health and safety of our employees, customers and patients, isolated outbreaks of disease that may affect our ability to provide services in certain areas for a period of time, and increasing difficulty in our ability to hire employees to provide in-person services for our patients and customers during the pendency of any public health concern.

Despite our efforts to manage and remedy these impacts, their ultimate impact also depends on factors beyond our knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of any such outbreak as well as third-party actions taken to contain its spread and mitigate its public health effects.

ROTO-ROOTER

We face intense competition from numerous, fragmented competitors. If we do not compete effectively, our business may suffer.

We face intense competition from numerous competitors. The sewer, drain and pipe cleaning, excavation, plumbing repair and water restoration businesses are highly fragmented, with the bulk of the industries consisting of local and regional competitors. We compete primarily on the basis of advertising, range of services provided, name recognition, availability of emergency service, speed and quality of customer service, service guarantees and pricing. Our competitors may succeed in developing new or enhanced products and services more successful than ours and in marketing and selling existing and new products and services better than we do. In addition, new competitors may emerge. We cannot make any assurances that we will continue to be able to compete successfully with any of these companies.

Our operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations, exposing us to potential claims and compliance costs that could adversely affect our business.

We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to franchising, insurance and other aspects of our business. These are discussed in greater detail under “Government Regulations” in the Description of Business section hereof. If we fail to comply with existing or future laws and regulations, we may be subject to governmental or judicial fines and sanctions. Our franchising activities are subject to various federal and state franchising laws and regulations, including the rules and regulations of the FTC regarding the offering or sale of franchises. These rules and regulations require us to provide all of our prospective franchisees with specific information regarding us and our franchise program in the form of a detailed franchise offering circular. In addition, a number of states require us to register our franchise offering prior to offering or selling franchises in such states. Various state laws also provide for certain rights in favor of franchisees, including (i) limitations on the franchisor’s ability to terminate a franchise except for good cause, (ii) restrictions on the franchisor’s ability to deny renewal of a franchise, (iii) circumstances under which the franchisor may be required to purchase certain inventory of franchisees when a franchise is terminated or not renewed in violation of such laws and (iv) provisions relating to arbitration. The ability to engage in the plumbing repair business is also subject to certain limitations and restrictions imposed by the state and local licensing laws and regulations. We cannot predict what legislation or regulations affecting our business will be enacted in the future, how existing or future laws or regulations will be enforced, administered and interpreted, or the amount of future expenditures that may be required to comply with these laws or regulations. Compliance costs associated with governmental regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Roto-Rooter’s loss of key management personnel or its inability to hire and retain skilled employees could adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Roto-Rooter’s future success significantly depends upon the continued service of its senior management personnel. The loss of one or more of Roto-Rooter’s key senior management personnel or its inability to hire and retain new skilled employees could negatively impact its ability to maintain or increase customer calls and jobs, a key aspect of its growth strategy, and could adversely affect its future operating results.

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Competition for skilled employees, particularly licensed plumbers, is intense, and the process of locating and recruiting skilled employees with the combination of qualifications and attributes required to adequately perform plumbing duties can be difficult and lengthy. We cannot assure you that Roto-Rooter will be successful in attracting, retaining or training highly skilled personnel. Roto-Rooter’s business could be disrupted and its growth and profitability negatively impacted if it is unable to attract and retain skilled employees.

Cybersecurity

Our information technology systems hold sensitive customer information in the ordinary course of business, including names, addresses, and partial credit card information. Additionally, we utilize those same systems to perform our day-to-day activities, such as receiving customer calls, dispatching technicians to jobs, and maintaining an accurate record of all transactions. We have not experienced any known system/data breaches on our information technology systems that compromised customer data or the company’s proprietary data. We maintain our information technology systems with safeguard protection against cyber-attacks, including intrusion detection and protection services, firewalls, and virus detection software. Additionally, every quarter, we test our information technology systems using cyber-scanning software and other methods to learn how a successful system/data breach may occur. If a deficiency is detected, our IT staff will log and remediate the deficiency prescribed by the vendor or manufacturer. Roto-Rooter has developed and tested a response plan in the event of a successful system/data breach and maintains commercial insurance related to cyber-security. Additionally, we obtain internal control reports from key vendors that maintain company data or process company transactions on a yearly basis. We review these reports to detect any potential cybersecurity issues. However, these safeguards do not ensure that a significant system/data breach could not occur. Due to the pandemic, certain roles have been conducted remotely, increasing the role and importance of our information technology and security systems. A successful attack on our information technology systems could significantly affect the business, including liability for compromised customer information and business interruption.

Roto-Rooter’s success is highly dependent on its brand reputation

Roto-Rooter’s national reputation and brand image for performing necessary, high quality services in a timely manner is critical to Roto-Rooter’s continued success. Adverse publicity, litigation or on-line negative reviews focused on the Roto-Rooter brand could negatively impact Roto-Rooter’s national reputation resulting in decreased future demand for Roto-Rooter branded services. Roto-Rooter maintains a reputation management risk program, however, a loss of brand reputation at Roto-Rooter could adversely affect consumer willingness to use our service and thus, adversely affect our future operating performance.

VITAS

VITAS is highly dependent on payments from Medicare and Medicaid. If there are changes in the rate or methods governing these payments, VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profits could materially decline.

In excess of 90% of VITAS’ net patient service revenue consists of payments from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Such payments are made primarily on a “per diem” basis, subject to annual reimbursement caps. Because VITAS receives a per diem fee to provide eligible services to all patients, VITAS’ profitability is largely dependent upon its ability to manage the costs of providing hospice services to patients. Increases in operating costs, such as labor and supply costs that are subject to inflation, without a compensating increase in Medicare and Medicaid rates, could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business in the future. Additionally, regulators are increasing scrutiny of claims, including through the new TPE program, which may require additional resources to respond to audits, and which may cause additional delays or denials in receiving payments. Medicare and Medicaid currently adjust the various hospice payment rates annually based primarily on the increase or decrease of the hospital wage index basket, regionally adjusted. However, the increases may be less than actual inflation. VITAS’ profitability could be negatively impacted if this adjustment were eliminated or reduced, or if VITAS’ costs of providing hospice services increased more than the annual adjustment. In addition, cost pressures resulting from shorter patient lengths of stay and the use of more expensive forms of palliative care, including drugs and drug delivery systems, could negatively impact VITAS’ profitability. Many payors are increasing pressure to control health care costs. The U.S. federal budget remains in flux, which could, among other things, cut Medicare payments to providers. The Medicare program is frequently mentioned as a target for spending cuts and within the Medicare program the hospice benefit is often specifically targeted for cuts and a lowering of the Medicare Caps. The full impact on our business of any future cuts in Medicare (including lowering of the Medicare Caps) or other programs is uncertain. In addition, both public and private payors are increasing pressure to decrease, or limit increases in, reimbursement rates for health care services. VITAS’ levels of revenue and profitability will be subject to the effect of possible reductions in coverage or payment rates by third-party payors, including payment rates from Medicare and Medicaid.

Each state that maintains a Medicaid program has the option to provide reimbursement for hospice services at reimbursement rates generally required to be at least as much as Medicare rates. All states in which VITAS operates cover Medicaid hospice services; however, we cannot assure you that the states in which VITAS is presently operating or states into which VITAS could expand operations

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will continue to cover Medicaid hospice services. In addition, the Medicare and Medicaid programs are subject to statutory and regulatory changes, retroactive and prospective rate and payment adjustments, administrative rulings, freezes and funding reductions, all of which may adversely affect the level of program payments and could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business. We cannot assure that Medicare and/or Medicaid payments to hospices will not decrease. Reductions in amounts paid by government programs for services or changes in methods or regulations governing payments could cause VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profits to materially decline.

16% to 20% of VITAS’ days of care are provided to patients who reside in nursing homes. Changes in the laws and regulations regarding payments for hospice services and “room and board” provided to VITAS’ hospice patients residing in nursing homes could reduce its net patient service revenue and profitability.

For VITAS’ hospice patients receiving nursing home care under certain state Medicaid programs who elect hospice care under Medicare and Medicaid, the state generally must pay VITAS, in addition to the applicable Medicare or Medicaid hospice per diem rate, an amount equal to at least 95% of the Medicaid per diem nursing home rate for “room and board” furnished to the patient by the nursing home. VITAS contracts with various nursing homes for the nursing homes’ provision of certain “room and board” services that the nursing homes would otherwise provide Medicaid nursing home patients. VITAS bills and collects from the applicable state Medicaid program an amount equal to approximately 95% of the amount that would otherwise have been paid directly to the nursing home under the state’s Medicaid plan. Under VITAS’ standard nursing home contracts, it pays the nursing home for these “room and board” services at approximately 100% of the Medicaid per diem nursing home rate.

The reduction or elimination of Medicare and Medicaid payments for hospice patients residing in nursing homes would reduce VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profitability. In addition, changes in the way nursing homes are reimbursed for “room and board” services provided to hospice patients residing in nursing homes could affect VITAS’ ability to serve patients in nursing homes.

If VITAS is unable to maintain relationships with existing patient referral sources or to establish new referral sources, VITAS’ growth and profitability could be adversely affected.

VITAS’ success is heavily dependent on referrals from physicians, long-term care facilities, hospitals and other institutional health care providers, managed care companies, insurance companies and other patient referral sources in the communities that its hospice locations serve, as well as on its ability to maintain good relations with these referral sources. VITAS’ referral sources may refer their patients to other hospice care providers or not to a hospice provider at all. Additionally, because of the pandemic, VITAS has experienced significant changes in referral patterns and sources. VITAS’ growth and profitability depend significantly on its ability to establish and maintain close working relationships with these patient referral sources and to increase awareness and acceptance of hospice care by its referral sources and their patients. We cannot assure that VITAS will be able to maintain its existing relationships or that it will be able to develop and maintain new relationships in existing or new markets. Moreover, if pandemic-related shifts to referrals continue, it could materially adversely affect the business. VITAS’ loss of existing relationships or its failure to develop new relationships could adversely affect its ability to expand or maintain its operations and operate profitably. Moreover, we cannot assure you that awareness or acceptance of hospice care will increase or remain at current levels.

VITAS operates in an industry that is subject to extensive government regulation and claims reviews, and changes in law and regulatory interpretations could reduce its net patient service revenue and profitability and adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations.

The healthcare industry is subject to extensive federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations relating to, among others:

Payment for services;

Conduct of operations, including fraud and abuse, anti-kickback prohibitions, self-referral prohibitions and false claims;

Privacy and security of medical records;

Employment practices; and

Various state approval requirements, such as facility and professional licensure, certificate of need, compliance surveys and other certification or recertification requirements.

Changes in these laws, rules and regulations or their interpretations or methods of enforcement could reduce VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profitability. VITAS’ ability to comply with such regulations is a key factor in determining the success of its business. See the “Government Regulations” section of this 10-K for a greater description of these matters.

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Fraud and Abuse Laws. VITAS contracts with a significant number of health care providers and practitioners, including physicians, hospitals and nursing homes and arranges for these entities to provide services to VITAS’ patients. Some of these health care providers and practitioners may refer, or be in a position to refer, patients to VITAS (or VITAS may refer patients to them). These arrangements may not qualify for a safe harbor. VITAS from time to time seeks guidance from regulatory counsel as to the changing and evolving interpretations and the potential applicability of the Anti-Kickback Law to its programs, and in response thereto, takes such actions as it deems appropriate. VITAS generally believes that its contracts and arrangements with providers, practitioners and suppliers should not be found to violate the Anti-Kickback Law. However, we cannot assure you that such laws will ultimately be interpreted in a manner consistent with VITAS’ practices.

Several health care reform proposals have included an expansion of the Anti-Kickback Law to include referrals of any patients regardless of payor source, which is similar to the scope of certain laws that have been enacted at the state level. In addition, a number of states in which VITAS operates have laws, which vary from state to state, prohibiting certain direct or indirect remuneration or fee-splitting arrangements between health care providers, regardless of payor source, for the referral of patients to a particular provider.

The federal Ethics in Patient Referral Act, Section 1877 of the Social Security Act (commonly known as the “Stark Law”) prohibits physicians from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients for “designated health services” to entities in which they hold an ownership or investment interest or with whom they have a compensation arrangement, subject to certain statutory or regulatory exceptions. We cannot assure you that future statutory or regulatory changes will not result in hospice services being subject to the Stark Law’s ownership, investment, compensation or referral prohibitions. Several states in which VITAS operates have similar laws which likewise are subject to change. Any such changes could adversely affect the business, financial condition and operating results of VITAS.

Further, under separate statutes, submission of claims for items or services that are “not provided as claimed” may lead to civil money penalties, criminal fines and imprisonment and/or exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded state health care programs. These false claims statutes include the federal False Claims Act, which allows any person to bring suit on behalf of the federal government, known as a qui tam action, alleging false or fraudulent Medicare or Medicaid claims or other violations of the statute and to share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement.

Certificate of Need Laws. Many states, including Florida, have certificate of need laws or other similar health planning laws that apply to hospice care providers. These states may require some form of state agency review or approval prior to opening a new hospice program, to adding or expanding hospice services, to undertaking significant capital expenditures or under other specified circumstances. Approval under these certificate of need laws is generally conditioned on the showing of a demonstrable need for services in the community. VITAS may seek to develop, acquire or expand hospice programs in states having certificate of need laws. To the extent that state agencies require VITAS to obtain a certificate of need or other similar approvals to expand services at existing hospice programs or to make acquisitions or develop hospice programs in new or existing geographical markets, VITAS’ plans could be adversely affected by a failure to obtain a certificate or approval. In addition, competitors may seek administratively or judicially to challenge such an approval or proposed approval by the state agency. Such a challenge, whether or not ultimately successful, as well as a state significantly changing its existing certificate of need rules and regulations, could adversely affect VITAS.

Other Federal and State Regulations. The federal government and all states regulate various aspects of the hospice industry and VITAS’ business. In particular, VITAS’ operations are subject to federal and state health regulatory laws, including those covering professional services, the dispensing of drugs and certain types of hospice activities. Certain of VITAS’ employees are subject to state laws and regulations governing professional practice. VITAS’ operations are subject to periodic survey by governmental authorities and private accrediting entities to assure compliance with applicable state licensing, and Medicare and Medicaid certification and accreditation standards, as the case may be. From time to time in the ordinary course of business, VITAS receives survey reports noting deficiencies for alleged failure to comply with applicable requirements. VITAS reviews such reports and takes appropriate corrective action. The failure to effect such action could result in one of VITAS’ hospice programs being terminated from the Medicare hospice program. Any termination of one or more of VITAS’ hospice locations from the Medicare hospice program could adversely affect VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profitability and adversely affect its financial condition and results of operations. The failure to obtain, renew or maintain any of the required regulatory approvals, certifications or licenses could materially adversely affect VITAS’ business and could prevent the programs involved from offering products and services to patients. In addition, laws and regulations often are adopted to regulate new products, services and industries. We cannot assure you that either the states or the federal government will not impose additional regulations on VITAS’ activities, which might materially adversely affect VITAS, including impairing the value of its brand.

Claims Review. The Medicare and Medicaid programs and their Medicare Administrative Contractors and other payors periodically conduct pre-payment or post-payment reviews and other reviews and audits of health care claims, including hospice claims. As a result of such reviews or audits, payments to VITAS could be delayed, suspended, or VITAS could be required to return any amounts found to be overpaid, or amounts found to be overpaid could be recouped through reductions in future payments. There is

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pressure from state and federal governments and other payors to scrutinize health care claims to determine their validity and appropriateness including the new TPE program. VITAS’ claims are periodically subject to review and audit. We cannot assure you that reviews and/or similar audits of VITAS’ claims will not result in material recoupments, delays, suspensions, denials or other actions that could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business, financial condition and results of operations.

Regulation and Provision of Continuous Home Care. VITAS provides continuous home care to patients requiring such care. Continuous home care is provided to allow the patient to remain in their home, during periods of crisis when intensive monitoring and care, primarily nursing care, is required in order to achieve palliation or management of acute medical symptoms. Continuous home care requires a minimum of 8 hours of care within a 24 hour day, which begins and ends at midnight. The care must be predominantly nursing care provided by either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.

Continuous home care can be challenging for a hospice to provide for a number of reasons, including the need to have available sufficient skilled and trained staff to furnish such care, the need to manage the staffing and provision of such care, and a shortage of nurses that can make it particularly difficult to attract and retain nurses that are required to furnish a majority of such care. Medicare reimbursement for continuous home care has been calculated by multiplying the applicable continuous home care hourly rate by the number of hours of care provided. If the care was provided for less than 1 hour, Medicare requires reporting in 15 minute increments of care provided, with no rounding.

Medicare reimbursement for continuous home care is subject to a number of requirements posing further challenges for a hospice providing such care. For example, if a patient requires skilled interventions for palliation or symptom management that can be accomplished in less than 8 aggregate hours within the 24 hour period, if the majority of care can be accomplished by someone other than a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse (e.g., if a majority of care is furnished by a home health aide or homemaker), or if for any reason less than 8 hours of direct care are provided (such as when a patient dies before 8 AM even if 7 or more hours of care has been provided), the care rendered cannot be reimbursed by Medicare at the continuous home care rate (although the care instead may be eligible for Medicare reimbursement at the reduced routine home care day rate). As a result of such requirements, VITAS may incur the costs of providing services intended to be continuous home care services yet be unable to bill or be reimbursed for such services at the continuous home care rate. We cannot assure you that challenges in providing continuous home care will not cause VITAS’ net patient service revenue and profits to materially decline or that reviews and/or similar audits of VITAS’ claims will not result in material recoupments, denials or other actions that could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business, financial condition and results of operations.

Compliance. VITAS maintains an internal regulatory compliance review program and from time to time retains regulatory counsel for guidance on compliance matters. We cannot assure you, however, that VITAS’ practices, if reviewed, would be found to be in compliance with applicable health regulatory laws, as such laws ultimately may be interpreted, or that any non-compliance with such laws would not have a material adverse effect on VITAS.

Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives could require VITAS to expend substantial sums on acquiring, implementing and supporting new information systems, which could negatively impact its profitability.

There are currently numerous legislative and regulatory initiatives at both the state and federal levels that address patient privacy concerns. We cannot predict the total financial or other impact of the regulations on VITAS’ operations. In addition, although VITAS’ management believes it is in compliance with the requirement of patient privacy regulations, we cannot assure you that VITAS will not be found to have violated state and federal laws, rules or guidelines surrounding patient privacy. Compliance with current and future HIPAA and HITECH requirements or any other federal or state privacy initiatives could require VITAS to make substantial investments, which could negatively impact its profitability and cash flows.

VITAS’ growth strategies may not be successful, which could adversely affect its business.

A significant element of VITAS’ growth strategy is expected to include expansion of its business in new and existing markets. This aspect of VITAS’ growth strategy may not be successful, which could adversely impact its growth and profitability. We cannot assure you that VITAS will be able to:

Identify markets that meet its selection criteria for new hospice locations;

Hire and retain qualified management teams to operate each of its new hospice locations;

Manage a large and geographically diverse group of hospice locations;

Become Medicare and Medicaid certified in new markets;

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Generate sufficient hospice admissions to operate profitably in these new markets;

Compete effectively with existing hospices in new markets; or

Obtain state licensure and/or a certificate of need from appropriate state agencies in new markets.

VITAS’ loss of key management personnel or its inability to hire and retain skilled employees could adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.

VITAS’ future success significantly depends upon the continued service of its senior management personnel. The loss of one or more of VITAS’ key senior management personnel or its inability to hire and retain new skilled employees could negatively impact VITAS’ ability to maintain or increase patient referrals, a key aspect of its growth strategy, and could adversely affect its future operating results.

Competition for skilled employees is intense, and the process of locating and recruiting skilled employees with the combination of qualifications and attributes required to care effectively for terminally ill patients and their families can be difficult and lengthy. We cannot assure you that VITAS will be successful in attracting, retaining or training highly skilled nursing, management, community education, operations, admissions and other personnel. VITAS’ business could be disrupted and its growth and profitability negatively impacted if it is unable to attract and retain skilled employees.

A nationwide shortage of qualified nurses could adversely affect VITAS’ profitability, growth and ability to continue to provide quality, responsive hospice services to its patients as nursing wages and benefits increase.

A significant portion of VITAS’ workforce is licensed nurses. VITAS depends on qualified nurses to provide quality, responsive hospice services to its patients. The current nationwide shortage of qualified nurses impacts some of the markets in which VITAS provides hospice services. In response to this shortage, VITAS has adjusted its wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses and to engage contract nurses. VITAS’ inability to attract and retain qualified nurses could adversely affect its ability to provide quality, responsive hospice services to its patients and its ability to increase or maintain patient census in those markets. Increases in the wages and benefits required to attract and retain qualified nurses or an increase in reliance on contract nurses could negatively impact profitability.

VITAS may not be able to compete successfully against other hospice providers, and competitive pressures may limit its ability to maintain or increase its market position and adversely affect its profitability, financial condition and results of operations.

Hospice care in the United States is highly competitive. In many areas in which VITAS’ hospices are located, they compete with a large number of organizations, including:

Community-based hospice providers;

National and regional companies;

Hospital-based hospice and palliative care programs;

Physician groups;

Nursing homes;

Home health agencies;

Infusion therapy companies; and

Nursing agencies.

Various health care companies have diversified into the hospice industry and there is an increasing consolidation across hospice industry. Other companies, including hospitals and health care organizations that are not currently providing hospice care, may enter the markets VITAS serves and expand the variety of services offered to include hospice care. We cannot assure you that VITAS will not encounter increased competition in the future that could limit its ability to maintain or increase its market position, including competition from parties in a position to impact referrals to VITAS. Such increased competition could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business, financial condition and results of operations.

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If VITAS fails to comply with the terms of the CIA, it could be subject to substantial monetary penalties or suspension or exclusion from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

VITAS and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a CIA with the Office of the OIG on October 30, 2017 in connection with the settlement of a False Claims Act case. The CIA formalizes various aspects of VITAS’ already existing compliance program and contains requirements designed to document compliance with federal healthcare program requirements. It has a term of five years during which it imposes monitoring, reporting, certification, oversight, screening and training obligations, certain of which had previously been implemented by VITAS. It also required VITAS to engage an Independent Review Organization to perform auditing and review functions and to prepare reports regarding compliance with federal healthcare programs. In the event of breach of the CIA, VITAS could become liable for payment of stipulated penalties or could be excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

Changes in rates or methods of payment for VITAS’ services could adversely affect its revenues and profits.

Managed care organizations have grown substantially in terms of the percentage of the population they cover and their control over an increasing portion of the health care economy. Managed care organizations have continued to consolidate to enhance their ability to influence the delivery of health care services and to exert pressure to control health care costs. VITAS has a number of contractual arrangements with managed care organizations and other similar parties.

VITAS provides hospice care to many Medicare beneficiaries who have elected Medicare managed care. Under such contracts between HMOs and the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare payments for hospice services are excluded from the per-member, per-month payment from Medicare to HMOs and instead are paid directly by Medicare to the hospices. As a result, VITAS’ payments for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare risk HMOs are processed in the same way with the same rates as other Medicare beneficiaries. We cannot assure, however, that payment for hospice services will continue to be excluded from HMO payment under Medicare risk contracts and similar Medicare managed care plans or that if not excluded, managed care organizations or other large third-party payors would not use their power to influence and exert pressure on health care providers to reduce costs in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business, financial condition and results of operations.

Liability claims may have an adverse effect on VITAS, and its insurance coverage may be inadequate.

Participants in the hospice industry are subject to lawsuits alleging negligence, professional liability, wage and hour or other similar legal theories, many of which involve large claims and significant defense costs. Additionally, the pandemic may lead to different claims or a higher volume of claims than we typically face. We are also subject to the risk of lawsuits under the False Claims Act and comparable state laws for allegedly submitting fraudulent bills for services to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and other federal and state healthcare programs. These lawsuits, which may be initiated by “whistleblowers”, subpoenas or Civil Investigative Demands can involve significant monetary damages, fines, attorneys’ fees and the award of bounties to private qui tam plaintiffs. From time to time, VITAS is subject to such claims and other types of lawsuits. See the description below under Legal Proceedings in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The ultimate liability for claims, if any, could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or operating results. Although VITAS currently maintains liability insurance intended to cover certain claims, we cannot assure you that the coverage limits of such insurance policies will be adequate or that all such claims will be covered by the insurance. In addition, VITAS’ insurance policies must be renewed annually and may be subject to cancellation during the policy period. While VITAS has been able to obtain liability insurance in the past, such insurance varies in cost, and may not be available in the future on terms acceptable to VITAS, if at all.

A successful claim in excess of the insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on VITAS. Claims, regardless of their merit or eventual outcome, also may have a material adverse effect on VITAS’ business and reputation due to the costs of litigation, diversion of management’s time and related publicity.

VITAS procures professional liability coverage on a claims-made basis. The insurance contracts specify that coverage is available only during the term of each insurance contract. VITAS’ management intends to renew or replace the existing claims-made policy annually but such coverage is difficult to obtain, may be subject to cancellation and may be written by carriers that are unable, or unwilling to pay claims. Additionally, some risks and liabilities, including claims for punitive damages, are not covered by insurance.

Cybersecurity

In the normal course of business, our information technology systems hold sensitive patient information including patient demographic data, eligibility for various medical plans including Medicare and Medicaid and protected health information. Additionally, we utilize those same systems to perform our day-to-day activities, such as receiving referrals, assigning medical teams to patients, documenting medical information and maintaining an accurate record of all transactions. Recently healthcare organizations have been the focus of increased cybersecurity attacks. We have not experienced any known attacks on our information technology

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systems that have compromised patient data or the Company’s proprietary data. We maintain our information technology systems with safeguard protection against cyber-attacks including active intrusion protection, firewalls and virus detection software. As discussed previously, we are subject to and comply with HIPAA and HITECH regulations. We have developed and tested a response plan in the event of a successful attack and we maintain commercial insurance related to a cyber-attack. Additionally, we obtain internal control reports from key vendors that maintain company data or process company transactions on a yearly basis. We review these reports to detect any potential cybersecurity issues. However, these safeguards do not ensure that a significant cyber-attack could not occur. Increases in working from home and the provision of telehealth services due to the pandemic have significantly increased our usage of information technology systems and heightened the need for security of those systems. A successful attack on our information technology systems could have significant consequences to the business including liability for compromised patient information and business interruption.

We are regularly the target of attempted cyber and other security threats and must continuously monitor and develop our information technology networks and infrastructure to prevent, detect, address and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses and other events that could have a security impact. Insider or employee cyber and security threats are increasingly a concern for all large companies, including ours.

VITAS’ success is highly dependent on its brand reputation

VITAS’ reputation for performing quality routine and high acuity patient hospice care within the regulations mandated by Medicare, Medicaid and commercial payors is critical to our success. Failure to provide quality patient care within the regulations mandated by our third-party payors, or the perception of inappropriate care resulting in adverse publicity, litigation or a campaign of negative on-line reviews are some of the factors that could negatively impact VITAS’ national reputation. VITAS maintains a reputation management risk program however, a loss of brand reputation at VITAS could adversely affect referral sources’ willingness to refer our service and thus, adversely affect our future operating performance.

VITAS’ headquarters and a significant portion of its operations are in south Florida

The occurrence of a natural disaster in any region that VITAS has significant operations could have a negative impact on the business. VITAS’ headquarters are located in Miami, Florida. In addition, two of our largest programs and an office complex are in south Florida. The location of our headquarters and these large programs increases our exposure to hurricanes. A major hurricane in south Florida could impede our ability to bill for our services, operate our businesses and serve our patients in the affected area. VITAS maintains a disaster recovery program to mitigate this risk; however, natural disasters could have an adverse effect on our future operating performance.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

The Company’s corporate offices and the headquarters for Roto-Rooter are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Roto-Rooter has manufacturing and distribution center facilities in West Des Moines, Iowa and has 350 leased and owned office and service facilities in 34 states. VITAS, headquartered in Miami, operates 49 programs from 173 leased and owned facilities and 27 inpatient units in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

All “owned” property is held in fee and is subject to the security interests of the holders of our debt instruments. The leased properties have lease terms ranging from monthly to eleven years. Management does not foresee any difficulty in renewing or replacing the remainder of its current leases. The Company considers all of its major operating properties to be maintained in good operating condition and to be generally adequate for present and anticipated needs.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

The Company’s disclosure related to legal proceedings is set forth in Note 17 “Legal and Regulatory Matters” included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included with this report, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

None

Executive Officers of the Company

Name |  | Age |  | Office |  | First Elected
Kevin J. McNamara |  | 67 |  | President and Chief Executive Officer |  | August 2, 1994 (1)
David P. Williams |  | 60 |  | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |  | March 5, 2004 (2)
Spencer S. Lee |  | 65 |  | Executive Vice President |  | May 15, 2000 (3)
Nicholas M. Westfall |  | 42 |  | Executive Vice President |  | June 16, 2016 (4)
Michael D. Witzeman |  | 50 |  | Vice President and Controller |  | May 21, 2012 (5)
Brian C. Judkins |  | 40 |  | Vice President and Chief Legal Officer |  | August 31, 2020 (6)

(1) Mr. K.J. McNamara is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and has held these positions since August 1994 and May 2001, respectively. Previously, he served as an Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of the Company, since November 1993, August 1986 and August 1986, respectively. He previously held the position of Vice President of the Company, from August 1986 to May 1992.

(2) Mr. D.P. Williams is an Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of the company and has held these positions since August 2007 and March 2004, respectively. Mr. Williams is also Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Roto-Rooter Group, Inc., and has held these positions since January 1999.

(3) Mr. S.S. Lee is an Executive Vice President of the Company and has held this position since May 2000. Mr. Lee is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Roto-Rooter Services Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and has held this position since January 1999. Previously, he served as a Senior Vice President of Roto-Rooter Services Company from May 1997 to January 1999.

(4) Mr. N.M. Westfall is an Executive Vice President of the Company and has held this position since June 2016. He is also Chief Executive Officer of VITAS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and has held this position since June 2016. Previously, from May 2015 to June 2016, he also served as Chief Operating Officer of VITAS. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of VITAS from April 2012 to April of 2015. Prior to that he served as Director of Information Technology and Operations for Chemed from May 2009 to April 2012.

(5)Mr. M.D. Witzeman is a Vice President and Controller of the Company. He has held these positions since May 2012 and May 2017 respectively. Prior to that he served as Assistant Vice President and Assistant Controller from July 2005.

(6) Mr. B.C. Judkins is a Vice President and the Secretary and Chief Legal Officer of the Company. He has held these positions since August 2020. Prior to that he served as Vice President and Counsel from January 2019.

Each executive officer holds office until the annual election at the next annual organizational meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company which is scheduled to be held on May 17, 2021.

PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The Company has historically paid cash dividends quarterly. However, future dividends are dependent upon the Company’s earnings and financial condition, compliance with certain debt covenants and other factors not presently determinable.

As of February 12, 2021, there were approximately 1,442 stockholders of record of the Company’s Capital Stock. This number only includes stockholders of record and does not include stockholders with shares beneficially held in nominee name or within clearinghouse positions of brokers, banks or other institutions.

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During 2020, the number of shares of Capital Stock repurchased by the Company, the weighted average price paid for each share, the cumulative shares repurchased under each program and the dollar amounts remaining under each program were as follows:

Company Purchase of Shares of Capital Stock

| Total Number |  |  | Weighted Average |  | Cumulative Shares |  |  | Dollar Amount
| of Shares |  |  | Price Paid Per |  | Repurchased Under |  |  | Remaining Under
| Repurchased |  |  | Share |  | the Program |  |  | The Program
February 2011 Program |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
January 1 through January 31, 2020 | - |  | $ | - |  | 8,645,873 |  | $ | 104,018,683
February 1 through February 29, 2020 | 110,497 |  |  | 457.73 |  | 8,756,370 |  |  | 53,440,502
March 1 through March 31, 2020 (1) | 114,503 |  |  | 433.67 |  | 8,870,873 |  | $ | 253,783,766
First Quarter Total | 225,000 |  | $ | 445.49 |  |  |  |  |
April 1 through April 30, 2020 | - |  | $ | - |  | 8,870,873 |  | $ | 253,783,766
May 1 through May 31, 2020 | - |  |  | - |  | 8,870,873 |  |  | 253,783,766
June 1 through June 30, 2020 | 50,000 |  |  | 438.27 |  | 8,920,873 |  | $ | 231,870,234
Second Quarter Total | 50,000 |  | $ | 438.27 |  |  |  |  |
July 1 through July 31, 2020 | - |  | $ | - |  | 8,920,873 |  | $ | 231,870,234
August 1 through August 31, 2020 | 33,409 |  |  | 499.98 |  | 8,954,282 |  |  | 215,166,306
September 1 through September 30, 2020 | 16,591 |  |  | 498.48 |  | 8,970,873 |  | $ | 206,896,015
Third Quarter Total | 50,000 |  | $ | 499.48 |  |  |  |  |
October 1 through October 31, 2020 | - |  | $ | - |  | 8,970,873 |  | $ | 206,896,015
November 1 through November 30, 2020 | 59,252 |  |  | 480.52 |  | 9,030,125 |  |  | 178,424,171
December 1 through December 31, 2020 | - |  |  | - |  | 9,030,125 |  | $ | 178,424,171
Fourth Quarter Total | 59,252 |  | $ | 480.52 |  |  |  |  |

(1)In March 2020, our Board of Directors authorized an additional $250 million under February 2011 Repurchase Program.

23

As of December 31, 2020, the number of stock options and performance share units outstanding under the Company’s equity compensation plans, the weighted average exercise price of outstanding options, and the number of securities remaining available for issuance were as follows:

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

| Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding warrants and rights |  |  | Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights |  |  | Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column)
Plan Category |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders (1) | 1,109,487 |  | $ | 329.84 |  |  | 920,513

________________

(1) Amount includes 39,416 shares allocated to certain employees which vest upon attainment of specified earnings per share targets and specified total shareholder return targets.

24

Comparative Stock Performance

The graph below compares the yearly percentage change in the Company’s cumulative total stockholder return on Capital Stock (as measured by dividing (i) the sum of (A) the cumulative amount of dividends for the period December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2020, assuming dividend reinvestment, and (B) the difference between the Company’s share price at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2020; by (ii) the share price at December 31, 2015) with the cumulative total return, assuming reinvestment of dividends, of the (1) S&P 500 Stock Index and (2) Dow Jones Industrial Diversified Index.

December 31 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020
Chemed Corporation | 100.00 | 107.87 | 164.32 | 192.27 | 299.13 | 363.72
S&P 500 | 100.00 | 111.96 | 136.40 | 130.42 | 171.49 | 203.04
Dow Jones Diversified Industrials | 100.00 | 110.96 | 103.64 | 77.65 | 98.53 | 110.79

‎

25

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The information called for by this Item for the five years ended December 31, 2020 is set forth on page 72 of the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information called for by this Item is set forth on pages 76 through 101 of the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

The Company’s primary market risk exposure relates to interest rate risk exposure through its variable interest line of credit. For each $10 million dollars borrowed under the credit facility, an increase or decrease of 100 basis points (1% point), increases or decreases the Company’s annual interest expense by $100,000.

The Company continually evaluates this interest rate exposure and periodically weighs the cost versus the benefit of fixing the variable interest rates through a variety of hedging techniques.

The Company does not have any long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2020.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The consolidated financial statements, together with the report thereon of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP dated February 26, 2021, appearing on pages 37 through 69 of the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders, along with the Supplementary Data (Unaudited Summary of Quarterly Results) appearing on pages 70-71, are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, under the supervision of and with the participation of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Controller, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Controller have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective and are reasonably designed to ensure that all material information relating to the Company required to be included in the Company’s reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Controller, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Refer to Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on pages 37 through 39 of the Company’s 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act during the Company’s fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

26

Item 9B. Other Information

Not applicable.

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The directors of the Company are:

Kevin J. McNamara

Ron DeLyons

Joel F. Gemunder

Patrick P. Grace

Christopher J. Heaney

Thomas C. Hutton

Andrea R. Lindell

Thomas P. Rice

Donald E. Saunders

George J. Walsh III

The additional information required under this Item is set forth in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement and in Part I hereof under the caption “Executive Officers of the Registrant” and is incorporated herein by reference.

The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, directors and employees. A copy of this Code of Ethics is incorporated with this report as Exhibit 14 and it is also posted on the Company’s Web site, www.chemed.com.

Item 11. Executive Compensation

Information required under this Item is set forth in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Information required under this Item is set forth in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence.

Information required under this Item is set forth in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

Audit Fees

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP charged the Company $2,297,000 for 2019 and $2,165,000 for 2020. These fees were for professional services rendered for the integrated audit of the Company’s annual financial statements and of its internal control over financial reporting, review of the financial statements included in the Company’s Forms 10-Q and review of documents filed with the SEC.

Audit-Related Fees

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP charged the Company $148,000 and $150,000 for 2019 and 2020, respectively, for audit-related services. These services were related primarily to the audit of one of VITAS’ Florida subsidiaries.

Tax Fees

No such services were rendered in 2019 or 2020.

27

All Other Fees

No such other services were rendered in 2019 or 2020.

The Audit Committee has adopted a policy which requires the Committee’s pre-approval of audit and non-audit services performed by the independent auditor to assure that the provision of such services does not impair the auditor’s independence. The Audit Committee pre-approved all of the audit and non-audit services rendered by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as listed above.

‎

28

PART IV

Item 15 |  | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
3.1 |  | Certificate of Incorporation of Chemed Corporation.*
3.2 |  | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation, dated May 15, 2006.*
3.3 |  | By-Laws of Chemed Corporation, as amended February 17, 2017.*
4.1 |  | Description of Securities.
10.1 |  | 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended August 11, 2006.*,**
10.2 |  | 2010 Stock Incentive Plan.*,**
10.3 |  | 2015 Stock Incentive Plan*,**
10.4 |  | 2018 Stock Incentive Plan*,**
10.5 |  | Employment Agreement with David P. Williams dated December 1, 2006.*,**
10.6 |  | First Amendment to Employment Agreement with David P. Williams dated July 9, 2009.*,**
10.7 |  | Consulting Agreement with Timothy S. O'Toole dated June 16, 2016.*,**
10.8 |  | Employment Agreement with Kevin J. McNamara dated May 3, 2008.*,**
10.9 |  | First Amendment to Employment Agreement with Kevin J. McNamara dated July 9, 2009.*,**
10.10 |  | Excess Benefits Plan, as restated and amended, effective June 1, 2001.*,**
10.11 |  | Amendment No. 1 to Excess Benefits Plan, effective July 1, 2001.*,**
10.12 |  | Amendment No. 2 to Excess Benefits Plan, effective November 7, 2003.*,**
10.13 |  | Non-Employee Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan.*,**
10.14 |  | Chemed/Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement Plan, effective January 1, 1999.*,**
10.15 |  | First Amendment to Chemed/Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement Plan, effective September 6, 2000.*,**
10.16 |  | Second Amendment to Chemed/Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement Plan, effective January 1, 2001.*,**
10.17 |  | Third Amendment to Chemed/Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement Plan, effective December 12, 2001.*,**
10.18 |  | Directors Emeriti Plan.*,**
10.19 |  | Chemed Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan, as amended August 3, 2018.*,**
10.20 |  | Chemed Corporation Senior Executive Severance Policy, as amended August 3, 2018*,**
10.21 |  | Roto-Rooter Deferred Compensation Plan No. 1, as amended January 1, 1998.*,**
10.22 |  | Roto-Rooter Deferred Compensation Plan No. 2.*,**
10.23 |  | Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Award*,**
10.24 |  | Form of Stock Option Grant, pre-2013.*,**
10.25 |  | Form of Stock Option Grant, 2013.*,**
10.26 |  | Form of Stock Option Grant, 2015. *,**
10.27 |  | Form of Stock Option Grant, 2018. *,**
10.28 |  | Settlement Agreement, effective October 30, 2017 by and among the United States of America, acting through the United States Department of Justice and on behalf of the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, VITAS Hospice Services, L.L.C., VITAS Healthcare Corporation, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Illinois, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Vitas Healthcare Corporation of Ohio, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Atlantic, VITAS Healthcare of Texas, L.P., VITAS Healthcare Corporation Midwest, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Georgia, Chemed Corporation, and the various Relators named therein.*

29

10.29 |  | Corporate Integrity Agreement, effective October 30, 2017 between the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and VITAS Hospice Services, L.L.C., VITAS Healthcare Corporation, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Illinois, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Florida, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Ohio, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Atlantic, VITAS Healthcare of Texas, L.P., VITAS Healthcare Corporation Midwest and VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Georgia.*
10.30 |  | Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement by and among Chemed Corporation, JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, and other lenders as of June 30, 2018, exhibits and schedules thereto.*
13 |  | 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders.
14 |  | Policies on Business Ethics of Chemed Corporation
21 |  | Subsidiaries of Chemed Corporation.
23 |  | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
24 |  | Powers of Attorney.
31.1 |  | Certification by Kevin J. McNamara pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2 |  | Certification by David P. Williams pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934.
31.3 |  | Certification by Michael D. Witzeman pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1 |  | Certification by Kevin J. McNamara pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2 |  | Certification by David P. Williams pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.3 |  | Certification by Michael D. Witzeman pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS |  | XBRL Instance Document*
101.SCH |  | XBRL Extension Schema*
101.CAL |  | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase*
101.DEF |  | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase*
101.LAB |  | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase*
101.PRE |  | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase*
| * | This exhibit is being filed by means of incorporation by reference (see Index to Exhibits on page 33). Each other exhibit is being filed with this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
| ** | Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

Item 16. Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable.

‎

30

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

February 26, 2021 | CHEMED CORPORATION
| By | /s/ Kevin J. McNamara
|  | Kevin J. McNamara
|  | President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

6 |  |  |  |  |
3 |  |  |  |
Signature | Title |  |  |  | Date
/s/ Kevin J. McNamara Kevin J. McNamara | President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director (Principal Executive Officer) |  |  |  |
/s/ David P. Williams David P. Williams | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |  |  |  |
/s/ Michael D. Witzeman Michael D. Witzeman | Vice President and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) |  |  |  | February 26, 2021
Ron DeLyons* Joel F. Gemunder* Patrick P. Grace* Thomas C. Hutton* Christopher J. Heaney* Andrea R. Lindell* | Thomas P. Rice* Donald E. Saunders* George J Walsh III* |  | --Directors |  |
* Brian C. Judkins by signing his name hereto signs this document on behalf of each of the persons indicated above pursuant to powers of attorney duly executed by such persons and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
February 26, 2021 |  |  | /s/ Brian C. Judkins |
Date |  |  | Brian C. Judkins |
|  |  | (Attorney-in-Fact) |

‎

31

CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

2018, 2019 AND 2020

| Page(s)
Chemed Corporation Consolidated Financial Statements |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 38*
Consolidated Statements of Income | 40*
Consolidated Balance Sheets | 41*
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | 42*
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity | 43*
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 44*

________________

*Indicates page numbers in Chemed Corporation 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders

The consolidated financial statements of Chemed Corporation listed above, appearing in the 2020 Annual Report to Stockholders, are incorporated herein by reference. Schedules not included have been omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto as listed above.

‎

32

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

|  |  | Page Number
|  |  | or
|  |  | Incorporation by Reference
Exhibit |  | File No. and | Previous
Number |  | Filing Date | Exhibit No.
3.1 | Certificate of Incorporation of | Form S-3 | 4.1
| Chemed Corporation | Reg. No. 33-44177 |
|  | 11/26/91 |
3.2 | Certificate of Amendment to Certificate | Form 8-K | 3.1
| Incorporation, dated May 15, 2006 | 5/16/06 |
3.3 | By-Laws of Chemed Corporation | Form 8-K | 3.1
| as amended February 17, 2017 | 2/17/17 |
4.1 | Description of Securities | Form 10-K 2/26/20 | 4.1
10.1 | 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, | Form 10-Q | 10.1
| as amended August 11, 2006 | 8/14/06, ** |
10.2 | 2010 Stock Incentive Plan | Form 8-K | 99.1
|  | 5/18/10, ** |
10.3 | 2015 Stock Incentive Plan | Form S-8 | 4.5
|  | 7/15/15, ** |
10.4 | 2018 Stock Incentive Plan | Form S-8 | 4.5
|  | 5/23/18, ** |
10.5 | Employment Agreement with David | Form 8-K | 10.01
| P. Williams dated December 1, 2006 | 12/1/06, ** |
10.6 | First Amendment to Employment | Form 10-Q | 10.2
| Agreement with David P. Williams | 10/30/09, ** |
| dated July 9, 2009. |  |
10.7 | Employment Agreement with | Form 8-K | 10.02
| Timothy S. O’Toole dated | 5/7/07, ** |
| May 6, 2007. |  |
10.8 | First Amendment to Employment | Form 10-Q | 10.3
| Agreement with Timothy S. | 10/30/09, ** |
| O’Toole dated July 9, 2009. |  |
10.9 | Consulting Agreement with | Form 8-K | 10.1
| Timothy S. O’Toole dated | 6/8/16, ** |
| June 16, 2016. |  |

33

10.10 | Employment Agreement with | Form 8-K | 10.01
| Kevin J. McNamara dated | 5/6/08,** |
| May 3, 2008. |  |
10.11 | First Amendment to Employment | Form 10-Q | 10.1
| Agreement with Kevin J. | 10/30/09, ** |
| McNamara dated July 9, 2009. |  |
10.12 | Excess Benefits Plan, as restated | Form 10-K | 10.24
| and amended, effective June 1, 2001 | 3/12/04, ** |
10.13 | Amendment No. 1 to Excess Benefits | Form 10-K | 10.25
| Plan, effective July 1, 2002 | 3/12/04, ** |
10.14 | Amendment No. 2 to Excess Benefits | Form 10-K | 10.26
| Plan, effective November 7, 2003 | 3/12/04, ** |
10.15 | Non-Employee Directors' Deferred | Form 10-K | 10.10
| Compensation Plan | 3/24/88, ** |
10.16 | Chemed/Roto-Rooter Savings & | Form 10-K | 10.25
| Retirement Plan, effective | 3/25/99, ** |
| January 1, 1999 |  |
10.17 | First Amendment to Chemed/ | Form 10-K | 10.22
| Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement | 3/28/02, ** |
| Plan effective September 6, 2000 |  |
10.18 | Second Amendment to Chemed/ | Form 10-K | 10.23
| Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement | 3/28/02, ** |
| Plan effective January 1, 2001 |  |
10.19 | Third Amendment to Chemed/ | Form 10-K | 10.24
| Roto-Rooter Savings & Retirement | 3/28/02, ** |
| Plan effective December 12, 2001 |  |
10.20 | Directors Emeriti Plan | Form 10-Q | 10.11
|  | 5/12/88, ** |
10.21 | Change in Control Severance | Form 10-K | 10.19
| Plan as amended August 3, 2018. | 2/27/19,** |
10.22 | Senior Executive Severance | Form 10-K | 10.20
| Policy as amended August 3, 2018. | 2/27/19,** |
10.23 | Roto-Rooter Deferred Compensation | Form 10-K | 10.37
| Plan No. 1, as amended January 1, 1998 | 3/28/01, ** |
10.24 | Roto-Rooter Deferred Compensation | Form 10-K | 10.38
| Plan No. 2 | 3/28/01, ** |

34

10.25 | Form of Performance Based Restricted | Form 10-K | 10.32
| Stock Unit Award | 2/27/14, ** |
10.26 | Form of Stock Option Grant Pre-2013 | Form 10-K | 10.51
|  | 3/28/05, ** |
10.27 | Form of Stock Option Grant – 2013 | Form 10-K | 10.35
|  | 2/27/14, ** |
10.28 | Form of Stock Option Grant – 2015 | Form 10-K | 10.30
|  | 2/26/16,** |
10.29 | Form of Stock Option Grant - 2018 | Form 10-K 2/26/20,** | 10.29
10.30 | Settlement Agreement, effective October 30, 2017 | Form 8-K | 10.01
| by and among the United States of America, | 11/2/17 |
| acting through the United States Department of |  |
| Justice and on behalf of the Office of Inspector |  |
| General of the Department of Health and Human |  |
| Services, VITAS Hospice Services, L.L.C., VITAS |  |
| Healthcare Corporation, VITAS Healthcare Corporation |  |
| Of California, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Illinois, |  |
| VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Florida, VITAS Healthcare |  |
| Corporation of Ohio, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of |  |
| Atlantic, VITAS Healthcare of Texas, L.P., VITAS |  |
| Healthcare Corporation Midwest, VITAS Healthcare |  |
| Corporation of Georgia, Chemed Corporation, and the |  |
| various Relators named therin.2 |  |
10.31 | Corporate Integrity Agreement, effective | Form 8-K | 10.02
| October 30, 2017 between the Office of | 11/2/17 |
| Inspector General of the Department of Health and |  |
| Human Services and VITAS Hospice Services, L.L.C, |  |
| VITAS Healthcare Corporation, VITAS Healthcare |  |
| Corporation of California, VITAS Healthcare Corporation |  |
| of Illinois, VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Florida, |  |
| VITAS Healthcare Corporation of Ohio, VITAS |  |
| Healthcare Corporation of Atlantic, VITAS |  |
| Healthcare of Texas, L.P., VITAS Healthcare |  |
| Corporation Midwest, and VITAS Healthcare Corporation |  |
| of Georgia. |  |
10.32 | Fourth Amended and Restated Credit | Form 8-K | 10.1
| Agreement by and among Chemed Corporation, | 6/22/18 |
| JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, and other lenders |  |
| As of June 20, 2018 exhibits and schedules thereto. |  |
14 | Policies on Business Ethics of Chemed | Form 10-K | 14
| Corporation | 2/27/14 |
21 | Subsidiaries of Chemed Corporation | * |
23 | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | * |
24 | Powers of Attorney | * |
31.1 | Certification by Kevin J. McNamara pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934. | * |

35

31.2 | Certification by David P. Williams pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934. | * |
31.3 | Certification by Michael D. Witzeman pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934. | * |
32.1 | Certification by Kevin J. McNamara pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | * |
32.2 | Certification by David P. Williams pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | * |
32.3 | Certification by Michael D. Witzeman pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | * |
101.INS | XBRL Instance Document | * |
101.SCH | XBRL Extension Schema | * |
101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation | * |
| Linkbase |  |
101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition | * |
| Linkbase |  |
101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label | * |
| Linkbase |  |
101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation | * |
| Linkbase |  |

_____________

* Filed herewith.

** Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

36

EXHIBIT 13

Financial Review

Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | 38
Consolidated Statements of Income | 40
Consolidated Balance Sheets | 41
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | 42
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity | 43
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 44
Unaudited Summary of Quarterly Results | 70
Selected Financial Data | 72
Unaudited Consolidating Statements of Income | 73
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations | 76

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as that term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and disposition of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorization of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The Company’s management, including the President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Controller, has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on the framework established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on this evaluation, management concluded that internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by COSO.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, as stated in their report which appears on pages 38 through 39.

‎

37

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Chemed Corporation

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Chemed Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of income, of changes in stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Changes in Accounting Principles

As discussed in Notes 1 and 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases in 2019 and the manner in which it accounts for revenues from contracts with customers in 2018.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

VITAS Revenue Implicit Price Concessions

As described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, service revenue for VITAS is reported at the amount that reflects the ultimate consideration management expects to receive in exchange for providing patient care. These amounts are due from third-party payors, primarily commercial health insurers and government programs (Medicare and Medicaid). Management estimates the transaction price for patients with deductibles and coinsurance, along with those uninsured patients, based on historical experience and current conditions. The estimate of any contractual adjustments, discounts or implicit price concessions reduces the amount of revenue initially recognized. Settlement with third-party payors for retroactive adjustments due to audits, reviews or investigations are considered variable consideration and are included in the determination of the estimated transaction price for providing patient care. The variable consideration is estimated based on the terms of the payment agreement, existing correspondence from the payor and the Company’s historical settlement activity. The impact of these estimates is disclosed as implicit price concessions and totaled $15 million for the year-ended December 31, 2020.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to VITAS revenue implicit price concessions is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management when developing the estimate of implicit price concessions used in determining the transaction price for each third-party payor. This in turn led to significant auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in performing procedures to evaluate the ultimate consideration management expects to receive, related to estimates of implicit price concessions including retroactive adjustments due to audits, reviews or investigations, the assessment of management’s evaluation of correspondence from the payor and the Company’s historical settlement activity.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the revenue recognition process, including controls over the VITAS revenue implicit price concessions estimate. These procedures also included, among others, (i) developing an independent estimate of the implicit price concessions by utilizing historical settlement activity; (ii) comparing the independent estimate to management’s estimate; and (iii) evaluating and testing management’s process for developing the estimate related to retroactive adjustments due to audits, reviews or investigations, which included evaluating the reasonableness of the estimate based on existing correspondence from the payor and the Company’s historical settlement activity. Evaluating the reasonableness of the implicit price concessions estimate involved inspecting evidence of correspondence from payors, testing the completeness and accuracy of historical settlement activity on a sample basis, and performing a retrospective review of consideration received subsequent to prior and current year-end to evaluate the reasonableness of the prior and current period estimated implicit price concessions applied by management.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Cincinnati, Ohio

February 26, 2021

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1971.

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39

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except per share data) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For the Years Ended December 31, |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Service revenues and sales (Note 2) | $ | 2,079,583 |  | $ | 1,938,555 |  | $ | 1,782,648
Cost of services provided and goods sold (excluding depreciation) |  | 1,378,197 |  |  | 1,321,126 |  |  | 1,227,644
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | 330,218 |  |  | 305,712 |  |  | 271,209
Depreciation |  | 46,596 |  |  | 40,870 |  |  | 38,464
Amortization |  | 9,987 |  |  | 4,335 |  |  | 399
Other operating (income)/expenses (Note 19) |  | (75,095) |  |  | 9,132 |  |  | 1,300
Total costs and expenses |  | 1,689,903 |  |  | 1,681,175 |  |  | 1,539,016
Income from operations |  | 389,680 |  |  | 257,380 |  |  | 243,632
Interest expense |  | (2,355) |  |  | (4,535) |  |  | (4,990)
Other income--net (Note 10) |  | 8,665 |  |  | 8,764 |  |  | 958
Income before income taxes |  | 395,990 |  |  | 261,609 |  |  | 239,600
Income taxes (Note 11) |  | (76,524) |  |  | (41,686) |  |  | (34,056)
Net Income | $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544
Earnings Per Share (Note 15) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net Income | $ | 20.02 |  | $ | 13.77 |  | $ | 12.80
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 15,955 |  |  | 15,969 |  |  | 16,059
Diluted Earnings Per Share (Note 15) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net Income | $ | 19.48 |  | $ | 13.31 |  | $ | 12.23
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,398 |  |  | 16,527 |  |  | 16,803
The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are integral parts of these statements.

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40

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except shares and per share data) |  |  |  |  |
December 31, |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Assets |  |  |  |  |
Current assets |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents (Note 9) | $ | 162,675 |  | $ | 6,158
Accounts receivable |  | 126,853 |  |  | 143,827
Inventories |  | 7,095 |  |  | 7,462
Prepaid income taxes |  | 6,603 |  |  | 10,074
Prepaid expenses |  | 26,177 |  |  | 23,150
Total current assets |  | 329,403 |  |  | 190,671
Investments of deferred compensation plans held in trust (Notes 14 and 16) |  | 88,811 |  |  | 77,446
Properties and equipment, at cost, less accumulated depreciation (Note 12) |  | 187,820 |  |  | 175,763
Lease right of use asset (Note 13) |  | 123,448 |  |  | 111,652
Identifiable intangible assets less accumulated amortization (Note 6) |  | 118,085 |  |  | 126,370
Goodwill |  | 578,585 |  |  | 577,367
Other assets |  | 8,759 |  |  | 9,048
Total Assets | $ | 1,434,911 |  | $ | 1,268,317
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Current liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable | $ | 54,234 |  | $ | 51,101
Income taxes |  | 9,464 |  |  | 131
Accrued insurance |  | 54,703 |  |  | 50,328
Accrued compensation |  | 91,282 |  |  | 70,814
Accrued legal |  | 10,632 |  |  | 6,941
Short-term lease liability (Note 13) |  | 36,200 |  |  | 39,280
Other current liabilities |  | 42,593 |  |  | 43,625
Total current liabilities |  | 299,108 |  |  | 262,220
Deferred income taxes (Note 11) |  | 20,664 |  |  | 18,504
Long-term debt (Note 3) |  | - |  |  | 90,000
Deferred compensation liabilities (Note 14) |  | 88,456 |  |  | 76,446
Long-term lease liability (Note 13) |  | 99,210 |  |  | 86,656
Other liabilities |  | 26,273 |  |  | 7,883
Total Liabilities |  | 533,711 |  |  | 541,709
Commitments and contingencies (Note 17) |  |  |  |  |
Stockholders' Equity |  |  |  |  |
Capital stock - authorized 80,000,000 shares $1 par; issued 36,258,638 shares |  |  |  |  |
(2019 - 35,810,528 shares) |  | 36,259 |  |  | 35,811
Paid-in capital |  | 961,404 |  |  | 860,671
Retained earnings |  | 1,723,777 |  |  | 1,425,752
Treasury stock - 20,351,562 shares (2019 - 19,867,220 shares), at cost |  | (1,822,579) |  |  | (1,597,940)
Deferred compensation payable in Company stock (Note 14) |  | 2,339 |  |  | 2,314
Total Stockholders' Equity |  | 901,200 |  |  | 726,608
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity | $ | 1,434,911 |  | $ | 1,268,317
The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are integral parts of these statements.

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41

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
For the Years Ended December 31, |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Cash Flows from Operating Activities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operations: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 56,583 |  |  | 45,205 |  |  | 38,863
Stock option expense |  | 18,422 |  |  | 14,831 |  |  | 12,611
Deferred payroll taxes |  | 36,350 |  |  | - |  |  | -
Noncash portion of long-term incentive compensation |  | 7,208 |  |  | 5,740 |  |  | 5,405
Accrued litigation settlement |  | 2,684 |  |  | 6,000 |  |  | -
Provision/(benefit) for deferred income taxes (Note 11) |  | 1,433 |  |  | (2,770) |  |  | 5,187
Noncash directors' compensation |  | 1,171 |  |  | 767 |  |  | 766
Amortization of debt issuance costs |  | 306 |  |  | 306 |  |  | 441
Loss on sale of transportation equipment (Note 19) |  | - |  |  | 2,266 |  |  | -
Amortization of restricted stock awards |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 446
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Decrease/(increase) in accounts receivable |  | 12,773 |  |  | (19,247) |  |  | (5,570)
Decrease/(increase) in inventories |  | 367 |  |  | (1,757) |  |  | (351)
Increase in prepaid expenses |  | (3,027) |  |  | (3,491) |  |  | (2,665)
Increase in accounts payable and other current liabilities |  | 19,096 |  |  | 28,417 |  |  | 8,935
Net change in lease assets and liabilities |  | 1,206 |  |  | 3,108 |  |  | -
Change in current income taxes |  | 13,525 |  |  | 161 |  |  | 18,898
Increase in other assets |  | (11,834) |  |  | (11,963) |  |  | (5,544)
Increase in other liabilities |  | 12,323 |  |  | 12,354 |  |  | 3,451
Other sources |  | 1,237 |  |  | 1,399 |  |  | 721
Net cash provided by operating activities |  | 489,289 |  |  | 301,249 |  |  | 287,138
Cash Flows from Investing Activities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Capital expenditures |  | (58,831) |  |  | (53,022) |  |  | (52,872)
Business combinations, net of cash acquired (Note 7) |  | (3,600) |  |  | (138,010) |  |  | (53,177)
Other sources |  | 871 |  |  | 272 |  |  | 824
Net cash used by investing activities |  | (61,560) |  |  | (190,760) |  |  | (105,225)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments on revolving line of credit |  | (264,900) |  |  | (482,100) |  |  | (406,550)
Proceeds from revolving line of credit |  | 174,900 |  |  | 482,900 |  |  | 469,550
Purchases of treasury stock |  | (175,594) |  |  | (92,631) |  |  | (158,884)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options (Note 4) |  | 50,382 |  |  | 34,380 |  |  | 32,412
Capital stock surrendered to pay taxes on stock-based compensation |  | (25,328) |  |  | (28,474) |  |  | (27,548)
Dividends paid |  | (21,079) |  |  | (19,788) |  |  | (18,662)
Change in cash overdraft payable |  | (9,849) |  |  | (3,927) |  |  | (1,531)
Payments on other long-term debt |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (75,000)
Other sources/(uses) |  | 256 |  |  | 478 |  |  | (1,990)
Net cash used by financing activities |  | (271,212) |  |  | (109,162) |  |  | (188,203)
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |  | 156,517 |  |  | 1,327 |  |  | (6,290)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year |  | 6,158 |  |  | 4,831 |  |  | 11,121
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year | $ | 162,675 |  | $ | 6,158 |  | $ | 4,831
The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are integral parts of these statements.

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42

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES
IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except per share data) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Deferred |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Compensation |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Treasury |  |  | Payable in |  |  |
|  | Capital |  |  | Paid-in |  |  | Retained |  |  | Stock- |  |  | Company |  |  |
|  | Stock |  |  | Capital |  |  | Earnings |  |  | at Cost |  |  | Stock |  |  | Total
Balance at December 31, 2017 |  | 34,732 |  |  | 695,797 |  |  | 1,038,955 |  |  | (1,231,332) |  |  | 2,202 |  |  | 540,354
Net income |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 205,544 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 205,544
Dividends paid ($1.16 per share) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (18,662) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (18,662)
Stock awards and exercise of stock options (Note 4) |  | 579 |  |  | 79,452 |  |  | - |  |  | (55,939) |  |  | - |  |  | 24,092
Purchases of treasury stock (Note 18) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (158,884) |  |  | - |  |  | (158,884)
Other |  | - |  |  | (891) |  |  | (220) |  |  | (141) |  |  | 142 |  |  | (1,110)
Balance at December 31, 2018 |  | 35,311 |  |  | 774,358 |  |  | 1,225,617 |  |  | (1,446,296) |  |  | 2,344 |  |  | 591,334
Net income |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 219,923 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 219,923
Dividends paid ($1.24 per share) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (19,788) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (19,788)
Stock awards and exercise of stock options (Note 4) |  | 500 |  |  | 85,788 |  |  | - |  |  | (59,043) |  |  | - |  |  | 27,245
Purchases of treasury stock (Note 18) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (92,631) |  |  | - |  |  | (92,631)
Other |  | - |  |  | 525 |  |  | - |  |  | 30 |  |  | (30) |  |  | 525
Balance at December 31, 2019 |  | 35,811 |  |  | 860,671 |  |  | 1,425,752 |  |  | (1,597,940) |  |  | 2,314 |  |  | 726,608
Net income |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 319,466 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 319,466
Dividends paid ($1.32 per share) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (21,079) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (21,079)
Stock awards and exercise of stock options (Note 4) |  | 448 |  |  | 100,427 |  |  | - |  |  | (49,020) |  |  | - |  |  | 51,855
Purchases of treasury stock (Note 18) |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (175,594) |  |  | - |  |  | (175,594)
Other |  | - |  |  | 306 |  |  | (362) |  |  | (25) |  |  | 25 |  |  | (56)
Balance at December 31, 2020 | $ | 36,259 |  | $ | 961,404 |  | $ | 1,723,777 |  | $ | (1,822,579) |  | $ | 2,339 |  | $ | 901,200
The Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are integral parts of these statements.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

NATURE OF OPERATIONS

We operate through our two wholly-owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare Corporation (“VITAS”) and Roto-Rooter Group, Inc. (“Roto-Rooter”). VITAS focuses on hospice care that helps make terminally ill patients' final days as comfortable as possible. Through its team of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers, VITAS provides direct medical services to patients, as well as spiritual and emotional counseling to both patients and their families. Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services to both residential and commercial customers. Through its network of company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees, Roto-Rooter offers plumbing, drain cleaning service and water restoration to approximately 90% of the U.S. population.

PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going-concern basis. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Chemed Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. We have analyzed the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) authoritative guidance on the consolidation of variable interest entities relative to our contractual relationships with Roto-Rooter’s independent contractors and franchisees. The guidance requires the primary beneficiary of a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”) to consolidate the accounts of the VIE. We have concluded that neither the independent contractors nor the franchisees are VIEs.

CURRENT EXPECTED CREDIT LOSSES

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments, Credit Losses. The ASU introduces the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) methodology. The CECL methodology utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the recognition of credit losses for financial assets at the time the asset is originated or acquired. This generally results in earlier recognition of credit losses and greater transparency about credit risk. The Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2016-13 on January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method. The provisions of ASU No. 2016-13 did not significantly impact the method or timing that the Company recognizes expected credit losses and the cumulative effect of adoption was immaterial.

The Company’s only material financial asset subject to ASU No. 2016-13 is accounts receivable, trade and other. The Company recognizes an allowance for credit losses related to accounts receivable to present the net amount expected to be collected as of the balance sheet date. Accounts receivable are written-off when it is determined that the amount is deemed uncollectible. The following presents a detailed discussion of the operating subsidiaries’ accounts receivable and their evaluation of credit risk related to those accounts:

Roto-Rooter’s trade accounts receivable are comprised mainly of amounts due from commercial entities and commercial insurance carriers. Roto-Rooter’s accounts receivable are generally outstanding for 90 days or less and there are no significant amounts outstanding greater than one year. Roto-Rooter historically has not experienced significant write-offs due to credit losses. For amounts due from commercial entities, Roto-Rooter utilizes a provision matrix based on historical credit losses by aging category. For amounts due from commercial insurance carriers, mainly from water restoration revenue, Roto-Rooter periodically reviews published default tables related to commercial insurance carriers and provides an allowance. As further discussed below, Roto-Rooter assesses on a quarterly basis whether the historical rates used are expected to be representative of credit risk over the life of the account taking into consideration existing economic conditions.

In excess of 90% of VITAS’ accounts receivable are from the Federal or state governments under Medicare and Medicaid. VITAS believes that it is reasonable to expect that the risk of non-payment as a result of credit issues from these government entities is zero. As such, there is no allowance for credit losses established related to these accounts. The remainder of VITAS’ accounts are from commercial insurance carriers. VITAS’ accounts are generally outstanding for 90 days or less and there are no significant amounts outstanding greater than one year. VITAS historically has not experienced significant write-offs due to credit losses. VITAS periodically reviews published default tables related to commercial insurance carriers and provides an allowance. VITAS assesses on a quarterly basis whether these default rates are expected to be representative of credit risk over the life of the account taking into consideration existing economic conditions.

As further discussed in Note 3, Chemed has $37.9 million in standby letters of credit outstanding. These letters of credit are with large, highly rated financial institutions. The Company periodically reviews published default tables related to these institutions to assess the need for an allowance. Chemed believes that any expected credit loss related to outstanding letters of credit based on current economic conditions is not material.

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In conjunction with its year end December 31, 2020 closing process, subsequent to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-13, Roto-Rooter re-assessed its expected credit losses as a result of COVID-19. In addition to the historical provision matrix described above, and in conjunction with the quarterly assessment of current economic conditions and published default rates to evaluate credit risk over the life of the account, Roto-Rooter analyzed the industries from which the accounts receivable originated. Using available information and judgment, additional expected credit losses were recorded for industries deemed higher risk during the economic shut down, such as restaurants, hotels and bars. The additional charge taken for the year ended December 31, 2020 related to expected credit losses from COVID-19 issues was $657,000. The full economic impact as a result of COVID-19 and the related business shut-downs will not be known for some period of time. The amount recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020 represents management’s current best estimate.

|  |  |  |  | ADDITIONS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | (CHARGED) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | CREDITED |  |  | (CHARGED) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  | TO COSTS |  |  | CREDITED |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | BALANCE AT |  |  | AND |  |  | TO OTHER |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | BALANCE AT
DESCRIPTION |  | 1/1/2020 |  |  | EXPENSES |  |  | ACCOUNTS |  |  | DEDUCTIONS |  |  | OTHER |  |  | 12/31/2020
December 31, 2020 | $ | (353) |  | $ | (657) |  | $ | (475) |  | $ | 488 |  | $ | (25) |  | $ | (1,022)

CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS (CARES) ACT

The current COVID-19 pandemic had a material impact on our results of operations, cash flow and financial position as of December 31, 2020. We are closely monitoring the impact of the pandemic on all aspects of our business including impacts to employees, customers, patients, suppliers and vendors. The Company’s two operating subsidiaries have been categorized as critical infrastructure businesses and are not currently materially limited by federal, state or local regulations that restrict movement or operating ability.

The length and severity of the pandemic, coupled with related governmental actions including relief acts and actions relating to our workforce at federal, state and local levels, and underlying economic disruption will determine the ultimate short-term and long-term impact to our business operations and financial results. To date, we have seen shifts in demand and mix of services, changes in referral patterns, and an increase in usage and reliance on our technology infrastructure, among other changes. We are unable to predict the myriad of possible issues that could arise or the ultimate effect to our businesses as a result of the unknown short, medium and long-term impacts that the pandemic will have on the United States economy and society as a whole.

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was passed. It is intended to provide economic relief to individuals and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It also contains provisions related to healthcare providers’ operations and the issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The following are significant economic impacts for Chemed and its subsidiaries as a result of specific provisions of the CARES Act:

A portion of the CARES Act provides $100 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (“Relief Fund”) to healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. Of this distribution, $30 billion was designated to be automatically distributed to facilities and healthcare providers based upon their 2019 Medicare fee-for-service revenue.

On April 10, 2020 VITAS received $80.2 million from the Relief Fund based upon VITAS’s 2019 Medicare fee-for-service revenue. The main condition that is attached to the grant is that the money will be used “only for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus”. HHS guidance does not specifically designate what healthcare expenses are related to COVID-19. The guidance to date is general and broad but does provide some examples such as equipment and supplies, workforce training, reporting COVID-19 test results, securing separate facilities for COVID-19 patients and acquiring additional resources to expand or preserve care delivery. VITAS has cared for approximately 5,700 COVID positive patients through December 31, 2020.

The additional conditions to the Relief Fund payment are specific in nature, such as the money cannot be used for gun control advocacy purposes, abortions, embryo research, etc. The Company is in compliance, and intends to maintain compliance, with these specific conditions. Based on this analysis, management believes that there is reasonable assurance that VITAS will comply with the conditions.

Chemed and its subsidiaries have deferred $36.4 million of certain employer payroll taxes as permitted by the CARES Act. $18.2 million is classified as a short-term liability and $18.2 million is classified as a long-term liability.

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During the period from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the 2% Medicare sequestration reimbursement cut is suspended. For the year ended December 31, 2020 approximately $16.8 million was recognized as revenue due to the suspension of sequestration.

On December 27, 2020, a second COVID-19 relief bill was signed into law. Among other things, this bill extended the suspension of the 2% sequestration cut through March 31, 2021.

There is no U.S. GAAP that covers accounting for such government “grants” to for-profit entities. As a result, the Company analogized to International Accounting Standard 20 – Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosures (“IAS 20”). Under IAS 20, once it is reasonably assured that the entity will comply with the conditions of the grant, the grant money should be recognized on a systematic basis over the periods in which the entity recognizes the related expenses or losses.

The components of the amount recognized are as follows, (in thousands):

Lost revenue | $ | 44,784
Incremental PTO |  | 21,425
Hard costs |  | 14,016
Other operating income | $ | 80,225

Hard costs are primarily expenses paid to outside vendors for personal protection equipment, COVID testing for front line workers, and deep cleaning of in-patient facilities. In April, VITAS provided an extra two weeks of paid time off (“PTO”) to all frontline workers.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, VITAS recognized $44.8 million for estimated lost revenue as a result of the pandemic. The December 27, 2020 COVID-19 relief bill gave providers multiple options to calculate lost revenue including budget to actual comparisons, 2019 actual to 2020 actual comparisons, or other systematic methods of calculation. We calculated lost revenue using the budget to actual method. Our 2020 budget was compiled, reviewed and approved prior to the start of the pandemic. Lost revenues for 2020 based on our calculation was $61.4 million, however only $44.8 million was recognized for use under the grant received.

All CARES Act funds received have been fully recognized as of December 31, 2020. However, the rules concerning utilization of the funds continue to evolve and we will continue to comply with those applicable to us, subsequent to year end.

CASH EQUIVALENTS

Cash equivalents comprise short-term, highly liquid investments, including money market funds that have original maturities of three months or less.

CONCENTRATION OF RISK

As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, approximately 74% and 71%, respectively, of VITAS’ total accounts receivable balance were from Medicare and 20% and 26%, respectively, of VITAS’ total accounts receivable balance were due from various state Medicaid or managed Medicaid programs. Combined accounts receivable from Medicare, Medicaid, and managed Medicaid represent approximately 80% of the consolidated net accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020.

VITAS has a pharmacy services contract with one service provider for specified pharmacy services related to its hospice operations. A large majority of VITAS’ pharmaceutical purchases are from this vendor. The pharmaceuticals purchased by VITAS are available through many providers in the United States. However, a disruption from VITAS’ main service provider could adversely impact VITAS’ operations, including temporary logistical challenges and increased cost associated with getting medication to our patients.

INVENTORIES

Substantially all of the inventories are either general merchandise or finished goods. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. For determining the value of inventories, cost methods that reasonably approximate the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method are used.

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DEPRECIATION AND PROPERTIES AND EQUIPMENT

Depreciation of properties and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the remaining lease terms (excluding option terms) or their useful lives. Expenditures for maintenance, repairs, renewals and betterments that do not materially prolong the useful lives of the assets are expensed as incurred. The cost of property retired or sold and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and the resulting gain or loss is reflected currently in other operating expense or other income, net.

Expenditures for major software purchases and software developed for internal use are capitalized and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. For software developed for internal use, external direct costs for materials and services and certain internal payroll and related fringe benefit costs are capitalized in accordance with the FASB’s authoritative guidance on accounting for the costs of computer software developed or obtained for internal use.

The weighted average lives of our property and equipment at December 31, 2020, were:

Buildings and building improvements | 14.9 | yrs.
Transportation equipment | 9.6 |
Machinery and equipment | 5.0 |
Computer software | 4.1 |
Furniture and fixtures | 4.6 |

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The table below shows a rollforward of Goodwill (in thousands):

|  |  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |
|  | Vitas |  | Rooter |  | Total
Balance at December 31, 2018 |  | $ | 333,331 |  | $ | 177,239 |  | $ | 510,570
Business combinations |  |  | - |  |  | 66,726 |  |  | 66,726
Foreign currency adjustments |  |  | - |  |  | 71 |  |  | 71
Balance at December 31, 2019 |  | $ | 333,331 |  | $ | 244,036 |  | $ | 577,367
Business combinations |  |  | - |  |  | 1,193 |  |  | 1,193
Foreign currency adjustments |  |  | - |  |  | 25 |  |  | 25
Balance at December 31, 2020 |  | $ | 333,331 |  | $ | 245,254 |  | $ | 578,585

Identifiable, definite-lived intangible assets arise from purchase business combinations and are amortized using either an accelerated method or the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The selection of an amortization method is based on which method best reflects the economic pattern of usage of the asset. Reacquired franchise rights are amortized over the remaining term of the franchise agreement at the time of acquisition. The weighted average lives of our identifiable, definite-lived intangible assets at December 31, 2020, were:

Covenants not to compete | 6.5 | yrs.
Reacquired franchise rights | 7.4 |
Referral networks | 10.0 |
Customer lists | 16.8 |

The date of our annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment analysis is October 1. The VITAS trade name is considered to have an indefinite life. We also capitalize the direct costs of obtaining licenses to operate either hospice programs or plumbing operations subject to a minimum capitalization threshold. These costs are amortized over the life of the license using the straight-line method. Certificates of Need (“CON”), which are required in certain states for hospice operations, are generally granted without expiration and thus, we believe them to be indefinite-lived assets subject to impairment testing.

We consider that Roto-Rooter Corp. (“RRC”), Roto-Rooter Services Co. (“RRSC”) and VITAS are appropriate reporting units for testing goodwill impairment. We consider RRC and RRSC separate reporting units but one operating segment. This is appropriate as they each have their own set of general ledger accounts that can be analyzed at “one level below an operating segment” per the definition of a reporting unit in FASB guidance.

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We completed our qualitative analysis for impairment of goodwill and our indefinite-lived intangible assets as of October 1, 2020. Based on our assessment, we do not believe that it is more likely than not that our reporting units or indefinite-lived assets fair values are less than their carrying values.

LONG-LIVED ASSETS

If we believe a triggering event may have occurred that indicates a possible impairment of our long-lived assets, we perform an estimate and valuation of the future benefits of our long-lived assets (other than goodwill, the VITAS trade name and capitalized CON costs) based on key financial indicators. If the projected undiscounted cash flows of a major business unit indicate that properties and equipment or identifiable, definite-lived intangible assets have been impaired, a write-down to fair value is made.

LEASE ACCOUNTING

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2016-02 Leases” which introduced a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheet and updates lessor accounting to align with changes in the lessee model and the revenue recognition standard. This standard is also referred to as Accountings Standards Codification No.842 (“ASC 842”). We adopted ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019, using the optional transition method requiring leases existing at, or entered into January 1, 2019 to be recognized and measured. The transition method selected does not require adjustments to prior period amounts, which continue to be reflected in accordance with historical accounting. In addition, we elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical lease classification.

Chemed and each of its operating subsidiaries are service companies. As such, real estate leases comprise the largest lease obligation (and conversely, right of use asset) in our lease portfolio. VITAS has leased office space, as well as space for inpatient units (“IPUs”) and/or contract beds within hospitals. Roto-Rooter mainly has leased office space.

Roto-Rooter purchases equipment and leases it to certain of its independent contractors. We analyzed these leases in accordance with ASC 842 and determined they are operating leases. As a result, Roto-Rooter will continue to capitalize the equipment underlying these leases, depreciate the equipment and recognize rental income.

Adoption of the new standard resulted in right of use assets and lease liabilities of $93.1 million and $104.3 million, respectively, as January 1, 2019. In determining the liability, we used our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the time of adoption, since the rate implicit in the leases cannot be readily determined. At January 1, 2019, the weighted average rate was 3.47%. The standard did not materially impact our consolidated net income or cash flows. We did not book a cumulative effect adjustment upon adoption of the standard.

CLOUD COMPUTING

On January 1, 2019, we early adopted ASU No. 2018-15, “Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract”. This ASU aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal use software. We adopted the ASU on a prospective basis.

As of December 31, 2020, we have two cloud computing arrangements that are service contracts. We have capitalized approximately $9.3 million related to implementation of these projects which are included in prepaid assets in the accompanying balance sheets. A VITAS human resource system was placed into service in January 2020 and is being amortized over 5 years. For the year ended December 31, 2020, $1.1 million has been amortized. There has been no other amortization expense associated with the second project, as the software has not yet been placed in service. We anticipate amortizing the assets over the original term of the arrangements plus renewal options that are reasonably certain of being exercised.

OTHER ASSETS

Debt issuance costs are included in other assets. Issuance costs related to revolving credit agreements are amortized using the straight-line method, over the life of the agreement. All other issuance costs are amortized using the effective interest method over the life of the debt. There are no amounts included in other assets that individually exceed 5% of total assets.

SALES TAX

The Roto-Rooter segment collects sales tax from customers when required by state and federal laws. We record the amount of sales tax collected net in the accompanying consolidated statements of income.

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OPERATING EXPENSES

Cost of services provided and goods sold (excluding depreciation) includes salaries, wages and benefits of service providers and field personnel, material costs, medical supplies and equipment, pharmaceuticals, insurance costs, service vehicle costs and other expenses directly related to providing service revenues or generating sales. Selling, general and administrative expenses include salaries, wages, stock-based compensation expense and benefits of selling, marketing and administrative employees, advertising expenses, communications and branch telephone expenses, office rent and operating costs, legal, banking and professional fees and other administrative costs. The cost associated with VITAS sales personnel is included in cost of services provided and goods sold (excluding depreciation).

ADVERTISING

We expense the production costs of advertising the first time the advertising takes place. We pay for and expense the cost of internet advertising and placement on a “per click” basis. Similarly, the majority of our telephone directory listings and certain types of internet advertising are paid for and expensed on a “cost per call” basis. For those directories that are not on this billing basis, the cost of the directory is expensed when the directories are placed in circulation. Advertising expense for the year ended December 31, 2020, was $54.4 million (2019 – $49.5 million; 2018 - $47.0 million).

OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

There are no amounts included in other current liabilities that individually exceed 5% of total current liabilities, with the exception of the Medicare cap liability, which is discussed further in Note 2.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award and recognized as expense over the employee’s requisite service period on a straight-line basis.

NON-EMPLOYEE STOCK COMPENSATION

In June 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2018-07 – Compensation – Stock Compensation”. The ASU expands the scope of current guidance to include all share-based payment arrangements related to the acquisition of goods and services from both non-employees and employees. The guidance in the ASU is effective for the Company in all fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Adoption of this standard had no material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

I NSURANCE ACCRUALS

For our Roto-Rooter segment and Corporate Office, we initially self-insure for all casualty insurance claims (workers’ compensation, auto liability and general liability). As a result, we closely monitor and frequently evaluate our historical claims experience to estimate the appropriate level of accrual for self-insured claims. Our third-party administrator (“TPA”) processes and reviews claims on a monthly basis. Currently, our exposure on any single claim is capped by stop-loss coverage at $750,000. In developing our estimates, we accumulate historical claims data for the previous 10 years to calculate loss development factors (“LDF”) by insurance coverage type. LDFs are applied to known claims to estimate the ultimate potential liability for known and unknown claims for each open policy year. LDFs are updated annually. Because this methodology relies heavily on historical claims data, the key risk is whether the historical claims are an accurate predictor of future claims exposure. The risk also exists that certain claims have been incurred and not reported on a timely basis. To mitigate these risks, in conjunction with our TPA, we closely monitor claims to ensure timely accumulation of data and compare claims trends with the industry experience of our TPA.

For the VITAS segment, we initially self-insure for workers’ compensation claims. Currently, VITAS’ exposure on any single claim is capped by stop-loss coverage at $1,000,000. For VITAS’ self-insurance accruals for workers’ compensation, the valuation methods used are similar to those used internally for our other business units. We are also insured for other risks with respect to professional liability with a deductible of $750,000.

Our casualty insurance liabilities are recorded gross before any estimated recovery for amounts exceeding our stop loss limits. Estimated recoveries from insurance carriers are recorded as accounts receivable. Claims experience adjustments to our casualty and workers’ compensation accrual for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, were net pretax credits of ($4,578,000), ($1,664,000), and ($3,437,000) respectively.

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INCOME TAXES

Deferred taxes are provided on an asset and liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss carryforwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amount of assets and liabilities and their tax basis. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in our opinion, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized due to insufficient taxable income within the carryback or carryforward period available under the tax laws. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in law and rates on the date of enactment.

We are subject to income taxes in Canada, U.S. federal and most state jurisdictions. Judgement is required to determine our provision for income taxes. Our financial statements reflect expected future tax consequences of such uncertain positions assuming the taxing authorities’ full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts.

Our effective income tax rate was 19.3%, 15.9% and 14.2% for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively. Excess tax benefit on stock options reduced our income tax expenses by $26.1 million, $24.2 million, and $22.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

CONTINGENCIES

As discussed in Note 17, we are subject to various lawsuits and claims in the normal course of our business. In addition, we periodically receive communications from governmental and regulatory agencies concerning compliance with Medicare and Medicaid billing requirements at our VITAS subsidiary. We establish reserves for specific, uninsured liabilities in connection with regulatory and legal action that we deem to be probable and reasonably estimable. We record legal fees associated with legal and regulatory actions as the costs are incurred. We disclose material loss contingencies that are probable but not reasonably estimable and those that are at least reasonably possible.

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

We account for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition. The determination of fair value involves estimates and the use of valuation techniques when market value is not readily available. We use various techniques to determine fair value in accordance with accepted valuation models, primarily the income approach. The significant assumptions used in developing fair values include, but are not limited to, revenue growth rates, the amount and timing of future cash flows, discount rates, useful lives, royalty rates and future tax rates. The excess of purchase price over the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired is recorded as goodwill. See Note 7 for discussion of recent acquisitions.

ESTIMATES

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

2. Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The standard and subsequent amendments are theoretically intended to develop a common revenue standard for removing inconsistencies and weaknesses, improve comparability, provide for more useful information to users through improved disclosure requirements and simplify the preparation of financial statements. The standard is also referred to as Accounting Standards Codification No. 606 (“ASC 606”). We adopted ASC 606 effective January 1, 2018. The required disclosures of ASC 606 and impact of adoption are discussed below for each of our operating subsidiaries.

VITAS

Service revenue for VITAS is reported at the amount that reflects the ultimate consideration we expect to receive in exchange for providing patient care. These amounts are due from third-party payors, primarily commercial health insurers and government programs (Medicare and Medicaid), and includes variable consideration for revenue adjustments due to settlements of audits and reviews, as well as certain hospice-specific revenue capitations. Amounts are generally billed monthly or subsequent to patient discharge. Subsequent changes in the transaction price initially recognized are not significant.

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Hospice services are provided on a daily basis and the type of service provided is determined based on a physician’s determination of each patient’s specific needs on that given day. Reimbursement rates for hospice services are on a per diem basis regardless of the type of service provided or the payor. Reimbursement rates from government programs are established by the appropriate governmental agency and are standard across all hospice providers. Reimbursement rates from health insurers are negotiated with each payor and generally structured to closely mirror the Medicare reimbursement model. The types of hospice services provided and associated reimbursement model for each are as follows:

Routine Home Care occurs when a patient receives hospice care in their home, including a nursing home setting. The routine home care rate is paid for each day that a patient is in a hospice program and is not receiving one of the other categories of hospice care. For Medicare patients, the routine home care rate reflects a two-tiered rate, with a higher rate for the first 60 days of a hospice patient’s care and a lower rate for days 61 and after. In addition, there is a Service Intensity Add-on payment which covers direct home care visits conducted by a registered nurse or social worker in the last seven day s of a hospice patient’s life, reimbursed up to 4 hours per day in 15 minute increments at the continuous home care rate.

General Inpatient Care occurs when a patient requires services in a controlled setting for a short period of time for pain control or symptom management which cannot be managed in other settings. General inpatient care services must be provided in a Medicare or Medicaid certified hospital or long-term care facility or at a freestanding inpatient hospice facility with the required registered nurse staffing.

Continuous Home Care is provided to patients while at home, including a nursing home setting, during periods of crisis when intensive monitoring and care, primarily nursing care, is required in order to achieve palliation or management of acute medical symptoms. Continuous home care requires a minimum of 8 hours of care within a 24 hour day, which begins at midnight. The care must be predominantly nursing care provided by either a registered nurse or licensed nurse practitioner. While the published Medicare continuous home care rates are daily rates, Medicare pays for continuous home care in 15 minute increments. This 15 minute rate is calculated by dividing the daily rate by 96.

Respite Care permits a hospice patient to receive services on an inpatient basis for a short period of time in order to provide relief for the patient’s family or other caregivers from the demands of caring for the patient. A hospice can receive payment for respite care for a given patient for up to five consecutive days at a time, after which respite care is reimbursed at the routine home care rate.

Each level of care represents a separate promise under the contract of care and is provided independently for each patient contingent upon the patient’s specific medical needs as determined by a physician. However, the clinical criteria used to determine a patient’s level of care is consistent across all patients, given that, each patient is subject to the same payor rules and regulations. As a result, we have concluded that each level of care is capable of being distinct and is distinct in the context of the contract. Furthermore, we have determined that each level of care represents a stand ready service provided as a series of either days or hours of patient care. We believe that the performance obligations for each level of care meet criteria to be satisfied over time. VITAS recognizes revenue based on the service output. VITAS believes this to be the most faithful depiction of the transfer of control of services as the patient simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by our performance. Revenue is recognized on a daily or hourly basis for each patient in accordance with the reimbursement model for each type of service. VITAS’ performance obligations relate to contracts with an expected duration of less than one year. Therefore, VITAS has elected to apply the optional exception provided in ASC 606 and is not required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. The unsatisfied or partially satisfied performance obligations referred to above relate to bereavement services provided to patients’ families for at least 12 months after discharge.

Care is provided to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Patients who meet our criteria for charity care are provided care without charge. There is no revenue or associated accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated financial statements related to charity care. The cost of providing charity care during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, was $8.1 million, $9.0 million and $8.2 million, respectively and is included in cost of services provided and goods sold. The cost of charity care is calculated by taking the ratio of charity care days to total days of care and multiplying by total cost of care.

Generally, patients who are covered by third-party payors are responsible for related deductibles and coinsurance which vary in amount. VITAS also provides service to patients without a reimbursement source and may offer those patients discounts from standard charges. VITAS estimates the transaction price for patients with deductibles and coinsurance, along with those uninsured patients, based on historical experience and current conditions. The estimate of any contractual adjustments, discounts or implicit price concessions reduces the amount of revenue initially recognized. Subsequent changes to the estimate of the transaction price are recorded as adjustments to patient service revenue in the period of change. Subsequent changes that are determined to be the result of an adverse change in the patients’ ability to pay (i.e. change in credit risk) are recorded as bad debt expense. VITAS has no material adjustments related to subsequent changes in the estimate of the transaction price or subsequent changes as the result of an adverse change in the patient’s ability to pay for any period reported.

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Laws and regulations concerning government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, are complex and subject to varying interpretation. Compliance with such laws and regulations may be subject to future government review and interpretation. Additionally, the contracts we have with commercial health insurance payors provide for retroactive audit and review of claims. Settlement with third party payors for retroactive adjustments due to audits, reviews or investigations are considered variable consideration and are included in the determination of the estimated transaction price for providing patient care. The variable consideration is estimated based on the terms of the payment agreement, existing correspondence from the payor and our historical settlement activity. These estimates are adjusted in future periods, as new information becomes available.

We are subject to certain limitations on Medicare payments for services which are considered variable consideration, as follows:

Inpatient Cap. If the number of inpatient care days any hospice program provides to Medicare beneficiaries exceeds 20% of the total days of hospice care such program provided to all Medicare patients for an annual period beginning September 28, the days in excess of the 20% figure may be reimbursed only at the routine homecare rate. None of VITAS’ hospice programs exceeded the payment limits on inpatient services during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Medicare Cap. We are also subject to a Medicare annual per-beneficiary cap (“Medicare cap”). Compliance with the Medicare cap is measured in one of two ways based on a provider election. The “streamlined” method compares total Medicare payments received under a Medicare provider number with respect to services provided to all Medicare hospice care beneficiaries in the program or programs covered by that Medicare provider number with the product of the per-beneficiary cap amount and the number of Medicare beneficiaries electing hospice care for the first time from that hospice program or programs from September 28 through September 27 of the following year. At December 31, 2020, all our programs except one are using the “streamlined” method.

The “proportional” method compares the total Medicare payments received under a Medicare provider number with respect to services provided to all Medicare hospice care beneficiaries in the program or programs covered by the Medicare provider number between September 28 and September 27 of the following year with the product of the per beneficiary cap amount and a pro-rated number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hospice services from that program during the same period. The pro-rated number of Medicare beneficiaries is calculated based on the ratio of days the beneficiary received hospice services during the measurement period to the total number of days the beneficiary received hospice services.

We actively monitor each of our hospice programs, by provider number, as to their specific admission, discharge rate and median length of stay data in an attempt to determine whether revenues are likely to exceed the annual per-beneficiary Medicare cap. Should we determine that revenues for a program are likely to exceed the Medicare cap based on projected trends, we attempt to institute corrective actions, which include changes to the patient mix and increased patient admissions. However, should we project our corrective action will not prevent that program from exceeding its Medicare cap, we estimate revenue recognized during the government fiscal year that will require repayment to the Federal government under the Medicare cap and record an adjustment to revenue of an amount equal to a ratable portion of our best estimate for the year.

In 2013, the U.S. government implemented automatic budget reductions of 2.0% for all government payees, including hospice benefits paid under the Medicare program. In 2015, CMS determined that the Medicare cap should be calculated “as if” sequestration did not occur. As a result of this decision, VITAS has received notification from our third-party intermediary that an additional $8.7 million is owed for Medicare cap in three programs arising during the 2013 through 2020 measurement periods. The amounts are automatically deducted from our semi-monthly periodic interim payments (“PIP”). We do not believe that CMS is authorized under the sequestration authority or the statutory methodology for establishing the Medicare cap to the amounts they have withheld and intend to withhold under their current “as if” methodology. We have appealed CMS’s methodology change.

During the year ended December 31, 2020 we recorded $6.7 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to four programs’ projected 2020 measurement period liability.

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we recorded $12.4 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to four programs’ projected 2020 measurement period liability and four programs’ 2019 measurement period liability.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recorded $4.1 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to two programs’ 2018 measurement period liability and two programs’ 2019 measurement period liability.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Medicare cap liability included in other current liabilities on the accompanying balance sheets was $15.1 million and $16.3 million, respectively.

For VITAS’ patients in the nursing home setting in which Medicaid pays the nursing home room and board, VITAS serves as a pass-through between Medicaid and the nursing home. We are responsible for paying the nursing home for that patient’s room and

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board. Medicaid reimburses us for 95% of the amount we have paid. This results in a 5% net expense for VITAS related to nursing home room and board. This transaction creates a performance obligation in that VITAS is facilitating room and board being delivered to our patient. As a result, the 5% net expense is recognized as a contra-revenue account under ASC 606 in the accompanying financial statements.

The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2020 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 1,033,487 |  | $ | 48,813 |  | $ | 24,058 |  | $ | 1,106,358
Continuous care |  | 123,696 |  |  | 6,344 |  |  | 5,971 |  |  | 136,011
Inpatient care |  | 100,259 |  |  | 9,646 |  |  | 5,051 |  |  | 114,956
| $ | 1,257,442 |  | $ | 64,803 |  | $ | 35,080 |  | $ | 1,357,325
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,164
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,368,489
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6,678)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (14,970)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (12,174)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,334,667

The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2019 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 1,003,308 |  | $ | 48,420 |  | $ | 24,297 |  | $ | 1,076,025
Continuous care |  | 121,019 |  |  | 6,712 |  |  | 5,742 |  |  | 133,473
Inpatient care |  | 84,752 |  |  | 9,102 |  |  | 6,066 |  |  | 99,920
| $ | 1,209,079 |  | $ | 64,234 |  | $ | 36,105 |  | $ | 1,309,418
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,433
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,319,851
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (12,415)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (14,893)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,359)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,281,184

The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2018 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 939,951 |  | $ | 47,609 |  | $ | 22,958 |  | $ | 1,010,518
Continuous care |  | 110,596 |  |  | 6,126 |  |  | 5,776 |  |  | 122,498
Inpatient care |  | 69,354 |  |  | 8,156 |  |  | 5,167 |  |  | 82,677
| $ | 1,119,901 |  | $ | 61,891 |  | $ | 33,901 |  | $ | 1,215,693
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,831
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,223,524
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (4,123)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,785)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (10,054)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,197,562

Roto-Rooter

Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning, water restoration and other related services to both residential and commercial customers primarily in the United States. Services are provided through a network of company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees. Service revenue for Roto-Rooter is reported at the amount that reflects the ultimate consideration we expect to receive in exchange for providing services.

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Roto-Rooter owns and operates branches focusing mainly on large population centers in the United States. Roto-Rooter’s primary lines of business in company-owned branches consist of plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning, excavation and water restoration. For purposes of ASC 606 analysis, plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning, and excavation have been combined into one portfolio and are referred to as “short-term core services”. Water restoration is analyzed as a separate portfolio. The following describes the key characteristics of these portfolios:

Short-term Core Services are plumbing, drain and sewer cleaning and excavation services. These services are provided to both commercial and residential customers. The duration of services provided in this category range from a few hours to a few days. There are no significant warranty costs or on-going obligations to the customer once a service has been completed. For residential customers, payment is usually received at the time of job completion before the Roto-Rooter technician leaves the residence. Commercial customers may be granted credit subject to internally designated authority limits and credit check guidelines. If credit is granted, payment terms are generally 30 days or less.

Each job in this category is a distinct service with a distinct performance obligation to the customer. Revenue is recognized at the completion of each job. Variable consideration consists of pre-invoice discounts and post-invoice discounts. Pre-invoice discounts are given in the form of coupons or price concessions. Post-invoice discounts consist of credit memos generally granted to resolve customer service issues. Variable consideration is estimated based on historical activity and recorded at the time service is completed.

Water Restoration Services involve the remediation of water and humidity after a flood. These services are provided to both commercial and residential customers. The duration of services provided in this category generally ranges from 3 to 5 days. There are no significant warranties or on-going obligations to the customer once service has been completed. The majority of these services are paid in part by the customer’s insurance company. Variable consideration relates primarily to allowances taken by insurance companies upon payment. Variable consideration is estimated based on historical activity and recorded at the time service is completed.

For both short-term core services and water restoration services, Roto-Rooter satisfies its performance obligation at a point in time. The services provided generally involve fixing plumbing, drainage or flood-related issues at the customer’s property. At the time service is complete, the customer acknowledges its obligation to pay for service and its satisfaction with the service performed. This provides evidence that the customer has accepted the service and Roto-Rooter is now entitled to payment. As such, Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue for these services upon completion of the job and receipt of customer acknowledgement. Roto-Rooter’s performance obligations for short-term core services and water restoration services relate to contracts with an expected duration of less than a year. Therefore, Roto-Rooter has elected to apply the optional exception provided in ASC 606 and is not required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. Roto-Rooter does not have significant unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations at the time of initial revenue recognition for short-term core or water restoration services.

Roto-Rooter owns the rights to certain territories and contracts with independent third-parties to operate the territory under Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The contract is for a specified term but cancellable by either party without penalty with 90 days advance notice. Under the terms of these arrangements, Roto-Rooter provides certain back office support and advertising along with a limited license to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The independent contractor is responsible for all day-to-day management of the business including staffing decisions and pricing of services provided. All performance obligations of Roto-Rooter cease at the termination of the arrangement.

Independent contractors pay Roto-Rooter a standard fee calculated as a percentage of their cash collection from weekly sales. The primary value for the independent contractors under these arrangements is the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue from independent contractors over-time (weekly) as the independent contractor’s labor sales are completed and payment from customers are received. Payment from independent contractors is also received on a weekly basis. The use of Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks and advertising provides immediate value to the independent contractor as a result of Roto-Rooter’s nationally recognized brand. Therefore, over-time recognition provides the most faithful depiction of the transfer of services as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided. There is no significant variable consideration related to these arrangements.

Roto-Rooter has licensed the rights to operate under Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks in other territories to franchisees. The contract is for a 10 year term but cancellable by Roto-Rooter for cause with 60 day advance notice without penalty. The franchisee may cancel the contract for any reason with 60 days advance notice without penalty. Under the terms of the contract, Roto-Rooter provides national advertising and consultation on various aspects of operating a Roto-Rooter business along with the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The franchisee is responsible for all day- to-day management of the business including staffing

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decisions, pricing of services provided and local advertising spend and placement. All performance obligations of Roto-Rooter cease at the termination of the arrangement.

Franchisees pay Roto-Rooter a standard monthly fee based on the population within the franchise territory. The standard fee is revised on a yearly basis based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The primary value for the franchisees under this arrangement is the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks for plumbing, drain care cleaning and water restoration services. Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue from franchisees over-time (monthly). Payment from franchisees is also received on a monthly basis. The use of Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks and advertising provides immediate value to the franchisees as a result of Roto-Rooter’s nationally recognized brand. Therefore, over-time recognition provides the most faithful depiction of the transfer of services as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided. There is no significant variable consideration related to these arrangements.

The composition of disaggregated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 is as follows (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Short-term core service jobs | $ | 552,500 |  | $ | 482,625 |  | $ | 425,845
Water restoration |  | 126,378 |  |  | 115,949 |  |  | 109,484
Contractor revenue |  | 64,727 |  |  | 58,086 |  |  | 50,169
Franchise fees |  | 4,893 |  |  | 6,152 |  |  | 6,382
All other |  | 13,537 |  |  | 12,279 |  |  | 11,958
Subtotal | $ | 762,035 |  | $ | 675,091 |  | $ | 603,838
Implicit price concessions and credit memos |  | (17,119) |  |  | (17,720) |  |  | (18,752)
Net revenue | $ | 744,916 |  | $ | 657,371 |  | $ | 585,086

3. Long-Term Debt and Lines of Credit

On June 20, 2018, we replaced our existing credit agreement with the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (“2018 Credit Agreement”). Terms of the 2018 Credit Agreement consist of a five year, $450 million revolving credit facility and a $150 million expansion feature, which may consist of term loans or additional revolving commitments. The 2018 Credit Agreement has a floating interest rate that is generally LIBOR plus a tiered additional rate which varies based on our current leverage ratio. For December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, the interest rate is LIBOR plus 100 basis points. The 2018 Credit Agreement includes transition provisions in the instance LIBOR is no longer published or used as an industry-accepted rate.

Debt issuance costs associated with the prior credit agreement were not written off as the lenders and their relative percentage participation in the facility did not change. With respect to the 2018 Credit Agreement, deferred financing costs were $1.0 million.

The debt outstanding at December 31, 2020 and 2019 consists of the following (in thousands):

|  | December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Revolver | $ | - |  | $ | 90,000
Term loan |  | - |  |  | -
Total |  | - |  |  | 90,000
Current portion of term loan |  | - |  |  | -
Long-term debt | $ | - |  | $ | 90,000

Capitalized interest was not material for any of the periods shown. Summarized below are the total amounts of interest paid during the years ended December 31 (in thousands):

2020 | $ | 2,028
2019 |  | 4,125
2018 |  | 4,178

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The 2018 Credit Agreement contains the following quarterly financial covenants effective as of December 31, 2020:

|  |  |  |  | Chemed
Description |  | Requirement |  |  | December 31, 2020
Leverage Ratio (Consolidated Indebtedness/Consolidated Adj. EBITDA) |  | < 3.50 to 1.00 |  |  | 0.08 to 1.00
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (Consolidated Free Cash Flow/Consolidated |  |  |  |  |
Fixed Charges) |  | > 1.50 to 1.00 |  |  | 5.04 to 1.00

We are in compliance with all debt covenants as of December 31, 2020. We have issued $37.9 million in standby letters of credit as of December 31, 2020 for insurance purposes. Issued letters of credit reduce our available credit under the 2018 Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2020, we have approximately $412.1 million of unused lines of credit available and eligible to be drawn down under our revolving credit facility.

4. Stock-Based Compensation Plans

We have three stock incentive plans under which a total of 5.1 million shares were able to be issued to key employees and directors through a grant of stock options, stock awards and/or performance stock units (“PSUs”). The Compensation/Incentive Committee (“CIC”) of the Board of Directors administers these plans.

We grant stock options, stock awards and PSUs to our officers, other key employees and directors to better align their long-term interests with those of our shareholders. We grant stock options at an exercise price equal to the market price of our stock on the date of grant. Options vest ratably annually over a three year period. Those granted after 2014 have a contractual life of 5 years; those granted prior to 2014 have a contractual life of 10 years. Unrestricted stock awards generally are granted to our non-employee directors annually at the time of our annual meeting. PSUs are contingent upon achievement of multi-year earnings per share (“EPS”) targets or total shareholder return (“TSR”) targets. Upon achievement of targets, PSUs are converted to unrestricted shares of stock.

We recognize the cost of stock options, stock awards and PSUs on a straight-line basis over the service life of the award, generally the vesting period. We include the cost of all stock-based compensation in selling, general and administrative expense.

In May 2020, the CIC granted 2,511 unrestricted shares of stock to the Company’s outside directors.

PERFORMANCE AWARDS

The CIC determines a targeted number of PSUs to be granted to each participant. A participant can ultimately receive up to 200% of the targeted PSUs based upon exceeding the respective EPS and TSR target.

In February 2018, 2019 and 2020, the CIC granted PSUs contingent upon the achievement of certain TSR targets as compared to the TSR of a group of peer companies for the three year measurement period, at which date the awards may vest. We utilize a Monte Carlo simulation approach in a risk-neutral framework with inputs including historical volatility and the risk-free rate of interest to value these TSR awards. We amortize the total estimated cost over the service period of the award.

In February 2018, 2019 and 2020, the CIC granted PSUs contingent on the achievement of certain EPS targets over the three year measurement period. At the end of each reporting period, we estimate the number of shares of stock we believe will ultimately vest and record that expense over the service period of the award.

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Comparative data for the PSUs include:

|  | 2020 Awards |  |  | 2019 Awards |  |  | 2018 Awards |
TSR Awards |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares of stock granted - target |  | 5,156 |  |  | 7,029 |  |  | 7,523 |
Per-share fair value | $ | 643.44 |  | $ | 434.51 |  | $ | 341.20 |
Volatility |  | 21.4 | % |  | 21.4 | % |  | 22.9 | %
Risk-free interest rate |  | 1.3 | % |  | 2.45 | % |  | 2.34 | %
EPS Awards |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares of stock granted - target |  | 5,156 |  |  | 7,029 |  |  | 7,523 |
Per-share fair value | $ | 487.90 |  | $ | 322.40 |  | $ | 256.29 |
Common Assumptions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service period (years) |  | 2.9 |  |  | 2.9 |  |  | 2.9 |
Three-year measurement period ends December 31, |  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |  |  | 2020 |

The following table summarizes total stock option, stock award and PSU activity during 2020:

| Stock Options |  | Stock Awards |  | Performance Units (PSUs)
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Weighted |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  | Weighted Average |  |  | Aggregate |  |  |  |  | Average |  |  |  |  | Weighted
|  |  |  |  |  | Remaining |  |  | Intrinsic |  |  |  |  | Grant-Date |  | Number of |  |  | Average
| Number of |  |  | Exercise |  | Contractual |  |  | Value |  | Number of |  |  | Per-Share |  | Target |  |  | Grant-Date
| Options |  |  | Price |  | Life (Years) |  |  | (thousands) |  | Awards |  |  | Fair Value |  | Units |  |  | Price
Outstanding at January 1, 2020 | 1,205,948 |  | $ | 252.77 |  |  |  |  |  |  | - |  | $ | - |  | 42,978 |  | $ | 288.78
Granted | 298,670 |  |  | 471.74 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,511 |  |  | 466.43 |  | 22,378 |  |  | 365.12
Exercised/Vested | (419,145) |  |  | 176.73 |  |  |  |  |  |  | (2,511) |  |  | 466.34 |  | (26,454) |  |  | 197.02
Canceled/ Forfeited | (15,402) |  |  | 369.84 |  |  |  |  |  |  | - |  |  | - |  | (706) |  |  | 472.68
Outstanding at December 31, 2020 | 1,070,071 |  | $ | 341.99 |  | 3.5 |  | $ | 198,910 |  | - |  | $ | - |  | 38,196 |  | $ | 396.93
Vested and expected to vest |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
at December 31, 2020 | 1,070,071 |  | $ | 341.99 |  | 3.5 |  | $ | 198,910 |  | - |  | *$ | - |  | 69,106 |  | *$ | 386.33
Exercisable at December 31, 2020 | 510,938 |  |  | 246.03 |  | 2.7 |  |  | 144,003 |  | n.a. |  |  | n.a. |  | n.a. |  |  | n.a.
* Amount includes 26,525 share units which vested and were converted to shares of stock and distributed in the first quarter of 2021.

We estimate the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes valuation model. We determine expected term, volatility, and dividend yield and forfeiture rate based on our historical experience. We believe that historical experience is the best indicator of these factors.

Comparative data for stock options, stock awards and PSUs include (in thousands, except per-share amounts):

|  | Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Total compensation expense of stock-based compensation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
plans charged against income | $ | 26,802 |  | $ | 21,338 |  | $ | 19,229
Total income tax benefit recognized in income for stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
based compensation expense charged against income |  | 6,904 |  |  | 5,373 |  |  | 4,788
Total intrinsic value of stock options exercised |  | 125,448 |  |  | 106,793 |  |  | 102,144
Total intrinsic value of stock awards vested during the period |  | 1,171 |  |  | 767 |  |  | 4,003
Per-share weighted average grant-date fair value of |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
stock awards granted |  | 466.43 |  |  | 331.69 |  |  | 333.75

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The assumptions we used to value stock option grants are as follows:

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Stock price on date of issuance | $ | 471.74 |  | $ | 413.19 |  | $ | 306.70
Grant date fair value per share | $ | 97.56 |  | $ | 78.06 |  | $ | 67.16
Number of options granted |  | 298,670 |  |  | 287,010 |  |  | 246,350
Expected term (years) |  | 3.5 |  |  | 4.0 |  |  | 4.0
Risk free rate of return |  | 0.24 | % |  | 1.65 | % |  | 2.99
Volatility |  | 28.41 | % |  | 21.25 | % |  | 22.42
Dividend yield |  | 0.3 | % |  | 0.3 | % |  | 0.4
Forfeiture rate |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -

Other data for stock options, stock awards and PSUs for 2020 include (dollar amounts in thousands):

|  | Stock |  |  | Stock |  |  |
|  | Options |  |  | Awards |  |  | PSUs
Total unrecognized compensation at the end of the year | $ | 44,851 |  | $ | - |  | $ | 8,223
Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation to be recognized (years) |  | 2.3 |  |  | - |  |  | 1.7
Actual income tax benefit realized | $ | 29,543 |  | $ | 276 |  | $ | 3,123
Aggregate intrinsic value vested and expected to vest | $ | 198,910 |  | $ | - |  | $ | 36,479

EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN (“ESPP”)

The ESPP allows eligible participants to purchase shares of stock through payroll deductions at current market value. We pay administrative and broker fees associated with the ESPP. Shares of stock purchased for the ESPP are purchased on the open market and credited directly to participants’ accounts. In accordance with the FASB’s guidance, the ESPP is non-compensatory.

5. Segments and Nature of the Business

Our segments include the VITAS segment and the Roto-Rooter segment. Relative contributions of each segment to service revenues and sales were 64% and 36% in 2020, 66% and 34% in 2019 and 67% and 33% in 2018. The vast majority of our service revenues and sales from continuing operations are generated from business within the United States. Service revenues and sales by business segment are shown in Note 2.

The reportable segments have been defined along service lines, which is consistent with the way the businesses are managed. In determining reportable segments, the RRSC and RRC operating units of the Roto-Rooter segment have been aggregated on the basis of possessing similar operating and economic characteristics. The characteristics of these operating segments and the basis for aggregation are reviewed annually.

We report corporate administrative expenses and unallocated investing and financing income and expense not directly related to either segment as “Corporate”. Corporate administrative expense includes the stewardship, accounting and reporting, legal, tax and other costs of operating a publicly held corporation. Corporate investing and financing income and expenses include the costs and income associated with corporate debt and investment arrangements.

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Segment data are set forth below (in thousands):

|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
After-tax Segment Earnings/(Loss) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 238,782 |  | $ | 155,822 |  | $ | 138,846
Roto-Rooter |  | 120,394 |  |  | 103,710 |  |  | 98,711
Total |  | 359,176 |  |  | 259,532 |  |  | 237,557
Corporate |  | (39,710) |  |  | (39,609) |  |  | (32,013)
Net income | $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544
Interest Income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 20,565 |  | $ | 18,515 |  | $ | 13,412
Roto-Rooter |  | 6,332 |  |  | 8,285 |  |  | 7,000
Total |  | 26,897 |  |  | 26,800 |  |  | 20,412
Corporate |  | 13 |  |  | - |  |  | -
Intercompany eliminations |  | (26,153) |  |  | (26,287) |  |  | (19,741)
Total interest income | $ | 757 |  | $ | 513 |  | $ | 671
Interest Expense |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 166 |  | $ | 169 |  | $ | 175
Roto-Rooter |  | 340 |  |  | 345 |  |  | 319
Total |  | 506 |  |  | 514 |  |  | 494
Corporate |  | 1,849 |  |  | 4,021 |  |  | 4,496
Total interest expense | $ | 2,355 |  | $ | 4,535 |  | $ | 4,990
Income Tax Provision |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 76,473 |  | $ | 48,711 |  | $ | 40,847
Roto-Rooter |  | 37,038 |  |  | 30,276 |  |  | 28,850
Total |  | 113,511 |  |  | 78,987 |  |  | 69,697
Corporate |  | (36,987) |  |  | (37,301) |  |  | (35,641)
Total income tax provision | $ | 76,524 |  | $ | 41,686 |  | $ | 34,056
Identifiable Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 672,246 |  | $ | 663,455 |  | $ | 553,949
Roto-Rooter |  | 499,101 |  |  | 507,480 |  |  | 351,030
Total |  | 1,171,347 |  |  | 1,170,935 |  |  | 904,979
Corporate |  | 263,564 |  |  | 97,382 |  |  | 70,550
Total identifiable assets | $ | 1,434,911 |  | $ | 1,268,317 |  | $ | 975,529
Additions to Long-Lived Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 28,865 |  | $ | 25,530 |  | $ | 36,969
Roto-Rooter |  | 27,682 |  |  | 162,494 |  |  | 68,786
Total |  | 56,547 |  |  | 188,024 |  |  | 105,755
Corporate |  | 5,246 |  |  | 1,000 |  |  | 128
Total additions to long-lived assets | $ | 61,793 |  | $ | 189,024 |  | $ | 105,883
Depreciation and Amortization |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 22,239 |  | $ | 20,055 |  | $ | 19,700
Roto-Rooter |  | 34,208 |  |  | 24,994 |  |  | 19,016
Total |  | 56,447 |  |  | 45,049 |  |  | 38,716
Corporate |  | 136 |  |  | 156 |  |  | 147
Total depreciation and amortization | $ | 56,583 |  | $ | 45,205 |  | $ | 38,863

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6. Intangible Assets

Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, was $10.0 million, $4.3 million and $399,000 respectively. The following is a schedule by year of projected amortization expense for definite-lived intangible assets (in thousands):

2021 | $ | 10,041
2022 |  | 10,016
2023 |  | 9,963
2024 |  | 9,916
2025 |  | 9,902
Thereafter |  | 11,705

The balance in identifiable intangible assets comprises the following (in thousands):

|  |  | Gross |  |  | Accumulated |  |  | Net Book
|  |  | Asset |  |  | Amortization |  |  | Value
December 31, 2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Referral networks |  | $ | 21,850 |  | $ | (21,294) |  | $ | 556
Covenants not to compete |  |  | 10,076 |  |  | (9,632) |  |  | 444
Customer lists |  |  | 4,746 |  |  | (1,577) |  |  | 3,169
Reacquired franchise rights |  |  | 72,478 |  |  | (15,104) |  |  | 57,374
Subtotal - definite-lived intangibles |  |  | 109,150 |  |  | (47,607) |  |  | 61,543
VITAS trade name |  |  | 51,300 |  |  | - |  |  | 51,300
Roto-Rooter trade name |  |  | 150 |  |  | - |  |  | 150
Operating licenses |  |  | 5,092 |  |  | - |  |  | 5,092
Total |  | $ | 165,692 |  | $ | (47,607) |  | $ | 118,085
December 31, 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Referral networks |  | $ | 21,850 |  | $ | (21,223) |  | $ | 627
Covenants not to compete |  |  | 10,036 |  |  | (9,478) |  |  | 558
Customer lists |  |  | 4,746 |  |  | (1,362) |  |  | 3,384
Reacquired franchise rights |  |  | 71,618 |  |  | (5,557) |  |  | 66,061
Subtotal - definite-lived intangibles |  |  | 108,250 |  |  | (37,620) |  |  | 70,630
VITAS trade name |  |  | 51,300 |  |  | - |  |  | 51,300
Roto-Rooter trade name |  |  | 150 |  |  | - |  |  | 150
Operating licenses |  |  | 4,290 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,290
Total |  | $ | 163,990 |  | $ | (37,620) |  | $ | 126,370

7. Acquisitions

On June 1, 2020, we completed the acquisition of a Roto-Rooter franchise and the related assets in Bloomington, IN for $2.2 million in cash.

On August 2, 2019, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) to purchase substantially all of the assets of HSW RR, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HSW”) and certain related assets of its affiliates, for $120.0 million, subject to a working capital adjustment that resulted in an additional $1.4 million payment to HSW. HSW owned and operated fourteen Roto-Rooter franchises mainly in the southwestern section of the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Phoenix. Included in the assets purchased were the assets of Western Drain Supply, Inc., a plumbing supply company. The purchase was made using a combination of cash on-hand and borrowings under Chemed’s existing $450 million revolving credit facility. On September 16, 2019, we completed the acquisition.

On July 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of a Roto-Rooter franchise and the related assets in Oakland, CA for $18.0 million in cash.

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The acquisitions were made as a continuation of Roto-Rooter’s strategy to re-acquire franchises in large markets in the United States. The allocation for the two acquisitions completed in 2019 is as follows (in thousands):

| HSW |  | Oakland |  | Total
Goodwill | $ | 56,191 |  | $ | 10,535 |  | $ | 66,726
Reacquired franchise rights |  | 52,980 |  |  | 6,190 |  |  | 59,170
Property, plant, and equipment |  | 5,998 |  |  | 675 |  |  | 6,673
Working capital |  | 3,760 |  |  | 22 |  |  | 3,782
Customer relationships |  | 2,220 |  |  | 500 |  |  | 2,720
Non-compete agreements |  | 140 |  |  | 100 |  |  | 240
Other assets and liabilities - net |  | 128 |  |  | 23 |  |  | 151
| $ | 121,417 |  | $ | 18,045 |  | $ | 139,462

Included above is $1.4 million related to the HSW acquisition excess working capital. The amount was paid in 2020.

Reacquired franchise rights, included in identifiable intangibles on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are amortized over the period remaining in each individual franchise agreement. The average amortization period for reacquired franchise rights for the acquisitions made in 2019 is 7.4 years.

Revenue and net income for the two acquisitions completed in 2019 for the period we owned them in 2019 are as follows (in thousands):

| HSW |  | Oakland |  | Total
Service revenues and sales | $ | 20,141 |  | $ | 5,150 |  | $ | 25,291
Net income/(loss) |  | (2,777) |  |  | 231 |  |  | (2,546)

Included in 2019 net income for the two acquisitions is $3.4 million of one-time acquisition expense.

The franchise fee revenue, the valuation of reacquired franchise rights and amortization for the acquired franchises are as follows:

|  |  |  |  |  | Annualized
|  |  |  | Valuation |  | Amortization of
| 2018 Franchise |  | of Reacquired |  | Reacquired
| Revenue |  | Franchise Rights |  | Franchise Rights
HSW | $ | 1,782 |  | $ | 52,980 |  | $ | 7,258
Oakland |  | 95 |  |  | 6,190 |  |  | 825
Subtotal |  | 1,877 |  | $ | 59,170 |  | $ | 8,083
All other franchise territories |  | 4,505 |  |  |  |  |  |
| $ | 6,382 |  |  |  |  |  |

As a result of the acquisitions, 2018 is the last full-year of franchise revenue received from HSW and Oakland. Total franchise revenue in 2019 was $6.1 million.

Customer relationships, included in identifiable intangibles on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are amortized over an average amortization period of 20.4 years. Non-compete agreements are amortized over the period of the agreement. The average amortization period for non-compete agreements for the transactions made in 2019 is 4.0 years.

Goodwill is assessed for impairment on a yearly basis as of October 1. The primary factor that contributed to the purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill is operational efficiencies expected as a result of consolidating stand- alone franchises and Roto-Rooter’s network of nationwide branches. All goodwill recognized is deductible for tax purposes.

During 2018, we completed four business combinations of former franchisees within the Roto-Rooter segment for $42.2 million in cash to increase our market penetration. The VITAS segment completed one business combination in Florida for $11.0 million to increase our market penetration.

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The pro forma revenue and earnings of the Company, as if all acquisitions made in fiscal 2018 and 2019 were completed on January 1, 2018, are as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

| For the Years Ended December 31,
| 2019 |  | 2018
Service revenues and sales | $ | 1,995,688 |  | $ | 1,900,218
Net income | $ | 228,939 |  | $ | 224,851
Earnings per share | $ | 14.34 |  | $ | 14.00
Diluted earnings per share | $ | 13.85 |  | $ | 13.38

Revenues and expenses for acquisitions made in 2020 are not material.

8. Discontinued Operations

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the accrual for our estimated liability for potential environmental cleanup and related costs arising from the 1991 sale of DuBois amounted to $1.7 million. Of the 2020 balance, $826,000 is included in other current liabilities and $901,000 is included in other liabilities (long-term). The estimated amounts and timing of payments of these liabilities follows (in thousands):

2021 | $ | 826
2022 |  | 300
Thereafter |  | 601
| $ | 1,727

We are contingently liable for additional DuBois-related environmental cleanup and related costs up to a maximum of $14.9 million. On the basis of a continuing evaluation of the potential liability, we believe it is not probable this additional liability will be paid. Accordingly, no provision for this contingent liability has been recorded. The potential liability is not insured, and the recorded liability does not assume the recovery of insurance proceeds. Also, the environmental liability has not been discounted because it is not possible to reliably project the timing of payments. We believe that any adjustments to our recorded liability will not materially adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

9. Cash Overdrafts and Cash Equivalents

Included in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets are $3.9 million, $1.8 million, and $3.2 million of capitalized property and equipment which were not paid for as of December 31, 2020, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. These amounts have been excluded from capital expenditures in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow. There are no material non-cash amounts included in interest expense for any period presented.

There are no cash overdrafts included in accounts payable as of December 31, 2020. Included in accounts payable are cash overdrafts of $9.8 million as of December 31, 2019.

From time to time throughout the year, we invest excess cash in money market funds directly with major commercial banks. We closely monitor the creditworthiness of the institutions with which we invest our overnight funds. The amount invested was less than $100,000 for each balance sheet date presented.

10. Other Income -- Net

Other income -- net comprises the following (in thousands):

|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Market value gains related to deferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
compensation trusts | $ | 7,933 |  | $ | 8,254 |  | $ | 287
Interest income |  | 757 |  |  | 513 |  |  | 671
Other expense--net |  | (25) |  |  | (3) |  |  | -
Total other income | $ | 8,665 |  | $ | 8,764 |  | $ | 958

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The market value gain relates to gains on the assets in the deferred compensation trust. There is an offsetting expense in selling, general and administrative expense to reflect the corresponding increase in the liability.

11. Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes comprises the following (in thousands):

|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Current |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal | $ | 58,602 |  | $ | 36,779 |  | $ | 23,934
U.S. state and local |  | 15,950 |  |  | 7,078 |  |  | 4,484
Foreign |  | 539 |  |  | 600 |  |  | 452
Deferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal, state and local |  | 1,456 |  |  | (2,773) |  |  | 5,185
Foreign |  | (23) |  |  | 2 |  |  | 1
Total | $ | 76,524 |  | $ | 41,686 |  | $ | 34,056

A summary of the temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets/ (liabilities) follows (in thousands):

|  |  | December 31,
|  |  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 42,151 |  | $ | 32,498
| Lease liabilities |  | 35,888 |  |  | 32,476
| Implicit price concessions |  | 7,031 |  |  | 4,165
| Stock compensation expense |  | 4,047 |  |  | 5,425
| State net operating loss carryforwards |  | 2,030 |  |  | 2,678
| Other |  | 888 |  |  | 592
| Deferred income tax assets |  | 92,035 |  |  | 77,834
| Amortization of intangible assets |  | (40,619) |  |  | (39,377)
| Right of use lease assets |  | (32,788) |  |  | (28,807)
| Accelerated tax depreciation |  | (31,686) |  |  | (21,942)
| Currents assets |  | (3,921) |  |  | (2,510)
| Market valuation of investments |  | (2,382) |  |  | (2,058)
| State income taxes |  | (1,161) |  |  | (1,477)
| Other |  | (142) |  |  | (167)
| Deferred income tax liabilities |  | (112,699) |  |  | (96,338)
| Net deferred income tax liabilities | $ | (20,664) |  | $ | (18,504)

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, state net operating loss carryforwards were $37.3 million and $43.1 million, respectively. These net operating losses will expire, in varying amounts, between 2025 and 2040. Based on our history of operating earnings, we have determined that our operating income will, more likely than not, be sufficient to ensure realization of our deferred income tax assets.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending of year amount of our unrecognized tax benefit is as follows (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Balance at January 1, | $ | 1,323 |  | $ | 1,348 |  | $ | 1,123
Unrecognized tax benefits due to positions taken in current year |  | 200 |  |  | 234 |  |  | 453
Decrease due to expiration of statute of limitations |  | (219) |  |  | (259) |  |  | (228)
Balance at December 31, | $ | 1,304 |  | $ | 1,323 |  | $ | 1,348

We file tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states. The years ended December 31, 2017 and forward remain open for review for federal income tax purposes. The earliest open year relating to any of our major state jurisdictions is the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015. During the next twelve months, we do not anticipate a material net change in unrecognized tax benefits.

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We classify interest related to our accrual for uncertain tax positions in separate interest accounts. As of December 31, 2020, and 2019, we have approximately $163,000 and $159,000, respectively, accrued in interest payable related to uncertain tax positions. These accruals are included in other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Net interest expense related to uncertain tax positions included in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of income is not material.

The difference between the actual income tax provision for continuing operations and the income tax provision calculated at the statutory U.S. federal tax rate is explained as follows (in thousands):

|  | For the Years Ended December 31, |  |
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |
Income tax provision calculated using the statutory rate of 21% | $ | 83,158 |  | $ | 54,938 |  | $ | 50,316 |  |
Excess stock compensation tax benefits |  | (26,089) |  |  | (24,177) |  |  | (22,862) |  |
State and local income taxes, less federal income tax effect |  | 13,855 |  |  | 7,880 |  |  | 7,150 |  |
Nondeductible expenses |  | 5,377 |  |  | 3,048 |  |  | 2,280 |  |
Other--net |  | 223 |  |  | (3) |  |  | (2,828) |  |
Income tax provision | $ | 76,524 |  | $ | 41,686 |  | $ | 34,056 |  |
Effective tax rate |  | 19.3 | % |  | 15.9 | % |  | 14.2 | % |

Summarized below are the total amounts of income taxes paid during the years ended December 31 (in thousands):

2020 | $ | 61,517
2019 |  | 44,063
2018 |  | 9,749

Provision has not been made for additional taxes on $35.1 million of undistributed earnings of our domestic subsidiaries. Should we elect to sell our interest in these businesses rather than to affect a tax-free liquidation, additional taxes amounting to approximately $8.4 million would be incurred based on current income tax rates.

12. Properties and Equipment

A summary of properties and equipment follows (in thousands):

|  | December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Land | $ | 9,385 |  | $ | 8,360
Buildings and building improvements |  | 117,419 |  |  | 109,404
Transportation equipment |  | 68,379 |  |  | 41,897
Machinery and equipment |  | 129,835 |  |  | 123,102
Computer software |  | 62,138 |  |  | 57,508
Furniture and fixtures |  | 78,507 |  |  | 79,792
Projects under development |  | 15,537 |  |  | 25,840
Total properties and equipment |  | 481,200 |  |  | 445,903
Less accumulated depreciation |  | (293,380) |  |  | (270,140)
Net properties and equipment | $ | 187,820 |  | $ | 175,763

The net book value of computer software at December 31, 2020 and 2019, was $8.9 million and $9.6 million, respectively. Depreciation expense for computer software was $5.5 million, $4.6 million and $5.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

13. Leases

Chemed and each of its operating subsidiaries are service companies. As such, real estate leases comprise the largest lease obligation (and conversely, right of use asset) in our lease portfolio. VITAS has leased office space, as well as space for IPUs and/or contract beds within hospitals. Roto-Rooter has leased office space. Our leases have remaining terms of less than 1 year to 10 years, some of which include options to extend the lease for up to 5 years, and some of which include options to terminate the lease within 1 year.

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We made a policy election to exclude leases with a lease term less than 12 month from being recorded on the balance sheet. We adopted the practical expedient related to the combining of lease and non-lease components, which allows us to account for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component.

We do not currently have any finance leases, all lease information disclosed is related to operating leases.

The components of balance sheet information related to leases were as follows:

| December 31,
| 2020 |  | 2019
Assets |  |  |  |  |
Operating lease assets | $ | 123,448 |  | $ | 111,652
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Current operating leases |  | 36,200 |  |  | 39,280
Noncurrent operating leases |  | 99,210 |  |  | 86,656
Total operating lease liabilities | $ | 135,410 |  | $ | 125,936

The components of lease expense were as follows:

| December 31,
| 2020 |  | 2019
Lease Expense (a) |  |  |  |  |
Operating lease expense | $ | 60,195 |  | $ | 49,112
Sublease income |  | (83) |  |  | (6)
Net lease expense | $ | 60,112 |  | $ | 49,106

(a)Includes short-term leases and variable lease costs, which are immaterial. Included in both cost of services provided and goods sold and selling, general and administrative expenses.

The components of cash flow information related to leases were as follows:

| December 31,
| 2020 |  | 2019
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities |  |  |  |  |
Operating cash flows from leases | $ | 49,932 |  | $ | 41,525
Leased assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities | $ | 58,802 |  | $ | 150,356

Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term |  |  |  |
Operating leases |  | 4.98 |  | years
Weighted Average Discount Rate |  |  |  |
Operating leases |  | 2.87 | % |

Maturity of Operating Lease Liabilities (in thousands) |  |
2021 | $ | 43,437
2022 |  | 31,059
2023 |  | 24,174
2024 |  | 18,243
2025 |  | 12,175
Thereafter |  | 18,614
Total lease payments | $ | 147,702
Less: interest |  | (10,356)
Less: lease obligations signed but not yet commenced |  | (1,936)
Total liability recognized on the balance sheet | $ | 135,410

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For leases commencing prior to 2019, minimum rental payments exclude payments to landlords for real estate taxes and common area maintenance. Operating lease payments include $2.3 million related to extended lease terms that are reasonably certain of being exercised and exclude $1.9 million lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced.

14. Retirement Plans

Retirement obligations under various plans cover substantially all full-time employees who meet age and/or service eligibility requirements. All plans providing retirement benefits to our employees are defined contribution plans. Expenses for our retirement and profit-sharing plans, excess benefit plans and other similar plans are as follows (in thousands):

For the Years Ended December 31,
| 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
$ | 27,044 |  | $ | 25,529 |  | $ | 16,502

These expenses include the impact of market gains and losses on assets held in deferred compensation plans.

Trust assets invested in shares of our stock are included in treasury stock, and the corresponding liability is included in a separate component of stockholders’ equity. At December 31, 2020, these trusts held 74,262 shares at historical average cost of $2.3 million (2019 – 77,963 shares or $2.3 million).

We have excess benefit plans for key employees whose participation in the qualified plans is limited by U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act requirements. Benefits are determined based on theoretical participation in the qualified plans. Benefits are only invested in mutual funds, and participants are not permitted to diversify accumulated benefits in shares of our capital stock.

15. Earnings Per Share

The computation of earnings per share follows (in thousands, except per share data):

|  |  | Net Income
For the Years Ended December 31, |  | Net Income |  | Shares |  | Earnings per Share
2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Earnings |  | $ | 319,466 |  | 15,955 |  | $ | 20.02
| Dilutive stock options |  |  | - |  | 368 |  |  |
| Nonvested stock awards |  |  | - |  | 75 |  |  |
| Diluted earnings |  | $ | 319,466 |  | 16,398 |  | $ | 19.48
2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Earnings |  | $ | 219,923 |  | 15,969 |  | $ | 13.77
| Dilutive stock options |  |  | - |  | 480 |  |  |
| Nonvested stock awards |  |  | - |  | 78 |  |  |
| Diluted earnings |  | $ | 219,923 |  | 16,527 |  | $ | 13.31
2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Earnings |  | $ | 205,544 |  | 16,059 |  | $ | 12.80
| Dilutive stock options |  |  | - |  | 650 |  |  |
| Nonvested stock awards |  |  | - |  | 94 |  |  |
| Diluted earnings |  | $ | 205,544 |  | 16,803 |  | $ | 12.23

During 2020, 566,000 stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their exercise prices were greater than the average market price during most of the year. During 2019, 287,000 stock options were also excluded. During 2018, 246,000 stock options were also excluded.

16. Financial Instruments

FASB’s authoritative guidance on fair value measurements defines a hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs in fair value measurements. Level 1 measurements are measurements using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 measurements use significant other observable inputs. Level 3 measurements are measurements using significant unobservable inputs which require a company to develop its own assumptions. In recording the fair value of assets and liabilities, companies must use the most reliable measurement available.

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The following shows the carrying value, fair value and the hierarchy for our financial instruments as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):

|  |  |  |  | Fair Value Measure
|  | Carrying Value |  |  | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) |  |  | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |  |  | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Investments of deferred compensation plans held in trust | $ | 88,811 |  | $ | 88,811 |  | $ | - |  | $ | -

The following shows the carrying value, fair value and the hierarchy for our financial instruments as of December 31, 2019 (in thousands):

|  |  |  |  | Fair Value Measure
|  | Carrying Value |  |  | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) |  |  | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |  |  | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Investments of deferred compensation plans held in trust | $ | 77,446 |  | $ | 77,446 |  | $ | - |  | $ | -
Long-term debt and current portion of long-term debt |  | 90,000 |  |  | - |  |  | 90,000 |  |  | -

For cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable, the carrying amount is a reasonable estimate of fair value because of the liquidity and short-term nature of these instruments. As further described in Note 3, our outstanding long-term debt and current portion of long-term debt have floating interest rates that are reset at short-term intervals, generally 30 or 60 days. The interest rate we pay also includes an additional amount based on our current leverage ratio. As such, we believe our borrowings reflect significant nonperformance risks, mainly credit risk. Based on these factors, we believe the fair value of our long-term debt and current portion of long-term debt approximate the carrying value.

17. Legal and Regulatory Matters

The VITAS segment of the Company’s business operates in a heavily-regulated industry. As a result, the Company is subjected to inquiries and investigations by various government agencies, which can result in penalties including repayment obligations, funding withholding, or debarment, as well as to lawsuits, including qui tam actions. The following sections describe the various ongoing material lawsuits and investigations of which the Company is currently aware. Other than as described below, it is not possible at this time for us to estimate either the timing or outcome of any of those matters, or whether any potential loss, or range of potential losses, is probable or reasonably estimable.

Regulatory Matters and Litigation

On October 30, 2017, the Company entered into a settlement agreement to resolve civil litigation under the False Claims Act brought by the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) on behalf of the OIG and various relators concerning VITAS, filed in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Missouri. The Company denied any violation of law and agreed to settlement without admission of wrongdoing.

In connection with the settlement, VITAS and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a corporate integrity agreement (“CIA”) on October 30, 2017. The CIA formalizes various aspects of VITAS’ already existing Compliance Program and contains requirements designed to document compliance with federal healthcare program requirements. It has a term of five year s during which it imposes monitoring, reporting, certification, oversight, screening and training obligations, certain of which had previously been implemented by VITAS. It also requires VITAS to engage an Independent Review Organization to perform audit and review functions and to prepare reports regarding compliance with federal healthcare programs. In the event of breach of the CIA, VITAS could become liable for payment of stipulated penalties or could be excluded from participation in federal healthcare programs.

The Company entered into a settlement agreement in March 2019 that resolved the California state-wide wage and hour class action claims raised in four separate cases: (1) Jordan A. Seper on behalf of herself and others similarly situated v. VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, a Delaware corporation; VITAS Healthcare Corp of CA, a business entity unknown; and DOES 1 to 100, inclusive; Los Angeles Superior Court Case Number BC 642857 (“Seper”); (2) Jiwan Chhina v. VITAS Health Services of California, Inc., a California corporation; VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, a Delaware corporation; VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, a Delaware corporation dba VITAS Healthcare Inc.; and DOES 1 to 100, inclusive; San Diego Superior Court Case Number 37-2015-00033978-CU-OE-CTL (“Chhina”) (which was subsequently merged with Seper); (3) Chere Phillips and Lady Moore

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v. VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, Sacramento County Superior Court, Case No. 34-2017-0021-2755 (“Phillips and Moore”); and (4) Williams v. VITAS Healthcare Corporation of California, Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG 17853886 (“Williams”). These actions were brought by both current and former employees including a registered nurse, a licensed vocational nurse (LVN), home health aides and a social worker. Each action stated multiple claims generally including (1) failure to pay minimum wage for all hours worked; (2) failure to provide overtime for all hours worked; (3) failure to pay wages for all hours at the regular rate; (4) failure to provide meal periods; (5) failure to provide rest breaks; (6) failure to provide complete and accurate wage statements; (7) failure to pay for all reimbursement expenses; (8) unfair business practices; and (9) violation of the California Private Attorneys General Act. The cases generally asserted claims on behalf of classes defined to include all current and former non-exempt employees employed with VITAS in California within the four year s preceding the filing of each lawsuit.

The settlement amount of $5.75 million plus employment taxes was recorded in the first quarter of 2019. The definition of the class to participate in the settlement is intended to cover claims raised in the consolidated Seper/Chhina matter, claims raised in Phillips and Moore, as well as any class claims in William s. On January 28, 2020, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. The court granted final approval of the settlement hearing on December 8, 2020. Subsequent to year end, the settlement was paid.

Alfred Lax (“Lax”), a former employee of Roto-Rooter Services Company (“RRSC”) filed a class action lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court in November of 2018 alleging (1) failure to provide or compensate for required rest breaks; (2) failure to properly pay for all hours worked; (3) failure to provide accurate wage statements; (4) failure to reimburse for work-related expenses; and (5) unfair business practices. Lax stated these claims as a representative of a class defined as all service technicians employed by RRSC in California during the four year s preceding the filing of the complaint. The lawsuit is, Alfred Lax on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated v. Roto-Rooter Services Company, and Does 1 through 50 inclusive; Santa Clara County Superior Court Case Number 18CV338652. The Company entered into a settlement agreement in August 2020 to resolve the allegations, for a settlement amount of $2.6 million plus employment taxes. The settlement includes technicians in its Menlo Park and Bristol locations. The settlement was recorded in the third quarter of 2020. As of December 31, 2020, $3.1 million was accrued in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Court’s preliminary approval of the settlement was granted on November 19, 2020.

On October 16, 2020, VITAS received a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) issued by the U.S. Department of Justice pursuant to the False Claims Act concerning allegations of the submission of false claims for hospice services for which reimbursement was sought from federal healthcare programs, including Medicare. The CID has requested information regarding 32 patients from our Florida operations. We are cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice with respect to this investigation. The Company cannot predict when the investigation will be resolved or the outcome of the investigation.

Please see Note 8 above relating to potential contingent environmental obligations.

Regardless of the outcome of any of the preceding matters, dealing with the various regulatory agencies and opposing parties can adversely affect us through defense costs, potential payments, withholding of governmental funding, diversion of management time, and related publicity. Although the Company intends to defend them vigorously, there can be no assurance that those suits will not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

18. Capital Stock Transactions

We repurchased the following capital stock:

|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Total cost of repurchased shares (in thousands): | $ | 175,594 |  | $ | 92,631 |  | $ | 158,884
Shares repurchased |  | 384,252 |  |  | 269,009 |  |  | 561,146
Weighted average price per share | $ | 456.98 |  | $ | 344.34 |  | $ | 283.14

In March 2020, the Board of Directors authorized an additional $250.0 million for stock repurchase under the February 2011 repurchase program. We currently have $178.4 million of authorization remaining under this share purchase plan.

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19. Other Operating Expenses/(Income)

|  | December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
CARES Act grant income | $ | (80,225) |  | $ | - |  | $ | -
Litigation settlements |  | 4,589 |  |  | 6,000 |  |  | 796
Loss on disposal of property and equipment |  | 541 |  |  | 866 |  |  | 504
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | 2,266 |  |  | -
Total other operating expenses | $ | (75,095) |  | $ | 9,132 |  | $ | 1,300

See Note 1 for further discussion of the accounting for the CARES Act grant income.

20. Recent Accounting Standards

In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2020-04 - Reference Rate Reform”. The update provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contract modifications and hedging relationships, subject to meeting certain criteria, that reference LIBOR or another rate expected to be discontinued. The update is effective for all entities as of March 12, 2020 and will apply through December 31, 2022. The interest rate charged on borrowings from our existing revolver is based on LIBOR. The credit agreement includes provisions for modifying the interest rate in the instance that LIBOR is discontinued. As a result, no contract modifications will be required when LIBOR is discontinued.

In December 2019, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2019-12 – Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”. The ASU adds new guidance to simplify accounting for income taxes, changes the accounting for certain income tax transactions and makes minor improvements to the codifications. The ASU is effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. There are no material impacts expected from adoption of this ASU.

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UNAUDITED SUMMARIES OF QUARTERLY RESULTS
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except per share and footnote data) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | First |  |  | Second |  |  | Third |  |  | Fourth |  |  | Total
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020 |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Year
Total service revenues and sales | $ | 515,798 |  | $ | 502,199 |  | $ | 528,297 |  | $ | 533,289 |  | $ | 2,079,583
Gross profit (excluding depreciation) | $ | 164,053 |  | $ | 150,036 |  | $ | 189,057 |  | $ | 198,240 |  | $ | 701,386
Income/(loss) from operations | $ | 79,363 |  | $ | 92,760 |  | $ | 74,308 |  | $ | 143,249 |  | $ | 389,680
Interest expense |  | (975) |  |  | (651) |  |  | (379) |  |  | (350) |  |  | (2,355)
Other income--net |  | (9,466) |  |  | 7,514 |  |  | 7,675 |  |  | 2,942 |  |  | 8,665
Income before income taxes (a) |  | 68,922 |  |  | 99,623 |  |  | 81,604 |  |  | 145,841 |  |  | 395,990
Income taxes |  | (13,031) |  |  | (17,522) |  |  | (13,882) |  |  | (32,089) |  |  | (76,524)
Net income/(loss) (a) | $ | 55,891 |  | $ | 82,101 |  | $ | 67,722 |  | $ | 113,752 |  | $ | 319,466
Earnings/(Loss) Per Share (a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income/(loss) | $ | 3.50 |  | $ | 5.16 |  | $ | 4.25 |  | $ | 7.12 |  | $ | 20.02
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 15,991 |  |  | 15,914 |  |  | 15,940 |  |  | 15,973 |  |  | 15,955
Diluted Earnings/(Loss) Per Share (a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income/(loss) | $ | 3.38 |  | $ | 5.01 |  | $ | 4.14 |  | $ | 6.96 |  | $ | 19.48
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,516 |  |  | 16,373 |  |  | 16,373 |  |  | 16,348 |  |  | 16,398
(a) The following amounts are included in income during the respective quarter (in thousands):
|  | First |  |  | Second |  |  | Third |  |  | Fourth |  |  | Total
|  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Year
Pretax (cost)/benefit: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant | $ | - |  | $ | 40,989 |  | $ | (8,805) |  | $ | 48,041 |  | $ | 80,225
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (1,834) |  |  | (25,382) |  |  | (8,266) |  |  | (3,778) |  |  | (39,260)
Stock option expense |  | (5,045) |  |  | (5,068) |  |  | (3,182) |  |  | (5,127) |  |  | (18,422)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (2,352) |  |  | (2,352) |  |  | (2,352) |  |  | (2,352) |  |  | (9,408)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (1,821) |  |  | (1,929) |  |  | (1,774) |  |  | (3,413) |  |  | (8,937)
Expenses related to litigation settlements |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (3,095) |  |  | (544) |  |  | (3,639)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (675) |  |  | (796) |  |  | 852 |  |  | - |  |  | (619)
COVID-19 Medicare cap |  | - |  |  | (2,250) |  |  | 2,250 |  |  | - |  |  | -
Total | $ | (11,727) |  | $ | 3,212 |  | $ | (24,372) |  | $ | 32,827 |  | $ | (60)
After-tax (cost)/benefit: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant | $ | - |  | $ | 30,537 |  | $ | (6,528) |  | $ | 35,839 |  | $ | 59,848
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (1,359) |  |  | (18,923) |  |  | (6,152) |  |  | (2,804) |  |  | (29,238)
Stock option expense |  | (4,190) |  |  | (4,209) |  |  | (2,970) |  |  | (4,331) |  |  | (15,700)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (1,729) |  |  | (1,729) |  |  | (1,728) |  |  | (1,728) |  |  | (6,914)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (1,596) |  |  | (1,728) |  |  | (1,682) |  |  | (2,889) |  |  | (7,895)
Expenses related to litigation settlements |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (2,275) |  |  | (400) |  |  | (2,675)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (503) |  |  | (594) |  |  | 635 |  |  | - |  |  | (462)
COVID-19 Medicare cap |  | - |  |  | (1,679) |  |  | 1,679 |  |  | - |  |  | -
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | 4,553 |  |  | 8,203 |  |  | 7,187 |  |  | 6,146 |  |  | 26,089
Total | $ | (4,824) |  | $ | 9,878 |  | $ | (11,834) |  | $ | 29,833 |  | $ | 23,053

‎

70

UNAUDITED SUMMARIES OF QUARTERLY RESULTS
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except per share and footnote data) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  | First |  |  | Second |  |  | Third |  |  | Fourth |  |  | Total
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Year
Total service revenues and sales | $ | 462,034 |  | $ | 473,584 |  | $ | 480,613 |  | $ | 522,324 |  | $ | 1,938,555
Gross profit (excluding depreciation) | $ | 140,083 |  | $ | 149,947 |  | $ | 152,430 |  | $ | 174,969 |  | $ | 617,429
Income from operations | $ | 49,472 |  | $ | 65,527 |  | $ | 64,929 |  | $ | 77,452 |  | $ | 257,380
Interest expense |  | (1,124) |  |  | (1,237) |  |  | (1,041) |  |  | (1,133) |  |  | (4,535)
Other income/(expense)--net |  | 2,439 |  |  | 13 |  |  | 3,036 |  |  | 3,276 |  |  | 8,764
Income before income taxes (a) |  | 50,787 |  |  | 64,303 |  |  | 66,924 |  |  | 79,595 |  |  | 261,609
Income taxes |  | (6,120) |  |  | (13,575) |  |  | (7,976) |  |  | (14,015) |  |  | (41,686)
Net income (a) | $ | 44,667 |  | $ | 50,728 |  | $ | 58,948 |  | $ | 65,580 |  | $ | 219,923
Earnings Per Share (a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 2.80 |  | $ | 3.18 |  | $ | 3.69 |  | $ | 4.09 |  | $ | 13.77
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 15,954 |  |  | 15,928 |  |  | 15,970 |  |  | 16,022 |  |  | 15,969
Diluted Earnings Per Share (a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 2.70 |  | $ | 3.08 |  | $ | 3.56 |  | $ | 3.96 |  | $ | 13.31
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,525 |  |  | 16,449 |  |  | 16,555 |  |  | 16,565 |  |  | 16,527
(a) The following amounts are included in income during the respective quarter (in thousands):
|  | First |  |  | Second |  |  | Third |  |  | Fourth |  |  | Total
|  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Quarter |  |  | Year
Pretax (cost)/benefit: |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock option expense | $ | (4,089) |  | $ | (3,929) |  | $ | (2,711) |  | $ | (4,102) |  | $ | (14,831)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (1,488) |  |  | (1,386) |  |  | (1,677) |  |  | (3,079) |  |  | (7,630)
Expenses related to litigation settlements |  | (6,000) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (6,000)
Acquisition expense |  | (120) |  |  | (97) |  |  | (3,281) |  |  | (1,336) |  |  | (4,834)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (515) |  |  | (1,689) |  |  | (859) |  |  | (919) |  |  | (3,982)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (441) |  |  | (331) |  |  | (331) |  |  | (2,861) |  |  | (3,964)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | (2,266) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (2,266)
Noncash ASC 842 expenses |  | (548) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (548)
Total | $ | (13,201) |  | $ | (9,698) |  | $ | (8,859) |  | $ | (12,297) |  | $ | (44,055)
After-tax (cost)/benefit: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock option expense | $ | (3,327) |  | $ | (3,197) |  | $ | (2,278) |  | $ | (3,435) |  | $ | (12,237)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (1,230) |  |  | (1,199) |  |  | (1,486) |  |  | (2,525) |  |  | (6,440)
Expenses related to litigation settlements |  | (4,476) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (4,476)
Acquisition expense |  | (91) |  |  | (71) |  |  | (2,411) |  |  | (984) |  |  | (3,557)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (387) |  |  | (1,253) |  |  | (639) |  |  | (686) |  |  | (2,965)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (324) |  |  | (244) |  |  | (244) |  |  | (2,101) |  |  | (2,913)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | (1,733) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (1,733)
Noncash ASC 842 expenses |  | (405) |  |  | (1) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (406)
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | 6,732 |  |  | 3,212 |  |  | 8,792 |  |  | 5,441 |  |  | 24,177
Total | $ | (3,508) |  | $ | (4,486) |  | $ | 1,734 |  | $ | (4,290) |  | $ | (10,550)

‎

71

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA |
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(in thousands, except per share and footnote data, ratios, percentages and personnel)
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016
Summary of Operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Continuing operations (a) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service revenues and sales | $ | 2,079,583 |  | $ | 1,938,555 |  | $ | 1,782,648 |  | $ | 1,666,724 |  | $ | 1,576,881
Gross profit (excluding depreciation) |  | 701,386 |  |  | 617,429 |  |  | 555,004 |  |  | 516,192 |  |  | 461,450
Depreciation |  | 46,596 |  |  | 40,870 |  |  | 38,464 |  |  | 35,488 |  |  | 34,279
Amortization |  | 9,987 |  |  | 4,335 |  |  | 399 |  |  | 137 |  |  | 359
Income from operations |  | 389,680 |  |  | 257,380 |  |  | 243,632 |  |  | 113,035 |  |  | 178,749
Net income |  | 319,466 |  |  | 219,923 |  |  | 205,544 |  |  | 98,177 |  |  | 108,743
Earnings per share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 20.02 |  | $ | 13.77 |  | $ | 12.80 |  | $ | 6.11 |  | $ | 6.64
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 15,955 |  |  | 15,969 |  |  | 16,059 |  |  | 16,057 |  |  | 16,383
Diluted earnings per share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 19.48 |  | $ | 13.31 |  | $ | 12.23 |  | $ | 5.86 |  | $ | 6.48
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,398 |  |  | 16,527 |  |  | 16,803 |  |  | 16,742 |  |  | 16,789
Cash dividends per share | $ | 1.32 |  | $ | 1.24 |  | $ | 1.16 |  | $ | 1.08 |  | $ | 1.00
Financial Position--Year-End |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 162,675 |  | $ | 6,158 |  | $ | 4,831 |  | $ | 11,121 |  | $ | 15,310
Working capital/(deficit) |  | 30,295 |  |  | (71,549) |  |  | (31,830) |  |  | (17,476) |  |  | (1,932)
Current ratio |  | 1.10 |  |  | 0.73 |  |  | 0.83 |  |  | 0.91 |  |  | 0.99
Properties and equipment, at cost less |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
accumulated depreciation | $ | 187,820 |  | $ | 175,763 |  | $ | 162,033 |  | $ | 143,034 |  | $ | 121,302
Total assets |  | 1,434,911 |  |  | 1,268,317 |  |  | 975,529 |  |  | 920,026 |  |  | 880,059
Long-term debt |  | - |  |  | 90,000 |  |  | 89,200 |  |  | 91,200 |  |  | 100,000
Stockholders' equity |  | 901,200 |  |  | 726,608 |  |  | 591,334 |  |  | 540,354 |  |  | 524,099
Other Statistics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Capital expenditures | $ | 58,831 |  | $ | 53,022 |  | $ | 52,872 |  | $ | 64,300 |  | $ | 39,772
Number of employees |  | 15,544 |  |  | 16,641 |  |  | 15,707 |  |  | 14,813 |  |  | 14,613
(a) The following amounts are included in income from continuing operations during the respective year (in thousands):
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016
After-tax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant | $ | 59,848 |  | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | -
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (29,238) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | 26,089 |  |  | 24,177 |  |  | 22,862 |  |  | 18,932 |  |  | -
Stock option expense |  | (15,700) |  |  | (12,237) |  |  | (10,118) |  |  | (6,892) |  |  | (5,266)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (7,895) |  |  | (6,440) |  |  | (5,307) |  |  | (3,243) |  |  | (1,221)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (6,914) |  |  | (2,913) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -
Litigation settlements |  | (2,675) |  |  | (4,476) |  |  | (594) |  |  | (52,504) |  |  | (28)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (462) |  |  | (2,965) |  |  | (1,114) |  |  | (276) |  |  | (141)
Acquisition expense |  | - |  |  | (3,557) |  |  | (559) |  |  | - |  |  | -
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | (1,733) |  |  | - |  |  | (3,314) |  |  | -
Non cash ASC 842 expenses |  | - |  |  | (406) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -
Program closure expenses |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (675) |  |  | -
Impact of tax reform |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 8,302 |  |  | -
Expenses incurred in connection with the Office of Inspector |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
General investigation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (3,207) |  |  | (3,248)
Early retirement expenses |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (2,840)
Expenses of securities litigation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -
Total | $ | 23,053 |  | $ | (10,550) |  | $ | 5,170 |  | $ | (42,877) |  | $ | (12,744)

‎

72

CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2020
(in thousands)(unaudited)
|  |  | Roto- |  |  |  | Chemed
| VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service revenues and sales | $ | 1,334,667 |  | $ | 744,916 |  | $ | - |  | $ | 2,079,583
Cost of services provided and goods sold |  | 1,010,693 |  |  | 367,504 |  |  | - |  |  | 1,378,197
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | 85,445 |  |  | 188,268 |  |  | 56,505 |  |  | 330,218
Depreciation |  | 22,168 |  |  | 24,292 |  |  | 136 |  |  | 46,596
Amortization |  | 71 |  |  | 9,916 |  |  | - |  |  | 9,987
Other operating (income)/expenses |  | (78,590) |  |  | 3,495 |  |  | - |  |  | (75,095)
Total costs and expenses |  | 1,039,787 |  |  | 593,475 |  |  | 56,641 |  |  | 1,689,903
Income/(loss) from operations |  | 294,880 |  |  | 151,441 |  |  | (56,641) |  |  | 389,680
Interest expense |  | (166) |  |  | (340) |  |  | (1,849) |  |  | (2,355)
Intercompany interest income/(expense) |  | 19,897 |  |  | 6,256 |  |  | (26,153) |  |  | -
Other income—net |  | 644 |  |  | 75 |  |  | 7,946 |  |  | 8,665
Income/(loss) before income taxes (a) |  | 315,255 |  |  | 157,432 |  |  | (76,697) |  |  | 395,990
Income taxes |  | (76,473) |  |  | (37,038) |  |  | 36,987 |  |  | (76,524)
Net income/(loss) (a) | $ | 238,782 |  | $ | 120,394 |  | $ | (39,710) |  | $ | 319,466
(a) The following amounts are included in income from continuing operations (in thousands):
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
Pretax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant | $ | 80,225 |  | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | 80,225
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (35,441) |  |  | (3,819) |  |  | - |  |  | (39,260)
Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (18,422) |  |  | (18,422)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | - |  |  | (9,408) |  |  | - |  |  | (9,408)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (8,937) |  |  | (8,937)
Litigation settlements |  | - |  |  | (3,639) |  |  | - |  |  | (3,639)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (619) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (619)
Total | $ | 44,165 |  | $ | (16,866) |  | $ | (27,359) |  | $ | (60)
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
After-tax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant | $ | 59,848 |  | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | 59,848
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (26,430) |  |  | (2,808) |  |  | - |  |  | (29,238)
Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (15,700) |  |  | (15,700)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | - |  |  | (6,914) |  |  | - |  |  | (6,914)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (7,895) |  |  | (7,895)
Litigation settlements |  | - |  |  | (2,675) |  |  | - |  |  | (2,675)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (462) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (462)
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 26,089 |  |  | 26,089
Total | $ | 32,956 |  | $ | (12,397) |  | $ | 2,494 |  | $ | 23,053

‎

73

CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019
(in thousands)(unaudited)
|  |  | Roto- |  |  |  | Chemed
| VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service revenues and sales | $ | 1,281,184 |  | $ | 657,371 |  | $ | - |  | $ | 1,938,555
Cost of services provided and goods sold |  | 982,056 |  |  | 339,070 |  |  | - |  |  | 1,321,126
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | 86,345 |  |  | 166,934 |  |  | 52,433 |  |  | 305,712
Depreciation |  | 19,984 |  |  | 20,730 |  |  | 156 |  |  | 40,870
Amortization |  | 71 |  |  | 4,264 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,335
Other operating expenses |  | 6,546 |  |  | 320 |  |  | 2,266 |  |  | 9,132
Total costs and expenses |  | 1,095,002 |  |  | 531,318 |  |  | 54,855 |  |  | 1,681,175
Income/(loss) from operations |  | 186,182 |  |  | 126,053 |  |  | (54,855) |  |  | 257,380
Interest expense |  | (169) |  |  | (345) |  |  | (4,021) |  |  | (4,535)
Intercompany interest income/(expense) |  | 18,135 |  |  | 8,152 |  |  | (26,287) |  |  | -
Other income—net |  | 385 |  |  | 126 |  |  | 8,253 |  |  | 8,764
Income/(loss) before income taxes (a) |  | 204,533 |  |  | 133,986 |  |  | (76,910) |  |  | 261,609
Income taxes |  | (48,711) |  |  | (30,276) |  |  | 37,301 |  |  | (41,686)
Net income/(loss) (a) | $ | 155,822 |  | $ | 103,710 |  | $ | (39,609) |  | $ | 219,923
(a) The following amounts are included in income from continuing operations (in thousands):
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
Pretax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (14,831) |  |  | (14,831)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (7,630) |  |  | (7,630)
Litigation settlements |  | (6,000) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (6,000)
Acquisition expenses |  | - |  |  | (4,664) |  |  | (170) |  |  | (4,834)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (3,982) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (3,982)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | - |  |  | (3,964) |  |  | - |  |  | (3,964)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (2,266) |  |  | (2,266)
Non cash ASC 842 expenses |  | (656) |  |  | (55) |  |  | 163 |  |  | (548)
Total | $ | (10,638) |  | $ | (8,683) |  | $ | (24,734) |  | $ | (44,055)
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
After-tax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | 24,177 |  | $ | 24,177
Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (12,237) |  |  | (12,237)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (6,440) |  |  | (6,440)
Litigation settlements |  | (4,476) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (4,476)
Acquisition expenses |  | - |  |  | (3,429) |  |  | (128) |  |  | (3,557)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (2,965) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (2,965)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | - |  |  | (2,913) |  |  | - |  |  | (2,913)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (1,733) |  |  | (1,733)
Non cash ASC 842 expenses |  | (490) |  |  | (40) |  |  | 124 |  |  | (406)
Total | $ | (7,931) |  | $ | (6,382) |  | $ | 3,763 |  | $ | (10,550)

‎

74

CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF INCOME
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2018
(in thousands)(unaudited)
|  |  | Roto- |  |  |  | Chemed
| VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Service revenues and sales | $ | 1,197,562 |  | $ | 585,086 |  | $ | - |  | $ | 1,782,648
Cost of services provided and goods sold |  | 928,306 |  |  | 299,338 |  |  | - |  |  | 1,227,644
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | 81,969 |  |  | 145,683 |  |  | 43,557 |  |  | 271,209
Depreciation |  | 19,688 |  |  | 18,629 |  |  | 147 |  |  | 38,464
Amortization |  | 12 |  |  | 387 |  |  | - |  |  | 399
Other operating expenses |  | 1,130 |  |  | 170 |  |  | - |  |  | 1,300
Total costs and expenses |  | 1,031,105 |  |  | 464,207 |  |  | 43,704 |  |  | 1,539,016
Income/(loss) from operations |  | 166,457 |  |  | 120,879 |  |  | (43,704) |  |  | 243,632
Interest expense |  | (175) |  |  | (319) |  |  | (4,496) |  |  | (4,990)
Intercompany interest income/(expense) |  | 12,832 |  |  | 6,908 |  |  | (19,740) |  |  | -
Other income—net |  | 579 |  |  | 93 |  |  | 286 |  |  | 958
Income/(loss) before income taxes (a) |  | 179,693 |  |  | 127,561 |  |  | (67,654) |  |  | 239,600
Income taxes |  | (40,847) |  |  | (28,850) |  |  | 35,641 |  |  | (34,056)
Net income/(loss) (a) | $ | 138,846 |  | $ | 98,711 |  | $ | (32,013) |  | $ | 205,544
(a) The following amounts are included in income from continuing operations (in thousands):
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
Pretax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock option expense | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | (12,611) |  | $ | (12,611)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (6,618) |  |  | (6,618)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (1,496) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (1,496)
Litigation settlements |  | (796) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (796)
Acquisition expense |  | (209) |  |  | (548) |  |  | - |  |  | (757)
Total | $ | (2,501) |  | $ | (548) |  | $ | (19,229) |  | $ | (22,278)
|  |  |  | Roto- |  |  |  |  | Chemed
|  | VITAS |  | Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
After-tax benefit/(cost): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation | $ | - |  | $ | - |  | $ | 22,862 |  | $ | 22,862
Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (10,118) |  |  | (10,118)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (5,307) |  |  | (5,307)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (1,114) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (1,114)
Litigation settlements |  | (594) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (594)
Acquisition expense |  | (156) |  |  | (403) |  |  | - |  |  | (559)
Total | $ | (1,864) |  | $ | (403) |  | $ | 7,437 |  | $ | 5,170

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We operate through our two wholly owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare Corporation (“VITAS”) and Roto-Rooter Group, Inc. (“Roto-Rooter”). VITAS focuses on hospice care that helps make terminally ill patients' final days as comfortable as possible. Through its team of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers, VITAS provides direct medical services to patients, as well as spiritual and emotional counseling to both patients and their families. Roto-Rooter is focused on providing plumbing, drain cleaning, water restoration and other related services to both residential and commercial customers. Through its network of company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees, Roto-Rooter offers plumbing and drain cleaning service to approximately 90% of the U.S. population.

The following is a summary of the key operating results for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands except percentages and per share amounts):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |
Consolidated service revenues and sales | $ | 2,079,583 |  | $ | 1,938,555 |  | $ | 1,782,648 |
Consolidated net income | $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544 |
Diluted EPS | $ | 19.48 |  | $ | 13.31 |  | $ | 12.23 |
Adjusted net income | $ | 296,413 |  | $ | 230,473 |  | $ | 200,374 |
Adjusted diluted EPS | $ | 18.08 |  | $ | 13.95 |  | $ | 11.93 |
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 444,823 |  | $ | 350,927 |  | $ | 305,506 |
Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenue |  | 21.4 |  | % | 18.1 |  | % | 17.1 | %

Adjusted net income, adjusted diluted EPS, earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures derived in accordance with GAAP. We use Adjusted EPS as a measure of earnings for certain long-term incentive awards. We use adjusted EBITDA to determine compliance with certain debt covenants. We provide non-GAAP measures to help readers evaluate our operating results and compare our operating performance with that of similar companies that have different capital structures. Our non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable measures presented in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of our non-GAAP measures are presented in tables following the Critical Accounting Policies section.

2020 versus 2019

The increase in consolidated service revenues and sales from 2019 to 2020 was a result of a 13.3% increase at Roto-Rooter and a 4.2% increase at VITAS. The increase in service revenues at Roto-Rooter was driven by an increase in all major service lines. The increase in service revenues at VITAS is comprised primarily of a 4.5% geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate increase, a 1.0% increase in days of care, $6.7 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction (compared to $12.4 million for 2019), and acuity mix shift.

The current COVID-19 pandemic had a material impact on our results of operations, cash flow and financial position for 2020. We are closely monitoring the impact of the pandemic on all aspects of our business including impacts to employees, customers, patients, suppliers and vendors. The Company’s two operating subsidiaries have been categorized as critical infrastructure businesses and are not currently materially limited by federal, state or local regulations that restrict movement or operating ability.

The length and severity of the pandemic, coupled with related governmental actions including relief acts and actions relating to our workforce at federal, state and local levels, and underlying economic disruption will determine the ultimate short-term and long-term impact to our business operations and financial results. We are unable to predict the myriad of possible issues that could arise or the ultimate effect to our businesses as a result of the unknown short, medium and long-term impacts that the pandemic will have on the United States economy and society as a whole.

On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was passed. It is intended to provide economic relief to individuals and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It also contains provisions related to healthcare providers’ operations and the issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The following are significant economic impacts for Chemed and its subsidiaries as a result of specific provisions of the CARES Act:

A portion of the CARES Act provides $100 billion from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (“Relief Fund”) to healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. Of this distribution, $30 billion was designated to be automatically distributed to facilities and healthcare providers based upon their 2019 Medicare fee-for-service revenue.

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On April 10, 2020 VITAS received $80.2 million from the Relief Fund based upon VITAS’s 2019 Medicare fee-for-service revenue. The main condition that is attached to the grant is that the money will be used “only for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus”. HHS guidance does not specifically designate what healthcare expenses are related to COVID-19. The guidance to date is general and broad but does provide some examples such as equipment and supplies, workforce training, reporting COVID-19 test results, securing separate facilities for COVID-19 patients and acquiring additional resources to expand or preserve care delivery. VITAS has cared for approximately 5,700 COVID positive patients through December 31, 2020.

The additional conditions to the Relief Fund payment are specific in nature, such as the money cannot be used for gun control advocacy purposes, abortions, embryo research, etc. The Company is in compliance, and intends to maintain compliance, with these specific conditions. Based on this analysis, management believes that there is reasonable assurance that VITAS will comply with the conditions.

Chemed and its subsidiaries have deferred $36.4 million of certain employer payroll taxes as permitted by the CARES Act. $18.2 million is classified as a short-term liability and $18.2 million is classified as long-term liability.

During the period from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the 2% Medicare sequestration reimbursement cut is suspended. For the year ended December 31, 2020 approximately $16.8 million was recognized as revenue due to the suspension of sequestration.

On December 27, 2020, a second COVID-19 relief bill was signed into law. Among other things, this bill extended the suspension of the 2% sequestration cut through March 31, 2021.

There is no U.S. GAAP that covers accounting for such government “grants” to for-profit entities. As a result, the Company analogized to International Accounting Standard 20 – Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosures (“IAS 20”). Under IAS 20, once it is reasonably assured that the entity will comply with the conditions of the grant, the grant money should be recognized on a systematic basis over the periods in which the entity recognizes the related expenses or losses.

The components of the amount recognized are as follows, (in thousands):

Lost revenue | $ | 44,784
Incremental PTO |  | 21,425
Hard costs |  | 14,016
Other operating income | $ | 80,225

Hard costs are primarily expenses paid to outside vendors for personal protection equipment, COVID testing for front line workers, and deep cleaning of in-patient facilities. In April, VITAS provided an extra two weeks of paid time off (“PTO”) to all frontline workers.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, VITAS recognized $44.8 million for estimated lost revenue as a result of the pandemic. The December 27, 2020 COVID-19 relief bill gave providers multiple options to calculate lost revenue including budget to actual comparisons or other systematic methods of calculation. We calculated lost revenue using the budget to actual method. Our 2020 budget was compiled, reviewed and approved prior to the start of the pandemic. Lost revenues for 2020 based on our calculation was $61.4 million, however only $44.8 million was recognized for use under the grant received.

All CARES Act funds received have been fully recognized as of December 31, 2020. However, the rules concerning utilization of the funds continue to evolve and we will continue to comply with those applicable to us.

2019 versus 2018

The increase in consolidated service revenues and sales from 2018 to 2019 was a result of a 12.4% increase at Roto-Rooter and a 7.0% increase at VITAS. The increase in service revenues at Roto-Rooter was driven by an increase in all major service lines as well as a $25.3 million increase as a result of acquisitions completed in 2019. The increase in service revenues at VITAS is comprised primarily of a 2.0% geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate increase, a 6.2% increase in days of care, offset by $12.4 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction (compared to $4.1 million for 2018) and acuity mix shift, fluctuations in net room and board and contractual adjustments.

On August 6, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the fiscal year 2020 hospice wage index and payment rate update (FY 2020 update). The FY 2020 update includes the normal yearly inflationary increase by level of care plus a rebasing of the continuous care, inpatient care and respite care rates. The rebasing of these levels of care was to reflect non-inflationary changes in providers’ costs over time. The rebasing increased the national average reimbursement rate for continuous care by 39.9%

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and inpatient care by 34.7%. Respite care is not material to our operations. The rebasing of these levels of care was effective on October 1, 2019.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2016-02 Leases” which introduced a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheets and updates lessor accounting to align with changes in the lessee model and the revenue recognition standard. This standard is also referred to as Accountings Standards Codification No.842 (“ASC 842”). We adopted ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019, using the optional transition method requiring leases existing at, or entered into after, January 1, 2019 to be recognized and measured. The transition method selected does not require adjustments to prior period amounts, which continue to be reflected in accordance with historical accounting. In addition, we elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical lease classification.

Chemed and each of its operating subsidiaries are service companies. As such, real estate leases comprise the largest lease obligation (and conversely, right of use asset) in our lease portfolio. VITAS has leased office space, as well as space for inpatient units (“IPUs”) and/or contract beds within hospitals. Roto-Rooter mainly has leased office space.

Roto-Rooter purchases equipment and leases it to certain of its independent contractors. We analyzed these leases in accordance with ASC 842 and determined they are operating leases. As a result, Roto-Rooter will continue to capitalize the equipment underlying these leases, depreciate the equipment and recognize rental income.

Adoption of the new standard resulted in right of use assets and lease liabilities of $93.1 million and $104.3 million, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. In determining the liability, we used our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the time of adoption, since the rate implicit in the leases cannot be readily determined. At January 1, 2019, the weighted average rate was 3.47%. The standard did not materially impact our consolidated net income or cash flows. We did not book a cumulative effect adjustment upon adoption of the standard.

On August 2, 2019, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) to purchase substantially all of the assets of HSW RR, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HSW”) and certain related assets of its affiliates, for $120.0 million, subject to a working capital adjustment that resulted in an additional $1.4 million payment to HSW. HSW owned and operated fourteen Roto-Rooter franchises mainly in the southwestern section of the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Phoenix. Included in the assets purchased were the assets of Western Drain Supply, Inc., a plumbing supply company. The purchase was made using a combination of cash on-hand and borrowings under Chemed’s existing $450 million revolving credit facility. On September 16, 2019, we completed the acquisition.

On July 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of a Roto-Rooter franchise and the related assets in Oakland, CA for $18.0 million in cash.

Reacquired franchise rights, included in identifiable intangibles on the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are amortized over the period remaining in each individual franchise agreement. The average amortization period for reacquired franchise rights for the acquisitions made in 2019 is 7.4 years.

Revenue and net income for the two acquisitions completed in 2019 are as follows (in thousands):

| HSW |  | Oakland |  | Total
Service revenues and sales | $ | 20,141 |  | $ | 5,150 |  | $ | 25,291
Net income/(loss) |  | (2,777) |  |  | 231 |  |  | (2,546)

Included in net income for the two acquisitions is $3.4 million of one-time acquisition expense.

The franchise fee revenue, the valuation of reacquired franchise rights and amortization for the acquired franchises are as follows:

|  |  |  |  |  | Annualized
|  |  |  | Valuation |  | Amortization of
| 2018 Franchise |  | of Reacquired |  | Reacquired
| Revenue |  | Franchise Rights |  | Franchise Rights
HSW | $ | 1,782 |  | $ | 52,980 |  | $ | 7,258
Oakland |  | 95 |  |  | 6,190 |  |  | 825
Subtotal |  | 1,877 |  | $ | 59,170 |  | $ | 8,083
All other franchise territories |  | 4,505 |  |  |  |  |  |
| $ | 6,382 |  |  |  |  |  |

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As a result of the acquisitions, 2018 is the last full-year of franchise revenue received from HSW and Oakland. Total franchise revenue in 2019 was $6.1 million

Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements is $4.0 million for 2019.

Impact of Current Market Conditions

Chemed earnings guidance has been developed using previous years’ key operating metrics which are then modeled and projected out for the calendar year. Critical within these projections is the understanding of traditional patterned correlations among key operating metrics. Once we complete this phase of our projected operating results, we would then modify the projections for the timing of price increases, changes in commission structure, wages, marketing programs and a variety of continuous improvement initiatives that our business segments plan on executing over the coming year. This modeling exercise also takes into consideration anticipated industry and macro-economic issues outside of management’s control but are somewhat predictable in terms of timing and impact on our business segments’ operating results.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made accurate modeling and providing meaningful earnings guidance exceptionally challenging. Federal, state and local government authorities are forced to make swift decisions within our healthcare system, labor pools and general economy. These governmental decisions have the potential for an immediate and material impact on VITAS and Roto-Rooter operating results.

Since the start of the pandemic, Chemed has been able to successfully navigate within this rapidly changing environment and produce operating results that we believe provide us with the ability to issue earnings guidance for the 2021 calendar year. However, this guidance should be taken with the recognition the pandemic will continue to materially disrupt all aspects of our healthcare system and general economy to such an extent that future rules, regulations and government mandates could materially impact our ability to achieve this guidance.

Statistically, patients residing in senior housing are identified as hospice appropriate earlier into their terminal prognosis and have a much greater probability of having a length of stay in excess of 90 days. Hospice patients referred from hospitals, oncology practices and similar referral sources are generally more acute and have a significantly lower probability of lengths-of-stay exceeding 90 days. According to data released by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, COVID-19 continues to adversely affect senior housing occupancy, which reached another record low in the third quarter of 2020. This reduced occupancy in senior housing has had a corresponding reduction in VITAS nursing home admissions. Nursing home patients represented 14.7% of the VITAS fourth quarter 2020 patient census, a 310-basis point reduction when compared the fourth quarter of 2019.

VITAS anticipate continued weak occupancy and corresponding weak referrals from senior housing for the first half of 2021. This guidance anticipates senior housing occupancy will begin to normalize to pre-pandemic occupancy starting in the second half of calendar year 2021.

Based upon the above discussion, VITAS 2021 revenue, prior to Medicare Cap, is estimated to decline approximately 4.0% when compared to the prior year. Average Daily Census in 2021 is estimated to decline approximately 5.0%. Full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin, prior to Medicare Cap, is estimated to be 19.4%. We are currently estimating $10 million for Medicare Cap billing limitations in calendar year 2021.

Roto-Rooter is forecasted to achieve full-year 2021 revenue growth of 5% to 6%. Roto-Rooter’s Adjusted EBITDA margin for 2021 is estimated to be 26.0%.

Based upon the above, full-year 2021 adjusted earnings per diluted share, excluding non-cash expense for stock options, tax benefits from stock option exercises, costs related to litigation, and other discrete items, is estimated to be in the range of $17.00 to $17.50. This 2021 guidance assumes an effective corporate tax rate on adjusted earnings of 24.7%. Chemed’s 2020 reported adjusted earnings per diluted share was $18.08.

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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Significant factors affecting our cash flows during 2020 and financial position at December 31, 2020, include the following:

Our operations generated cash of $489.3 million.

We repurchased $175.6 million of our stock.

We spent $58.8 million on capital expenditures.

We paid $21.1 million in dividends.

We repaid $90.0 million of long-term debt.

The Company has no debt for the year ending December 31, 2020. The ratio of total debt to total capital was 11.0% at December 31, 2019. Our current ratio was 1.10 and 0.73 at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

On June 20, 2018, we replaced our existing credit agreement with the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (“2018 Credit Agreement”). Terms of the 2018 Credit Agreement consist of a five-year, $450 million revolving credit facility and a $150 million expansion feature, which may consist of term loans or additional revolving commitments. The interest rate at inception of the agreement is LIBOR plus 100 basis points. The 2018 Credit Agreement has a floating interest rate that is generally LIBOR plus a tiered additional rate which varies based on our current leverage ratio. For December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, the interest rate is LIBOR plus 100 basis points. The 2018 Credit Agreement includes transition provisions in the instance LIBOR is no longer published or used as an industry-accepted rate.

The 2018 Credit Agreement contains the following quarterly financial covenants effective as of December 31, 2020:

|  |  |  | Chemed
Description |  | Requirement |  | December 31, 2020
Leverage Ratio (Consolidated Indebtedness/Consolidated Adj. EBITDA) |  | < 3.50 to 1.00 |  | 0.08 to 1.00
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (Consolidated Free Cash Flow/Consolidated |  |  |  |
Fixed Charges |  | > 1.50 to 1.00 |  | 5.04 to 1.00

We forecast to be in compliance with all debt covenants through fiscal 2021.

We have issued $37.9 million in standby letters of credit as of December 31, 2020, mainly for insurance purposes. Issued letters of credit reduce our available credit under the revolving credit agreement. As of December 31, 2020, we have approximately $412.1 million of unused lines of credit available and eligible to be drawn down under our revolving credit facility. We believe our cash flow from operating activities and our unused eligible lines of credit are sufficient to fund our obligations and operate our business in the near and long term. We continually evaluate cash utilization alternatives, including share repurchase, debt repurchase, acquisitions, and increased dividends to determine the most beneficial use of available capital resources.

‎

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### CASH FLOW

Our cash flows for 2020, 2019 and 2018 are summarized as follows (in millions):

|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Net cash provided by operating activities | $ | 489.3 |  | $ | 301.2 |  | $ | 287.1
Capital expenditures |  | (58.8) |  |  | (53.0) |  |  | (52.9)
Net cash provided for operating activities after capital expenditures |  | 430.5 |  |  | 248.2 |  |  | 234.2
Purchase of treasury stock in the open market |  | (175.6) |  |  | (92.6) |  |  | (158.9)
Business combinations |  | (3.6) |  |  | (138.0) |  |  | (53.2)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options |  | 50.4 |  |  | 34.4 |  |  | 32.4
Capital stock surrendered to pay taxes on |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
on stock-based compensation |  | (25.3) |  |  | (28.5) |  |  | (27.5)
Dividends paid |  | (21.1) |  |  | (19.8) |  |  | (18.7)
Net increase/(decrease) in long-term debt |  | (90.0) |  |  | 0.8 |  |  | (12.0)
Decrease in cash overdraft payable |  | (9.8) |  |  | (3.9) |  |  | (1.5)
Other--net |  | 1.0 |  |  | 0.7 |  |  | (1.1)
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | $ | 156.5 |  | $ | 1.3 |  | $ | (6.3)

2020 versus 2019

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $188.0 million from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020. The main driver of the increase relate to increased earnings which includes the receipt of $80.2 million in CARES Act grant funds. We deferred $36.4 million of payroll tax payments as permitted by the CARES Act. Additionally, significant changes in our accounts receivable balances are driven mainly by the timing of payments received from the Federal government at our VITAS subsidiary. We typically receive a payment in excess of $40.0 million from the Federal government from hospice services every other Friday. The timing of year end will have a significant impact on the accounts receivable at VITAS. These changes generally normalize over a two year period, as cash flow variations in one year are offset in the following year. The swing in accounts receivable improved cash flow by $32.0 million between 2020 and 2019.

In 2020, we repurchased 384,252 shares of Chemed capital stock at a weighted average price of $456.98 per share. In 2019, we repurchased approximately 269,009 shares of Chemed stock at a weighted average price of $344.34 per share. Based on our current operations and our current sources of capital, we believe we have the ability to continue our current share repurchase program into the foreseeable future.

The Company made two large acquisitions in 2019, the magnitude of which were not repeated in 2020.

2019 versus 2018

The change in net cash provided by operating activities is mainly the result of a $14.4 million increase in net income. Significant changes in our accounts receivable balances are driven mainly by the timing of payments received from the Federal government at our VITAS subsidiary. We typically receive a payment in excess of $40.0 million from the Federal government from hospice services every other Friday. The timing of year end will have a significant impact on the accounts receivable at VITAS. These changes generally normalize over a two year period, as cash flow variations in one year are offset in the following year.

In 2019, we repurchased 269,009 shares of Chemed capital stock at a weighted average price of $344.34 per share. In 2018, we repurchased approximately 561,146 shares of Chemed stock at a weighted average price of $283.14 per share. Based on our current operations and our current sources of capital, we believe we have the ability to continue our current share repurchase program into the foreseeable future.

On August 2, 2019, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) to purchase substantially all of the assets of HSW RR, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HSW”) and certain related assets of its affiliates, for $120.0 million, subject to a working capital adjustment that resulted in an additional $1.4 million payment to HSW. HSW owned and operated fourteen Roto-Rooter franchises mainly in the southwestern section of the United States, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Phoenix. Included in the assets purchased were the assets of Western Drain Supply, Inc., a plumbing supply company. The purchase was made using a combination of cash on-hand and borrowings under Chemed’s existing $450 million revolving credit facility. On September 16, 2019, we completed the acquisition.

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On July 1, 2019, we completed the acquisition of a Roto-Rooter franchise and the related assets in Oakland, CA for $18.0 million in cash.

The change in overdrafts payable is also a function of the timing of cash payments made and cash receipts near year end.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are subject to various lawsuits and claims in the normal course of our business. In addition, we periodically receive communications from governmental and regulatory agencies concerning compliance with Medicare and Medicaid billing requirements at our VITAS subsidiary. We establish reserves for specific, uninsured liabilities in connection with regulatory and legal action that we deem to be probable and estimable. We disclose the existence of regulatory and legal actions when we believe it is reasonably possible that a loss could occur in connection with the specific action. In most instances, we are unable to make a reasonable estimate of any reasonably possible liability due to the uncertainty of the outcome and stage of litigation. We record legal fees associated with legal and regulatory actions as the costs are incurred.

Please see Note 17 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of current material legal matters.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

The table below summarizes our debt and contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020 (in thousands):

|  |  |  |  |  | Less than |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | After
|  |  | Total |  |  | 1 year |  |  | 1-3 Years |  |  | 3-5 Years |  |  | 5 Years
Lease liabilities |  | $ | 135,410 |  | $ | 39,730 |  | $ | 50,475 |  | $ | 27,825 |  | $ | 17,380
Purchase obligations (a) |  |  | 54,234 |  |  | 54,234 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | -
Other long-term obligations (b) |  |  | 112,580 |  |  | 6,031 |  |  | 12,062 |  |  | 6,031 |  |  | 88,456
Total contractual cash obligations |  | $ | 302,224 |  | $ | 99,995 |  | $ | 62,537 |  | $ | 33,856 |  | $ | 105,836
(a) Purchase obligations consist of accounts payable at December 31, 2020.
(b) Other long-term obligations comprise largely excess benefit obligations.

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

2020 Versus 2019 – Consolidated Results

Set forth below are the year-to-year changes in the components of the statement of operations relating to income for 2020 versus 2019 (in thousands, except percentages):

|  | Favorable/(Unfavorable) |
|  | Amount |  |  | Percent |
Service revenues and sales |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 53,483 |  |  | 4 |
Roto-Rooter |  | 87,545 |  |  | 13 |
Total |  | 141,028 |  |  | 7 |
Cost of services provided and goods sold |  | (57,071) |  |  | (4) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | (24,506) |  |  | (8) |
Depreciation |  | (5,726) |  |  | (14) |
Amortization |  | (5,652) |  |  | (130) |
Other operating expenses |  | 84,227 |  |  | 922 |
Income from operations |  | 132,300 |  |  | 51 |
Interest expense |  | 2,180 |  |  | 48 |
Other income - net |  | (99) |  |  | (1) |
Income before income taxes |  | 134,381 |  |  | 51 |
Income taxes |  | (34,838) |  |  | (84) |
Net income | $ | 99,543 |  |  | 45 |

The VITAS segment revenue is as follows (dollars in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Routine homecare | $ | 1,106,358 |  | $ | 1,076,025
Continuous care |  | 136,011 |  |  | 133,473
Inpatient care |  | 114,956 |  |  | 99,920
Other |  | 11,164 |  |  | 10,433
Medicare cap adjustment |  | (6,678) |  |  | (12,415)
Implicit price concessions |  | (14,970) |  |  | (14,893)
Room and board, net |  | (12,174) |  |  | (11,359)
Net revenue | $ | 1,334,667 |  | $ | 1,281,184

Days of care are as follows:

|  | Days of Care |  | Increase/(Decrease)
|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  | Percent
| Routine homecare | 5,597,213 |  |  | 5,338,664 |  | 5
| Nursing home | 1,097,493 |  |  | 1,224,264 |  | (10)
| Respite | 20,387 |  |  | 28,857 |  | (29)
| Subtotal routine homecare and respite | 6,715,093 |  |  | 6,591,785 |  | 2
| Continuous care | 141,693 |  |  | 166,783 |  | (15)
| General inpatient | 112,718 |  |  | 120,063 |  | (6)
| Total days of care | 6,969,504 |  |  | 6,878,631 |  | 1

The remaining increase in VITAS’ revenues for 2020 versus 2019 was primarily comprised of a geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate increase of approximately 4.5%, $6.7 million in Medicare cap revenue reductions compared to $12.4 million in Medicare cap revenue reductions in the same period of 2019, acuity mix shift, fluctuations in net room and board and contractual adjustments that negatively impacted revenue growth, when compared to the prior-year period.

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The Roto-Rooter segment revenue is as follows (dollars in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Drain cleaning - short term core | $ | 218,500 |  | $ | 195,063
Plumbing - short term core |  | 147,326 |  |  | 139,662
Subtotal |  | 365,826 |  |  | 334,725
Excavation - short term core |  | 184,960 |  |  | 145,540
Water restoration |  | 126,378 |  |  | 115,949
Contractor operations |  | 64,727 |  |  | 58,086
Outside franchisee fees |  | 4,893 |  |  | 6,152
Other - short term core |  | 1,714 |  |  | 2,360
Other |  | 13,537 |  |  | 12,279
Implicit price concessions and credit memos |  | (17,119) |  |  | (17,720)
Total | $ | 744,916 |  | $ | 657,371

All major lines of business at Roto-Rooter were impacted by the Oakland and HSW acquisitions that occurred during 2019 which increased revenue $49.9 million. The increase in drain cleaning revenues for 2020 versus 2019 is attributable to a 2.5% increase in price and service mix shift and a 9.5% increase in job count. The increase in plumbing revenues for 2020 versus 2019 is attributable to a 0.1% increase in price and service mix shift and a 5.4% increase in job count. The increase in excavation revenues for 2020 versus 2019 is attributable to a 9.0% increase in price and service mix shift and an 18.1% increase in job count. Water restoration revenue for 2020 versus 2019 is attributable to a 2.8% increase in price and service mix shift and a 6.2% increase in job count. Contractor operations increased 11.4% mainly due to the HSW acquisition and their continued expansion into water restoration.

The consolidated gross margin excluding depreciation was 33.7% in 2020 versus 31.8% in 2019. On a segment basis, VITAS’ gross margin excluding depreciation was 24.3% in 2020 and 23.3% in 2019. The increase is primarily due to improved labor management. Roto-Rooter’s gross margin excluding depreciation was 50.7% in 2020 and 48.4% in 2019. The increase is primarily due to increased revenue covering more fixed costs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for 2020 and 2019 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
SG&A expenses before long-term incentive compensation, and the impact of market |  |  |  |  |
value adjustments related to deferred compensation trusts | $ | 313,348 |  | $ | 289,828
Long-term incentive compensation |  | 8,937 |  |  | 7,630
Impact of market value adjustments related to assets held in deferred compensation trusts |  | 7,933 |  |  | 8,254
Total SG&A expenses | $ | 330,218 |  | $ | 305,712

SG&A expenses before long-term incentive compensation and the impact of market value adjustments related to deferred compensation trusts for 2020 were up 8.1% when compared to 2019. This increase was mainly a result of the increase in variable selling expenses caused by increased revenue and increased advertising expense at Roto-Rooter.

Depreciation expense increased $5.7 million when compared to 2019 primarily due to new equipment purchased at Roto-Rooter related to the acquisitions completed in the second half of 2019.

Amortization expense increased $5.7 million mainly as a result of reacquired franchise rights amortization from the Oakland and HSW acquisition completed in the second half of 2019.

Other operating (income)/expense for 2020 and 2019 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
CARES Act grant income | $ | (80,225) |  | $ | -
Litigation settlements |  | 4,589 |  |  | 6,000
Loss on disposal of property and equipment |  | 541 |  |  | 866
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | 2,266
Total other operating expenses | $ | (75,095) |  | $ | 9,132

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Other income-net for 2020 and 2019 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
Market value gains on assets held in deferred |  |  |  |  |
compensation trusts | $ | 7,933 |  | $ | 8,254
Interest income |  | 757 |  |  | 513
Other |  | (25) |  |  | (3)
Total other income | $ | 8,665 |  | $ | 8,764

Our effective tax rate reconciliation is as follows:

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |
Income tax provision calculated using the statutory rate | $ | 83,158 |  | $ | 54,938 |
Excess stock compensation tax benefits |  | (26,089) |  |  | (24,177) |
State and local income taxes, less federal income tax effect |  | 13,855 |  |  | 7,880 |
Nondeductible expenses |  | 5,377 |  |  | 3,048 |
Other--net |  | 223 |  |  | (3) |
Income tax provision | $ | 76,524 |  | $ | 41,686 |
Effective tax rate |  | 19.3 | % |  | 15.9 | %

Net income for both periods include the following after-tax adjustments that increased/(reduced) after-tax earnings (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019
VITAS |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant income | $ | 59,848 |  | $ | -
COVID-19 expense |  | (26,430) |  |  | -
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (462) |  |  | (2,965)
Litigation settlements |  | - |  |  | (4,476)
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | - |  |  | (490)
Roto-Rooter |  |  |  |  |
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (6,914) |  |  | (2,913)
Direct costs related to COVID-19 |  | (2,808) |  |  | -
Litigation settlements |  | (2,675) |  |  | -
Acquisition expense |  | - |  |  | (3,429)
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | - |  |  | (40)
Corporate |  |  |  |  |
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | 26,089 |  |  | 24,177
Stock option expense |  | (15,700) |  |  | (12,237)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (7,895) |  |  | (6,440)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | (1,733)
Acquisition expense |  | - |  |  | (128)
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | - |  |  | 124
Total | $ | 23,053 |  | $ | (10,550)

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2020 Versus 2019 – Segment Results

Net income/(loss) for 2020 versus 2019 (in thousand):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |
VITAS | $ | 238,782 |  | $ | 155,822 |
Roto-Rooter |  | 120,394 |  |  | 103,710 |
Corporate |  | (39,710) |  |  | (39,609) |
| $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |

VITAS’ after-tax earnings were positively impacted in 2020 compared to 2019 due to higher revenue and improved labor management and ancillary costs, the recognition of $59.8 million in CARES Act grant income offset by $26.4 million in direct costs related to COVID-19. After-tax earnings as a percent of revenue at VITAS in 2020 was 17.9% as compared to 12.2% in 2019.

Roto-Rooter’s net income was positively impacted in 2020 compared to 2019 primarily by an increase in revenue offset by increased depreciation and amortization expense. After-tax earnings as a percent of revenue at Roto-Rooter in 2020 was 16.2% as compared to 15.8% in 2019.

After-tax Corporate expenses for 2020 were essentially flat compared to 2019.

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2019 Versus 2018 – Consolidated Results

Set forth below are the year-to-year changes in the components of the statement of operations relating to income for 2019 versus 2018 (in thousands, except percentages):

|  | Favorable/(Unfavorable) |
|  | Amount |  |  | Percent |
Service revenues and sales |  |  |  |  |  |
VITAS | $ | 83,622 |  |  | 7 |
Roto-Rooter |  | 72,285 |  |  | 12 |
Total |  | 155,907 |  |  | 9 |
Cost of services provided and goods sold |  | (93,482) |  |  | (8) |
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | (34,503) |  |  | (13) |
Depreciation |  | (2,406) |  |  | (6) |
Amortization |  | (3,936) |  |  | (986) |
Other operating expenses |  | (7,832) |  |  | (602) |
Income from operations |  | 13,748 |  |  | 6 |
Interest expense |  | 455 |  |  | 9 |
Other income - net |  | 7,806 |  |  | 815 |
Income before income taxes |  | 22,009 |  |  | 9 |
Income taxes |  | (7,630) |  |  | (22) |
Net income | $ | 14,379 |  |  | 7 |

The VITAS segment revenue increase is the result of the following (dollars in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Routine homecare | $ | 1,076,025 |  | $ | 1,010,518
Continuous care |  | 133,473 |  |  | 122,498
Inpatient care |  | 99,920 |  |  | 82,677
Other |  | 10,433 |  |  | 7,831
Medicare cap adjustment |  | (12,415) |  |  | (4,123)
Implicit price concessions |  | (14,893) |  |  | (11,785)
Room and board, net |  | (11,359) |  |  | (10,054)
Net revenue | $ | 1,281,184 |  | $ | 1,197,562

Days of care change as follows:

| Days of Care |  | Increase/(Decrease)
| 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  | Percent
Routine homecare | 6,578,815 |  |  | 6,192,858 |  | 6
Continuous care | 166,783 |  |  | 169,828 |  | (2)
General inpatient | 133,033 |  |  | 113,453 |  | 17
Total days of care | 6,878,631 |  |  | 6,476,139 |  | 6

The remaining increase in VITAS’ revenues for 2019 versus 2018 was primarily comprised of a geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate increase of approximately 2.0%, offset by $12.4 million in Medicare cap revenue reductions compared to $4.1 million Medicare cap revenue reductions in the same period of 2018, acuity mix shift, fluctuations in net room and board and contractual adjustments that negatively impacted revenue growth, when compared to the prior-year period.

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The Roto-Rooter segment revenue increase is the result of the following (dollars in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Drain cleaning - short term core | $ | 195,063 |  | $ | 170,250
Plumbing - short term core |  | 139,662 |  |  | 124,390
Subtotal |  | 334,725 |  |  | 294,640
Excavation - short term core |  | 145,540 |  |  | 128,885
Water restoration |  | 115,949 |  |  | 109,484
Contractor operations |  | 58,086 |  |  | 50,169
Outside franchisee fees |  | 6,152 |  |  | 6,382
Other - short term core |  | 2,360 |  |  | 2,320
Other |  | 12,279 |  |  | 11,958
Implicit price concessions and credit memos |  | (17,720) |  |  | (18,752)
Total | $ | 657,371 |  | $ | 585,086

All major lines of business at Roto-Rooter were impacted by the Oakland and HSW acquisitions that occurred during 2019 which increased revenue $25.3 million. The increase in drain cleaning revenues for 2019 versus 2018 is attributable to an 8.1% increase in price and service mix shift and a 6.5% increase in job count. The increase in plumbing revenues for 2019 versus 2018 is attributable to a 7.6% increase in price and service mix shift and a 4.7% increase in job count. The increase in excavation revenues for 2019 versus 2018 is attributable to an 8.7% increase in price and service mix shift and a 4.2% increase in job count. Water restoration revenue for 2019 versus 2018 is attributable to a 1.2% increase in price and service mix shift and a 4.7% increase in job count. Contractor operations increased 15.8% mainly due to their continued expansion into water restoration.

The consolidated gross margin excluding depreciation was 31.8% in 2019 versus 31.1% in 2018. On a segment basis, VITAS’ gross margin excluding depreciation was 23.3% in 2019 and 22.5% in 2018 primarily due to improved labor management and reduced ancillary costs. Roto-Rooter’s gross margin excluding depreciation was 48.4% in 2019 and 48.8% in 2018.

Selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for 2019 and 2018 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
SG&A expenses before long-term incentive compensation, and the impact of market |  |  |  |  |
value adjustments related to deferred compensation trusts | $ | 289,828 |  | $ | 264,304
Impact of market value adjustments related to assets held in deferred compensation trusts |  | 8,254 |  |  | 287
Long-term incentive compensation |  | 7,630 |  |  | 6,618
Total SG&A expenses | $ | 305,712 |  | $ | 271,209

SG&A expenses before long-term incentive compensation and the impact of market value adjustments related to deferred compensation trusts for 2019 were up 9.7% when compared to 2018. This increase was mainly a result of the increase in variable selling expenses caused by increased revenue and increased advertising expense at Roto-Rooter as well as $4.7 million in acquisition related expenses at Roto-Rooter in 2019.

Amortization expense increased $3.9 million mainly as a result of reacquired franchise rights amortization from the Oakland and HSW acquisition.

Other operating expense for 2019 and 2018 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Litigation settlements | $ | 6,000 |  | $ | 796
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | 2,266 |  |  | -
Loss on disposal of property and equipment |  | 866 |  |  | 504
Total other operating expenses | $ | 9,132 |  | $ | 1,300

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Other income-net for 2019 and 2018 comprise (in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Market value gains on assets held in deferred |  |  |  |  |
compensation trusts | $ | 8,254 |  | $ | 287
Interest income |  | 513 |  |  | 671
Other |  | (3) |  |  | -
Total other income | $ | 8,764 |  | $ | 958

Our effective tax rate reconciliation is as follows:

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |
Income tax provision calculated using the statutory rate | $ | 54,938 |  | $ | 50,316 |
Stock compensation tax benefits |  | (24,177) |  |  | (22,862) |
State and local income taxes, less federal income tax effect |  | 7,880 |  |  | 7,150 |
Nondeductible expenses |  | 3,048 |  |  | 2,280 |
Other--net |  | (3) |  |  | (2,828) |
Income tax provision | $ | 41,686 |  | $ | 34,056 |
Effective tax rate |  | 15.9 | % |  | 14.2 | %

Net income for both periods include the following after-tax adjustments that increased/(reduced) after-tax earnings (in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
VITAS |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlements | $ | (4,476) |  | $ | (594)
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | (2,965) |  | $ | (1,114)
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | (490) |  |  | -
Acquisition expense |  | - |  |  | (156)
Roto-Rooter |  |  |  |  |
Acquisition expense |  | (3,429) |  |  | (403)
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | (2,913) |  |  | -
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | (40) |  |  | -
Corporate |  |  |  |  |
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | 24,177 |  |  | 22,862
Stock option expense |  | (12,237) |  |  | (10,118)
Long-term incentive compensation |  | (6,440) |  |  | (5,307)
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | (1,733) |  |  | -
Acquisition expense |  | (128) |  |  | -
Non cash ASC 842 expense |  | 124 |  |  | -
Total | $ | (10,550) |  | $ | 5,170

2019 Versus 2018 – Segment Results

Net income/(loss) for 2019 versus 2018 (in thousands):

|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
VITAS | $ | 155,822 |  | $ | 138,846
Roto-Rooter |  | 103,710 |  |  | 98,711
Corporate |  | (39,609) |  |  | (32,013)
| $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544

VITAS’ after-tax earnings were positively impacted in 2019 compared to 2018 due to higher gross margin offset by the impact of a litigation settlement of approximately $6.0 million ($4.5 million after-tax). After-tax earnings as a percent of revenue at VITAS in 2019 was 12.2% as compared to 11.6% in 2018.

Roto-Rooter’s net income was positively impacted in 2019 compared to 2018 primarily by an increase in revenue offset by acquisition related expenses. After-tax earnings as a percent of revenue at Roto-Rooter in 2019 was 15.8% as compared to 16.9% in 2018.

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After-tax Corporate expenses for 2019 increased by 23.7% when compared to 2018 due mainly to a $2.3 million ($1.7 million after-tax) loss on the sale of transportation equipment and increased stock-based compensation in 2019 when compared to 2018.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business Combinations

We account for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting. All assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition. The determination of fair value involves estimates and the use of valuation techniques when market value is not readily available. We use various techniques to determine fair value in accordance with accepted valuation models, primarily the income approach. The significant assumptions used in developing fair values include, but are not limited to, revenue growth rates, the amount and timing of future cash flows, discount rates, useful lives, royalty rates and future tax rates. The excess of purchase price over the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired is recorded as goodwill.

Revenue Recognition

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The standard and subsequent amendments are theoretically intended to develop a common revenue standard for removing inconsistencies and weaknesses, improve comparability, provide for more useful information to users through improved disclosure requirements and simplify the preparation of financial statements. The standard is also referred to as Accounting Standards Codification No. 606 (“ASC606”). We adopted ASC 606 effective January 1, 2018. The required disclosures of ASC 606 and impact of adoption are discussed below for each of our operating subsidiaries.

VITAS

Service revenue for VITAS is reported at the amount that reflects the ultimate consideration we expect to receive in exchange for providing patient care. These amounts are due from third-party payors, primarily commercial health insurers and government programs (Medicare and Medicaid), and includes variable consideration for revenue adjustments due to settlements of audits and reviews, as well as certain hospice-specific revenue capitations. Amounts are generally billed monthly or subsequent to patient discharge. Subsequent changes in the transaction price initially recognized are not significant.

Hospice services are provided on a daily basis and the type of service provided is determined based on a physician’s determination of each patient’s specific needs on that given day. Reimbursement rates for hospice services are on a per diem basis regardless of the type of service provided or the payor. Reimbursement rates from government programs are established by the appropriate governmental agency and are standard across all hospice providers. Reimbursement rates from health insurers are negotiated with each payor and generally structured to closely mirror the Medicare reimbursement model. The types of hospice services provided and associated reimbursement model for each are as follows:

Routine Home Care occurs when a patient receives hospice care in their home, including a nursing home setting. The routine home care rate is paid for each day that a patient is in a hospice program and is not receiving one of the other categories of hospice care. For Medicare patients, the routine home care rate reflects a two-tiered rate, with a higher rate for the first 60 days of a hospice patient’s care and a lower rate for days 61 and after. In addition, there is a Service Intensity Add-on payment which covers direct home care visits conducted by a registered nurse or social worker in the last seven days of a hospice patient’s life, reimbursed up to 4 hours per day in 15 minute increments at the continuous home care rate.

General Inpatient Care occurs when a patient requires services in a controlled setting for a short period of time for pain control or symptom management which cannot be managed in other settings. General inpatient care services must be provided in a Medicare or Medicaid certified hospital or long-term care facility or at a freestanding inpatient hospice facility with the required registered nurse staffing.

Continuous Home Care is provided to patients while at home, including a nursing home setting, during periods of crisis when intensive monitoring and care, primarily nursing care, is required in order to achieve palliation or management of acute medical symptoms. Continuous home care requires a minimum of 8 hours of care within a 24 hour day, which begins at midnight. The care must be predominantly nursing care provided by either a registered nurse or licensed nurse practitioner. While the published Medicare continuous home care rates are daily rates, Medicare pays for continuous home care in 15 minute increments. This 15 minute rate is calculated by dividing the daily rate by 96.

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Respite Care permits a hospice patient to receive services on an inpatient basis for a short period of time in order to provide relief for the patient’s family or other caregivers from the demands of caring for the patient. A hospice can receive payment for respite care for a given patient for up to five consecutive days at a time, after which respite care is reimbursed at the routine home care rate.

Each level of care represents a separate promise under the contract of care and is provided independently for each patient contingent upon the patient’s specific medical needs as determined by a physician. However, the clinical criteria used to determine a patient’s level of care is consistent across all patients, given that, each patient is subject to the same payor rules and regulations. As a result, we have concluded that each level of care is capable of being distinct and is distinct in the context of the contract. Furthermore, we have determined that each level of care represents a stand ready service provided as a series of either days or hours of patient care. We believe that the performance obligations for each level of care meet criteria to be satisfied over time. VITAS recognizes revenue based on the service output. VITAS believes this to be the most faithful depiction of the transfer of control of services as the patient simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by our performance. Revenue is recognized on a daily or hourly basis for each patient in accordance with the reimbursement model for each type of service. VITAS’ performance obligations relate to contracts with an expected duration of less than one year. Therefore, VITAS has elected to apply the optional exception provided in ASC 606 and is not required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. The unsatisfied or partially satisfied performance obligations referred to above relate to bereavement services provided to patients’ families for at least 12 months after discharge.

Care is provided to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Patients who meet our criteria for charity care are provided care without charge. There is no revenue or associated accounts receivable in the accompanying consolidated financial statements related to charity care. The cost of providing charity care during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, was $8.1 million, $9.0 million and $8.2 million, respectively and is included in cost of services provided and goods sold. The cost of charity care is calculated by taking the ratio of charity care days to total days of care and multiplying by total cost of care.

Generally, patients who are covered by third-party payors are responsible for related deductibles and coinsurance which vary in amount. VITAS also provides service to patients without a reimbursement source and may offer those patients discounts from standard charges. VITAS estimates the transaction price for patients with deductibles and coinsurance, along with those uninsured patients, based on historical experience and current conditions. The estimate of any contractual adjustments, discounts or implicit price concessions reduces the amount of revenue initially recognized. Subsequent changes to the estimate of the transaction price are recorded as adjustments to patient service revenue in the period of change. Subsequent changes that are determined to be the result of an adverse change in the patients’ ability to pay (i.e. change in credit risk) are recorded as bad debt expense. VITAS has no material adjustments related to subsequent changes in the estimate of the transaction price or subsequent changes as the result of an adverse change in the patient’s ability to pay for any period reported.

Laws and regulations concerning government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, are complex and subject to varying interpretation. Compliance with such laws and regulations may be subject to future government review and interpretation. Additionally, the contracts we have with commercial health insurance payors provide for retroactive audit and review of claims. Settlement with third party payors for retroactive adjustments due to audits, reviews or investigations are considered variable consideration and are included in the determination of the estimated transaction price for providing patient care. The variable consideration is estimated based on the terms of the payment agreement, existing correspondence from the payor and our historical settlement activity. These estimates are adjusted in future periods, as new information becomes available.

We are subject to certain limitations on Medicare payments for services which are considered variable consideration, as follows:

Inpatient Cap. If the number of inpatient care days any hospice program provides to Medicare beneficiaries exceeds 20% of the total days of hospice care such program provided to all Medicare patients for an annual period beginning September 28, the days in excess of the 20% figure may be reimbursed only at the routine homecare rate. None of VITAS’ hospice programs exceeded the payment limits on inpatient services during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018.

Medicare Cap. We are also subject to a Medicare annual per-beneficiary cap (“Medicare cap”). Compliance with the Medicare cap is measured in one of two ways based on a provider election. The “streamlined” method compares total Medicare payments received under a Medicare provider number with respect to services provided to all Medicare hospice care beneficiaries in the program or programs covered by that Medicare provider number with the product of the per-beneficiary cap amount and the number of Medicare beneficiaries electing hospice care for the first time from that hospice program or programs from September 28 through September 27 of the following year. At December 31, 2020, all our programs except one are using the “streamlined” method.

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The “proportional” method compares the total Medicare payments received under a Medicare provider number with respect to services provided to all Medicare hospice care beneficiaries in the program or programs covered by the Medicare provider number between September 28 and September 27 of the following year with the product of the per beneficiary cap amount and a pro-rated number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving hospice services from that program during the same period. The pro-rated number of Medicare beneficiaries is calculated based on the ratio of days the beneficiary received hospice services during the measurement period to the total number of days the beneficiary received hospice services.

We actively monitor each of our hospice programs, by provider number, as to their specific admission, discharge rate and median length of stay data in an attempt to determine whether revenues are likely to exceed the annual per-beneficiary Medicare cap. Should we determine that revenues for a program are likely to exceed the Medicare cap based on projected trends, we attempt to institute corrective actions, which include changes to the patient mix and increased patient admissions. However, should we project our corrective action will not prevent that program from exceeding its Medicare cap, we estimate revenue recognized during the government fiscal year that will require repayment to the Federal government under the Medicare cap and record an adjustment to revenue of an amount equal to a ratable portion of our best estimate for the year.

In 2013, the U.S. government implemented automatic budget reductions of 2.0% for all government payees, including hospice benefits paid under the Medicare program. In 2015, CMS determined that the Medicare cap should be calculated “as if” sequestration did not occur. As a result of this decision, VITAS has received notification from our third-party intermediary that an additional $8.7 million is owed for Medicare cap in three programs arising during the 2013 through 2020 measurement periods. The amounts are automatically deducted from our semi-monthly PIP payments. We do not believe that CMS is authorized under the sequestration authority or the statutory methodology for establishing the Medicare cap to the amounts they have withheld and intend to withhold under their current “as if” methodology. We have appealed CMS’s methodology change.

During the year ended December 31, 2020 we recorded $6.7 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to four programs projected 2020 measurement period liability.

During the years ended December 31, 2019, we recorded $12.4 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to four programs’ 2020 measurement period liability and four programs’ projected 2019 measurement period liability.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recorded $4.1 million in Medicare cap revenue reduction related to two programs’ 2018 measurement period liability and two programs’ projected 2019 measurement period liability.

At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Medicare cap liability included in other current liabilities on the accompanying balance sheets was $15.1 million and $16.3 million, respectively.

For VITAS’ patients in the nursing home setting in which Medicaid pays the nursing home room and board, VITAS serves as a pass-through between Medicaid and the nursing home. We are responsible for paying the nursing home for that patient’s room and board. Medicaid reimburses us for 95% of the amount we have paid. This results in a 5% net expense for VITAS related to nursing home room and board. This transaction creates a performance obligation in that VITAS is facilitating room and board being delivered to our patient. As a result, the 5% net expense is recognized as a contra-revenue account under ASC 606 in the accompanying financial statements.

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The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2020 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 1,033,487 |  | $ | 48,813 |  | $ | 24,058 |  | $ | 1,106,358
Continuous care |  | 123,696 |  |  | 6,344 |  |  | 5,971 |  |  | 136,011
Inpatient care |  | 100,259 |  |  | 9,646 |  |  | 5,051 |  |  | 114,956
| $ | 1,257,442 |  | $ | 64,803 |  | $ | 35,080 |  | $ | 1,357,325
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,164
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,368,489
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (6,678)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (14,970)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (12,174)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,334,667

The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2019 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 1,003,308 |  | $ | 48,420 |  | $ | 24,297 |  | $ | 1,076,025
Continuous care |  | 121,019 |  |  | 6,712 |  |  | 5,742 |  |  | 133,473
Inpatient care |  | 84,752 |  |  | 9,102 |  |  | 6,066 |  |  | 99,920
| $ | 1,209,079 |  | $ | 64,234 |  | $ | 36,105 |  | $ | 1,309,418
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10,433
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,319,851
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (12,415)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (14,893)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,359)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,281,184

The composition of patient care service revenue by payor and level of care for the year ended December 31, 2018 is as follows (in thousands):

| Medicare |  | Medicaid |  | Commercial |  | Total
Routine home care | $ | 939,951 |  | $ | 47,609 |  | $ | 22,958 |  | $ | 1,010,518
Continuous care |  | 110,596 |  |  | 6,126 |  |  | 5,776 |  |  | 122,498
Inpatient care |  | 69,354 |  |  | 8,156 |  |  | 5,167 |  |  | 82,677
| $ | 1,119,901 |  | $ | 61,891 |  | $ | 33,901 |  | $ | 1,215,693
All other revenue - self-pay, respite care, etc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7,831
Subtotal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,223,524
Medicare cap adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (4,123)
Implicit price concessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,785)
Room and board, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (10,054)
Net revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 1,197,562

Roto-Rooter

Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning, water restoration and other related services to both residential and commercial customers primarily in the United States. Services are provided through a network of company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees. Service revenue for Roto-Rooter is reported at the amount that reflects the ultimate consideration we expect to receive in exchange for providing services.

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Roto-Rooter owns and operates branches focusing mainly on large population centers in the United States. Roto-Rooter’s primary lines of business in company-owned branches consist of plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning, excavation and water restoration. For purposes of ASC 606 analysis, plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning, and excavation have been combined into one portfolio and are referred to as “short-term core services”. Water restoration is analyzed as a separate portfolio. The following describes the key characteristics of these portfolios:

Short-term Core Services are plumbing, drain and sewer cleaning and excavation services. These services are provided to both commercial and residential customers. The duration of services provided in this category range from a few hours to a few days. There are no significant warranty costs or on-going obligations to the customer once a service has been completed. For residential customers, payment is received at the time of job completion before the Roto-Rooter technician leaves the residence. Commercial customers may be granted credit subject to internally designated authority limits and credit check guidelines. If credit is granted, payment terms are 30 days or less.

Each job in this category is a distinct service with a distinct performance obligation to the customer. Revenue is recognized at the completion of each job. Variable consideration consists of pre-invoice discounts and post-invoice discounts. Pre-invoice discounts are given in the form of coupons or price concessions. Post-invoice discounts consist of credit memos generally granted to resolve customer service issues. Variable consideration is estimated based on historical activity and recorded at the time service is completed.

Water Restoration Services involve the remediation of water and humidity after a flood. These services are provided to both commercial and residential customers. The duration of services provided in this category generally ranges from 3 to 5 days. There are no significant warranties or on-going obligations to the customer once service has been completed. The majority of these services are paid by the customer’s insurance company. Variable consideration relates primarily to allowances taken by insurance companies upon payment. Variable consideration is estimated based on historical activity and recorded at the time service is completed.

For both short-term core services and water restoration services, Roto-Rooter satisfies its performance obligation at a point in time. The services provided generally involve fixing plumbing, drainage or flood-related issues at the customer’s property. At the time service is complete, the customer acknowledges its obligation to pay for service and its satisfaction with the service performed. This provides evidence that the customer has accepted the service and Roto-Rooter is now entitled to payment. As such, Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue for these services upon completion of the job and receipt of customer acknowledgement. Roto-Rooter’s performance obligations for short-term core services and water restoration services relate to contracts with an expected duration of less than a year. Therefore, Roto-Rooter has elected to apply the optional exception provided in ASC 606 and is not required to disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied at the end of the reporting period. Roto-Rooter does not have significant unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations at the time of initial revenue recognition for short-term core or water restoration services.

Roto-Rooter owns the rights to certain territories and contracts with an independent third-party to operate the territory under Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The contract is for a specified term but cancellable by either party without penalty with 90 days advance notice. Under the terms of these arrangements, Roto-Rooter provides certain back office support and advertising along with a limited license to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The independent contractor is responsible for all day-to-day management of the business including staffing decisions and pricing of services provided. All performance obligations of Roto-Rooter cease at the termination of the arrangement.

Independent contractors pay Roto-Rooter a standard fee calculated as a percentage of cash collection from their sales. The primary value for the independent contractors under these arrangements is the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue from independent contractors over-time (weekly) as the independent contractor’s labor sales are completed and payment from customers are received. Payment from independent contractors is also received on a weekly basis. The use of Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks and advertising provides immediate value to the independent contractor as a result of Roto-Rooter’s nationally recognized brand. Therefore, over-time recognition provides the most faithful depiction of the transfer of services as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided. There is no significant variable consideration related to these arrangements.

Roto-Rooter has licensed the rights to operate under Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks in other territories to franchisees. The contract is for a 10 year term but cancellable by Roto-Rooter for cause with 60 day advance notice without penalty. The franchisee may cancel the contract for any reason with 60 days advance notice without penalty. Under the terms of the contract, Roto-Rooter provides national advertising and consultation on various aspects of operating a Roto-Rooter business along with the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. The franchisee is responsible for all day- to-day management of the business including staffing decisions, pricing of services provided and local advertising spend and placement. All performance obligations of Roto-Rooter cease at the termination of the arrangement.

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Franchisees pay Roto-Rooter a standard monthly fee based on the population within the franchise territory. The standard fee is revised on a yearly basis based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The primary value for the franchisees under this arrangement is the right to use Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks. Roto-Rooter recognizes revenue from franchisees over-time (monthly). Payment from franchisees is also received on a monthly basis. The use of Roto-Rooter’s registered trademarks and advertising provides immediate value to the franchisees as a result of Roto-Rooter’s nationally recognized brand. Therefore, over-time recognition provides the most faithful depiction of the transfer of services as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided. There is no significant variable consideration related to these arrangements.

The composition of disaggregated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 is as follows (in thousands):

|  | 2020 |  |  | 2019 |  |  | 2018
Short-term core service jobs | $ | 552,500 |  | $ | 482,625 |  | $ | 425,845
Water restoration |  | 126,378 |  |  | 115,949 |  |  | 109,484
Contractor revenue |  | 64,727 |  |  | 58,086 |  |  | 50,169
Franchise fees |  | 4,893 |  |  | 6,152 |  |  | 6,382
All other |  | 13,537 |  |  | 12,279 |  |  | 11,958
Subtotal | $ | 762,035 |  | $ | 675,091 |  | $ | 603,838
Implicit price concessions and credit memos |  | (17,119) |  |  | (17,720) |  |  | (18,752)
Net revenue | $ | 744,916 |  | $ | 657,371 |  | $ | 585,086

Lease Accounting

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2016-02 Leases” which introduced a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheets and updates lessor accounting to align with changes in the lessee model and the revenue recognition standard. This standard is also referred to as Accountings Standards Codification No. 842 (“ASC 842”). We adopted ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019, using the optional transition method requiring leases existing at, or entered into after, January 1, 2019 to be recognized and measured. The transition method selected does not require adjustments to prior period amounts, which continue to be reflected in accordance with historical accounting. In addition, we elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard which, among other things, allowed us to carry forward the historical lease classification.

Chemed and each of its operating subsidiaries are service companies. As such, real estate leases comprise the largest lease obligation (and conversely, right of use asset) in our lease portfolio. VITAS has leased office space, as well as space for inpatient units (“IPUs”) and/or contract beds within hospitals. Roto-Rooter mainly has leased office space.

Roto-Rooter purchases equipment and leases it to certain of its independent contractors. We analyzed these leases in accordance with ASC 842 and determined they are operating leases. As a result, Roto-Rooter will continue to capitalize the equipment underlying these leases, depreciate the equipment and recognize rental income.

Adoption of the new standard resulted in right of use assets and lease liabilities of $93.1 million and $104.3 million, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. In determining the liability, we used our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the time of adoption, since the rate implicit in the leases cannot be readily determined. At January 1, 2019, the weighted average rate was 3.47%. The standard did not materially impact our consolidated net income or cash flows. We did not book a cumulative effect adjustment upon adoption of the standard.

Insurance Accruals

For the Roto-Rooter segment and Chemed’s Corporate Office, we initially self-insure for all casualty insurance claims (workers’ compensation, auto liability and general liability). As a result, we closely monitor and frequently evaluate our historical claims experience to estimate the appropriate level of accrual for self-insured claims. Our third-party administrator (“TPA”) processes and reviews claims on a monthly basis. Currently, our exposure on any single claim is capped at $750,000. In developing our estimates, we accumulate historical claims data for the previous 10 years to calculate loss development factors (“LDF”) by insurance coverage type. LDFs are applied to known claims to estimate the ultimate potential liability for known and unknown claims for each open policy year. LDFs are updated annually. Because this methodology relies heavily on historical claims data, the key risk is whether the historical claims are an accurate predictor of future claims exposure. The risk also exists that certain claims have been incurred and not reported on a timely basis. To mitigate these risks, in conjunction with our TPA, we closely monitor claims to ensure timely accumulation of data and compare claims trends with the industry experience of our TPA.

For the VITAS segment, we initially self-insure for workers’ compensation claims. Currently, VITAS’ exposure on any single claim is capped at $1,000,000. For VITAS’ self-insurance accruals for workers’ compensation, the valuation methods used are similar

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to those used internally for our other business units. We are also insured for other risks with respect to professional liability with a deductible of $750,000.

Our casualty insurance liabilities are recorded gross before any estimated recovery for amounts exceeding our stop loss limits. Estimated recoveries from insurance carriers are recorded as accounts receivable. Claims experience adjustments to our casualty and workers’ compensation accrual for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, were net pretax credits of ($4,578,000), ($1,664,000), and ($3,437,000) respectively.

As an indication of the sensitivity of the accrued liability to reported claims, our analysis indicates that a 1% across-the-board increase or decrease in the amount of projected losses would increase or decrease the accrued insurance liability at December 31, 2020 by $4.0 million or 7.4%. While the amount recorded represents our best estimate of the casualty and workers’ compensation insurance liability, we have calculated, based on historical claims experience, the actual loss could reasonably be expected to increase or decrease by approximately $1.0 million as of December 31, 2020.

Income Taxes

Deferred taxes are provided on an asset and liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss carry-forwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amount of assets and liabilities and their tax basis. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in our opinion, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized due to insufficient taxable income within the carryback or carryforward period available under the tax laws. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in laws and rates on the date of enactment.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17 which simplifies the balance sheet classification required for deferred tax balances. It allows for a company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities to be netted into a noncurrent account, either asset or liability, by jurisdiction. The ASU is required to be adopted for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and the interim periods within that annual period. Early adoption is permitted. Companies have the choice to adopt prospectively or retrospectively. In order to simplify our balance sheet classification required for deferred tax balances, we adopted the ASU for our annual balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 on a prospective basis.

We are subject to income taxes in the federal and most state jurisdictions. We are periodically audited by various taxing authorities. Significant judgment is required to determine our provision for income taxes. We adopted FASB’s authoritative guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, which prescribes a comprehensive model for how to recognize, measure, present and disclose in financial statements uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. Upon adoption of this guidance, the financial statements reflect expected future tax consequences of such uncertain positions assuming the taxing authorities’ full knowledge of the position and all relevant facts.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Identifiable, definite-lived intangible assets arise from purchase business combinations and are amortized using either an accelerated method or the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The selection of an amortization method is based on which method best reflects the economic pattern of usage of the asset.

The date of our annual goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment analysis is October 1. The VITAS trade name is considered to have an indefinite life. We also capitalize the direct costs of obtaining licenses to operate either hospice programs or plumbing operations subject to a minimum capitalization threshold. These costs are amortized over the life of the license using the straight line method. Certificates of Need (CON), which are required in certain states for hospice operations, are generally granted without expiration and thus, we believe them to be indefinite-lived assets subject to impairment testing.

We consider that RRC, RRSC and VITAS are appropriate reporting units for testing goodwill impairment. We consider RRC and RRSC as separate reporting units but one operating segment. This is appropriate as they each have their own set of general ledger accounts that can be analyzed at “one level below an operating segment” per the definition of a reporting unit in FASB guidance.

We completed our qualitative analysis for impairment of goodwill and our indefinite-lived intangible assets as of October 1, 2020. We assessed such qualitative factors as macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, financial performance and the legislative and regulatory environment. Based on our assessment, we do not believe that it is more likely than not that our reporting units’ or indefinite-lived assets fair values are less than their carrying values.

In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update “ASU No. 2017-4 – Intangibles – Goodwill and Other”. To simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill, the FASB eliminated Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The guidance in the

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ASU is effective for the Company in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. We anticipate adoption of this standard will have no impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Stock-based Compensation Plans

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date, based on the fair value of the award and recognized as expense over the employee’s requisite service period on a straight-line basis. W e estimate the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes valuation model. We estimate the fair value and derived service periods of market based awards using a Monte Carlo simulation approach in a risk neutral framework. We determine expected term, volatility, dividend yield and forfeiture rate based on our historical experience. We believe that historical experience is the best indicator of these factors.

Contingencies

We are subject to various lawsuits and claims in the normal course of our business. In addition, we periodically receive communications from governmental and regulatory agencies concerning compliance with Medicare and Medicaid billing requirements at our VITAS subsidiary. We establish reserves for specific, uninsured liabilities in connection with regulatory and legal action that we deem to be probable and estimable. We record legal fees associated with legal and regulatory actions as the costs are incurred. We disclose material loss contingencies that probable but not reasonably estimable and those that are at least reasonably possible.

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Unaudited Consolidating Summaries and Reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)
Chemed Corporation and Subsidiary Companies
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Chemed
2020 |  | VITAS |  | Roto-Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
| Net income/(loss) | $ | 238,782 |  | $ | 120,394 |  | $ | (39,710) |  | $ | 319,466
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Interest expense |  | 166 |  |  | 340 |  |  | 1,849 |  |  | 2,355
| Income taxes |  | 76,473 |  |  | 37,038 |  |  | (36,987) |  |  | 76,524
| Depreciation |  | 22,168 |  |  | 24,292 |  |  | 136 |  |  | 46,596
| Amortization |  | 71 |  |  | 9,916 |  |  | - |  |  | 9,987
| EBITDA |  | 337,660 |  |  | 191,980 |  |  | (74,712) |  |  | 454,928
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Intercompany interest/(expense) |  | (19,897) |  |  | (6,256) |  |  | 26,153 |  |  | -
| Interest income |  | (668) |  |  | (76) |  |  | (13) |  |  | (757)
| CARES Act grant |  | (80,225) |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | (80,225)
| COVID-19 expenses |  | 35,441 |  |  | 3,819 |  |  | - |  |  | 39,260
| Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 18,422 |  |  | 18,422
| Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 8,937 |  |  | 8,937
| Litigation settlement |  | - |  |  | 3,639 |  |  | - |  |  | 3,639
| Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | 619 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 619
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 272,930 |  | $ | 193,106 |  | $ | (21,213) |  | $ | 444,823
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Chemed
2019 |  | VITAS |  | Roto-Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
| Net income/(loss) | $ | 155,822 |  | $ | 103,710 |  | $ | (39,609) |  | $ | 219,923
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Interest expense |  | 169 |  |  | 345 |  |  | 4,021 |  |  | 4,535
| Income taxes |  | 48,711 |  |  | 30,276 |  |  | (37,301) |  |  | 41,686
| Depreciation |  | 19,984 |  |  | 20,730 |  |  | 156 |  |  | 40,870
| Amortization |  | 71 |  |  | 4,264 |  |  | - |  |  | 4,335
| EBITDA |  | 224,757 |  |  | 159,325 |  |  | (72,733) |  |  | 311,349
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Intercompany interest/(expense) |  | (18,135) |  |  | (8,152) |  |  | 26,287 |  |  | -
| Interest income |  | (380) |  |  | (133) |  |  | - |  |  | (513)
| Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 14,831 |  |  | 14,831
| Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 7,630 |  |  | 7,630
| Litigation settlement |  | 6,000 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 6,000
| Acquisition expense |  | - |  |  | 4,664 |  |  | 170 |  |  | 4,834
| Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | 3,982 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 3,982
| Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 2,266 |  |  | 2,266
| Non cash ASC 842 expenses/(benefit) |  | 656 |  |  | 55 |  |  | (163) |  |  | 548
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 216,880 |  | $ | 155,759 |  | $ | (21,712) |  | $ | 350,927
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Chemed
2018 |  | VITAS |  | Roto-Rooter |  | Corporate |  | Consolidated
| Net income/(loss) | $ | 138,846 |  | $ | 98,711 |  | $ | (32,013) |  | $ | 205,544
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Interest expense |  | 175 |  |  | 319 |  |  | 4,496 |  |  | 4,990
| Income taxes |  | 40,847 |  |  | 28,850 |  |  | (35,641) |  |  | 34,056
| Depreciation |  | 19,688 |  |  | 18,629 |  |  | 147 |  |  | 38,464
| Amortization |  | 12 |  |  | 387 |  |  | - |  |  | 399
| EBITDA |  | 199,568 |  |  | 146,896 |  |  | (63,011) |  |  | 283,453
| Add/(deduct): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Intercompany interest/(expense) |  | (12,832) |  |  | (6,908) |  |  | 19,740 |  |  | -
| Interest income |  | (580) |  |  | (92) |  |  | 1 |  |  | (671)
| Stock option expense |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 12,611 |  |  | 12,611
| Long-term incentive compensation |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 6,618 |  |  | 6,618
| Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | 1,496 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 1,496
| Litigation settlement |  | 796 |  |  | - |  |  | - |  |  | 796
| Acquisition expense |  | 209 |  |  | 548 |  |  | - |  |  | 757
| Stock award expense |  | 107 |  |  | 100 |  |  | 239 |  |  | 446
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 188,764 |  | $ | 140,544 |  | $ | (23,802) |  | $ | 305,506

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CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED NET INCOME
(in thousands, except per share data)(unaudited)
| For the Years Ended December 31, |
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018 |
Net income as reported | $ | 319,466 |  | $ | 219,923 |  | $ | 205,544 |
Add/(deduct) pre-tax cost of: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CARES Act grant |  | (80,225) |  |  | - |  |  | - |
COVID-19 expenses |  | 39,260 |  |  | - |  |  | - |
Stock option expense |  | 18,422 |  |  | 14,831 |  |  | 12,611 |
Amortization of reacquired franchise agreements |  | 9,408 |  |  | 3,964 |  |  | - |
Long-term incentive compensation |  | 8,937 |  |  | 7,630 |  |  | 6,618 |
Litigation settlements |  | 3,639 |  |  | 6,000 |  |  | 796 |
Medicare cap sequestration adjustment |  | 619 |  |  | 3,982 |  |  | 1,496 |
Acquisition expenses |  | - |  |  | 4,834 |  |  | 757 |
Loss on sale of transportation equipment |  | - |  |  | 2,266 |  |  | - |
Non cash ASC 842 expenses |  | - |  |  | 548 |  |  | - |
Add/(deduct) tax impacts: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax impact of the above pre-tax adjustments (1) |  | 2,976 |  |  | (9,328) |  |  | (4,586) |
Excess tax benefits on stock compensation |  | (26,089) |  |  | (24,177) |  |  | (22,862) |
Adjusted net income | $ | 296,413 |  | $ | 230,473 |  | $ | 200,374 |
Diluted Earnings Per Share As Reported |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 19.48 |  | $ | 13.31 |  | $ | 12.23 |
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,398 |  |  | 16,527 |  |  | 16,803 |
Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net income | $ | 18.08 |  | $ | 13.95 |  | $ | 11.93 |
Average number of shares outstanding |  | 16,398 |  |  | 16,527 |  |  | 16,803 |
(1) The tax impact of pre-tax adjustments was calculated using the effective tax rate of the operating unit for which each adjustment is associated. |
The "Footnotes to Financial Statements" are integral parts of this financial information. |

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CHEMED CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES
OPERATING STATISTICS FOR VITAS SEGMENT(unaudited)
| Three Months Ended December 31, |  | Year Ended December 31, |
OPERATING STATISTICS | 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2020 |  | 2019 |
Net revenue ($000) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Homecare | $ | 279,410 |  | $ | 275,976 |  | $ | 1,106,358 |  | $ | 1,076,025 |
Inpatient |  | 28,973 |  |  | 30,857 |  |  | 114,956 |  |  | 99,920 |
Continuous care |  | 30,175 |  |  | 40,997 |  |  | 136,011 |  |  | 133,473 |
Other |  | 2,984 |  |  | 3,825 |  |  | 11,164 |  |  | 10,433 |
Subtotal | $ | 341,542 |  | $ | 351,655 |  | $ | 1,368,489 |  | $ | 1,319,851 |
Room and board, net |  | (2,858) |  |  | (3,260) |  |  | (12,174) |  |  | (11,359) |
Contractual allowances |  | (3,994) |  |  | (3,990) |  |  | (14,970) |  |  | (14,893) |
Medicare cap allowance |  | (2,500) |  |  | (4,500) |  |  | (6,678) |  |  | (12,415) |
Total | $ | 332,190 |  | $ | 339,905 |  | $ | 1,334,667 |  | $ | 1,281,184 |
Net revenue as a percent of total before Medicare cap allowance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Homecare |  | 81.8 | % |  | 78.5 | % |  | 80.8 | % |  | 81.5 | %
Inpatient |  | 8.5 |  |  | 8.8 |  |  | 8.4 |  |  | 7.6 |
Continuous care |  | 8.8 |  |  | 11.7 |  |  | 9.9 |  |  | 10.1 |
Other |  | 0.9 |  |  | 1.0 |  |  | 0.9 |  |  | 0.8 |
Subtotal |  | 100.0 |  |  | 100.0 |  |  | 100.0 |  |  | 100.0 |
Room and board, net |  | (0.8) |  |  | (0.9) |  |  | (0.9) |  |  | (0.9) |
Contractual allowances |  | (1.2) |  |  | (1.1) |  |  | (1.1) |  |  | (1.1) |
Medicare cap allowance |  | (0.7) |  |  | (1.3) |  |  | (0.5) |  |  | (0.9) |
Total |  | 97.3 | % |  | 96.7 | % |  | 97.5 | % |  | 97.1 | %
Days of Care |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Homecare |  | 1,404,532 |  |  | 1,377,403 |  |  | 5,597,213 |  |  | 5,338,664 |
Nursing home |  | 253,261 |  |  | 314,946 |  |  | 1,097,493 |  |  | 1,224,264 |
Respite |  | 4,971 |  |  | 7,305 |  |  | 20,387 |  |  | 28,857 |
Subtotal routine homecare and respite |  | 1,662,764 |  |  | 1,699,654 |  |  | 6,715,093 |  |  | 6,591,785 |
Inpatient |  | 27,811 |  |  | 30,697 |  |  | 112,718 |  |  | 120,063 |
Continuous care |  | 31,493 |  |  | 41,386 |  |  | 141,693 |  |  | 166,783 |
Total |  | 1,722,068 |  |  | 1,771,737 |  |  | 6,969,504 |  |  | 6,878,631 |
Number of days in relevant time period |  | 92 |  |  | 92 |  |  | 366 |  |  | 365 |
Average daily census ("ADC") (days) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Homecare |  | 15,267 |  |  | 14,972 |  |  | 15,293 |  |  | 14,626 |
Nursing home |  | 2,753 |  |  | 3,423 |  |  | 2,999 |  |  | 3,354 |
Respite |  | 54 |  |  | 79 |  |  | 55 |  |  | 79 |
Subtotal routine homecare and respite |  | 18,074 |  |  | 18,474 |  |  | 18,347 |  |  | 18,059 |
Inpatient |  | 302 |  |  | 334 |  |  | 308 |  |  | 329 |
Continuous care |  | 342 |  |  | 450 |  |  | 387 |  |  | 458 |
Total |  | 18,718 |  |  | 19,258 |  |  | 19,042 |  |  | 18,846 |
Total Admissions |  | 17,960 |  |  | 17,479 |  |  | 71,328 |  |  | 69,859 |
Total Discharges |  | 18,570 |  |  | 17,575 |  |  | 72,009 |  |  | 68,857 |
Average length of stay (days) |  | 97.2 |  |  | 95.2 |  |  | 94.0 |  |  | 92.6 |
Median length of stay (days) |  | 14.0 |  |  | 16.0 |  |  | 14.0 |  |  | 16.0 |
ADC by major diagnosis |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cerebro |  | 35.5 | % |  | 35.8 | % |  | 35.8 | % |  | 36.0 | %
Neurological |  | 22.4 |  |  | 21.1 |  |  | 21.9 |  |  | 20.6 |
Cancer |  | 12.3 |  |  | 12.8 |  |  | 12.5 |  |  | 12.9 |
Cardio |  | 15.9 |  |  | 16.2 |  |  | 15.8 |  |  | 16.5 |
Respiratory |  | 7.9 |  |  | 8.1 |  |  | 8.1 |  |  | 8.1 |
Other |  | 6.0 |  |  | 6.0 |  |  | 5.9 |  |  | 5.9 |
Total |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | %
Admissions by major diagnosis |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cerebro |  | 20.9 | % |  | 21.9 | % |  | 21.1 | % |  | 21.1 | %
Neurological |  | 12.6 |  |  | 12.9 |  |  | 12.9 |  |  | 12.6 |
Cancer |  | 26.7 |  |  | 29.2 |  |  | 27.6 |  |  | 29.2 |
Cardio |  | 13.8 |  |  | 14.7 |  |  | 14.3 |  |  | 15.5 |
Respiratory |  | 10.4 |  |  | 10.5 |  |  | 10.6 |  |  | 11.0 |
Other |  | 15.6 |  |  | 10.8 |  |  | 13.5 |  |  | 10.6 |
Total |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | % |  | 100.0 | %
Bad debt expense as a percent of revenues |  | 1.2 | % |  | 1.2 | % |  | 1.1 | % |  | 1.2 | %
Accounts receivable --Days of revenue outstanding- excluding unapplied Medicare payments | 36.0 |  |  | 35.4 |  |  | N.A. |  |  | N.A. |
Accounts receivable--Days of revenue outstanding- including unapplied Medicare payments | 25.6 |  |  | 27.2 |  |  | N.A. |  |  | N.A. |

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SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

In addition to historical information, this report contains forward-looking statements and performance trends that are based upon assumptions subject to certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors. Such forward-looking statements and trends include, but are not limited to, the impact of laws and regulations on our operations, our estimate of future effective income tax rates and the recoverability of deferred tax assets. Variances in any or all of the risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other factors from our assumptions could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements and trends. Our ability to deal with the unknown outcomes of these events, many of which are beyond our control, may affect the reliability of our projections and other financial matters.

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