DaVita 2018 10-K Annual Report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2018

Commission File Number: 1-14106

DAVITA INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

2000 16th Street

Denver, CO 80202

Telephone number (720) 631-2100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 29, 2018, the aggregate market value of the Registrant's common stock outstanding held by non-affiliates based upon the closing price on the New York Stock Exchange was approximately $11.9 billion.

As of January 31, 2019, the number of shares of the Registrant’s common stock outstanding was approximately 166.4 million shares.

Documents incorporated by reference

Portions of the Registrant’s proxy statement for its 2019 annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.

PART I

We were incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1994. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are made available free of charge through our website, located at http://www.davita.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov where these reports and other information about us can be obtained. The contents of our website are not incorporated by reference into this report.

Overview of DaVita Inc.

The Company consists of two major divisions, DaVita Kidney Care (Kidney Care) and DaVita Medical Group (DMG). Kidney Care is comprised of our U.S. dialysis and related lab services, our ancillary services and strategic initiatives, including our international operations, and our corporate administrative support. Our U.S. dialysis and related lab services business is our largest line of business and is a leading provider of kidney dialysis services in the U.S. for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure, also known as end stage renal disease (ESRD). DMG is a patient- and physician-focused integrated healthcare delivery and management company with over two decades of providing coordinated, outcomes-based medical care in a cost-effective manner.

In December 2017, we entered into an equity purchase agreement to sell our DMG division to Collaborative Care Holdings, LLC (Optum), a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc., subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. As a result, the DMG business has been classified as held for sale and its results of operations are reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented in the consolidated financial statements included in this report.

For financial information about our DMG business see Note 22 to the consolidated financial statements included in this report.

Kidney Care Division

U.S. dialysis and related lab services business overview

Our U.S. dialysis and related lab services business is a leading provider of kidney dialysis services for patients suffering from ESRD. As of December 31, 2018, we provided dialysis and administrative services in the U.S. through a network of 2,664 outpatient dialysis centers in 46 states and the District of Columbia, serving a total of approximately 202,700 patients. We also provide acute inpatient dialysis services in approximately 900 hospitals and related laboratory services throughout the U.S.

The loss of kidney function is normally irreversible. Kidney failure is typically caused by Type I and Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, polycystic kidney disease, long-term autoimmune attack on the kidney and prolonged urinary tract obstruction. ESRD is the stage of advanced kidney impairment that requires continued dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to sustain life. Dialysis is the removal of toxins, fluids and salt from the blood of patients by artificial means. Patients suffering from ESRD generally require dialysis at least three times a week for the rest of their lives.

According to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), there were over 511,000 ESRD dialysis patients in the U.S. in 2016. Based on the most recent 2018 annual data report from the USRDS, the underlying ESRD dialysis patient population has grown at an approximate compound rate of 3.8% from 2000 to 2016. However, more recent preliminary data from the USRDS suggest that the rate of growth of the ESRD patient population may be declining. A number of factors may impact ESRD growth rates, including the aging of the U.S. population, increasing transplant rates, incidence rates for diseases that cause kidney failure such as diabetes and hypertension, mortality rates for dialysis patients and growth rates of minority populations with higher than average incidence rates of ESRD.

Since 1972, the federal government has provided healthcare coverage for ESRD patients under the Medicare ESRD program regardless of age or financial circumstances. ESRD is the first and only disease state eligible for Medicare coverage both for dialysis and dialysis-related services and for all benefits available under the Medicare program. For patients with Medicare coverage, all ESRD payments for dialysis treatments are made under a single bundled payment rate. See page 6 for further details.

Although Medicare reimbursement limits the allowable charge per treatment, it provides industry participants with a relatively predictable and recurring revenue stream for dialysis services provided to patients without commercial insurance. For the year ended December 31, 2018, approximately 89.6% of our total dialysis patients were covered under some form of

government-based program, with approximately 74.8% of our dialysis patients covered under Medicare and Medicare-assigned plans.

Treatment options for ESRD

Treatment options for ESRD are dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Dialysis options

Hemodialysis, the most common form of ESRD treatment, is usually performed at a freestanding outpatient dialysis center, at a hospital-based outpatient center, or at the patient’s home. The hemodialysis machine uses an artificial kidney, called a dialyzer, to remove toxins, fluids and salt from the patient’s blood. The dialysis process occurs across a semi-permeable membrane that divides the dialyzer into two distinct chambers. While blood is circulated through one chamber, a pre-mixed fluid is circulated through the other chamber. The toxins, salt and excess fluids from the blood cross the membrane into the fluid, allowing cleansed blood to return back into the patient’s body. Each hemodialysis treatment that occurs in the outpatient dialysis centers typically lasts approximately three and one-half hours and is usually performed three times per week.

Hospital inpatient hemodialysis services are required for patients with acute kidney failure primarily resulting from trauma, patients in early stages of ESRD and ESRD patients who require hospitalization for other reasons. Hospital inpatient hemodialysis is generally performed at the patient’s bedside or in a dedicated treatment room in the hospital, as needed.

Some ESRD patients who are healthier and more independent may perform home-based hemodialysis in their home or residence through the use of a hemodialysis machine designed specifically for home therapy that is portable, smaller and easier to use. Patients receive training, support and monitoring from registered nurses, usually in our outpatient dialysis centers, in connection with their home-based hemodialysis treatment. Home-based hemodialysis is typically performed with greater frequency than dialysis treatments performed in outpatient dialysis centers and on varying schedules.

Peritoneal dialysis uses the patient’s peritoneal or abdominal cavity to eliminate fluid and toxins and is typically performed at home. The most common methods of peritoneal dialysis are continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). Because it does not involve going to an outpatient dialysis center three times a week for treatment, peritoneal dialysis is an alternative to hemodialysis for patients who are healthier, more independent and desire more flexibility in their lifestyle.

CAPD introduces dialysis solution into the patient’s peritoneal cavity through a surgically placed catheter. Toxins in the blood continuously cross the peritoneal membrane into the dialysis solution. After several hours, the patient drains the used dialysis solution and replaces it with fresh solution. This procedure is usually repeated four times p

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties including those discussed below. The risks and uncertainties discussed below are not the only ones facing our business. In addition, please read the cautionary notice regarding forward-looking statements in Item 7 of Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Risk factors related to our overall business:

If we fail to adhere to all of the complex government laws and regulations that apply to our business, we could suffer severe consequences that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and stock price.

Our operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local government laws and regulations, such as Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rules and regulations, federal and state anti-kickback laws, the Stark Law and analogous state self-referral prohibition statutes, the 21st Century Cures Act, Federal Acquisition Regulations, the False Claims Act (FCA) and associated regulations, the Civil Monetary Penalty statute and associated regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and federal and state laws regarding the collection, use and disclosure of patient health information (e.g., Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)) and the storage, handling, shipment, disposal and/or dispensing of pharmaceuticals and blood products and other biological materials and many other applicable state and federal laws and requirements. Medicare and Medicaid regulations, manual provisions, local coverage determinations, national coverage determinations and agency guidance impose complex and extensive requirements upon healthcare providers as well. Moreover, the various laws and regulations that apply to our operations are often subject to varying interpretations and additional laws and regulations potentially affecting providers continue to be promulgated that may impact us. A violation or departure from any of the legal requirements implicated by our business may result in, among other things, government audits, lower reimbursements, significant fines and penalties, the potential loss of certification, recoupment efforts or voluntary repayments. These legal requirements are civil, criminal and administrative in nature depending on the law or requirement.

We endeavor to comply with all legal requirements. We further endeavor to structure all of our relationships with physicians and providers to comply with state and federal anti-kickback physician and self-referral laws and other applicable healthcare laws. We utilize considerable resources to monitor laws and regulations and implement necessary changes. However, the laws and regulations in these areas are complex, changing and often subject to varying interpretations. As a result, there is no guarantee that we will be able to adhere to all of the laws and regulations that apply to our business, and any failure to do so could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and reputation. For example, if an enforcement agency were to challenge the level of compensation that we pay our medical directors or the number of medical directors whom we engage, or otherwise challenge these arrangements, we could be required to change our practices, face criminal or civil penalties, pay substantial fines or otherwise experience a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and reputation as a result. Similarly, we may face penalties under the FCA, the federal Civil Monetary Penalty statute or otherwise related to failure to report and return overpayments within 60 days of when the overpayment is identified and quantified. These obligations to report and return overpayments could subject our procedures for identifying and processing overpayments to greater scrutiny. We have made investments in resources to decrease the time it takes to identify, quantify and process overpayments, and may be required to make additional investments in the future.

Additionally, the federal government has used the FCA to prosecute a wide variety of alleged false claims and fraud allegedly perpetrated against Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs. Moreover, amendments to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute in the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) make claims tainted by anti-kickback violations potentially subject to liability under the FCA, including qui tam or whistleblower suits. The penalties for a violation of the FCA range from $5,500 to $11,000 (adjusted for inflation) for each false claim plus three times the amount of damages caused by each such claim which generally means the amount received directly or indirectly from the government. On January 29, 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule announcing adjustments to FCA penalties, under which the per claim penalty range increases to a range from $11,181 to $22,363 for penalties assessed after January 29, 2018, so long as the underlying conduct occurred after November 2, 2015. Given the high volume of claims processed by our various operating units, the potential is high for substantial penalties in connection with any alleged FCA violations.

In addition to the provisions of the FCA, which provide for civil enforcement, the federal government can use several criminal statutes to prosecute persons who are alleged to have submitted false or fraudulent claims for payment to the federal government.

Certain subpoenas and civil investigative demands received by us or our subsidiaries specifically reference that they are in connection with FCA investigations alleging, among other things, that we or our subsidiaries presented or caused to be presented false claims for payment to the government. See Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements included in this report for further details.

We are subject to a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) which, for our domestic dialysis business, requires us to report probable violations of criminal, civil or administrative laws applicable to any federal health care program for which penalties or exclusions may be authorized under applicable healthcare laws and regulations. See "If we fail to comply with our Corporate Integrity Agreement, we could be subject to substantial penalties and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and reputation."

If any of our operations are found to violate these or other government laws or regulations, we could suffer severe consequences that would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and stock price, including:

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None.

Our corporate headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado, consisting of one owned 240,000 square foot building and one leased location consisting of 345,900 square feet. Our headquarters are occupied by teammates engaged in management, finance, marketing, strategy, legal, compliance and other administrative functions. We lease seven business offices located in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington for our U.S. dialysis services business. For our DMG business we lease 11 business offices located in California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Washington. Our laboratory is based in Florida where we operate our lab services out of one leased building. We also own four administrative offices in the U.S. and lease administrative offices worldwide. Our leases on the properties listed above expire at various dates through the year 2037 for Kidney Care and through the year 2033 for DMG.

For our U.S. dialysis and related lab services business we own the land and buildings for 12 of our outpatient dialysis centers. We also own 15 separate land and buildings and 15 land parcels for development. We lease a total of four owned properties to third-party tenants. Our remaining outpatient dialysis centers are located on premises that we lease.

For DMG, we own the land and buildings for 16 of our clinics. We also own one separate land parcel. Our remaining clinics are located on premises that we lease.

The majority of our leases for our U.S. dialysis and related lab services and for DMG cover periods from five years to 15 years and typically contain renewal options of five to ten years at the fair rental value at the time of renewal. Our leases are generally subject to periodic consumer price index increases, or contain fixed escalation clauses. Our outpatient dialysis centers range in size from approximately 900 to 33,000 square feet, with an average size of approximately 7,800 square feet. DMG’s clinics range in size from approximately 1,000 to 192,000 square feet, with an average size of approximately 10,400 square feet. Our international leases generally range from one to ten years.

Some of our outpatient dialysis centers are operating at or near capacity. However, we believe that we have adequate capacity within most of our existing dialysis centers to accommodate additional patient volume through increased hours and/or days of operation, or, if additional space is available within an existing facility, by adding dialysis stations. We can usually relocate existing centers to larger facilities or open new centers if existing centers reach capacity. With respect to relocating centers or building new centers, we believe that we can generally lease space at economically reasonable rates in the areas planned for each of these centers, although there can be no assurances in this regard. Expansion of existing centers or relocation of our dialysis centers is subject to review for compliance with conditions relating to participation in the Medicare ESRD program. In states that require a certificate of need or center license, additional approvals would generally be necessary for expansion or relocation.

The information required by this Part I, Item 3 is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the caption “Contingencies” in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements included in this report.

Not applicable.

PART II

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DVA. The closing price of our common stock on January 31, 2019 was $56.13 per share. According to Computershare, our registrar and transfer agent, as of January 31, 2019, there were 8,843 holders of record of our common stock. We have not declared or paid cash dividends to holders of our common stock since 1994. We have no current plans to pay cash dividends and we are restricted from paying dividends under the terms of our senior secured credit facilities and the indentures governing our senior notes. See “Liquidity and capital resources” under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

Stock Repurchases

We repurchased a total of 16,844,067 shares for $1,154 million, or an average price of $68.48, during the year ended December 31, 2018. No repurchases were made during the fourth quarter of 2018.

The following tables summarizes our repurchases of our common stock during 2018:

On July 11, 2018 our Board of Directors approved an additional share repurchase authorization in the amount of $1,390 million. This share repurchase authorization was in addition to the $110 million remaining at that time under our Board of Directors’ prior share repurchase authorization approved in October 2017. We are authorized to make purchases from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including without limitations, through accelerated share repurchase transactions, derivative transactions, tender offers, Rule 10b5-1 plans or any combination of the foregoing, depending upon market conditions and other considerations.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2018, we did not repurchase any shares of our common stock. As of February 22, 2019, we have a total of $1,356 million remaining in Board authorizations available for share repurchases under our repurchase programs. Although these share repurchase authorizations have no expiration dates, we are subject to share repurchase limitations under the terms of our senior secured credit facilities and the indentures governing our senior notes.

The following financial and operating data should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements filed as part of this report. The following table presents selected consolidated financial and operating data for the periods indicated.

Forward-looking statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements that do not concern historical facts are forward-looking statements and include, among other things, statements about our expectations, beliefs, intentions and/or strategies for the future. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, such as expectations for treatment growth rates, revenue per treatment, expense growth, levels of the provision for uncollectible accounts receivable, operating income, cash flow, operating cash flow, earnings per share, estimated tax rates, estimated charges and accruals, capital expenditures, the development of new dialysis centers and dialysis center acquisitions, government and commercial payment rates, revenue estimating risk, the impact of our level of indebtedness on our financial performance, our stock repurchase program, our advocacy costs, and the pending DMG sale transaction. These statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including risks resulting from the concentration of profits generated by higher-paying commercial payor plans for which there is continued downward pressure on average realized payment rates, and a reduction in the number of patients under such plans, including as a result of restrictions or prohibitions on the use and/or availability of charitable premium assistance, which may result in the loss of revenues or patients, or our making incorrect assumptions about how our patients will respond to any change in financial assistance from charitable organizations; the extent to which the ongoing implementation of healthcare exchanges or changes in or new legislation, regulations or guidance, or enforcement thereof, including among other things those regarding the exchanges, results in a reduction in reimbursement rates for our services from and/or the number of patients enrolled in higher-paying commercial plans; a reduction in government payment rates under the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease program or other government-based programs; the impact of the Medicare Advantage benchmark structure; risks arising from potential and proposed federal and/or state legislation, regulation or ballot or other initiatives, including healthcare-related and labor-related legislation, regulation or ballot or other initiatives; the impact of the changing political environment and related developments on the current health care marketplace and on our business, including with respect to the future of the Affordable Care Act, the exchanges and many other core aspects of the current health care marketplace; uncertainties related to the impact of federal tax reform legislation; changes in pharmaceutical practice patterns, reimbursement and payment policies and processes, or pharmaceutical pricing, including with respect to calcimimetics; legal compliance risks, such as our continued compliance with complex government regulations and the provisions of our current Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) and current or potential investigations by various government entities and related government or private party proceedings, and restrictions on our business and operations required by our CIA and other current or potential settlement terms and the financial impact thereof and our ability to recover any losses related to such legal matters from third parties; continued increased competition from dialysis providers and others, and other potential marketplace changes; our ability to reduce administrative expenses while maintaining targeted levels of service and operating performance, including our ability to achieve anticipated savings from our recent restructurings; our ability to maintain contracts with physician medical directors, changing affiliation models for physicians, and the emergence of new models of care introduced by the government or private sector that may erode our patient base and reimbursement rates, such as accountable care organizations (ACOs), independent practice associations (IPAs) and integrated delivery systems; our ability to complete acquisitions, mergers or dispositions that we might announce or be considering, on terms favorable to us or at all, or to integrate and successfully operate any business we may acquire or have acquired, or to successfully expand our operations and services in markets outside the United States, or to businesses outside of dialysis; noncompliance by us or our business associates with any privacy laws or any security breach by us or a third party involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information; the variability of our cash flows; the risk that we may not be able to generate sufficient cash in the future to service our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs, and the risk that we may not be able to refinance our indebtedness as it becomes due, on terms favorable to us or at all; factors that may impact our ability to repurchase stock under our stock repurchase program and the timing of any such stock repurchases, including market conditions, the price of our common stock, our cash flow position, borrowing capacity and leverage ratios, and legal, regulatory and contractual requirements; the risk that we might invest material amounts of capital and incur significant costs in connection with the growth and development of our international operations, yet we might not be able to consistently operate them profitably anytime soon, if at all; risks arising from the use of accounting estimates, judgments and interpretations in our financial statements; impairment of our goodwill, investments or other assets; the risks and uncertainties associated with the timing, conditions and receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other closing conditions of the DMG sale transaction and continued disruption in connection with the DMG sale transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; risks and uncertainties related to our ability to complete the DMG sale transaction on the timetable expected, and on the terms set forth in the equity purchase agreement or at all; uncertainties related to our liquidity following the close of the DMG sale transaction and our planned subsequent entry into new external financing arrangements, which may be less than we anticipate; uncertainties related to our use of the proceeds from the DMG sale transaction and other available

*funds, including external financing and cash flow from operations, which may be used in ways that may not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock; risks related to certain contractual restrictions on the conduct of DMG's business while the DMG sale transaction is pending; the risk that we may recognize additional valuation adjustments or goodwill impairment related to DMG; the risk that laws regulating the corporate practice of medicine could restrict the manner in which DMG conducts its business; the risk that the cost of providing services under DMG’s agreements may exceed our compensation; the risk that any reductions in reimbursement rates, including Medicare Advantage rates, and future regulations may negatively impact DMG’s business, revenue and profitability; the risk that DMG may not be able to successfully establish a presence in new geographic regions or successfully address competitive threats that could reduce its profitability; the risk that a disruption in DMG’s healthcare provider networks could have an adverse effect on DMG’s business operations and profitability; the r

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Interest rate sensitivity

The tables below provide information about our financial instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates. The table below presents principal repayments and current weighted average interest rates on our debt obligations as of December 31, 2018. The variable rates presented reflect the weighted average LIBOR rates in effect for all debt tranches plus interest rate margins in effect as of December 31, 2018. The Term Loan A margin in effect at December 31, 2018 is 2.00%, and along with the revolving line of credit, is subject to adjustment depending upon changes in certain of our financial ratios, including a leverage ratio. Term Loan A-2 currently bears interest at LIBOR plus an interest rate margin of 1.00%. Term Loan B currently bears interest at LIBOR plus an interest rate margin of 2.75%.

On March 29, 2018, we entered into an Increase Joinder No. 1 (Increase Joinder Agreement) under our existing senior secured credit facilities. Pursuant to this Increase Joinder Agreement, we entered into an additional $995 million Term Loan A-2.

Our senior secured credit facilities, which include Term Loan A, Term Loan A-2, and Term Loan B, consist of various individual tranches of debt that can range in maturity from one month to twelve months (currently, all tranches are one month in duration). For Term Loan A, Term Loan A-2, and Term Loan B, each tranche bears interest at a LIBOR rate that is determined by the duration of such tranche plus an interest rate margin. The LIBOR variable component of the interest rate for

each tranche is reset as such tranche matures and a new tranche is established. LIBOR can fluctuate significantly depending upon conditions in the credit and capital markets.

As of December 31, 2018, our Term Loan A bears interest at LIBOR plus an interest rate margin of 2.00%, our Term Loan A-2 bears interest at LIBOR plus an interest rate margin of 1.00%, and our Term Loan B bears interest at LIBOR plus an interest rate margin of 2.75%. LIBOR was greater than the 0.75% embedded LIBOR floor on Term Loan B, resulting in Term Loan B being subject to LIBOR-based interest rate volatility on the LIBOR variable component of our interest rate as of December 31, 2018. However, this LIBOR-based interest component is effectively limited to a maximum LIBOR rate of 3.50% on the outstanding principal debt on Term Loan B and on $157.5 million of Term Loan A as a result of the interest rate cap agreements, as described below. In addition, the uncapped portion of Term Loan A of $517.5 million and the entire balance of Term Loan A-2 are subject to the variability of LIBOR. See the table above for further details. Interest rates on our Senior Notes are fixed by their terms.

As of December 31, 2018, we maintain several interest rate cap agreements that were entered into in October 2015 with notional amounts totaling $3.5 billion. These cap agreements became effective June 29, 2018, have the economic effect of capping the LIBOR variable component of our interest rate at a maximum of 3.50% on an equivalent amount of our debt, and will expire on June 30, 2020. As of December 31, 2018, the total fair value of these cap agreements was an asset of approximately $0.9 million. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we recognized debt expense of $4.3 million from these cap agreements and recorded a loss of $0.2 million in other comprehensive income due to a decrease in the unrealized fair value of these cap agreements.

Previously, we maintained other interest rate cap agreements that were entered into in November 2014 with notional amounts also totaling $3.5 billion. These cap agreements had the economic effect of capping the LIBOR variable component of our interest rate at a maximum of 3.50% on an equivalent amount of our debt and expired on June 30, 2018. During the year ended 2018, we recognized debt expense of $4.1 million from these cap agreements and recorded an immaterial loss in other comprehensive income due to a decrease in the unrealized fair value of these cap agreements through expiration.

Our overall weighted average effective interest rate on the senior secured credit facilities at the end of 2018 was 5.11%, based upon the current margins in effect of 2.00% for Term Loan A, 1.00% for Term Loan A-2 and 2.75% for Term Loan B as of December 31, 2018.

Our overall weighted average effective interest rate during the year ended December 31, 2018 was 4.96% and as of December 31, 2018 was 5.19%.

As of December 31, 2018, we had $175 million drawn on our $1.0 billion revolving line of credit under our senior secured credit facilities, in addition to approximately $14.2 million committed for outstanding letters of credit. We also have approximately $22.6 million of additional outstanding letters of credit under a separate bilateral secured letter of credit facility, and $0.2 million of committed outstanding letters of credit which are backed by a certificate of deposit.

We believe that our cash flow from operations and other sources of liquidity, including from amounts available under our existing credit facilities and anticipated debt refinancing, as well as proceeds from the anticipated sale of our DMG business if consummated, will be sufficient to fund our scheduled debt service under the terms of our debt agreements and other obligations for the foreseeable future, including the next 12 months. Our primary sources of liquidity are cash from operations and cash from borrowings.

One means of assessing exposure to debt-related interest rate changes is a duration-based analysis that measures the potential loss in net income resulting from a hypothetical increase in interest rates of 100 basis points across all variable rate maturities (referred to as a parallel shift in the yield curve). Under this model, with all else constant, it is estimated that such an increase would have reduced net income by approximately $37.8 million, $27.6 million, and $11.6 million, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.

Exchange rate sensitivity

While our business is predominantly conducted in the U.S. we have developing operations in nine other countries as well. For financial reporting purposes, the U.S. dollar is our reporting currency. However, the functional currencies of our operating businesses in other countries are typically those of the countries in which they operate. Therefore, changes in the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and the local currencies in which our international operations are conducted affect our results of operations and financial position as reported in our consolidated financial statements.

We have consolidated the balance sheets of our non-U.S. dollar denominated operations into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates and have translated their revenues and expense at average exchange rates during each period. Additionally, our individual subsidiaries are exposed to transactional risks mainly resulting from intercompany transactions between and among subsidiaries with different functional currencies. This exposes the subsidiaries to fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the invoicing or obligation currencies and the currency in which their local operations are conducted.

We evaluate our exposure to foreign exchange risk through the judgment of our regional and corporate management teams. Through 2018, our international operations remained fairly small relative to the size of our consolidated financial statements, constituting less than 7% of our consolidated assets as of December 31, 2018 and approximately 4% of our consolidated net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2018. In addition, our foreign currency translation (losses) gains were less than approximately (3)%, 6%, and (2)% of our consolidated operating income for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Given the still small size of our international operations, management does not consider our exposure to foreign exchange risk to be significant to the consolidated enterprise. As such, through December 31, 2018 we have not engaged in transactions to hedge the exposure of our international transactions or net investments to foreign currency risk. However, we may do so in the future.

See the Index to Financial Statements and Index to Financial Statement Schedules included at “Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.”

None.

Management has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that it files or submits pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act) as amended is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as appropriate to allow for timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

At the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures in accordance with the Exchange Act requirements. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective for timely identification and review of material information required to be included in our Exchange Act reports, including this report on Form 10-K. Management recognizes that these controls and procedures can provide only reasonable assurance of desired outcomes, and that estimates and judgments are still inherent in the process of maintaining effective controls and procedures.

Beginning January 1, 2018, we adopted FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Although the new standard is expected to have an immaterial impact on our ongoing net income, we did implement new business processes and related control activities in order to maintain appropriate controls over financial reporting. There was no other change in our internal control over financial reporting that was identified during the evaluation that occurred during the fourth fiscal quarter and that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

None.

PART III

We intend to disclose any amendments or waivers to the Code of Ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions, on our website located at http://www.davita.com. In 2002, we adopted a Corporate Governance Code of Ethics that applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, and to all of our financial accounting and legal professionals who are directly or indirectly involved in the preparation, reporting and fair presentation of our financial statements and Exchange Act reports. The Code of Ethics is posted on our website, located at http://www.davita.com. We also maintain a Corporate Code of Conduct that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, which is posted on our website.

Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines all Board Committees including the Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee, which are comprised solely of independent directors as defined within the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, have written charters that outline the committee’s purpose, goals, membership requirements and responsibilities. These charters are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary by our Board of Directors. All Board Committee charters as well as the Corporate Governance Guidelines are posted on our website located at http://www.davita.com.

The other information required to be disclosed by this item will appear in, and is incorporated by reference from, the sections entitled “Proposal 1 Election of Directors”, “Corporate Governance”, and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting.

The information required by this item will appear in, and is incorporated by reference from, the sections entitled "Executive Compensation", "Pay Ratio Disclosure", "Compensation of Directors" and "Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting. The information required by Item 407(e)(5) of Regulation S-K will appear in and is incorporated by reference from the section entitled “Compensation Committee Report” included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting; however, this information shall not be deemed to be filed.

The following table provides information about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and other rights under all of our existing equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2018, which consist of our 2011 Incentive Award Plan and our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The material terms of these plans are described in Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements.

Other information required to be disclosed by Item 12 will appear in, and is incorporated by reference from, the section entitled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting.

The information required by this item will appear in, and is incorporated by reference from, the section entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and the section entitled “Corporate Governance” included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting.

The information required by this item will appear in, and is incorporated by reference from, the section entitled “Proposal 2 Ratification of the Appointment of our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” included in our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2019 annual stockholder meeting.

PART IV

(a) Documents filed as part of this Report:

(1) Index to Financial Statements:

(2) Index to Financial Statement Schedules:

(3) Exhibits

The information required by this Item is set forth in the Exhibit Index that precedes the signature pages of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

None.

DAVITA INC.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining an adequate system of internal control over financial reporting designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and which includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

During the last fiscal year, the Company conducted an evaluation, under the oversight of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. This evaluation was completed based on the criteria established in the report titled “Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013)” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

Based upon our evaluation under the COSO framework, we have concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2018.

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, which report is included in this Annual Report.

F-1

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

DaVita Inc.:

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of DaVita Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes and financial statement Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 22, 2019 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Notes 1 and 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for revenue recognition in 2018 due to the adoption of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2000.

Seattle, Washington

February 22, 2019

F-2

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

DaVita Inc.:

Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

We have audited DaVita Inc. and subsidiaries’ (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes and financial statement Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated February 22, 2019 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material we

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