News Release Details

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2014-- Chemed Corporation (Chemed) (NYSE:CHE), which operates VITAS Healthcare Corporation (VITAS), the nation’s largest provider of end-of-life care, and Roto-Rooter, the nation’s largest commercial and residential plumbing and drain cleaning services provider, reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2014, versus the comparable prior-year period, as follows:

Consolidated operating results:

• Revenue increased 5.1% to $358 million
• GAAP Diluted EPS increased 47.9% to $1.39
• Adjusted Diluted EPS increased 8.8% to $1.48

VITAS segment operating results:

• Net Patient Revenue of $265 million, an increase of 4.5%
• Average Daily Census (ADC) of 14,639, an increase of 2.8%
• Admissions of 15,653, an increase of 7.5%
• Net Income, including litigation costs, of $21.6 million, an increase of 47.8%
• Adjusted EBITDA of $38.3 million, an increase of 2.7%
• Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.4%, a decrease of 24 basis points

Roto-Rooter segment operating results:

• Revenue of $93.0 million, an increase of 7.0%
• Net Income of $9.8 million, an increase of 20.4%
• Adjusted EBITDA of $17.3 million, an increase of 6.8%
• Adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.6%, a decrease of 4 basis points

VITAS

Net revenue for VITAS was $265 million in the third quarter of 2014, which is an increase of $11.4 million, or 4.5%, when compared to the prior-year period. This revenue increase is comprised of an average Medicare reimbursement rate increase of 1.4% and a 2.8% increase in average daily census.

In the third quarter of 2014, VITAS recorded $2.5 million in estimated Medicare Cap billing limitations. This compares to $3.2 million of Medicare Cap billing limitations recorded in the third quarter of 2013. At September 30, 2014, VITAS had 38 Medicare provider numbers of which two of the provider numbers have an estimated 2014 Medicare Cap billing limitation.

Of the 36 remaining Medicare provider numbers, 33 provider numbers have a Medicare Cap cushion of 10% or greater for the 2014 Medicare Cap period; one provider number has a Medicare Cap cushion of 5% to 10%; and two provider numbers have a cap cushion between 0% and 5%. VITAS generated an aggregate cap cushion of $268 million in the 2014 government fiscal year.

Average revenue per patient per day in the quarter, excluding the impact of Medicare Cap, was $198.90, which is 1.3% above the prior-year period. Routine home care reimbursement and high acuity care averaged $163.08 and $699.19, respectively. During the quarter, high acuity days of care were 6.7% of total days of care, essentially equal to the prior-year quarter.

The third quarter of 2014 gross margin, excluding the impact of Medicare Cap, was 22.7%, which is a 56 basis point decline when compared to the third quarter of 2013.

Selling, general and administrative expense was $20.2 million in the third quarter of 2014, which is an increase of 8.5% when compared to the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA, excluding Medicare Cap, totaled $40.8 million in the quarter, an increase of 0.9% over the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding the impact from Medicare Cap, was 15.2% in the quarter which is 50 basis points below the prior-year period.

Roto-Rooter

Roto-Rooter’s plumbing and drain cleaning business generated sales of $93.0 million for the third quarter of 2014, an increase of 7.0% over the prior-year quarter.

Roto-Rooter’s gross margin in the quarter was 46.9%, a 34 basis point decline when compared to the third quarter of 2013. Adjusted EBITDA in the third quarter of 2014 totaled $17.3 million, an increase of 6.8%, and the Adjusted EBITDA margin was 18.6% in the quarter, essentially equal to the prior year.

Chemed Consolidated

As of September 30, 2014, Chemed had total cash and cash equivalents of $19 million and debt of $174 million.

In June 2014Chemed entered into a five-year Amended and Restated Credit Agreement that consisted of a $100 million amortizable term loan and a $350 million revolving credit facility. The interest rate on this facility has a floating rate that is currently LIBOR plus 113 basis points. At September 30, 2014, the Company had approximately $238 million of undrawn borrowing capacity under this credit agreement.

Capital expenditures through September 30, 2014, aggregated $31.7 million and compares to depreciation and amortization during the same period of $24.3 million.

The Company repurchased $99.1 million of Chemed stock through September 30, 2014. This equates to 1.1 million shares of Chemed stock repurchased during the year at an average cost of $91.51Chemed currently has $22.7 million of authorization remaining under this share repurchase plan.

Guidance for 2014

VITAS revenue growth was constrained in the first half of 2014. This was primarily the result of the 2.0% Medicare rate cut implemented in the third quarter of 2013 as well as mix shift from high acuity care to routine home care. These factors negatively impacted revenue comparisons in the first half of 2014.

Full-year 2014 revenue growth for VITAS, prior to Medicare Cap, is estimated to be in the range of 1% to 2%. Admissions in 2014 are estimated to increase 2% and full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin, prior to Medicare Cap, is estimated to be 14.5% to 15.0%. Medicare Cap is estimated to be $3.6 million in 2014.

Roto-Rooter is forecasted to achieve full-year 2014 revenue growth of 4% to 5%. This revenue estimate is based upon increased job pricing of approximately 2.0%. Adjusted EBITDA margin for 2014 is estimated in the range of 19.0% to 19.5%.

Management estimates that full-year 2014 earnings per diluted share, excluding non-cash expense for stock options, the non-cash interest expense related to the accounting for convertible debt, litigation and other discrete items, will be in the range of $6.00 to $6.05. This compares to Chemed’s 2013 reported adjusted earnings per diluted share of $5.62.

Conference Call

Chemed will host a conference call and webcast at 10 a.m., ET, on Friday, October 31, 2014, to discuss the Company's quarterly results and to provide an update on its business. The dial-in number for the conference call is (800) 700-0133 for U.S. and Canadian participants and (617) 213-8831 for international participants. The participant passcode is 10057878. A live webcast of the call can be accessed on Chemed's website at www.chemed.com by clicking on Investor Relations Home.

A taped replay of the conference call will be available beginning approximately 24 hours after the call's conclusion. It can be accessed by dialing (888) 286-8010 for U.S. and Canadian callers and (617) 801-6888 for international callers and will be available for one week following the live call. The replay passcode is 99376839. An archived webcast will also be available at www.chemed.com.

Chemed Corporation operates in the healthcare field through its VITAS Healthcare Corporation subsidiary. VITAS provides daily hospice services to over 14,000 patients with severe, life-limiting illnesses. This type of care is focused on making the terminally ill patient's final days as comfortable and pain-free as possible.

Chemed operates in the residential and commercial plumbing and drain cleaning industry under the brand name Roto-Rooter. Roto-Rooter provides plumbing and drain service through company-owned branches, independent contractors and franchisees in the United States and Canada. Roto-Rooter also has licensed master franchisees in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and the Philippines.

This press release contains information about Chemed’s EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS, which are not measures derived in accordance with GAAP and which exclude components that are important to understanding Chemed’s financial performance. In reporting its operating results, Chemed provides EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS measures to help investors and others evaluate the Company’s operating results, compare its operating performance with that of similar companies that have different capital structures and evaluate its ability to meet its future debt service, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. Chemed’s management similarly uses EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS to assist it in evaluating the performance of the Company across fiscal periods and in assessing how its performance compares to its peer companies. These measures also help Chemed’s management to estimate the resources required to meet Chemed’s future financial obligations and expenditures. Chemed’s EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. We calculated Adjusted EBITDA Margin by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by service revenue and sales. A reconciliation of Chemed’s net income to its EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Diluted EPS is presented in the tables following the text of this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release and the accompanying tables are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "hope," "anticipate," "plan" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. Chemed does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve various risks and uncertainties, which could cause Chemed's actual results to differ from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties arise from, among other things, possible changes in regulations governing the hospice care or plumbing and drain cleaning industries; periodic changes in reimbursement levels and procedures under Medicare and Medicaid programs; difficulties predicting patient length of stay and estimating potential Medicare reimbursement obligations; challenges inherent in Chemed's growth strategy; the current shortage of qualified nurses, other healthcare professionals and licensed plumbing and drain cleaning technicians; Chemed’s dependence on patient referral sources; and other factors detailed under the caption "Description of Business by Segment" or "Risk Factors" in Chemed’s most recent report on form 10-Q or 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and there are no assurances that the matters contained in such statements will be achieved.