Company: UHS
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-027785
Chunk: 194

Company: UNIVERSAL HEALTH SERVICES INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-26
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1B
Chunk 194
---
, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Valuation of accounts receivable

As described in Notes 1 and 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company reports net patient service revenue at the estimated net realizable amounts from patients and third-party payers and others for services rendered. The Company has agreements with third-party payers that provide for payments to the Company at amounts different from established rates. Payment arrangements include rates per discharge, reimbursed costs, discounted charges and per diem payments. Estimates of contractual allowances, which represent explicit price concessions, under managed care plans are based upon the payment terms specified in the related contractual agreements. Management estimates Medicare and Medicaid revenues using the latest available financial information, patient utilization data, government provided data and in accordance with applicable Medicare and Medicaid payment rules and regulations. Management monitors the historical collection rates, as well as changes in applicable laws, rules and regulations and contract terms, to assure that provisions are made using the most accurate information available. In addition to explicit price concessions, management estimates revenue adjustments for implicit price concessions based on general factors such as payer mix, the aging of the receivables and historical collection experience. Management routinely reviews accounts receivable balances in conjunction with these factors and other economic conditions which might ultimately affect the collectability of the patient accounts and make adjustments to the allowances as warranted. As of December 31, 2024, the net accounts receivable balance was $2.2 billion.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of accounts receivable is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management in estimating net accounts receivable, specifically as it relates to developing the estimate for explicit and implicit price concessions, which in turn led to significant auditor judgment, subjectivity and effort in performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence obtained related to the estimation of price concessions.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the valuation of accounts receivable, including controls over management’s valuation approach, assumptions and data used to estimate the explicit and implicit price concessions. These procedures also included, among others, (i) testing management’s process for developing the estimate for price concessions, as well as the relevance of the historical billing and collection data as an input to the valuation approach; (ii) testing the accuracy of a sample of revenue transactions and a sample of cash