Tenet Reports First Quarter 2024 Results Well in Excess of Guidance; Raises 2024 Financial Outlook

• Net income from continuing operations available to common shareholders in first quarter 2024 was $2.151 billion, or $21.38 per diluted share, including an after-tax gain of $1.856 billion, or $18.45 per diluted share, associated with previously announced hospital divestitures
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations¹ was $3.22 in first quarter 2024
• Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA¹ in first quarter 2024 of $1.024 billion increased 23.1% over first quarter 2023
• First quarter 2024 Ambulatory Care Adjusted EBITDA of $394 million increased 15.9% over first quarter 2023
• FY 2024 Adjusted EBITDA Outlook now expected to be in the range of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion, a $215 million increase

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (Tenet) (NYSE: THC) today announced its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

"We have had an outstanding start to the year highlighted by strong growth in revenues, admissions, and profitability," said Saum Sutaria, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tenet. "Our operational excellence and focus on continuous improvement helped enable our momentum as we transform our company through strategic portfolio decisions, disciplined capital allocation, and debt reduction."

Tenet’s results for first quarter 2024 versus first quarter 2023 are as follows:

• Net income from continuing operations available to the Company’s common shareholders in the first quarter 2024 was $2.151 billion, or $21.38 per diluted share, versus $143 million, or $1.32 per diluted share, in first quarter 2023. First quarter 2024 results included a pre-tax gain of $2.5 billion ($1.856 billion after-tax, or $18.45 per diluted share) primarily associated with the divestiture of three hospitals in South Carolina and six hospitals in California.
• Adjusted EBITDA¹ in first quarter 2024 was $1.024 billion compared to $832 million in first quarter 2023, reflecting strong same-hospital admission growth, favorable payer mix, and improved contract labor costs, partially offset by higher medical fees. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2024, the Company recognized a $88 million favorable pre-tax impact associated with additional Medicaid supplemental revenues in Michigan, of which approximately half related to the last three months of 2023. First quarter 2023 results included income from the receipt of $27 million cybersecurity insurance proceeds.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

• Cash flows provided by operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $586 million versus $449 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
• The Company produced free cash flow¹ of $346 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 versus $214 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
• In the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company repurchased 2,811,234 shares of common stock for $278 million.
• The Company’s ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDA¹ was 2.79x at March 31, 2024 compared to 3.89x at December 31, 2023.

Recent Transactions

• In first quarter 2024, the Company retired $2.1 billion aggregate principal amount of its 4.875% senior secured first lien notes due in 2026. Tenet expects this transaction will reduce its future annual cash interest payments by $102 million.
• On April 1, 2024, the Company announced the completion of the sale of four hospitals and related operations in Orange County and Los Angeles County, California to UCI Health and the completion of the sale of two hospitals and related operations in San Luis Obispo County, California to Adventist Health in the first quarter of 2024.

Ambulatory Care (Ambulatory) Segment

Tenet’s Ambulatory business segment is comprised of the operations of United Surgical Partners International (USPI). As of March 31, 2024, USPI had interests in 512 ambulatory surgery centers (372 consolidated) and 25 surgical hospitals (eight consolidated) in 38 states.

• First quarter 2024 net operating revenues increased 9.9% compared to first quarter 2023 driven by strong net revenue per case growth, acquisitions and opening of de novo facilities, and increased service lines.
• Surgical business same-facility system-wide net patient service revenues increased 6.4% in first quarter 2024 compared to first quarter 2023, with cases down 0.4% and net revenue per case up 6.8%. Net revenue per case growth was driven by higher acuity associated with favorable case mix.
• First quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA increased 15.9% compared to first quarter 2023, due to strong net revenue per case growth, disciplined expense management, and contributions from acquisitions and de novo facilities.

Hospital Operations and Services (Hospital) Segment

Tenet’s Hospital business segment is primarily comprised of acute care and specialty hospitals, imaging centers, ancillary outpatient facilities, micro-hospitals and physician practices. It also provides comprehensive end-to-end and focused point services, including hospital and physician revenue cycle management, patient communications and engagement support and value-based care solutions. We have combined Conifer with the former Hospital Segment and all prior periods have been revised for this change.

• First quarter 2024 net operating revenues increased 6.2% from first quarter 2023 primarily due to increased admissions, favorable payer mix, and improved pricing yield, partially offset by the impact of hospital sales in first quarter 2024.
• Same-hospital net patient service revenue per adjusted admission increased 8.8% year-over-year for first quarter 2024 primarily due to improved pricing yield, favorable payer mix, and our focus on growing higher acuity services.
• Adjusted EBITDA in first quarter 2024 was $630 million compared to $492 million in first quarter 2023, reflecting strong admissions growth, favorable payer mix and improved contract labor costs, partially offset by higher medical fees. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2024, the Company recognized an $88 million favorable pre-tax impact associated with additional Medicaid supplemental revenues in Michigan, of which approximately half related to the last three months of 2023. First quarter 2023 results included income from the receipt of $27 million cybersecurity insurance proceeds.

2024 Outlook¹

Tenet’s Outlook for full year 2024 (consolidated and by segment) and second quarter 2024 follows. This outlook reflects the completion of the sale of three Coastal South Carolina hospitals on January 31, 2024 and the completion of the sale of six California hospitals on March 31, 2024.

Management’s Webcast Discussion of Results

Tenet management will discuss the Company’s first quarter 2024 results in a webcast scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (9:00 a.m. Central Time) on April 30, 2024. Investors can access the webcast through the Company’s website at www.tenethealth.com/investors.

The slide presentation associated with the webcast referenced above, a copy of this earnings press release, and a related supplemental financial disclosures document will be available on the Company’s Investor Relations website on April 30, 2024.

Cautionary Statement

This release contains “forward-looking statements” - that is, statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address the Company’s expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “budget,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “see,” “target,” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Particular uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual results to be materially different than those expressed in the Company’s forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the factors disclosed under “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Footnotes

1. Tables and discussions throughout this earnings release include certain financial measures, including those related to our second quarter and full year 2024 Outlook, that are not in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Reconciliations of GAAP measures to the Adjusted (non-GAAP) measures used are detailed in Tables #1-6 included at the end of this earnings release. Management’s reasoning for the use of these non-GAAP measures and descriptions of the various non-GAAP measures are included in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of this earnings release.
2. Same-facility system-wide revenues and statistical information include the results of the facilities in which the Ambulatory segment has an investment that are not consolidated by Tenet. To help analyze the segment’s results of operations, management uses system-wide measures, which include revenues and cases of both consolidated and unconsolidated facilities.
3. For 2024, same-hospital revenues and statistical data include those for hospitals and hospital-affiliated outpatient centers operated by the Company’s Hospital segment continuously from January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024. Amounts associated with physician practices are excluded.
4. Adjusted admissions represent actual patient admissions adjusted to include outpatient services provided by facilities in our Hospital segment by multiplying actual patient admissions by the sum of gross inpatient revenues and outpatient revenues, then dividing that result by gross inpatient revenues.
5. Income tax expense is calculated by multiplying 24% (the federal corporate tax rate of 21% plus an estimate of state taxes) by the sum of: pretax income less GAAP facility level NCI expense plus permanent differences, and non-deductible interest expense.
6. For 2024, Outlook for net cash provided by operating activities, Adjusted net cash provided by operating activities, Free cash flow - continuing operations and Adjusted free cash flow - continuing operations include an estimated $687 million of income tax payments associated with the gains on sale of the three hospitals and related operations in South Carolina and the six hospitals and related operations in California.
7. Change versus prior year is presented on a same-facility system-wide basis for USPI Ambulatory surgical cases and on a same-hospital basis for hospital statistics.

About Tenet Healthcare

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) is a diversified healthcare services company headquartered in Dallas. Our care delivery network includes United Surgical Partners International, the largest ambulatory platform in the country, which operates ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals. We also operate a national portfolio of acute care and specialty hospitals, other outpatient facilities, a network of leading employed physicians and a global business center in Manila, Philippines. Our Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary provides revenue cycle management and value-based care services to hospitals, health systems, physician practices, employers and other clients. Across the Tenet enterprise, we are united by our mission to deliver quality, compassionate care in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company believes the non-GAAP measures described below are useful to investors and analysts because they present additional information on the Company’s financial performance. Investors, analysts, Company management and the Company’s Board of Directors utilize these non-GAAP measures, in addition to GAAP measures, to track the Company’s financial and operating performance and compare the Company’s performance to its peer companies, which use similar non-GAAP financial measures in their presentations and earnings releases. The Human Resources Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors also uses certain of these measures to evaluate management’s performance for the purpose of determining incentive compensation. Additional information regarding the purpose and utility of specific non-GAAP measures used in this release is set forth below.

• Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as net income available (loss attributable) to Tenet common shareholders before (1) the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, (2) net loss attributable (income available) to noncontrolling interests, (3) income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, (4) income tax benefit (expense), (5) gain (loss) from early extinguishment of debt, (6) other non-operating income (expense), net, (7) interest expense, (8) litigation and investigation benefit (costs), net of insurance recoveries, (9) net gains (losses) on sales, consolidation and deconsolidation of facilities, (10) impairment and restructuring charges and acquisition-related costs, (11) depreciation and amortization and (12) income (loss) from divested and closed businesses (i.e., health plan businesses). Litigation and investigation costs excluded do not include ordinary course of business malpractice and other litigation and related expenses.
• Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations is defined by the Company as Adjusted net income available (loss attributable) from continuing operations to Tenet common shareholders, divided by the weighted average diluted shares outstanding in the reporting period.
• Adjusted net income available (loss attributable) from continuing operations to Tenet common shareholders is defined by the Company as net income available (loss attributable) to Tenet common shareholders before (1) income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, (2) gain (loss) from early extinguishment of debt, (3) litigation and investigation benefit (costs), net of insurance recoveries, (4) net gains (losses) on sales, consolidation and deconsolidation of facilities, (5) impairment and restructuring charges and acquisition-related costs, (6) income (loss) from divested and closed businesses (i.e., health plan businesses) and (7) the associated impact of these items on taxes and noncontrolling interests. Litigation and investigation costs excluded do not include ordinary course of business malpractice and other litigation and related expenses.
• Free Cash Flow is defined by the Company as (1) net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, less (2) purchases of property and equipment for continuing operations.
• Adjusted Free Cash Flow is defined by the Company as (1) Adjusted net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from continuing operations, less (2) purchases of property and equipment from continuing operations.
• Adjusted net cash provided by (used in) operating activities is defined by the Company as cash provided by (used in) operating activities prior to (1) payments for restructuring charges, acquisition-related costs and litigation costs and settlements, and (2) net cash provided by (used in) operating activities from discontinued operations.

The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure, in part, because certain investors and analysts use both historical and projected Adjusted EBITDA, in addition to other GAAP and non-GAAP measures, as factors in determining the estimated fair value of shares of the Company’s common stock. Company management also regularly reviews the Adjusted EBITDA performance for each operating segment. The Company does not use Adjusted EBITDA to measure liquidity, but instead to measure operating performance.

The Company uses, and believes investors use, Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Free Cash Flow as supplemental non-GAAP measures to analyze cash flows generated from the Company’s operations. The Company believes these measures are useful to investors in evaluating its ability to fund distributions paid to noncontrolling interests or for acquisitions, purchasing equity interests in joint ventures or repaying debt.

These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Because these measures exclude many items that are included in the Company’s financial statements, they do not provide a complete measure of the Company’s operating performance. For example, the Company’s definitions of Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Free Cash Flow do not include other important uses of cash including (1) cash used to purchase businesses or joint venture interests, or (2) any items that are classified as Cash Flows from Financing Activities on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, including items such as (i) cash used to repay borrowings, or (ii) distributions paid to noncontrolling interests. Accordingly, investors are encouraged to use GAAP measures when evaluating the Company’s financial performance.

See corresponding reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures referred to above to the most comparable GAAP financial measures in Tables #1 - 6 below.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240429925010/en/