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Note 17 - Contingencies and Commitments | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] | Note 17 – Contingencies and Guarantees Accrued Risk Reserves We are self–insured for risks related to workers’ compensation and general and professional liability insurance. We have two wholly–owned limited purpose insurance companies that insure risks related to workers’ compensation and general and professional liability insurance claims both for our owned and leased entities and certain of the entities to which we provide management or accounting services. The liability we have recognized for reported claims and estimates for incurred but unreported claims totals $103,616,000 and $103,259,000 at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The liability is included in accrued risk reserves in the consolidated balance sheets and is subject to adjustment for actual claims incurred. It is possible that these claims plus unasserted claims could exceed our insurance coverages and our reserves, which could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. As a result of the terms of our insurance policies and our use of wholly owned limited purpose insurance companies, we have retained significant insurance risk with respect to workers’ compensation and general and professional liability. We consider the professional services of independent actuaries to assist us in estimating our exposures for claims obligations (for both asserted and unasserted claims) related to deductibles and exposures in excess of coverage limits, and we maintain reserves for these obligations. Such estimates are based on many variables including historical and statistical information and other factors. Workers’ Compensation For workers’ compensation, we utilize a wholly owned Tennessee domiciled property/casualty insurance company to write coverage for NHC affiliates and for third–party customers. Policies are written for a duration of twelve months and cover only risks related to workers’ compensation losses. All customers are companies which operate in the long–term care industry. Business is written on a direct basis. General and Professional Liability Insurance and Lawsuits The senior care industry has experienced significant increases in both the number of personal injury/wrongful death claims and in the severity of awards based upon alleged negligence by skilled nursing facilities and their employees in providing care to residents. The Company has been, and continues to be, subject to claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business, including potential claims related to patient care and treatment. The defense of these lawsuits may result in significant legal costs, regardless of the outcome, and can result in large settlement amounts or damage awards. Insurance coverage for all years includes primary policies and excess policies. The primary coverage is in the amount of a per incident claim and a per location claim with an annual primary policy aggregate limit that is adjusted on an annual basis. Additional insurance is purchased through third party providers that serve to supplement the coverage provided through our wholly owned captive insurance company. There is certain additional litigation incidental to our business, none of which, based upon information available to date, would be material to our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In addition, the long–term care industry is continuously subject to scrutiny by governmental regulators, which could result in litigation or claims related to regulatory compliance matters. Qui Tam Litigation United States of America, ex rel. Jennifer Cook and Sally Gaither v. Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc., NHC HealthCare/Moulton, LLC, et al., Case No. 2:20-CV-00877-AMM (N.D. Ala.) This is a qui tam case originally filed under seal on June 22, 2020. The United States declined intervention on March 1, 2021. Thereafter, the Plaintiffs filed an amended Complaint against Dr. Sanja Malhotra, Integrated Behavioral Health, Inc. and other entities that Dr. Malhotra was alleged to own or in which he allegedly had a financial interest. The Complaint also named multiple skilled nursing facilities as Defendants, including NHC Healthcare/Moulton, LLC, an affiliate of National HealthCare Corporation. The Complaint alleged that nurse practitioners affiliated with Dr. Malhotra provided free services to the facilities in exchange for referrals to entities owned by or in which Dr. Malhotra had a financial interest in violation of the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute. NHC Healthcare/Moulton, LLC denied the allegations and filed a motion to dismiss on November 4, 2021. On January 28, 2022, the district court stayed this matter and administratively terminated the motion to dismiss pending the U.S. Supreme Court's review of a petition for certiorari filed in an unrelated matter but involving one of the legal arguments raised in the motion to dismiss. Thereafter, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition for certiorari in the unrelated matter. As a result, NHC Healthcare/Moulton, LLC renewed its motion to dismiss. The District Court granted NHC Healthcare/Moulton’s Motion to Dismiss, along with other pending Motions to Dismiss, and entered an Order of Dismissal on March 23, 2023 and an Amended Order of Dismissal on April 4, 2023, which dismissed the case in its entirety with prejudice with respect to the claims asserted by the Plaintiffs. The Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Appeal on April 20, 2023 to appeal the dismissal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. On December 21, 2023, the Eleventh Circuit entered an Order affirming the District Court’s dismissal of the claims. The time period for the Plaintiffs to file a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari with the United States Supreme Court has expired making the Order affirming dismissal issued by the Eleventh Circuit final. Civil Investigative Demand On or about May 21, 2024, Caris Healthcare, L.P. (“Caris”) received a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The CID requests the production of certain medical records for patients at Caris’ Nashville office and other documents related to the billing for hospice services for the period of January 1, 2019, through the date of the CID. The Company is cooperating with respect to the requests and remains in the process of responding to the CID. Indemnities From time to time, the Company enters into certain types of contracts that contingently require it to indemnify parties against third-party claims. These contracts primarily include (i) certain real estate leases, under which the Company may be required to indemnify property owners or prior facility operators for post-transfer liabilities and other claims arising from the Company’s use of the applicable premises, (ii) operations transfer agreements, in which the Company agrees to indemnify past operators of facilities against certain liabilities arising from the transfer of the operation and/or the operation thereof after the transfer to the Company or its subsidiary, (iii) certain lending agreements, under which the Company may be required to indemnify the lender against various claims and liabilities, (iv) certain agreements by and between the Company and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates, and (v) certain agreements with the Company officers, directors and others, under which the Company may be required to indemnify such persons for liabilities arising out of the nature of their relationship to the Company and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates. The terms of such obligations vary by contract and, in most instances, do not expressly state or include a specific or maximum dollar amount. Generally, amounts under these contracts cannot be reasonably estimated until a specific claim is asserted. Consequently, because no specific indemnity claims have been asserted, no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on the consolidated balance sheets for any of the periods presented. Governmental Regulations Laws and regulations governing the Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs are complex and subject to interpretation. Management believes that it is following all applicable laws and regulations in all material respects. However, compliance with such laws and regulations can be subject to future government review and interpretation as well as significant regulatory action including fines, penalties, and exclusions from the Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Debt Guarantees At December 31, 2024, no agreement to guarantee the debt of other parties exists.

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