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Employee Benefit Plans
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans

10. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company maintains various benefit plans, including defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans and deferred compensation plans, for which certain of the Company’s subsidiaries are the plan sponsors. The CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan is a defined contribution plan that covers the majority of the Company’s employees. Employees at locations whose employment is covered by collective bargaining agreements are generally eligible to participate in the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Standard 401(k) Plan. Total expense to the Company under the 401(k) plans was $73 million, $64 million and $70 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and is recorded in salaries and benefits expense in the consolidated statements of (loss) income.

The Company maintains unfunded deferred compensation plans that allow participants to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation. The liability for the deferred compensation plans was $129 million and $123 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and is included in other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Assets designated to pay benefits under these plans are discussed below.

The Company provides an unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“SERP”) for certain members of its executive management. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for the benefit obligations and a January 1 measurement date for its net periodic costs for the SERP. Variances from actuarially assumed rates will result in increases or decreases in benefit obligations and net periodic cost in future periods. Benefits expense under the SERP was $7 million, $8 million and $11 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The accrued benefit liability for the SERP totaled $43 million and $42 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The weighted-average assumptions used in determining net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2024 were a discount rate of 4.9% and an annual salary increase of 3.0%. The weighted-average assumptions used in determining net periodic cost for the year ended December 31, 2023 were a discount rate of 5.1% and an annual salary increase of 3.0%.

During 2023, certain members of executive management of the Company that were participants in the SERP retired and met the requirements for payout of their SERP retirement benefit. The SERP payout provisions require payment to the participant in an actuarially determined lump sum amount six months after the participant retires from the Company. There were no material settlement losses during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.

At December 31, 2024, the Company had assets of $129 million in a non-qualified plan trust generally designated to pay benefits of the deferred compensation plans and the SERP, consisting of equity securities of $11 million and company-owned life insurance contracts of $118 million. At December 31, 2023, the Company had assets of $126 million in a non-qualified plan trust generally designated to pay benefits of the deferred compensation plans and the SERP, consisting of equity securities of $15 million and company-owned life insurance contracts of $111 million.

The Company previously maintained the CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. Retirement Income Plan (“Pension Plan”), which was a defined benefit, non-contributory pension plan that covered certain employees at three of its formerly owned hospitals. The Pension Plan was terminated in 2024 upon transfer of the remaining lifetime obligation of the Pension Plan to a third-party via an irrevocable annuity contract. Settlement of the Pension Plan resulted in recognition of a $3 million charge during the year ended December 31, 2024. Benefits expense under the Pension Plan was $4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, inclusive of the aforementioned settlement charge. Benefits expense under the Pension Plan was less than $1 million for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.