Encompass Health Corp (EHC)

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

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes. This MD&A is designed to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements from year to year, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our consolidated financial statements. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Summary of Risk Factors” on page ii of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference, for a description of important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected results. See also Item 1A, Risk Factors.

In addition, management’s discussion and analysis of our results of operations and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 may be found in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2024.

Executive Overview

Our Business

We are the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals. We provide specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis. We operate hospitals in 38 states and Puerto Rico, with concentrations in Florida and Texas. As of December 31, 2024, we operated 166 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. For additional information about our business, see Item 1, Business and Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this report.

2024 Overview

During 2024, Net operating revenues increased 11.9% over 2023 due primarily to volume growth and increased pricing. See the “Results of Operations” section of this Item for additional information.

We continued our development and expansion efforts in 2024. We:

•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Kissimmee, Florida in May 2024;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia with our joint venture partner Piedmont in May 2024;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Louisville, Kentucky with our joint venture partner Baptist Health in June 2024;

•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Johnston, Rhode Island in July 2024;

•began operating our new 39-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Fort Mill, South Carolina in September 2024;

•began operating our new 61-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Houston, Texas in November 2024;

•expanded our capacity by adding 147 new beds to existing hospitals (inclusive of our new 40-bed satellite inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Ballwin, Missouri which began operating in May 2024); and

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•announced or continued the development of the following hospitals:

(1) Opening dates are tentative

(2) Expected joint venture

We also continued our shareholder distributions in 2024 through common stock repurchases and paying a quarterly cash dividend on our common stock. For additional information on our common stock repurchases and quarterly dividend payments, see the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of this Item.

Business Outlook

We remain optimistic regarding the intermediate and long-term prospects of our business. Demographic trends, such as population aging, should continue to increase long-term demand for the services we provide. While we treat patients of all ages, most of our patients are 65 and older, and the number of Medicare enrollees is expected to grow approximately 3% per year for the foreseeable future, reaching approximately 73 million people over the age of 65 by 2030. More specifically, the average age of our Medicare patients is approximately 78, and the population group ranging in ages from 75 to 79 is expected to grow at approximately 5% per year through 2026. We believe the demand for the services we provide will continue to increase as the U.S. population ages. We believe these factors align with our strengths in, and focus on, inpatient rehabilitation services.

We are committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective patient care. As the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals, we believe we differentiate ourselves from our competitors based on, among other things, the quality of our clinical outcomes, our cost-effectiveness, our financial strength, and our extensive application of technology. We also believe our competitive strengths discussed in Item 1, Business, “Competitive Strengths,” give us the ability to adapt and succeed in a healthcare industry facing regulatory uncertainty around attempts to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

The healthcare industry faces the prospect of ongoing efforts to transform the healthcare system to coordinated care delivery and payment models. The nature, timing and extent of that transformation remains uncertain, as the development and implementation of new care delivery and payment systems will require significant time and resources. Our goal is to position the Company in a prudent manner to be responsive to industry shifts. We have invested in our core business and created an infrastructure that enables us to provide high-quality care on a cost-effective basis. We have been disciplined in creating a

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capital structure that is flexible with no significant debt maturities until 2028. We continue to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet, including a substantial portfolio of owned real estate, and ample availability under our revolving credit facility, which along with the cash flows generated from operations should, we believe, provide sufficient support for our ability to adapt to changes in reimbursement, sustain our business model, and grow through de novo hospitals and bed additions. See also Item 1, Business, “Strategy and Strategic Priorities” and “Competitive Strengths.”

Key Challenges

Healthcare is a highly regulated industry facing many well-publicized regulatory and reimbursement challenges. Medicare reimbursement for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (“IRFs”) has recently undergone significant changes. The future of many aspects of healthcare regulation generally and Medicare reimbursement specifically remains uncertain. Successful healthcare providers are those able to adapt to changes in the regulatory and operating environments, build strategic relationships across the healthcare continuum, and consistently provide high-quality, cost-effective care. We believe we have the necessary capabilities—change agility, strategic relationships, quality of patient outcomes, cost effectiveness, and ability to capitalize on growth opportunities—to adapt to and succeed in a dynamic, highly regulated industry, and we have a proven track record of doing so.

As we continue to execute our business plan, the following are some of the key challenges we face.

•Operating in a Highly Regulated Industry. We are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state, and local government levels. More specifically, because Medicare comprises a significant portion of our Net operating revenues, failure to comply with the laws and regulations governing the Medicare program and related matters, including anti-kickback and anti-fraud requirements, could materially and adversely affect us. These rules and regulations have affected, or could in the future affect, our business activities by having an impact on the reimbursement we receive for services provided or the costs of compliance, mandating new documentation standards, requiring additional licensure or certification, regulating our relationships with physicians and other referral sources, regulating the use of our properties, and limiting our ability to enter new markets or add new capacity to existing hospitals. See Item 1, Business, “Regulation” and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks” for detailed discussions of the most important regulations we face and our programs intended to ensure we comply with those regulations.

Reimbursement claims made by healthcare providers, including inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, are subject to audit from time to time by governmental payors, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and state Medicaid programs, their agents, such as the Medicare Administrative Contractors (“MACs”) that act as fiscal intermediaries for all Medicare billings, other auditors contracted by CMS, and private insurance carriers, as well as the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. These audits as well as the ordinary course claim reviews of our billings result in payment denials, including recoupment of previously paid claims. Healthcare providers can challenge denials through an administrative appeals process that can be extremely lengthy, taking up to several years. For additional details of our claim reviews, see Item 1, Business, “Sources of Revenues,” Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks,” and Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues” and “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

•Changes in Medicare Reimbursement and Regulatory Requirements for Operating IRFs. Substantially all of our business consists of inpatient rehabilitation services. From a payor perspective, our reimbursement and regulatory risk is concentrated in the Medicare inpatient rehabilitation rules and regulations. We derive approximately 65% of our Net operating revenues from fee-for-service Medicare.

As part of its annual rulemaking process for various healthcare provider categories, CMS adopts IRF reimbursement rate changes effective from October through the following September. On July 31, 2024, CMS released its notice of final rulemaking for fiscal year 2025 for IRFs (the “2025 IRF Rule”) under the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (the “IRF-PPS”). Based on our analysis that utilizes the acuity of our patients annualized over a twelve-month period ended June 30, 2024, our experience with outlier payments over this same time frame, and other factors, we believe the 2025 IRF Rule will result in a net increase to our Medicare payment rates of approximately 3.3% effective October 1, 2024.

Congress also regularly adopts legislation that directly affects Medicare reimbursement. These reimbursement changes can result in limitations on the increases in and, in some cases, significant roll-backs or reductions in the levels of payments for IRF services. For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) enacted in 2010 provided for specific reductions to healthcare providers’ annual reimbursement rate updates and

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other payment policy changes. The Budget Control Act of 2011 provides for an automatic 2% reduction, or “sequestration,” of Medicare program payments for all healthcare providers. Sequestration took effect April 1, 2013 and, as a result of subsequent legislation, will continue through mid-fiscal year 2032 unless Congress and the President take further action. Additional Medicare payment reductions are also possible under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (“Statutory PAYGO”). Statutory PAYGO requires, among other things, that mandatory spending and revenue legislation not increase the federal budget deficit over a 5- or 10-year period. If the Office of Management and Budget (the “OMB”) finds there is a deficit in the federal budget, Statutory PAYGO requires OMB to order sequestration of Medicare, which could result in Medicare program payments reductions of up to four percent. There can be no assurance that future federal rulemaking and legislation will not result in reimbursement freezes or reductions, or reimbursement increases that are less than the increases we experience in our costs of operation.

In addition to direct changes to Medicare reimbursement rates, other federal regulatory and legislative actions affect healthcare generally and our business specifically. For example, the ACA included provisions intended to promote alternative payment models, such as accountable care organizations (“ACOs”) and bundled payment initiatives, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative Advanced (“BPCI Advanced”), the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (“CJR”) program, and more recently, the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (“TEAM”). Likewise, CMS regulatory proposals can affect our operations. On December 14, 2020, CMS announced a five-year review choice demonstration for inpatient rehabilitation services (the “IRF RCD”), under which Medicare reimbursement claims are assessed for compliance with applicable coverage and clinical documentation requirements. In August 2023, IRFs located in Alabama began participation in IRF RCD. On March 1, 2024, CMS announced the expansion of IRF RCD, effective June 17, 2024, to include IRFs located in Pennsylvania and billing to a certain MAC. We do not bill to that MAC, so we are not subject to the program in Pennsylvania at this time. CMS plans to expand IRF RCD further to Texas and California, but the timing for doing so is not known. CMS intends to expand the IRF RCD program after the initial four state rollout but has yet to provide details of that expansion.

Under the IRF RCD, participating IRFs have an initial choice between pre-claim or post-payment review of 100% of Medicare claims submitted to demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements during the first six-month review period or cycle. We elected the pre-claim review option for our IRFs in Alabama for the first cycle. Under the pre-claim review choice, services can begin prior to the submission of the review request and continue while the decision is being made. The pre-claim review request with required documentation must be submitted, reviewed, and approved before the final claim is paid. If a certain percentage of the claims reviewed are found to be valid, the IRF may then opt out of the 100% review. The opt-out validation percentages for the second and third cycles were 85% or greater and 90% or greater, respectively. In opting out, the IRF may elect spot prepayment reviews of samples consisting of 5% of total claims or selective post-payment review of a statistically valid random sample. Our claim validation rate for the first cycle ending in February 2024 exceeded the required 80% at our IRFs in Alabama. For the second cycle, which began on May 1, 2024, we elected not to opt out, so our IRFs in Alabama remained subject to the 100% pre-claim review. None of our IRFs in Alabama achieved the 85% claim validation rate for the second cycle ending in October 2024. We believe many of the non-affirmations in the second cycle were based on application of improper standards or requirements that directly conflict with the Medicare coverage criteria for IRFs. In the third cycle, we are again submitting 100% of review requests pre-claim. We have engaged, and will continue to engage, with the MAC and CMS to ensure the review process is consistent with existing rules, regulations and statutes. Given the inconsistent review process applied by the MAC across the previous two cycles, we cannot predict the impact, if any, IRF RCD may have on the collectability of our Medicare claims over its five-year term and ultimately our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.

For additional discussion of changes to Medicare reimbursement, including the 2025 IRF Rule and Statutory PAYGO, and other proposed and adopted legislative and regulatory actions, including alternative payment models and the IRF RCD, that may be material to our business, see Item 1, Business, and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks.”

Concerns held by federal policymakers about the federal deficit, national debt levels, and the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, as well as other healthcare policy priorities, could result in enactment of further federal spending reductions, including by means of significant staffing reductions at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, further entitlement reform legislation affecting the Medicare program, and further reductions to provider payments. Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has taken a number of executive actions, including those associated with recommendations of the Department of Government Efficiency, intended to

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reduce federal spending, including Medicare. We cannot predict what, if any, changes in Medicare spending or modifications to the healthcare laws and regulations will result from future budget or other legislative or regulatory initiatives.

As discussed in Item 1, Business, healthcare will be the subject of significant regulatory and legislative changes regardless of party in control of the executive and legislative branches of state and federal governments. We will continue to evaluate these laws and regulations and position the Company for this industry shift. Based on our track record, we believe we can adapt to regulatory and industry changes. Further, we have engaged, and will continue to engage, actively in discussions with key legislators and regulators to attempt to ensure any healthcare laws or regulations adopted or amended promote our goal of high-quality, cost-effective care.

•Maintaining Strong Volume Growth. Various factors, including competition and increasing regulatory and administrative burdens, may impact our ability to maintain and grow our hospital volumes. In any particular market, we may encounter competition from local or national entities with longer operating histories or other competitive advantages, such as acute-care hospitals who provide post-acute services similar to ours or other post-acute providers with relationships with referring acute-care hospitals or physicians. Aggressive payment review practices by Medicare contractors, aggressive enforcement of regulatory policies by government agencies, and restrictive or burdensome rules, regulations or statutes governing admissions practices may lead us to not accept patients who would be appropriate for and would benefit from the services we provide. In addition, from time to time, we must get regulatory approval to expand our services and locations in states with certificate of need laws. This approval may be withheld or take longer than expected. In the case of new-store volume growth, the addition of hospitals to our portfolio also may be difficult and take longer than expected.

•Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Personnel. Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, including management, for our inpatient hospitals remains a high priority for us. We attempt to maintain a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that allows us to remain competitive in this challenging staffing environment while remaining consistent with our goal of providing high-quality, cost-effective care. Additionally, our operations have been affected and may in the future be affected by staffing shortages. In recent years, staffing shortages and competition have resulted in increased labor costs, including significant sign-on and shift bonuses, and increased use of contract labor. See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for further discussion of competition for staffing, shortages of qualified personnel, and other factors that may increase our labor costs and constrain our ability to take new patients.

We remain confident in the prospects of our business based on the increasing demands for the services we provide to an aging population. This confidence is further supported by our strong financial foundation and the substantial investments we have made in our business. We have a proven track record of working through difficult operating environments, and we believe in our ability to overcome current and future challenges.

Results of Operations

Payor Mix

We derived consolidated Net operating revenues from the following payor sources:

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Our payor mix is weighted heavily towards Medicare. We receive Medicare reimbursements under the IRF-PPS. For additional information regarding Medicare reimbursement, see the “Sources of Revenues” section of Item 1, Business.

As part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress created a program of private, managed healthcare coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. This program has been referred to as Medicare Part C, or “Medicare Advantage.” The program offers beneficiaries a range of Medicare coverage options by providing a choice between the traditional fee-for-service program (under Medicare Parts A and B) or enrollment in a health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, point-of-service plan, provider sponsor organization, or an insurance plan operated in conjunction with a medical savings account.

Our Net operating revenues consist primarily of revenues derived from patient care services. Net operating revenues also include other revenues generated from management and administrative fees and other non-patient care services. These other revenues are included in “other income” in the above table.

Our Results

Our consolidated results of operations were as follows:

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Operating Expenses as a % of Net Operating Revenues

Additional information regarding our operating results is as follows:

*    FTEs included in the above table represent our employees who participate in or support the operations of our hospitals and include FTEs related to contract labor.

We actively manage the productive portion of our Salaries and benefits utilizing certain metrics, including employees per occupied bed, or “EPOB.” This metric is determined by dividing the number of full-time equivalents, including full-time equivalents from the utilization of contract labor, by the number of occupied beds during each period.

In the discussion that follows, we use “same-store” comparisons to explain the changes in certain performance metrics within our financial statements. We calculate same-store comparisons based on hospitals open throughout both the full current period and prior periods presented. These comparisons include the financial results of market consolidation transactions and capacity expansions (including the addition of satellite and remote hospitals) in existing markets, as it is difficult to determine, with precision, the incremental impact of these transactions on our results of operations.

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2024 Compared to 2023

Net Operating Revenues

Our consolidated Net operating revenues increased during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to increased volumes and favorable pricing. Discharge growth included a 5.6% increase in same-store discharges. Discharge growth from new stores during 2024 compared to 2023 resulted from our joint ventures in Knoxville, Tennessee (March 2023), Owasso, Oklahoma (March 2023), Bowie, Maryland (June 2023), Columbus, Georgia (September 2023), Atlanta, Georgia (May 2024), and Louisville, Kentucky (June 2024), as well as our wholly owned hospitals in Clermont, Florida (April 2023), Prosper, Texas (November 2023), Fitchburg, Wisconsin (November 2023), Kissimmee, Florida (May 2024), Johnston, Rhode Island (July 2024), and Fort Mill, South Carolina (September 2024). Growth in net patient revenue per discharge in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from an increase in reimbursement rates and a decrease in revenue reserves related to bad debt partially offset by a change in patient mix. Revenue reserves during 2023 included an approximate $22 million reserve recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 related to appeals pending before the Departmental Appeals Board and various federal district courts. For additional details on this reserve, see Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks,” and Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

The increase in outpatient and other revenue during 2024 included an increase of $33.8 million in provider tax revenues (partially offset by an increase of $17.6 million in provider tax expenses included in Other operating expenses). Provider tax revenues represent amounts received under state directed and supplemental payment programs associated with Medicaid. See Item 1, Business, “Medicaid Reimbursement,” for additional information.

Salaries and Benefits

Salaries and benefits are the most significant cost to us and represent an investment in our most important asset: our employees. Salaries and benefits include all amounts paid to full- and part-time employees who directly participate in or support the operations of our hospitals, including all related costs of benefits provided to employees. It also includes amounts paid for contract labor.

Salaries and benefits increased in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to salary and benefit cost increases for our employees and increased patient volumes, including an increase in the number of FTEs as a result of our development activities. Salaries and benefits decreased as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher volumes and provider tax revenues and lower revenue reserves related to bad debt as discussed above.

In order to meet our clinical staffing needs, we have continued to utilize third-party agencies and to pay sign-on and shift bonuses to our employees. While the costs associated with these actions have declined compared to the prior year, future costs will be affected by labor market conditions and other factors.

Other Operating Expenses

Other operating expenses include costs associated with managing and maintaining our hospitals. These expenses include such items as contract services, non-income related taxes, professional fees, utilities, insurance, and repairs and maintenance.

Other operating expenses increased during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher costs resulting from our development activities and increased provider tax expense as discussed above. Other operating expenses decreased as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher volumes.

Other operating expenses during 2024 included a $10.4 million impairment charge related to the closure of our joint venture inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In January 2024, we received notice that our joint venture partner intended to close its acute-care hospital in which our joint venture inpatient rehabilitation hospital was located. We closed that joint venture hospital in February 2024 and incurred a one-time impairment charge of $10.4 million. The impact to Net income attributable to Encompass Health during 2024 resulting from the impairment was $1.8 million after reductions for Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests of $7.3 million and the Provision for income tax expense of $1.3 million.

Supplies

Supplies expense includes all costs associated with supplies used while providing patient care. Specifically, these costs include personal protective equipment (“PPE”), pharmaceuticals, food, syringes, bandages, and other similar items.

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Supplies increased during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher costs for medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and food.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses primarily include administrative expenses such as information technology services, human resources, corporate accounting, legal services, and internal audit and controls that are managed from our home office in Birmingham, Alabama. These expenses also include stock-based compensation expenses.

General and administrative expenses increased during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher salaries, benefits, and software expenses partially offset by lower incentive compensation costs. General and administrative expenses decreased as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher volumes.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization increased during 2024 compared to 2023 due to our capital investments throughout 2023 and 2024. Depreciation and amortization in 2023 included $6.1 million related to the accelerated amortization of the remaining carrying value of certificate of need (“CON”) assets in South Carolina. In May 2023, the governor of South Carolina signed into law S.164, which repealed the requirement of certain healthcare providers to obtain and/or maintain a CON.

See “Executive Overview” section of this Item for information related to our development activity. We expect Depreciation and amortization to increase going forward as a result of our recent and ongoing capital investments.

Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Discounts and Fees

The decrease in Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from the August and November 2024 redemptions of $150 million and $100 million, respectively, in outstanding principal amount of the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025. Cash paid for interest approximated $147 million and $148 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively. For additional information, see Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Provision for Income Tax Expense

Our Provision for income tax expense increased in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to higher Income from continuing operations before income tax expense.

Our cash payments for income taxes approximated $164 million and $107 million, net of refunds, in 2024 and 2023, respectively. These payments were based on estimates of taxable income. We estimate we will pay approximately $155 million to $175 million of cash income taxes, net of refunds, in 2025. These payments are expected to primarily result from federal and state income tax expenses based on estimates of taxable income for 2025. In 2024 and 2023, current income tax expense was $139.5 million and $128.3 million, respectively.

In certain jurisdictions, we do not expect to generate sufficient income to use all of the available state net operating losses and foreign tax credits prior to their expiration. This determination is based on our evaluation of all available evidence in these jurisdictions including results of operations during the preceding three years, our forecast of future earnings, and prudent tax planning strategies. It is possible we may be required to increase or decrease our valuation allowance at some future time if our forecast of future earnings varies from actual results on a consolidated basis or in the applicable tax jurisdiction, if the timing of future tax deductions differs from our expectations, or pursuant to changes in state and foreign tax laws and rates.

See Note 15, Income Taxes, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the “Critical Accounting Estimates” section of this Item.

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

The increase in Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from increased profitability from certain existing joint venture hospitals partially offset by the ramp up of new joint venture hospitals and the impact from the impairment related to the closure of our joint venture hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in February 2024, as discussed above. See the “Executive Overview” section of this Item for additional information on our new joint venture hospitals.

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Impact of Inflation

The impact of inflation on the Company will be primarily in the area of labor costs. The healthcare industry is labor intensive. Wages and other expenses increase during periods of inflation and when labor shortages occur in the marketplace. There can be no guarantee we will not experience increases in the cost of labor, as the need for clinical healthcare professionals is expected to grow. In addition, increases in healthcare costs are typically higher than inflation and impact our costs under our employee benefit plans. Managing these costs remains a significant challenge and priority for us.

Suppliers pass along rising costs to us in the form of higher prices. For example, we experienced higher prices for our medical supplies (including PPE) and food as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we continue to experience higher costs in the recent inflationary environment. President Trump has threatened extensive new tariffs, which could increase our costs in the future. Our supply chain efforts and our continual focus on monitoring and actively managing medical supplies and pharmaceutical costs have enabled us to accommodate increased pricing related to supplies and other operating expenses over the past few years. However, we cannot predict our ability to cover future cost increases including increase in the cost of PPE.

It should be noted that we have little or no ability to pass on these increased costs associated with providing services to Medicare and Medicaid patients due to federal and state laws that establish fixed reimbursement rates.

See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for additional information.

Relationships and Transactions with Related Parties

Related party transactions were not material to our operations in 2024, 2023, or 2022, and therefore, are not presented as a separate discussion within this Item.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flows from operations, and borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

The objectives of our capital structure strategy are to ensure we maintain adequate liquidity and flexibility. Pursuing and achieving those objectives allow us to support the execution of our operating and strategic plans and weather temporary disruptions in the capital markets and general business environment. Maintaining adequate liquidity is a function of our unrestricted Cash and cash equivalents and our available borrowing capacity. Maintaining flexibility in our capital structure is a function of, among other things, the amount of debt maturities in any given year, the options for debt prepayments without onerous penalties, and limiting restrictive terms and maintenance covenants in our debt agreements.

Consistent with these objectives, in August and November 2024, we redeemed $150 million and $100 million, respectively, of the outstanding principal balance of our 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”) using cash on hand. Pursuant to the terms of the 2025 Notes, these optional redemptions were made at a price of par. As a result of these redemptions, we recorded a $0.6 million Loss on early extinguishment of debt during 2024. See Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for additional information.

We have been disciplined in creating a capital structure that is flexible with no significant debt maturities until 2028. We continue to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet, including a substantial portfolio of owned real estate, and we have significant availability under our revolving credit facility. We continue to generate strong cash flows from operations, and we have significant flexibility with how we choose to invest our cash and return capital to shareholders.

Current Liquidity

As of December 31, 2024, we had $85.4 million in Cash and cash equivalents. This amount excludes $37.7 million in Restricted cash and $130.9 million of restricted marketable securities ($39.0 million included in Other current assets and $91.9 million included in Other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet). Our restricted assets pertain primarily to obligations associated with our captive insurance company, as well as obligations we have under agreements with joint venture partners. See Note 4, Cash and Marketable Securities, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

In addition to Cash and cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $944 million available to us under our revolving credit facility. Our credit agreement governs the substantial majority of our senior secured borrowing capacity and contains a leverage ratio and an interest coverage ratio as financial covenants. Our leverage ratio is defined in our credit agreement as the ratio of consolidated total debt (less cash on hand) to Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing four quarters. In calculating the leverage ratio under our credit agreement, we are permitted to use pro forma Adjusted EBITDA, the calculation

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of which includes historical income statement items and pro forma adjustments, subject to certain limitations, resulting from (1) dispositions and repayments or incurrence of debt and (2) investments, acquisitions, mergers, amalgamations, consolidations and other operational changes to the extent such items or effects are not yet reflected in our trailing four-quarter financial statements. Our interest coverage ratio is defined in our credit agreement as the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest expense, excluding the amortization of financing fees, for the trailing four quarters. As of December 31, 2024, the maximum leverage ratio requirement per our credit agreement was 4.50x and the minimum interest coverage ratio requirement was 3.0x, and we were in compliance with these covenants. Based on Adjusted EBITDA for 2024 and the interest rate in effect under our credit agreement during the three-month period ended December 31, 2024, if we had drawn on the first day and maintained the maximum amount of outstanding draws under our revolving credit facility for the entire year, we would still be in compliance with the maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio requirements.

Effective July 1, 2024, we expanded our existing joint venture with Piedmont Healthcare (“Piedmont”), which we control, by contributing the assets and operations of our previously wholly-owned 70-bed hospital in Augusta, Georgia. Piedmont contributed approximately $90 million on July 1, 2024, which indirectly resulted in Piedmont obtaining a 50% ownership interest in the hospital. For additional information, see Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

We do not face near-term refinancing risk, as the amounts outstanding under our credit agreement do not mature until 2027, and except for approximately $100 million of our 2025 Notes, our bonds all mature in 2028 and beyond. See Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for additional information related to our debt. Also, see the “Contractual Obligations” section below for information related to our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024.

We anticipate we will continue to generate strong cash flows from operations that, together with availability under our revolving credit facility, will allow us to invest in growth opportunities and continue to improve our existing business. We also will continue to consider additional shareholder value-enhancing strategies such as repurchases of our common stock and distribution of common stock dividends, including the potential growth of the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock, recognizing that these actions may increase our leverage ratio. See also the “Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders” section of this Item.

See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties facing us.

Sources and Uses of Cash

The following table shows the cash flows provided by or used in operating, investing, and financing activities of continuing operations (in millions):

2024 Compared to 2023

Operating activities. The increase in Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from an increase in Net income which was driven by growth in Net operating revenues.

Investing activities. The increase in Net cash used in investing activities of continuing operations during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from increased Purchases of property, equipment, and intangible assets.

Financing activities. The increase in Net cash used in financing activities of continuing operations during 2024 compared to 2023 primarily resulted from higher net debt payments and repurchases of common stock partially offset by higher Contributions from noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates. Net debt payments during 2024 included the redemption of $250 million of the outstanding principal balance of our 2025 Notes using cash on hand. See Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for additional information related to our debt. Contributions from noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates during 2024 included approximately $90 million from Piedmont discussed in the “Current Liquidity” section of this Item. For additional information related to our stock repurchases, see the “Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders” section of this Item.

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Contractual Obligations

Our consolidated contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024 are as follows (in millions):

(a)Included in long-term debt are amounts owed on our bonds payable and other notes payable. These borrowings are further explained in Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(b)Interest on our fixed rate debt is presented using the stated interest rate. Interest on our variable rate debt is estimated using the rate in effect as of December 31, 2024. Interest pertaining to our bonds is included to their respective ultimate maturity dates. Interest related to finance lease obligations is excluded from this line (see Note 7, Leases, and Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements). Amounts exclude amortization of debt discounts, amortization of loan fees, or fees for lines of credit that would be included in interest expense in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

(c)Amounts include interest portion of future minimum finance lease payments.

(d)We lease approximately 9% of our hospitals as well as other property under operating leases in the normal course of business. Amounts include interest portion of future minimum operating lease payments. For more information, see Note 7, Leases, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(e)Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on Encompass Health and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum, or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Our purchase obligations primarily relate to software licensing and support and medical equipment. Purchase obligations are not recognized in our consolidated balance sheet.

Our capital expenditures include costs associated with our hospital renovation program, de novo projects, capacity expansions, technology initiatives, and building and equipment upgrades and purchases. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we made capital expenditures of approximately $643 million for property, equipment, and intangible assets. During 2025, we expect to spend approximately $740 million to $770 million for capital expenditures. Approximately $215 million to $225 million of this budgeted amount is considered nondiscretionary expenditures, which we may refer to in other filings as “maintenance” expenditures. Actual amounts spent will be dependent upon the timing of development projects. At December 31, 2024, we have projects under construction which have an estimated additional cost to complete over the next two years of approximately $410 million. We expect to fund capital expenditures using cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders

In October 2023, February 2024, and May 2024, our board of directors declared cash dividends of $0.15 per share that were paid in January 2024, April 2024, and July 2024, respectively. In July 2024, our board of directors approved an increase in our quarterly dividend and declared a cash dividend of $0.17 per share paid in October 2024. That same month, our board again declared a cash dividend of $0.17 per common share which was paid in January 2025. We expect quarterly dividends to be paid in January, April, July, and October. However, the actual declaration of any future cash dividends, and the setting of record and payment dates as well as the per share amounts, will be at the discretion of our board of directors after consideration of various factors, including our capital position and alternative uses of funds. Cash dividends are expected to be funded using cash flows from operations, cash on hand, and availability under our revolving credit facility.

The terms of our credit agreement allow us to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock so long as: (1) we are not in default under our credit agreement, and (2) either (a) our senior secured leverage ratio (as defined in our credit agreement) remains less than or equal to 2x and our leverage ratio (as defined in our credit agreement) remains less than or

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equal to 4.50x or (b) our leverage ratio remains in compliance with the leverage ratio covenant and there is capacity under the Available Amount as defined in the credit agreement. The terms of our Senior Notes (defined below) indenture allow us to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock so long as (1) we are not in default, (2) the consolidated coverage ratio (as defined in the indenture) exceeds 2x or we are otherwise allowed under the indenture to incur debt, and (3) we have capacity under the indenture’s restricted payments covenant to declare and pay dividends. See Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

On October 28, 2013, we announced our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million of our common stock, which has been amended from time to time. Most recently, on July 24, 2024, our board approved resetting the aggregate common stock repurchase authorization to $500 million. As of December 31, 2024, approximately $489 million remained under this authorization. The repurchase authorization does not require the repurchase of a specific number of shares, has an indefinite term, and is subject to termination at any time by our board of directors. Subject to certain terms and conditions, including a maximum price per share and compliance with federal and state securities and other laws, the repurchases may be made from time to time in open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, or other transactions, including trades under a plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. During 2024, we repurchased 0.4 million shares of our common stock in the open market for $31.1 million under this repurchase authorization using cash on hand. There were no repurchases of our common stock during 2023 or 2022. Future repurchases under this authorization generally are expected to be funded using a combination of cash on hand and availability under our $1 billion revolving credit facility.

Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information

Our indebtedness under our credit agreement and the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025, 4.50% Senior Notes due 2028, 4.75% Senior Notes due 2030, and 4.625% Senior Notes due 2031, (collectively, the “Senior Notes”) are guaranteed by certain consolidated subsidiaries. These guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several, subject to certain customary conditions for release. The Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior, unsecured basis by all of our existing and future subsidiaries that guarantee borrowings under our credit agreement and other capital markets debt. The other subsidiaries of Encompass Health do not guarantee the Senior Notes (such subsidiaries are referred to as the “non-guarantor subsidiaries”).

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Summarized financial information is presented below for Encompass Health, the parent company, and the subsidiary guarantors on a combined basis after elimination of intercompany transactions and balances among Encompass Health and the subsidiary guarantors and does not include investments in and equity in the earnings of non-guarantor subsidiaries.

Adjusted EBITDA

Management believes Adjusted EBITDA as defined in our credit agreement is a measure of our ability to service our debt and our ability to make capital expenditures. We reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to Net cash provided by operating activities and to Net income.

We use Adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis as a liquidity measure. We believe this financial measure on a consolidated basis is important in analyzing our liquidity because it is the key component of certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement, which is discussed in more detail in Note 9, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. These covenants are material terms of the credit agreement. Noncompliance with these financial covenants under our credit agreement—our interest coverage ratio and our leverage ratio—could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, which would have some cost to us, and such relief might be on terms less favorable to us than those in our existing credit agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under our credit agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, paying common stock dividends, making certain payments, and acquiring and disposing of assets. Consequently, Adjusted EBITDA is critical to our assessment of our liquidity.

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In general terms, the credit agreement definition of Adjusted EBITDA, therein referred to as “Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA,” allows us to add back to consolidated Net income interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization and then add back to consolidated Net income (1) all unusual or nonrecurring items reducing consolidated Net income (of which only up to $10 million in a year may be cash expenditures), (2) any losses from discontinued operations, (3) non-ordinary course fees, costs and expenses incurred with respect to any litigation or settlement, (4) share-based compensation expense, (5) costs and expenses associated with changes in the fair value of marketable securities, (6) costs and expenses associated with the issuance or prepayment of debt, and acquisitions, and (7) any restructuring charges and certain pro forma cost savings and synergies related to transactions and initiatives, which in the aggregate are not in excess of 25% of Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA. We also subtract from consolidated Net income all unusual or nonrecurring items to the extent they increase consolidated Net income.

Under the credit agreement, the Adjusted EBITDA calculation does not require us to deduct net income attributable to noncontrolling interests or gains on fair value adjustments of hedging and equity instruments, disposal of assets, and development activities. It also does not allow us to add back losses on fair value adjustments of hedging instruments or unusual or nonrecurring cash expenditures in excess of $10 million. These items and amounts, in addition to the items falling within the credit agreement’s “unusual or nonrecurring” classification, may occur in future periods, but can vary significantly from period to period and may not directly relate to, or be indicative of, our ongoing liquidity or operating performance. Accordingly, the Adjusted EBITDA calculation presented here includes adjustments for them.

Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and the items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance. Therefore, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for Net income or cash flows from operating, investing, or financing activities. Because Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement determined in accordance with GAAP and is thus susceptible to varying calculations, Adjusted EBITDA, as presented, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Revenues and expenses are measured in accordance with the policies and procedures described in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Our Adjusted EBITDA was as follows (in millions):

Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted EBITDA

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Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA

For additional information see the “Results of Operations” section of this Item.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. In connection with the preparation of our financial statements, we are required to make assumptions and estimates about future events and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, and the related disclosures. We base our assumptions, estimates, and judgments on historical experience, current trends, and other factors we believe to be relevant at the time we prepared our consolidated financial statements. On a regular basis, we review the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates, and judgments to ensure our consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. We believe the following accounting estimates are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results, as they require our most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, resulting from the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We have reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the audit committee of our board of directors.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize net operating revenue in the reporting period in which we perform the service based on our best estimate of the transaction price for the type of service provided to the patient. Our estimate of the transaction price includes estimates of price concessions for such items as contractual allowances (principally for patients covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other third-party payors), potential adjustments that may arise from payment and other reviews, and uncollectible amounts. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this report for a complete discussion of our revenue recognition policies.

Our patient accounting systems calculate contractual allowances on a patient-by-patient basis based on the rates in effect for each primary third-party payor. Certain other factors that are considered and could influence the estimated transaction price are assumed to remain consistent with the experience for patients discharged in similar time periods for the same payor classes, and additional adjustments are provided to account for these factors.

Management continually reviews the revenue transaction price estimation process to consider and incorporate updates to laws and regulations and the frequent changes in managed care contractual terms that result from contract renegotiations and renewals. In addition, laws and regulations governing the Medicare and Medicaid programs are complex and subject to

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interpretation. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material.

Due to complexities involved in determining amounts ultimately due under reimbursement arrangements with third-party payors, which are often subject to interpretation and review, we may receive reimbursement for healthcare services authorized and provided that is different from our estimates, and such differences could be material. However, we continually review the amounts actually collected in subsequent periods in order to determine the amounts by which our estimates differed. Historically, such differences have not been material from either a quantitative or qualitative perspective.

The collection of outstanding receivables from third-party payors and patients is our primary source of cash and is critical to our operating performance. Our primary collection risks relate to patient responsibility amounts and claims reviews conducted by MACs or other contractors.

The table below shows a summary of our net accounts receivable balances as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. Information on the concentration of total patient accounts receivable by payor class can be found in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Changes in general economic conditions (such as increased unemployment rates or periods of recession), business office operations, the proper function and availability of billing systems, payor mix, or trends in federal or state governmental and private employer healthcare coverage could affect our collection of accounts receivable. Our collection risks include patient accounts for which the primary insurance carrier has paid the amounts covered by the applicable agreement, but patient responsibility amounts (deductibles and co-payments) remain outstanding, pre-payment claim reviews by our respective MACs, and reimbursement claims audits by governmental or other payors and their agents. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, $30.6 million and $21.0 million, respectively, of our patient accounts receivable represented denials that were under review or audit. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues” and “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this report.

Self-Insured Risks

We are self-insured for certain losses related to professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks. Although we obtain third-party insurance coverage to limit our exposure to these claims, a substantial portion of our professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks are insured through a wholly owned insurance subsidiary. See Note 10, Self-Insured Risks, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a more complete discussion of our self-insured risks.

Our self-insured liabilities contain uncertainties because management must make assumptions and apply judgment to estimate the ultimate cost of reported claims and claims incurred but not reported as of the balance sheet date. Our reserves and provisions for professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks are based largely upon semi-annual actuarial calculations prepared by third-party actuaries.

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Periodically, we review our assumptions and the valuations provided by third-party actuaries to determine the adequacy of our self-insurance reserves. The following are certain of the key assumptions and other factors that significantly influence our estimate of self-insurance reserves: historical claims experience; trending of loss development factors; trends in the frequency and severity of claims; coverage limits of third-party insurance; demographic information; statistical confidence levels; medical cost inflation; payroll dollars; and hospital patient census.

The time period to resolve claims can vary depending upon the jurisdiction, the nature, and the form of resolution of the claims. The estimation of the timing of payments beyond a year can vary significantly. In addition, if current and future claims differ from historical trends, our estimated reserves for self-insured claims may be significantly affected. Our self-insurance reserves are not discounted.

Given the number of factors used to establish our self-insurance reserves, we believe there is limited benefit to isolating any individual assumption or parameter from the detailed computational process and calculating the impact of changing that single item. Instead, we believe the sensitivity in our reserve estimates is best illustrated by changes in the statistical confidence level used in the computations. Using a higher statistical confidence level increases the estimated self-insurance reserves. The following table shows the sensitivity of our recorded self-insurance reserves to the statistical confidence level (in millions):

We believe our efforts to improve patient safety and overall quality of care, as well as our efforts to reduce workplace injuries, have helped contain our ultimate claim costs. See Note 10, Self-Insured Risks, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

We believe our self-insurance reserves are adequate to cover projected costs. Due to the considerable variability that is inherent in such estimates, there can be no assurance the ultimate liability will not exceed management’s estimates. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material.

Income Taxes

We provide for income taxes using the asset and liability method. We also evaluate our tax positions and establish assets and liabilities in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance on uncertainty in income taxes. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Income Taxes,” and Note 15, Income Taxes, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a more complete discussion of income taxes and our policies related to income taxes.

The application of income tax law is inherently complex. Laws and regulations in this area are voluminous and are often ambiguous. We are required to make many subjective assumptions and judgments regarding our income tax exposures. Interpretations of and guidance surrounding income tax laws and regulations change over time. As such, changes in our subjective assumptions and judgments can materially affect amounts recognized in our consolidated financial statements.

The ultimate recovery of certain of our deferred tax assets is dependent on the amount and timing of taxable income we will ultimately generate in the future, as well as other factors. A high degree of judgment is required to determine the extent a valuation allowance should be provided against deferred tax assets. On a quarterly basis, we assess the likelihood of realization of our deferred tax assets considering all available evidence, both positive and negative. Our operating performance in recent years, the scheduled reversal of temporary differences, our forecast of taxable income in future periods in each applicable tax jurisdiction, our ability to sustain a core level of earnings, and the availability of prudent tax planning strategies are important considerations in our assessment. Our forecast of future earnings includes assumptions about patient volumes, payor reimbursement, labor costs, hospital operating expenses, and interest expense. Based on the weight of available evidence, we determine if it is more likely than not our deferred tax assets will be realized in the future.

Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits contains uncertainties because management is required to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate the exposures associated with our various filing positions which are periodically audited by tax authorities. In addition, our effective income tax rate is affected by changes in tax law, the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, and the results of income tax audits.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we decreased our valuation allowance by $7.4 million. As of December 31, 2024, we had a remaining valuation allowance of $21.0 million which primarily related to unusable foreign tax credits

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generated by our operations in Puerto Rico. We determined it was necessary to maintain a valuation allowance on our foreign tax credits due to uncertainties related to our ability to utilize a portion of these credits before they expire. The amount of the valuation allowance has been determined based on the weight of all available evidence, as described above, including management’s estimates of taxable income over the periods in which the related deferred tax assets will be recoverable.

Assessment of Loss Contingencies

We have legal and other contingencies that could result in significant losses upon the ultimate resolution of such contingencies. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Litigation Reserves,” and Note 17, Contingencies and Other Commitments, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

We have provided for losses in situations where we have concluded it is probable a loss has been or will be incurred and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining whether a loss is probable and reasonably estimable due to the uncertainty involved in determining the likelihood of future events and estimating the financial statement impact of such events. If further developments or resolution of a contingent matter are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may need to recognize a significant charge in a future period related to an existing contingent matter.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For information regarding recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes. This MD&A is designed to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements from year to year, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our consolidated financial statements. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Summary of Risk Factors” on page ii of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference, for a description of important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected results. See also Item 1A, Risk Factors.

In addition, management’s discussion and analysis of our results of operations and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021 may be found in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2023.

Executive Overview

Our Business

We are the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals. We provide specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis. We operate hospitals in 37 states and Puerto Rico, with concentrations in Florida and Texas. As of December 31, 2023, we operate 161 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. For additional information about our business, see Item 1, Business and Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this report.

Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business

On July 1, 2022, we completed the previously announced separation of our home health and hospice business through the distribution (the “Spin Off”) of all of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Enhabit, Inc. (“Enhabit”) to the stockholders of record of Encompass Health as of the close of business on June 24, 2022 (the “Record Date”). The Spin Off was effective at 12:01 a.m., Eastern Time, on July 1, 2022. The Spin Off was structured as a pro rata distribution of one share of Enhabit common stock for every two shares of Encompass Health common stock held of record as of the Record Date. No fractional shares were distributed. A cash payment was made in lieu of any fractional shares. As a result of the Spin Off, Enhabit is now an independent public company and its common stock is listed under the symbol “EHAB” on the New York Stock Exchange.

In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the historical results of Enhabit have been presented as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations for all periods presented. Our presentation of discontinued operations excludes any allocation of general corporate and overhead costs as well as interest expense. Prior to July 1, 2022, we operated under two reporting segments. We now operate under a single reporting segment. For additional information see Note 2, Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business, to the consolidated financial statements.

In connection with the Spin Off, on June 30, 2022, we entered into several agreements with Enhabit that govern the relationship of the parties following the Spin Off, including a Separation and Distribution Agreement, a Transition Services Agreement, a Tax Matters Agreement and an Employee Matters Agreement. See also Note 2, Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business, to the consolidated financial statements.

2023 Overview

During 2023, Net operating revenues increased 10.4% over 2022 due primarily to volume growth and increased pricing. See the “Results of Operations” section of this Item for additional information.

We continued our development and expansion efforts in 2023. We:

•began operating our new 51-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital and 22-bed hospital-in-hospital satellite in Knoxville, Tennessee with our joint venture partner Covenant Health in March 2023;

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•began operating our new 36-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with our joint venture partner Hospital Sisters Health System in March 2023(3);

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Owasso, Oklahoma with our joint venture partner Ascension St. John in March 2023;

•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Clermont, Florida in April 2023;

•began operating our new 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Bowie, Maryland in June 2023 (joint venture partnership with University of Maryland Rehabilitation Institute of Southern Maryland, LLC began in July 2023);

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Columbus, Georgia with our joint venture partner Piedmont Healthcare, Inc. in September 2023;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Prosper, Texas in November 2023;

•began operating our new 56-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Fitchburg, Wisconsin in November 2023;

•continued our capacity expansions by adding 46 new beds to existing hospitals; and

•announced or continued the development of the following hospitals:

(1) Expected joint venture

(2) Opening dates are tentative

(3) In January 2024, we received notice that our joint venture partner intends to close its acute-care hospital in which the joint venture inpatient rehabilitation hospital is located. We closed that joint venture hospital in February and expect to incur a one-time charge of approximately $2-4 million, net of tax and noncontrolling interest, in the first quarter of 2024.

We increased the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet as well as augmented returns from investments in operations with shareholder distributions via common stock dividends. For additional information, see the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of this Item.

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Business Outlook

We remain optimistic regarding the intermediate and long-term prospects of our business. Demographic trends, such as population aging, should continue to increase long-term demand for the services we provide. While we treat patients of all ages, most of our patients are 65 and older, and the number of Medicare enrollees is expected to grow approximately 3% per year for the foreseeable future, reaching approximately 73 million people over the age of 65 by 2030. More specifically, the average age of our Medicare patients is approximately 76, and the population group ranging in ages from 75 to 79 is expected to grow at approximately 5% per year through 2026. We believe the demand for the services we provide will continue to increase as the U.S. population ages. We believe these factors align with our strengths in, and focus on, inpatient rehabilitation services.

We are committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective patient care. As the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals, we believe we differentiate ourselves from our competitors based on, among other things, the quality of our clinical outcomes, our cost-effectiveness, our financial strength, and our extensive application of technology. We also believe our competitive strengths discussed in Item 1, Business, “Competitive Strengths,” give us the ability to adapt and succeed in a healthcare industry facing regulatory uncertainty around attempts to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

The healthcare industry faces the prospect of ongoing efforts to transform the healthcare system to coordinated care delivery and payment models. The nature, timing and extent of that transformation remains uncertain, as the development and implementation of new care delivery and payment systems will require significant time and resources. Our goal is to position the Company in a prudent manner to be responsive to industry shifts. We have invested in our core business and created an infrastructure that enables us to provide high-quality care on a cost-effective basis. We have been disciplined in creating a capital structure that is flexible with no significant debt maturities prior to 2025. We continue to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet, including a substantial portfolio of owned real estate, and ample availability under our revolving credit facility, which along with the cash flows generated from operations should, we believe, provide sufficient support for our ability to adapt to changes in reimbursement, sustain our business model, and grow through de novo and bed additions. See also Item 1, Business, “Competitive Strengths” and “Strategy and 2024 Strategic Priorities.”

Key Challenges

Healthcare is a highly regulated industry facing many well-publicized regulatory and reimbursement challenges. Medicare reimbursement for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (“IRFs”) has recently undergone significant changes. The future of many aspects of healthcare regulation generally and Medicare reimbursement specifically remains uncertain. Successful healthcare providers are those able to adapt to changes in the regulatory and operating environments, build strategic relationships across the healthcare continuum, and consistently provide high-quality, cost-effective care. We believe we have the necessary capabilities—change agility, strategic relationships, quality of patient outcomes, cost effectiveness, and ability to capitalize on growth opportunities—to adapt to and succeed in a dynamic, highly regulated industry, and we have a proven track record of doing so.

As we continue to execute our business plan, the following are some of the key challenges we face.

•Operating in a Highly Regulated Industry. We are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state, and local government levels. More specifically, because Medicare comprises a significant portion of our Net operating revenues, failure to comply with the laws and regulations governing the Medicare program and related matters, including anti-kickback and anti-fraud requirements, could materially and adversely affect us. These rules and regulations have affected, or could in the future affect, our business activities by having an impact on the reimbursement we receive for services provided or the costs of compliance, mandating new documentation standards, requiring additional licensure or certification, regulating our relationships with physicians and other referral sources, regulating the use of our properties, and limiting our ability to enter new markets or add new capacity to existing hospitals. Ensuring continuous compliance with extensive laws and regulations is an operating requirement for all healthcare providers. See Item 1, Business, “Regulation” and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks” for detailed discussions of the most important regulations we face and our programs intended to ensure we comply with those regulations.

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Reimbursement claims made by healthcare providers, including inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, are subject to audit from time to time by governmental payors, such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and state Medicaid programs, their agents, such as the Medicare Administrative Contractors (“MACs”) that act as fiscal intermediaries for all Medicare billings, other auditors contracted by CMS, and private insurance carriers, as well as the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. These audits as well as the ordinary course claim reviews of our billings result in payment denials, including recoupment of previously paid claims from current accounts receivable. Healthcare providers can challenge any denials through an administrative appeals process that can be extremely lengthy, taking up to several years. For additional details of our claim reviews, see Item 1, Business, “Sources of Revenues,” Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks,” and Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues” and “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

•Changes in Medicare Reimbursement and Regulatory Requirements for Operating IRFs. Substantially all of our business consists of inpatient rehabilitation services. From a payor perspective, our reimbursement and regulatory risk is concentrated in the Medicare inpatient rehabilitation rules and regulations. We derive approximately 65% of our Net operating revenues from fee-for-service Medicare.

As part of its annual rulemaking process for various healthcare provider categories, CMS adopts IRF reimbursement rate changes effective from October through the following September. On July 27, 2023, CMS released its notice of final rulemaking for fiscal year 2024 for IRFs (the “2024 IRF Rule”) under the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (the “IRF-PPS”). Based on our analysis that utilizes, among other things, the acuity of our patients annualized over a twelve-month period ended June 30, 2023, our experience with outlier payments over this same time frame, and other factors, we believe the 2024 IRF Rule will result in a net increase to our Medicare payment rates of approximately 3.3% effective October 1, 2023.

Congress also regularly adopts legislation that directly affects Medicare reimbursement. These reimbursement changes can result in limitations on the increases in and, in some cases, significant roll-backs or reductions in the levels of payments for IRF services. For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) enacted in 2010 provided for specific reductions to healthcare providers’ annual reimbursement rate updates and other payment policy changes. The Budget Control Act of 2011 provides for an automatic 2% reduction, or “sequestration,” of Medicare program payments for all healthcare providers. Sequestration took effect April 1, 2013 and, as a result of subsequent legislation, will continue through mid-fiscal year 2032 unless Congress and the President take further action. In response to the public health emergency associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the President suspended sequestration through March 31, 2022. Additional Medicare payment reductions are also possible under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (“Statutory PAYGO”). Statutory PAYGO requires, among other things, that mandatory spending and revenue legislation not increase the federal budget deficit over a 5- or 10-year period. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 would result in budget deficits necessitating a 4% reduction in Medicare program payments under the Statutory PAYGO, but subsequent legislation enacted by Congress suspended until 2025 the Statutory PAYGO reductions that would have gone into effect. There can be no assurance that future federal rulemaking and legislation will not result in reimbursement freezes or reductions, or reimbursement increases that are less than the increases we experience in our costs of operation.

In addition to direct changes to Medicare reimbursement rates, other federal regulatory and legislative actions affect healthcare generally and our business specifically. For example, the ACA also included provisions intended to promote alternative payment models, such as accountable care organizations (“ACOs”) and bundled payment initiatives, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative Advanced (“BPCI Advanced”) and the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (“CJR”) program. Likewise, CMS regulatory proposals can affect our operations. On December 14, 2020, CMS announced a five-year review choice demonstration for inpatient rehabilitation services (the “IRF RCD”). The IRF RCD began in Alabama in August 2023. CMS intends to expand this demonstration to Pennsylvania, Texas, and California but has not yet announced the timing for doing so. The IRF RCD affects the process in which we submit, and receive reimbursement for, Medicare claims. Under the IRF RCD, 100% of Medicare reimbursement claims are reviewed for compliance with applicable coverage and clinical documentation requirements. We elected to participate initially in the pre-claim review option under IRF RCD. The pre-claim review request with required documentation must be submitted and reviewed before the final claim is submitted for payment. If a certain percentage of the claims reviewed are found to be valid, the IRF may then opt out of the 100% review. That percentage will initially be 80% or greater for the first six-month period and eventually increases to 90% or greater in subsequent review cycles. In opting out, the IRF may elect spot prepayment reviews of samples consisting of 5% of total claims or selective post-payment review of a

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random sample. As of year end 2023, we cannot be certain our claim validation rate will continue to exceed the required percentage for each review cycle, nor can we predict the impact, if any, the IRF RCD may have on our volumes or the collectability of our Medicare claims over its five-year term.

For additional discussion of changes to Medicare reimbursement, including the 2023 IRF Rule and Statutory PAYGO, and other proposed and adopted legislative and regulatory actions, including alternative payment models and the IRF RCD, that may be material to our business, see Item 1, Business, and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks.”

Concerns held by federal policymakers about the federal deficit, national debt levels, and the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, as well as other healthcare policy priorities, could result in enactment of further federal spending reductions, further entitlement reform legislation affecting the Medicare program, and further reductions to provider payments. We cannot predict what, if any, changes in Medicare spending or modifications to the healthcare laws and regulations will result from future budget or other legislative or regulatory initiatives.

As discussed in Item 1, Business, healthcare will almost certainly be the subject of significant regulatory and legislative changes regardless of party in control of the executive and legislative branches of state and federal governments. We will continue to evaluate these laws and regulations and position the Company for this industry shift. Based on our track record, we believe we can adapt to regulatory and industry changes. Further, we have engaged, and will continue to engage, actively in discussions with key legislators and regulators to attempt to ensure any healthcare laws or regulations adopted or amended promote our goal of high-quality, cost-effective care.

•Maintaining Strong Volume Growth. Various factors, including competition and increasing regulatory and administrative burdens, may impact our ability to maintain and grow our hospital volumes. In any particular market, we may encounter competition from local or national entities with longer operating histories or other competitive advantages, such as acute-care hospitals who provide post-acute services similar to ours or other post-acute providers with relationships with referring acute-care hospitals or physicians. Aggressive payment review practices by Medicare contractors, aggressive enforcement of regulatory policies by government agencies, and restrictive or burdensome rules, regulations or statutes governing admissions practices may lead us to not accept patients who would be appropriate for and would benefit from the services we provide. In addition, from time to time, we must get regulatory approval to expand our services and locations in states with certificate of need laws. This approval may be withheld or take longer than expected. In the case of new-store volume growth, the addition of hospitals to our portfolio also may be difficult and take longer than expected.

•Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Personnel. Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, including management, for our inpatient hospitals remain a high priority for us. We attempt to maintain a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that allows us to remain competitive in this challenging staffing environment while remaining consistent with our goal of providing high-quality, cost-effective care. Additionally, our operations have been affected and may in the future be affected by staffing shortages. In recent years, staffing shortages and competition have resulted in increased labor costs, including significant sign-on and shift bonuses, and increased use of contract labor. See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for further discussion of competition for staffing, shortages of qualified personnel, and other factors that may increase our labor costs and constrain our ability to take new patients.

We remain confident in the prospects of our business based on the increasing demands for the services we provide to an aging population. This confidence is further supported by our strong financial foundation and the substantial investments we have made in our business. We have a proven track record of working through difficult situations, and we believe in our ability to overcome current and future challenges.

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Results of Operations

Payor Mix

We derived consolidated Net operating revenues from the following payor sources:

Our payor mix is weighted heavily towards Medicare. We receive Medicare reimbursements under the IRF-PPS. For additional information regarding Medicare reimbursement, see the “Sources of Revenues” section of Item 1, Business.

As part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress created a program of private, managed healthcare coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. This program has been referred to as Medicare Part C, or “Medicare Advantage.” The program offers beneficiaries a range of Medicare coverage options by providing a choice between the traditional fee-for-service program (under Medicare Parts A and B) or enrollment in a health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, point-of-service plan, provider sponsor organization, or an insurance plan operated in conjunction with a medical savings account.

Our Net operating revenues consist primarily of revenues derived from patient care services. Net operating revenues also include other revenues generated from management and administrative fees and other non-patient care services. These other revenues are included in “other income” in the above table.

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Our Results

Our consolidated results of operations were as follows:

Operating Expenses as a % of Net Operating Revenues

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Additional information regarding our operating results is as follows:

*    FTEs included in the above table represent our employees who participate in or support the operations of our hospitals and include FTEs related to contract labor.

We actively manage the productive portion of our Salaries and benefits utilizing certain metrics, including employees per occupied bed, or “EPOB.” This metric is determined by dividing the number of full-time equivalents, including full-time equivalents from the utilization of contract labor, by the number of occupied beds during each period.

In the discussion that follows, we use “same-store” comparisons to explain the changes in certain performance metrics and line items within our financial statements. We calculate same-store comparisons based on hospitals open throughout both the full current period and prior periods presented. These comparisons include the financial results of market consolidation transactions in existing markets, as it is difficult to determine, with precision, the incremental impact of these transactions on our results of operations.

2023 Compared to 2022

Net Operating Revenues

Our consolidated Net operating revenues increased during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to increased volumes and favorable pricing. Discharge growth included a 4.8% increase in same-store discharges. Discharge growth from new stores during 2023 compared to 2022 resulted from our joint ventures in Shiloh, Illinois (February 2022), Cape Coral, Florida (June 2022), Moline, Illinois (August 2022), Grand Forks, North Dakota (August 2022), Naples, Florida (September 2022), Knoxville, Tennessee (March 2023), Eau Claire, Wisconsin (March 2023), Owasso, Oklahoma (March 2023), Bowie, Maryland (June 2023), and Columbus Georgia (September 2023), as well as wholly owned hospitals in St. Augustine, Florida (March 2022), Libertyville, Illinois (March 2022), Lakeland, Florida (May 2022), Jacksonville, Florida (June 2022), and Clermont, Florida (April 2023).

Growth in net patient revenue per discharge in 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulted from an increase in reimbursement rates partially offset by an increase in revenue reserves, the resumption of sequestration on April 1, 2022 and the change in patient mix. Revenue reserves increased during 2023 compared to 2022 as a result of an approximate $22 million reserve recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 related to appeals pending before the Departmental Appeals Board and various federal district courts. For additional details on this reserve, see Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks,” and Note 1,

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Salaries and Benefits

Salaries and benefits are the most significant cost to us and represent an investment in our most important asset: our employees. Salaries and benefits include all amounts paid to full- and part-time employees who directly participate in or support the operations of our hospitals, including all related costs of benefits provided to employees. It also includes amounts paid for contract labor.

Salaries and benefits increased in 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to salary and benefit cost increases for our employees and increased patient volumes, including an increase in the number of FTEs as a result of our development activities. Salaries and benefits decreased as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to decreases in both contract labor and sign-on and shift bonuses partially offset by the increase in revenue reserves discussed above. Total contract labor and sign-on and shift bonuses were $137.0 million in 2023 as compared to $204.3 million in 2022.

Other Operating Expenses

Other operating expenses include costs associated with managing and maintaining our hospitals. These expenses include such items as contract services, non-income related taxes, professional fees, utilities, insurance, and repairs and maintenance.

Other operating expenses increased during 2023 compared 2022 primarily due to increased provider taxes of approximately $15 million and higher costs resulting from our development activities. Other operating expenses decreased as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to higher volumes.

Supplies

Supplies expense includes all costs associated with supplies used while providing patient care. Specifically, these costs include personal protective equipment (“PPE”), pharmaceuticals, food, syringes, bandages, and other similar items.

Supplies increased during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to higher costs for food and medical supplies.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses primarily include administrative expenses such as information technology services, human resources, corporate accounting, legal services, and internal audit and controls that are managed from our home office in Birmingham, Alabama. These expenses also include stock-based compensation expenses.

General and administrative expenses increased in terms of dollars and as a percent of Net operating revenues during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to higher incentive compensation costs and the mark-to-market adjustments on our non-qualified deferred compensation plan.

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization increased during 2023 compared to 2022 due to our capital investments throughout 2022 and 2023. Depreciation and amortization in 2023 included $6.1 million related to the accelerated amortization of the remaining carrying value of certificate of need (“CON”) assets in South Carolina. In May 2023, the governor of South Carolina signed into law S.164, which repealed the requirement of certain healthcare providers to obtain and/or maintain a CON.

See “Executive Overview” section of this Item for information related to our development activity. We expect Depreciation and amortization to increase going forward as a result of our recent and ongoing capital investments.

Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Discounts and Fees

The decrease in Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees in 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulted from the $20.5 million consent solicitation fee paid to bond holders in June 2022 related to the Spin Off of Enhabit, lower interest rate on our revolving credit facility, and the extinguishment of the term loan facilities in June 2022. Cash paid for interest approximated $148 million and $178 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. For additional information, see Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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Provision for Income Tax Expense

Our Provision for income tax expense increased in 2023 compared to 2022 primarily due to higher Income from continuing operations before income tax expense.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (the “CARES Act”) included provisions relating to net operating loss carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations, technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property, and deferral of employer payroll taxes. The CARES Act did not materially impact our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, although it impacted the timing of cash payments for taxes.

Our cash payments for income taxes approximated $107 million and $50 million, net of refunds, in 2023 and 2022, respectively. These payments were based on estimates of taxable income. We estimate we will pay approximately $145 million to $165 million of cash income taxes, net of refunds, in 2024. These payments are expected to primarily result from federal and state income tax expenses based on estimates of taxable income for 2024. In 2023 and 2022, current income tax expense was $128.3 million and $72.2 million, respectively.

In certain jurisdictions, we do not expect to generate sufficient income to use all of the available state net operating losses and foreign tax credits prior to their expiration. This determination is based on our evaluation of all available evidence in these jurisdictions including results of operations during the preceding three years, our forecast of future earnings, and prudent tax planning strategies. It is possible we may be required to increase or decrease our valuation allowance at some future time if our forecast of future earnings varies from actual results on a consolidated basis or in the applicable tax jurisdiction, if the timing of future tax deductions differs from our expectations, or pursuant to changes in state and foreign tax laws and rates.

See Note 16, Income Taxes, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the “Critical Accounting Estimates” section of this Item.

Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

The increase in Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests during 2023 compared to 2022 resulted from increased profitability from certain existing joint venture hospitals partially offset by the ramp up of new joint venture de novo locations and a $2.2 million reduction to Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests related to the accelerated amortization of the remaining carrying value of our CON assets in South Carolina (discussed above). See the “Executive Overview” section of this Item for additional information on our joint venture de novo locations.

Impact of Inflation

The impact of inflation on the Company will be primarily in the area of labor costs. The healthcare industry is labor intensive. Wages and other expenses increase during periods of inflation and when labor shortages occur in the marketplace. There can be no guarantee we will not experience increases in the cost of labor, as the need for clinical healthcare professionals is expected to grow. In addition, increases in healthcare costs are typically higher than inflation and impact our costs under our employee benefit plans. Managing these costs remains a significant challenge and priority for us.

Suppliers pass along rising costs to us in the form of higher prices. For example, we experienced higher prices for our medical supplies (including PPE) and food as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we continue to experience higher costs in the recent inflationary environment. Our supply chain efforts and our continual focus on monitoring and actively managing medical supplies and pharmaceutical costs have enabled us to accommodate increased pricing related to supplies and other operating expenses over the past few years. However, we cannot predict our ability to cover future cost increases including increase in the cost of PPE.

It should be noted that we have little or no ability to pass on these increased costs associated with providing services to Medicare and Medicaid patients due to federal and state laws that establish fixed reimbursement rates.

See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for additional information.

Relationships and Transactions with Related Parties

Related party transactions were not material to our operations in 2023, 2022, or 2021, and therefore, are not presented as a separate discussion within this Item.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flows from operations, and borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

The objectives of our capital structure strategy are to ensure we maintain adequate liquidity and flexibility. Pursuing and achieving those objectives allow us to support the execution of our operating and strategic plans and weather temporary disruptions in the capital markets and general business environment. Maintaining adequate liquidity is a function of our unrestricted Cash and cash equivalents and our available borrowing capacity. Maintaining flexibility in our capital structure is a function of, among other things, the amount of debt maturities in any given year, the options for debt prepayments without onerous penalties, and limiting restrictive terms and maintenance covenants in our debt agreements.

We have been disciplined in creating a capital structure that is flexible with no significant debt maturities prior to 2025. We continue to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet, including a substantial portfolio of owned real estate, and we have significant availability under our revolving credit facility. We continue to generate strong cash flows from operations, and we have significant flexibility with how we choose to invest our cash and return capital to shareholders.

See Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for additional information.

Current Liquidity

As of December 31, 2023, we had $69.1 million in Cash and cash equivalents. This amount excludes $35.1 million in Restricted cash and $126.2 million of restricted marketable securities ($37.6 million included in Other current assets and $88.6 million included in Other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet). Our restricted assets pertain primarily to obligations associated with our captive insurance company, as well as obligations we have under agreements with joint venture partners. See Note 5, Cash and Marketable Securities, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

In addition to Cash and cash equivalents, as of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $968 million available to us under our revolving credit facility. Our credit agreement governs the substantial majority of our senior secured borrowing capacity and contains a leverage ratio and an interest coverage ratio as financial covenants. Our leverage ratio is defined in our credit agreement as the ratio of consolidated total debt (less cash on hand) to Adjusted EBITDA for the trailing four quarters. In calculating the leverage ratio under our credit agreement, we are permitted to use pro forma Adjusted EBITDA, the calculation of which includes historical income statement items and pro forma adjustments, subject to certain limitations, resulting from (1) dispositions and repayments or incurrence of debt and (2) investments, acquisitions, mergers, amalgamations, consolidations and other operational changes to the extent such items or effects are not yet reflected in our trailing four-quarter financial statements. Our interest coverage ratio is defined in our credit agreement as the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to consolidated interest expense, excluding the amortization of financing fees, for the trailing four quarters. As of December 31, 2023, the maximum leverage ratio requirement per our credit agreement was 4.75x and the minimum interest coverage ratio requirement was 3.0x, and we were in compliance with these covenants. Based on Adjusted EBITDA for 2023 and the interest rate in effect under our credit agreement during the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, if we had drawn on the first day and maintained the maximum amount of outstanding draws under our revolving credit facility for the entire year, we would still be in compliance with the maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio requirements.

On February 21, 2024, Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group that acts as an intermediary for processing our payment claims for all payors, notified us of a cybersecurity incident. In response to the incident, both we and Change Healthcare severed those business service connections between our systems and Change Healthcare’s. The Change Healthcare incident has not affected our operations, except our ability to submit payment claims. In the event the Change Healthcare service is not restored in a timely fashion, we may experience payment collection delays as we turn to alternative channels to submit claims. As of the date hereof, the incident has affected six business days of billings and could, depending on the timing of Change Healthcare restoring its service or our full implementation of alternative claims submission arrangements, result in an increase in our patient accounts receivable balances and a decrease in our Net cash provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2024. We would expect to fund any increase in working capital resulting from the billing and payment disruption through cash on hand and draws on our revolving credit facility, which had an available balance of approximately $968 million as of the date hereof.

We do not face near-term refinancing risk, as the amounts outstanding under our credit agreement do not mature until 2027, and our bonds all mature in 2025 and beyond. See the “Contractual Obligations” section below for information related to our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023.

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We anticipate we will continue to generate strong cash flows from operations that, together with availability under our revolving credit facility, will allow us to invest in growth opportunities and continue to improve our existing business. We also will continue to consider additional shareholder value-enhancing strategies such as repurchases of our common stock and distribution of common stock dividends, including the potential growth of the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock, recognizing that these actions may increase our leverage ratio. See also the “Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders” section of this Item.

See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties facing us.

Sources and Uses of Cash

The following table shows the cash flows provided by or used in operating, investing, and financing activities of continuing operations (in millions):

2023 Compared to 2022

Operating activities. The increase in Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulted from an increase in Net income which was driven by growth in Net operating revenues, and an increase in payroll accruals.

Investing activities. The decrease in Net cash used in investing activities of continuing operations during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulted from decreased purchases of restricted investments.

Financing activities. The decrease in Net cash used in financing activities of continuing operations during 2023 compared to 2022 primarily resulted from a decrease in net debt payments and dividends paid on common stock. Net debt payments in 2022 included the full repayment of both the $250 million outstanding balance of the revolving credit facility and approximately $236 million of the term loan as part of the Spin Off. See Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements, for additional information related to our debt, and the “Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders” section of this Item for additional information related to our dividends.

Contractual Obligations

Our consolidated contractual obligations as of December 31, 2023 are as follows (in millions):

(a)Included in long-term debt are amounts owed on our bonds payable and other notes payable. These borrowings are further explained in Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(b)Interest on our fixed rate debt is presented using the stated interest rate. Interest pertaining to our bonds is included to their respective ultimate maturity dates. Interest related to finance lease obligations is excluded from this line (see Note 8, Leases, and Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements). Amounts exclude amortization of debt discounts, amortization of loan fees, or fees for lines of credit that would be included in interest expense in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

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(c)Amounts include interest portion of future minimum finance lease payments.

(d)We lease approximately 9% of our hospitals as well as other property and equipment under operating leases in the normal course of business. Amounts include interest portion of future minimum operating lease payments. For more information, see Note 8, Leases, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

(e)Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on Encompass Health and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum, or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transaction. Purchase obligations exclude agreements that are cancelable without penalty. Our purchase obligations primarily relate to software licensing and support and medical equipment. Purchase obligations are not recognized in our consolidated balance sheet.

Our capital expenditures include costs associated with our hospital renovation program, de novo projects, capacity expansions, technology initiatives, and building and equipment upgrades and purchases. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we made capital expenditures of approximately $583 million for property, equipment, and intangible assets. During 2024, we expect to spend approximately $580 million to $610 million for capital expenditures using cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility. Approximately $185 million to $195 million of this budgeted amount is considered nondiscretionary expenditures, which we may refer to in other filings as “maintenance” expenditures. Actual amounts spent will be dependent upon the timing of development projects.

Authorizations for Returning Capital to Stakeholders

In October 2022, February 2023, May 2023, July 2023, and October 2023, our board of directors declared cash dividends of $0.15 per share that were paid in January 2023, April 2023, July 2023, October 2023, and January 2024, respectively. We expect quarterly dividends to be paid in January, April, July, and October. However, the actual declaration of any future cash dividends, and the setting of record and payment dates as well as the per share amounts, will be at the discretion of our board of directors after consideration of various factors, including our capital position and alternative uses of funds. Cash dividends are expected to be funded using cash flows from operations, cash on hand, and availability under our revolving credit facility.

The terms of our credit agreement allow us to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock so long as: (1) we are not in default under our credit agreement, and (2) either (a) our senior secured leverage ratio (as defined in our credit agreement) remains less than or equal to 2x and our leverage ratio (as defined in our credit agreement) remains less than or equal to 4.50x or (b) our leverage ratio remains in compliance with the leverage ratio covenant and there is capacity under the Available Amount as defined in the credit agreement. The terms of our Senior Notes (defined below) indenture allow us to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock so long as (1) we are not in default, (2) the consolidated coverage ratio (as defined in the indenture) exceeds 2x or we are otherwise allowed under the indenture to incur debt, and (3) we have capacity under the indenture’s restricted payments covenant to declare and pay dividends. See Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

On July 24, 2018, our board approved resetting the aggregate common stock repurchase authorization to $250 million. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $198 million remained under this authorization. The repurchase authorization does not require the repurchase of a specific number of shares, has an indefinite term, and is subject to termination at any time by our board of directors. Subject to certain terms and conditions, including a maximum price per share and compliance with federal and state securities and other laws, the repurchases may be made from time to time in open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, or other transactions, including trades under a plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information

Our indebtedness under our credit agreement and the the 5.75% Senior Notes due 2025, 4.50% Senior Notes due 2028, 4.75% Senior Notes due 2030, and 4.625% Senior Notes due 2031, (collectively, the “Senior Notes”) are guaranteed by certain consolidated subsidiaries. These guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several, subject to certain customary conditions for release. The Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior, unsecured basis by all of our existing and future subsidiaries that guarantee borrowings under our credit agreement and other capital markets debt. The other subsidiaries of Encompass Health do not guarantee the Senior Notes (such subsidiaries are referred to as the “non-guarantor subsidiaries”).

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Summarized financial information is presented below for Encompass Health, the parent company, and the subsidiary guarantors on a combined basis after elimination of intercompany transactions and balances among Encompass Health and the subsidiary guarantors and does not include investments in and equity in the earnings of non-guarantor subsidiaries.

Adjusted EBITDA

Management believes Adjusted EBITDA as defined in our credit agreement is a measure of our ability to service our debt and our ability to make capital expenditures. We reconcile Adjusted EBITDA to Net cash provided by operating activities and to Net income.

We use Adjusted EBITDA on a consolidated basis as a liquidity measure. We believe this financial measure on a consolidated basis is important in analyzing our liquidity because it is the key component of certain material covenants contained within our credit agreement, which is discussed in more detail in Note 10, Long-term Debt, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. These covenants are material terms of the credit agreement. Noncompliance with these financial covenants under our credit agreement—our interest coverage ratio and our leverage ratio—could result in our lenders requiring us to immediately repay all amounts borrowed. If we anticipated a potential covenant violation, we would seek relief from our lenders, which would have some cost to us, and such relief might be on terms less favorable to us than those in our existing credit agreement. In addition, if we cannot satisfy these financial covenants, we would be prohibited under our credit agreement from engaging in certain activities, such as incurring additional indebtedness, paying common stock dividends, making certain payments, and acquiring and disposing of assets. Consequently, Adjusted EBITDA is critical to our assessment of our liquidity.

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In general terms, the credit agreement definition of Adjusted EBITDA, therein referred to as “Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA,” allows us to add back to consolidated Net income interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization and then add back to consolidated Net income (1) all unusual or nonrecurring items reducing consolidated Net income (of which only up to $10 million in a year may be cash expenditures), (2) any losses from discontinued operations, (3) non-ordinary course fees, costs and expenses incurred with respect to any litigation or settlement, (4) share-based compensation expense, (5) costs and expenses associated with changes in the fair value of marketable securities, (6) costs and expenses associated with the issuance or prepayment of debt, and acquisitions, and (7) any restructuring charges and certain pro forma cost savings and synergies related to transactions and initiatives, which in the aggregate are not in excess of 25% of Adjusted Consolidated EBITDA. We also subtract from consolidated Net income all unusual or nonrecurring items to the extent they increase consolidated Net income.

Under the credit agreement, the Adjusted EBITDA calculation does not require us to deduct net income attributable to noncontrolling interests or gains on fair value adjustments of hedging and equity instruments, disposal of assets, and development activities. It also does not allow us to add back losses on fair value adjustments of hedging instruments or unusual or nonrecurring cash expenditures in excess of $10 million. These items and amounts, in addition to the items falling within the credit agreement’s “unusual or nonrecurring” classification, may occur in future periods, but can vary significantly from period to period and may not directly relate to, or be indicative of, our ongoing liquidity or operating performance. Accordingly, the Adjusted EBITDA calculation presented here includes adjustments for them.

Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and the items excluded from Adjusted EBITDA are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance. Therefore, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for Net income or cash flows from operating, investing, or financing activities. Because Adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement determined in accordance with GAAP and is thus susceptible to varying calculations, Adjusted EBITDA, as presented, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Revenues and expenses are measured in accordance with the policies and procedures described in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Our Adjusted EBITDA was as follows (in millions):

Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted EBITDA

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Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA

For additional information see the “Results of Operations” section of this Item.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. In connection with the preparation of our financial statements, we are required to make assumptions and estimates about future events and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, and the related disclosures. We base our assumptions, estimates, and judgments on historical experience, current trends, and other factors we believe to be relevant at the time we prepared our consolidated financial statements. On a regular basis, we review the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates, and judgments to ensure our consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. We believe the following accounting estimates are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results, as they require our most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, resulting from the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We have reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the audit committee of our board of directors.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize net operating revenue in the reporting period in which we perform the service based on our best estimate of the transaction price for the type of service provided to the patient. Our estimate of the transaction price includes estimates of price concessions for such items as contractual allowances (principally for patients covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other third-party payors), potential adjustments that may arise from payment and other reviews, and uncollectible amounts. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this report for a complete discussion of our revenue recognition policies.

Our patient accounting systems calculate contractual allowances on a patient-by-patient basis based on the rates in effect for each primary third-party payor. Certain other factors that are considered and could influence the estimated transaction price are assumed to remain consistent with the experience for patients discharged in similar time periods for the same payor classes, and additional adjustments are provided to account for these factors.

Management continually reviews the revenue transaction price estimation process to consider and incorporate updates to laws and regulations and the frequent changes in managed care contractual terms that result from contract renegotiations and renewals. In addition, laws and regulations governing the Medicare and Medicaid programs are complex and subject to interpretation. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material.

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Due to complexities involved in determining amounts ultimately due under reimbursement arrangements with third-party payors, which are often subject to interpretation and review, we may receive reimbursement for healthcare services authorized and provided that is different from our estimates, and such differences could be material. However, we continually review the amounts actually collected in subsequent periods in order to determine the amounts by which our estimates differed. Historically, such differences have not been material from either a quantitative or qualitative perspective.

The collection of outstanding receivables from third-party payors and patients is our primary source of cash and is critical to our operating performance. Our primary collection risks relate to patient responsibility amounts and claims reviews conducted by MACs or other contractors.

The table below shows a summary of our net accounts receivable balances as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. Information on the concentration of total patient accounts receivable by payor class can be found in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Changes in general economic conditions (such as increased unemployment rates or periods of recession), business office operations, payor mix, or trends in federal or state governmental and private employer healthcare coverage could affect our collection of accounts receivable. Our collection risks include patient accounts for which the primary insurance carrier has paid the amounts covered by the applicable agreement, but patient responsibility amounts (deductibles and co-payments) remain outstanding, pre-payment claim reviews by our respective MACs, and reimbursement claims audits by governmental or other payors and their agents. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $21.0 million and $73.6 million, respectively, of our patient accounts receivable represented denials that were under review or audit. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues” and “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this report.

Self-Insured Risks

We are self-insured for certain losses related to professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks. Although we obtain third-party insurance coverage to limit our exposure to these claims, a substantial portion of our professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks are insured through a wholly owned insurance subsidiary. See Note 11, Self-Insured Risks, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a more complete discussion of our self-insured risks.

Our self-insured liabilities contain uncertainties because management must make assumptions and apply judgment to estimate the ultimate cost of reported claims and claims incurred but not reported as of the balance sheet date. Our reserves and provisions for professional liability, general liability, and workers’ compensation risks are based largely upon semi-annual actuarial calculations prepared by third-party actuaries.

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Periodically, we review our assumptions and the valuations provided by third-party actuaries to determine the adequacy of our self-insurance reserves. The following are certain of the key assumptions and other factors that significantly influence our estimate of self-insurance reserves: historical claims experience; trending of loss development factors; trends in the frequency and severity of claims; coverage limits of third-party insurance; demographic information; statistical confidence levels; medical cost inflation; payroll dollars; and hospital patient census.

The time period to resolve claims can vary depending upon the jurisdiction, the nature, and the form of resolution of the claims. The estimation of the timing of payments beyond a year can vary significantly. In addition, if current and future claims differ from historical trends, our estimated reserves for self-insured claims may be significantly affected. Our self-insurance reserves are not discounted.

Given the number of factors used to establish our self-insurance reserves, we believe there is limited benefit to isolating any individual assumption or parameter from the detailed computational process and calculating the impact of changing that single item. Instead, we believe the sensitivity in our reserve estimates is best illustrated by changes in the statistical confidence level used in the computations. Using a higher statistical confidence level increases the estimated self-insurance reserves. The following table shows the sensitivity of our recorded self-insurance reserves to the statistical confidence level (in millions):

We believe our efforts to improve patient safety and overall quality of care, as well as our efforts to reduce workplace injuries, have helped contain our ultimate claim costs. See Note 11, Self-Insured Risks, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

We believe our self-insurance reserves are adequate to cover projected costs. Due to the considerable variability that is inherent in such estimates, there can be no assurance the ultimate liability will not exceed management’s estimates. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may be exposed to gains or losses that could be material.

Goodwill

Absent any impairment indicators, we evaluate goodwill for impairment as of October 1st of each year. We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level and are required to make certain subjective and complex judgments on a number of matters, including assumptions and estimates used to determine the fair value of our inpatient rehabilitation reporting unit. We assess qualitative factors in our reporting unit to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. The quantitative impairment test is required only if we conclude it is more likely than not our reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount.

If, based on our qualitative assessment, we were to believe we must perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test, we would determine the fair value of the applicable reporting unit using generally accepted valuation techniques including the income approach and the market approach. We would validate our estimates under the income approach by reconciling the estimated fair value of the reporting unit determined under the income approach to our market capitalization and estimated fair value determined under the market approach. Values from the income approach and market approach would then be evaluated and weighted to arrive at the estimated aggregate fair value of the reporting unit.

The income approach includes the use of our reporting unit’s projected operating results and cash flows that are discounted using a weighted-average cost of capital that reflects market participant assumptions. The projected operating results use management’s best estimates of economic and market conditions over the forecasted period including assumptions for pricing and volume, operating expenses, and capital expenditures. Other significant estimates and assumptions include cost-saving synergies and tax benefits that would accrue to a market participant under a fair value methodology. The market approach estimates fair value through the use of observable inputs, including the Company’s stock price.

See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Goodwill and Other Intangibles,” and Note 9, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

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The following events and circumstances are certain of the qualitative factors we consider in evaluating whether it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount:

•macroeconomic conditions, such as deterioration in general economic conditions, limitations on accessing capital, or other developments in equity and credit markets;

•industry and market considerations and changes in healthcare regulations, including reimbursement and compliance requirements under the Medicare and Medicaid programs;

•cost factors, such as an increase in labor, supply, or other costs;

•overall financial performance, such as negative or declining cash flows or a decline in actual or forecasted revenue or earnings;

•other relevant company-specific events, such as material changes in management or key personnel or outstanding litigation;

•material events, such as a change in the composition or carrying amount of each reporting unit’s net assets, including acquisitions and dispositions;

•consideration of the relationship of our market capitalization to our book value, as well as a sustained decrease in our share price; and

•length of time since most recent quantitative analysis.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, we performed our annual evaluation of goodwill and determined no adjustment to impair goodwill was necessary. If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and estimates, we may be exposed to goodwill impairment charges. However, at this time, we continue to believe our inpatient rehabilitation unit is not at risk for any impairment charges.

Income Taxes

We provide for income taxes using the asset and liability method. We also evaluate our tax positions and establish assets and liabilities in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance on uncertainty in income taxes. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Income Taxes,” and Note 16, Income Taxes, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a more complete discussion of income taxes and our policies related to income taxes.

The application of income tax law is inherently complex. Laws and regulations in this area are voluminous and are often ambiguous. We are required to make many subjective assumptions and judgments regarding our income tax exposures. Interpretations of and guidance surrounding income tax laws and regulations change over time. As such, changes in our subjective assumptions and judgments can materially affect amounts recognized in our consolidated financial statements.

The ultimate recovery of certain of our deferred tax assets is dependent on the amount and timing of taxable income we will ultimately generate in the future, as well as other factors. A high degree of judgment is required to determine the extent a valuation allowance should be provided against deferred tax assets. On a quarterly basis, we assess the likelihood of realization of our deferred tax assets considering all available evidence, both positive and negative. Our operating performance in recent years, the scheduled reversal of temporary differences, our forecast of taxable income in future periods in each applicable tax jurisdiction, our ability to sustain a core level of earnings, and the availability of prudent tax planning strategies are important considerations in our assessment. Our forecast of future earnings includes assumptions about patient volumes, payor reimbursement, labor costs, hospital operating expenses, and interest expense. Based on the weight of available evidence, we determine if it is more likely than not our deferred tax assets will be realized in the future.

Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits contains uncertainties because management is required to make assumptions and to apply judgment to estimate the exposures associated with our various filing positions which are periodically audited by tax authorities. In addition, our effective income tax rate is affected by changes in tax law, the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, and the results of income tax audits.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we decreased our valuation allowance by $7.4 million. As of December 31, 2023, we had a remaining valuation allowance of $28.4 million which primarily related to unusable foreign tax credits generated by our operations in Puerto Rico. We determined it was necessary to maintain a valuation allowance on our foreign tax credits due to uncertainties related to our ability to utilize a portion of these credits before they expire. The amount of the

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valuation allowance has been determined based on the weight of all available evidence, as described above, including management’s estimates of taxable income over the periods in which the related deferred tax assets will be recoverable.

Assessment of Loss Contingencies

We have legal and other contingencies that could result in significant losses upon the ultimate resolution of such contingencies. See Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Litigation Reserves,” and Note 18, Contingencies and Other Commitments, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional information.

We have provided for losses in situations where we have concluded it is probable a loss has been or will be incurred and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining whether a loss is probable and reasonably estimable due to the uncertainty involved in determining the likelihood of future events and estimating the financial statement impact of such events. If further developments or resolution of a contingent matter are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may need to recognize a significant charge in a future period related to an existing contingent matter.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For information regarding recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

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

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes. This MD&A is designed to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements from year to year, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our consolidated financial statements. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Summary of Risk Factors” on page ii of this report, which is incorporated herein by reference, for a description of important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected results. See also Item 1A, Risk Factors.

Executive Overview

Our Business

We are the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals. We provide specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis. We operate hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, with concentrations in the eastern half of the United States and Texas. As of December 31, 2022, we operate 153 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. For additional information about our business, see Item 1, Business and Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this report.

The onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic (the “pandemic”) in the United States resulted in significant changes to our operating environment. For discussion of the financial and operational impacts we have experienced as a result of the pandemic, see Item 1, Business, Item 1A, Risk Factors, and the “Key Challenges” and “Results of Operations” sections of this Item.

Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business

On July 1, 2022, we completed the previously announced separation of our home health and hospice business through the distribution (the “Spin Off”) of all of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Enhabit, Inc. (“Enhabit”) to the stockholders of record of Encompass Health as of the close of business on June 24, 2022 (the “Record Date”). The Spin Off was effective at 12:01 a.m., Eastern Time, on July 1, 2022. The Spin Off was structured as a pro rata distribution of one share of Enhabit common stock for every two shares of Encompass Health common stock held of record as of the Record Date. No fractional shares were distributed. A cash payment was made in lieu of any fractional shares. As a result of the Spin Off, Enhabit is now an independent public company and its common stock is listed under the symbol “EHAB” on the New York Stock Exchange.

In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the historical results of Enhabit have been presented as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations for all periods presented. Our presentation of discontinued operations excludes any allocation of general corporate and overhead costs as well as interest expense. Prior to July 1, 2022, we operated under two reporting segments. We now operate under a single reporting segment. For additional information see Note 2, Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business, to the consolidated financial statements.

In connection with the Spin Off, on June 30, 2022, we entered into several agreements with Enhabit that govern the relationship of the parties following the Spin Off, including a Separation and Distribution Agreement, a Transition Services Agreement, a Tax Matters Agreement and an Employee Matters Agreement. See also Note 2, Spin Off of Home Health and Hospice Business, to the consolidated financial statements.

2022 Overview

During 2022, Net operating revenues increased 8.3% over 2021 due primarily to volume growth and increased pricing. See the “Results of Operations” section of this Item for additional financial information.

We continued our development and expansion efforts in 2022. We:

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Shiloh, Illinois with our joint venture partner BJC HealthCare in February 2022;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in St. Augustine, Florida in March 2022;

•began operating our new 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Libertyville, Illinois in March 2022;

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•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Lakeland, Florida in May 2022;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Cape Coral, Florida with our joint venture partner Lee Healthcare Holdings, LLC in June 2022;

•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Jacksonville, Florida in June 2022;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Grand Forks, North Dakota with our joint venture partner Altru in August 2022;

•began operating our new 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Moline, Illinois with our joint venture partner UnityPoint Health – Trinity in August 2022;

•began operating our new 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Naples, Florida in September 2022 (joint venture partnership with NCH Healthcare System began in December 2022);

•continued our capacity expansions by adding 87 new beds to existing hospitals; and

•announced or continued the development of the following hospitals:

(1) Expected joint venture

(2) Opening dates are tentative

We also continued taking steps to further increase the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet as well as augment returns from investments in operations with shareholder distributions via common stock dividends. For additional information, see the “Liquidity and Capital Resources” section of this Item.

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Business Outlook

We remain optimistic regarding the intermediate and long-term prospects of our business. Demographic trends, such as population aging, should continue to increase long-term demand for the services we provide. While we treat patients of all ages, most of our patients are 65 and older, and the number of Medicare enrollees is expected to grow approximately 3% per year for the foreseeable future, reaching approximately 73 million people over the age of 65 by 2030. More specifically, the average age of our Medicare patients is approximately 76, and the population group ranging in ages from 75 to 79 is expected to grow at approximately 5% per year through 2026. We believe the demand for the services we provide will continue to increase as the U.S. population ages. We believe these factors align with our strengths in, and focus on, inpatient rehabilitation services.

We are committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective, integrated patient care. As the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in terms of patients treated, revenues, and number of hospitals, we believe we differentiate ourselves from our competitors based on, among other things, the quality of our clinical outcomes, our cost-effectiveness, our financial strength, and our extensive application of technology. We also believe our competitive strengths discussed in Item 1, Business, “Competitive Strengths,” give us the ability to adapt and succeed in a healthcare industry facing regulatory uncertainty around attempts to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

The healthcare industry faces the prospect of ongoing efforts to transform the healthcare system to coordinated care delivery and payment models. The nature, timing and extent of that transformation remains uncertain, as the development and implementation of new care delivery and payment systems will require significant time and resources. Our goal is to position the Company in a prudent manner to be responsive to industry shifts. We have invested in our core business and created an infrastructure that enables us to provide high-quality care on a cost-effective basis. We have been disciplined in creating a capital structure that is flexible with no significant debt maturities prior to 2025. We continue to have a strong, well-capitalized balance sheet, including a substantial portfolio of owned real estate, and ample availability under our revolving credit facility, which along with the cash flows generated from operations should, we believe, provide sufficient support for our ability to adapt to changes in reimbursement, sustain our business model, and grow through de novo and bed additions. See also Item 1, Business, “Competitive Strengths” and “Strategy and 2023 Strategic Priorities.”

Key Challenges

Healthcare is a highly-regulated industry facing many well-publicized regulatory and reimbursement challenges. Medicare reimbursement for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (“IRFs”) has recently undergone significant changes. The future of many aspects of healthcare regulation generally and Medicare reimbursement specifically remains uncertain. Successful healthcare providers are those able to adapt to changes in the regulatory and operating environments, build strategic relationships across the healthcare continuum, and consistently provide high-quality, cost-effective care. We believe we have the necessary capabilities — change agility, strategic relationships, quality of patient outcomes, cost effectiveness, and ability to capitalize on growth opportunities — to adapt to and succeed in a dynamic, highly regulated industry, and we have a proven track record of doing so.

As we continue to execute our business plan, the following are some of the key challenges we face.

•Operating in a Highly Regulated Industry. We are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state, and local government levels. More specifically, because Medicare comprises a significant portion of our Net operating revenues, failure to comply with the laws and regulations governing the Medicare program and related matters, including anti-kickback and anti-fraud requirements, could materially and adversely affect us. These rules and regulations have affected, or could in the future affect, our business activities by having an impact on the reimbursement we receive for services provided or the costs of compliance, mandating new documentation standards, requiring additional licensure or certification, regulating our relationships with physicians and other referral sources, regulating the use of our properties, and limiting our ability to enter new markets or add new capacity to existing hospitals. Ensuring continuous compliance with extensive laws and regulations is an operating requirement for all healthcare providers. See Item 1, Business, “Regulation” and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks” for detailed discussions of the most important regulations we face and our programs intended to ensure we comply with those regulations.

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Reimbursement claims made by healthcare providers, including inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, are subject to audit from time to time by governmental payors, such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and state Medicaid programs, their agents, such as the Medicare Administrative Contractors (“MACs”) that act as fiscal intermediaries for all Medicare billings, other auditors contracted by CMS, and private insurance carriers, as well as the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. These audits as well as the ordinary course claim reviews of our billings result in payment denials, including recoupment of previously paid claims from current accounts receivable. Healthcare providers can challenge any denials through an administrative appeals process that can be extremely lengthy, taking several years. For additional details of these claim reviews, See Item 1, Business, “Sources of Revenues,” Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks,” and Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, “Net Operating Revenues” and “Accounts Receivable,” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

•Changes in Medicare Reimbursement and Regulatory Requirements for Operating IRFs. Substantially all of our business consists of inpatient rehabilitation services. From a payor perspective, our reimbursement and regulatory risk is concentrated in the Medicare inpatient rehabilitation rules and regulations. We derive approximately 65% of our Net operating revenues from fee-for-service Medicare.

As part of its annual rulemaking process for various healthcare provider categories, CMS adopts IRF reimbursement rate changes effective from October through the following September. On July 27, 2022, CMS released its notice of final rulemaking for fiscal year 2023 for IRFs (the “2023 IRF Rule”) under the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system (the “IRF-PPS”). Based on our analysis that utilizes, among other things, the acuity of our patients annualized over a twelve-month period ended June 30, 2022, our experience with outlier payments over this same time frame, and other factors, we believe the 2023 IRF Rule will result in a net increase to our Medicare payment rates of approximately 4.0% effective October 1, 2022.

Congress also regularly adopts legislation that directly affects Medicare reimbursement. These reimbursement changes can result in limitations on the increases in and, in some cases, significant roll-backs or reductions in the levels of payments for IRF services. For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) enacted in 2010 provides for specific reductions to healthcare providers’ annual reimbursement rate updates and other payment policy changes. The Budget Control Act of 2011 provides for an automatic 2% reduction, or “sequestration,” of Medicare program payments for all healthcare providers. Sequestration took effect April 1, 2013 and, as a result of subsequent legislation, will continue through mid-year 2032 unless Congress and the President take further action. In response to the public health emergency associated with the pandemic, Congress and the President suspended sequestration through March 31, 2022. Additional Medicare payment reductions are also possible under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (“Statutory PAYGO”). Statutory PAYGO requires, among other things, that mandatory spending and revenue legislation not increase the federal budget deficit over a 5- or 10-year period. There can be no assurance that future federal rulemaking and legislation will not result in reimbursement freezes or reductions, or reimbursement increases that are less than the increases we experience in our costs of operation.

In addition to direct changes to Medicare reimbursement rates, other federal regulatory and legislative actions affect healthcare generally and our business specifically. For example, the ACA also included provisions intended to promote alternative payment models, such as accountable care organizations (“ACOs”) and bundled payment initiatives, including the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative Advanced (“BPCI Advanced”) and the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (“CJR”) program. Likewise, CMS regulatory proposals can affect our operations. On December 14, 2020, CMS announced a five-year review choice demonstration for inpatient rehabilitation services (the “IRF RCD”). The IRF RCD would affect the process in which we submit, and receive reimbursement for, Medicare claims. A number of key details on this demonstration have yet to be released, and it is not clear how or when CMS will implement this demonstration.

For additional discussion of changes to Medicare reimbursement, including the 2023 IRF Rule and Statutory PAYGO, and other proposed and adopted legislative and regulatory actions, including alternative payment models and the IRF RCD, that may be material to our business, see Item 1, Business, and Item 1A, Risk Factors, “Reimbursement Risks” and “Other Regulatory Risks.”

Concerns held by federal policymakers about the federal deficit, national debt levels, and the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, as well as other healthcare policy priorities, could result in enactment of further federal spending reductions, further entitlement reform legislation affecting the Medicare program, and further reductions to provider payments. We cannot predict what, if any, changes in Medicare spending or modifications to the healthcare laws and regulations will result from future budget or other legislative or regulatory initiatives.

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As discussed in Item 1, Business, healthcare will almost certainly be the subject of significant regulatory and legislative changes regardless of party in control of the executive and legislative branches of state and federal governments. We will continue to evaluate these laws and regulations and position the Company for this industry shift. Based on our track record, we believe we can adapt to these regulatory and industry changes. Further, we have engaged, and will continue to engage, actively in discussions with key legislators and regulators to attempt to ensure any healthcare laws or regulations adopted or amended promote our goal of high-quality, cost-effective care.

•Maintaining Strong Volume Growth. Various factors, including competition and increasing regulatory and administrative burdens, may impact our ability to maintain and grow our hospital volumes. In any particular market, we may encounter competition from local or national entities with longer operating histories or other competitive advantages, such as acute-care hospitals who provide post-acute services similar to ours or other post-acute providers with relationships with referring acute-care hospitals or physicians. Aggressive payment review practices by Medicare contractors, aggressive enforcement of regulatory policies by government agencies, and restrictive or burdensome rules, regulations or statutes governing admissions practices may lead us to not accept patients who would be appropriate for and would benefit from the services we provide. In addition, from time to time, we must get regulatory approval to expand our services and locations in states with certificate of need laws. This approval may be withheld or take longer than expected. In the case of new-store volume growth, the addition of hospitals to our portfolio also may be difficult and take longer than expected. Clinical staffing shortages, recently exacerbated by the pandemic, can also limit our ability to admit patients in a given market.

•Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Personnel. See Item 1A, Risk Factors, for a discussion of competition for staffing, shortages of qualified personnel, and other factors that may increase our labor costs and constrain our ability to take new patients. Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, including management, for our inpatient hospitals remain a high priority for us. We attempt to maintain a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that allows us to remain competitive in this challenging staffing environment while remaining consistent with our goal of being a high-quality, cost-effective provider of post-acute services. Additionally, our operations have been affected and may in the future be affected by staffing shortages where employees must self-quarantine due to exposure to an infectious disease, where employees are unavailable due to a lack of childcare or care for elderly family, or where competition creates a nursing shortage in a given market. These factors have resulted in increased labor costs, including significant sign-on and shift bonuses, and increased use of contract labor as discussed in the “Results of Operations” section of this Item.

We remain confident in the prospects of our business based on the increasing demands for the services we provide to an aging population. This confidence is further supported by our strong financial foundation and the substantial investments we have made in our business. We have a proven track record of working through difficult situations, and we believe in our ability to overcome current and future challenges.

Results of Operations

Payor Mix

We derived consolidated Net operating revenues from the following payor sources:

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Our payor mix is weighted heavily towards Medicare. We receive Medicare reimbursements under the IRF-PPS. For additional information regarding Medicare reimbursement, see the “Sources of Revenues” section of Item 1, Business.

As part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress created a program of private, managed healthcare coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. This program has been referred to as Medicare Part C, or “Medicare Advantage.” The program offers beneficiaries a range of Medicare coverage options by providing a choice between the traditional fee-for-service program (under Medicare Parts A and B) or enrollment in a health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, point-of-service plan, provider sponsor organization, or an insurance plan operated in conjunction with a medical savings account.

Our Net operating revenues consist primarily of revenues derived from patient care services. Net operating revenues also include other revenues generated from management and administrative fees and other non-patient care services. These other revenues are included in “other income” in the above table.

Our Results

Our consolidated results of operations were as follows: