HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

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Steven Valiquette: Thanks. Good morning everybody. So, just on the surgical volumes, you addressed most of the key questions related to the volumes for both the fourth quarter and the full year €˜23. But just a follow-up on that topic to get, I guess a little bit more. I was just curious whether or not you do see any notable pent-up demand for any surgical cases exiting out of 4Q €˜22 that might be falling at least into the early part of €˜23 for various reasons, just curious any visibility on early €˜23 at this stage? Thanks.

Sam Hazen: It’s hard for us to really judge the €“ whether there is demand on the sidelines, and we don’t see it. I mean we get some anecdotal information from our physicians who might indicate that, okay, their clinic patient profiles were better in the fourth quarter than they were at any point in time in 2022. I don’t know if that’s a precursor or not for pent-up elective surgical demand. I think we are just going to have to wait and see. But I believe it’s a positive metric and a positive anecdote that their clinic roles, patient roles appear to be at a higher level than they were in previous parts of 2022.

Steven Valiquette: Okay, great. Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Jamie Perse with Goldman Sachs.

Jamie Perse: Thank you. Good morning. Just a follow-up on the commercial reimbursement dynamics, first, can you remind us what percent of contracts have been recently negotiated that will take us back at the higher rate January 1st? And then secondly, can you give us a little bit of color on what the initial bump in those contracts looks like relative to the rate escalators that are locked in place for the next couple of years? Thank you.

Sam Hazen: We have, I want to say, Bill, maybe 70% of our contracts for 2024 contracted. I will tell you that most of the contracts, if not all of the contracts we closed in the last three quarters of €˜22 were in line with our expectations, which was around mid-single digit inflators. So, those have to work their way into the €˜23 portfolio of contracts and on into the 2024. So, we are encouraged by the outcomes of those negotiations. I think there is a general recognition in the payer community that the input costs for providers is up, or up. And so given those inflationary pressures, they recognize that there is a sensitivity to respond to that. And we are trying to be appropriate in our app. And I think that’s been received well, and we have been able to close these contracts reasonably timely.

So, we still have 30% or so of 2023 that will get negotiated over the first part of this year, and will carry us through all of €˜23 and into €˜24. We are about 40% contracted on €˜24. Again, the tail effect of some of the closed contract negotiations that we have just achieved will carry into 2024.

Operator: Our next question comes from Joshua Raskin with Nephron Research.

Joshua Raskin: Hi. Thanks for taking the questions. I know CapEx guidance for 2023 is only down slightly, and I know it’s still January, but it would be the first time in a long, long time, the CapEx would be down year-over-year, not counting 2020. I was wondering if you could just speak to any changes in budgeting or strategy or if there is anything that could be tempering that investment?

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