Tenet Confirms Outlook for 2012 Adjusted EBITDA

Tenet Healthcare Corporation THC issued its Outlook for 2012 Adjusted EBITDA in a range of $1.200 billion to $1.300 billion. Tenet intends to provide a detailed review of its 2012 Outlook when it releases fourth quarter earnings on February 28, 2012. “We are pleased to communicate our expectations for continued earnings growth in 2012,” said Trevor Fetter, president and chief executive officer. “Our core strategies for growing and deepening our physician relationships, achieving additional cost efficiencies through our Medicare Performance Initiative, acquiring outpatient centers, and growing our Conifer services business are all working effectively. These growth strategies have more than offset pressures on government reimbursement and other effects of a soft economic environment.” The Company is in the process of finalizing its year-end financial results for 2011. At this point, it remains unresolved whether Tenet's fourth quarter will include the recognition of certain significant favorable pending reimbursement settlements. Fourth quarter 2011 results will be adversely impacted, relative to prior expectations, by the deferred recognition of $12 million in revenues related to Medicare Healthcare Information Technology (“HIT”) incentive payments due to a change in accounting method and $7 million related to a decline in interest rates at quarter-end, which unfavorably impacted certain discounted liabilities. Neither of these two adverse items will impact cash. The Company said achieving the 2011 Outlook range for Adjusted EBITDA of $1.175 billion to $1.275 billion requires recording the pending reimbursement settlements in the fourth quarter as discussed above. Results for the fourth quarter of 2011 also will reflect a slight increase in admissions and approximately flat outpatient visits relative to the fourth quarter of 2010 and the recording of a $28 million net favorable impact related to the California Provider Fee Six-Month program which received all necessary approvals prior to year end. The 2012 Adjusted EBITDA Outlook range of $1.200 billion to $1.300 billion includes the adverse impact from the aforementioned accounting change deferring the recognition in income of certain HIT incentive payments. The HIT incentives expected to be recognized in income in 2012 are approximately $31 million less than the amount that would have been recognized in 2012 prior to the accounting change. This does not affect the timing of cash receipt of these incentive payments. The Company is confirming the prior Outlook range for Adjusted EBITDA in 2013 of $1.335 billion to $1.535 billion. The Outlook range for 2015, which includes the increased coverage of the uninsured pursuant to the Affordable Care Act, is reconfirmed at $1.75 billion to $2.25 billion.