Company: THC
Filing Date: 2025-02-18
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000070318-25-000009
Chunk: 86

Company: TENET HEALTHCARE CORP
Filing Date: 2025-02-18
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 86
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 costs of complying with environmental laws, including regulations relating to climate change issues, will have a material adverse effect on our future capital expenditures, results of operations or cash flows. There were no material capital expenditures for environmental matters in the year ended December 31, 2024.

ANTITRUST LAWS

The federal government and most states have enacted antitrust laws that prohibit specific types of anti‑competitive conduct, including price fixing, wage fixing, anticompetitive hiring practices, restrictive covenants, concerted refusals to deal, price discrimination and tying arrangements, as well as monopolization and acquisitions of competitors that have, or may have, a substantial adverse effect on competition. Violations of federal or state antitrust laws can result in various sanctions, including criminal and civil penalties.

Antitrust enforcement in the healthcare industry is a priority of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and analogous state regulatory agencies. In recent years, the FTC has filed multiple administrative complaints and public comments challenging hospital and other healthcare transactions in several states. The FTC has focused its enforcement efforts on preventing hospital transactions that may, in the government’s view, leave insufficient local options for patient services, which could result in higher costs to consumers. In addition, the FTC has given increased attention to the effect of combinations involving other healthcare providers, including physician practices, as well as to the use of restrictive covenants that limit the ability of owners, employees and others to engage in certain competitive activities. The FTC has also entered into numerous consent decrees in the past several years settling allegations of price‑fixing among providers. Moreover, a number of states, including California and Massachusetts, have enacted antitrust laws requiring state agency notification and review of proposed healthcare industry transactions that are below federal reporting thresholds. We cannot predict the impact of these laws on our ability to complete transactions in the related states.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS AFFECTING REVENUE CYCLE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Conifer is subject to civil and criminal statutes and regulations governing consumer finance, medical billing, coding, collections and other operations. In connection with these laws and regulations, Conifer has been and may continue to be party to various lawsuits, claims, and federal and state regulatory investigations from time to time. Some of these actions may involve large demands, as well as substantial defense costs. We cannot predict the outcome of current or future legal actions against Conifer or the effect that judgments, penalties or settlements in such matters may have.

The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA