HCA Healthcare Provides Business Outlook Ahead of Investor Day

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) will host its Investor Day today beginning at 8:00 a.m. CT. A team of HCA Healthcare leaders will offer perspectives on the Company’s financial performance, operations, and strategy to drive growth and create value.

Long-term Targets and Early Perspective on 2024

As part of Investor Day, the Company will discuss its strategic assessment of market opportunities and capital capacity. Based on this assessment, and subject to certain underlying assumptions, it is currently targeting over the next five years:

• Adjusted EBITDA growth between 4% and 6%; and
• Diluted earnings per share growth between 8% and 12%.

The Company’s targeted annual growth ranges are a composite of anticipated results over time. Actual performance in any given year may vary from these ranges for a variety of reasons.

“While our planning process for 2024 is not complete, we currently believe that our 2024 expectations will fall within the targeted ranges above, after considering the resolution of disputed claims with a commercial payer recorded in the first quarter of 2023,” said Sam Hazen, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Healthcare. “As usual we will give more detailed guidance during our year-end call in January.”

The long-term targets and early perspective on 2024 are based on current plans and expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown uncertainties and risks, including those set forth below in “Forward-Looking Statements.”

2023 Investor Day

The Company will stream the presentations and the management question and answer portion of Investor Day and will make conference materials available on its Investor Relations page (https://investor.hcahealthcare.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx). Investor Day is expected to conclude at approximately 3:45 p.m. CT. A replay will be available on the Company website beginning Friday, November 10, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. CT.

About the Company

As of September 30, 2023, HCA operated 183 hospitals and approximately 2,300 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include early perspectives on the outlook for 2024 and longer-term financial targets, as well as other statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words like “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “initiative,” “continue” or “target.” These forward-looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown uncertainties and risks, many of which are beyond our control, which could significantly affect current plans and expectations and our future financial position and results of operations. These factors include, but are not limited to, (1) changes in or related to general economic conditions nationally and regionally in our markets, including inflation and economic and business conditions (and the impact thereof on the economy, financial markets and banking industry); changes in revenues due to declining patient volumes; changes in payer mix (including increases in uninsured and underinsured patients); potential increased expenses related to labor, supply chain or other expenditures; workforce disruptions; supply shortages and disruptions; and the impact of potential federal government shutdowns, (2) the impact of our substantial indebtedness and the ability to refinance such indebtedness on acceptable terms, (3) the impact of current and future federal and state health reform initiatives and possible changes to other federal, state or local laws and regulations affecting the health care industry, including, but not limited to, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the “Affordable Care Act”), additional changes to the Affordable Care Act, its implementation, or interpretation (including through executive orders and court challenges), and proposals to expand coverage of federally-funded insurance programs as an alternative to private insurance or establish a single-payer system (such reforms often referred to as “Medicare for All”), (4) the effects related to the implementation of sequestration spending reductions required under the Budget Control Act of 2011, related legislation extending these reductions and those required under the Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 as a result of the federal budget deficit impact of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and the potential for future deficit reduction legislation that may alter these spending reductions, which include cuts to Medicare payments, or create additional spending reductions, (5) increases in the amount and risk of collectability of uninsured accounts and deductibles and copayment amounts for insured accounts, (6) the ability to achieve operating and financial targets, attain expected levels of patient volumes and revenues, and control the costs of providing services, (7) possible changes in Medicare, Medicaid and other state programs, including Medicaid supplemental payment programs or Medicaid waiver programs, that may impact reimbursements to health care providers and insurers and the size of the uninsured or underinsured population, (8) personnel-related capacity constraints, increases in wages and the ability to attract, utilize and retain qualified management and other personnel, including affiliated physicians, nurses and medical and technical support personnel, (9) the highly competitive nature of the health care business, (10) changes in service mix, revenue mix and surgical volumes, including potential declines in the population covered under third-party payer agreements, the ability to enter into and renew third-party payer provider agreements on acceptable terms and the impact of consumer-driven health plans and physician utilization trends and practices, (11) the efforts of health insurers, health care providers, large employer groups and others to contain health care costs, (12) the outcome of our continuing efforts to monitor, maintain and comply with appropriate laws, regulations, policies and procedures, (13) the availability and terms of capital to fund the expansion of our business and improvements to our existing facilities, (14) changes in accounting practices, (15) developments related to COVID-19, including, without limitation, the length and severity of COVID-19-related impacts and the spread of virus strains with new epidemiological characteristics; the volume of canceled or rescheduled procedures and the volume and acuity of COVID-19 patients cared for across our health systems; and measures we are taking to respond to COVID-19, (16) the emergence of and effects related to pandemics, epidemics and infectious diseases, (17) future divestitures which may result in charges and possible impairments of long-lived assets, (18) changes in business strategy or development plans, (19) delays in receiving payments for services provided, (20) the outcome of pending and any future tax audits, disputes and litigation associated with our tax positions, (21) the impact of known and unknown government investigations, litigation and other claims that may be made against us, (22) the impact of actual and potential cybersecurity incidents or security breaches, including the data security incident disclosed in July 2023, (23) our ongoing ability to demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology and the impact of interoperability requirements, (24) the impact of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and floods, physical risks from climate change or similar events beyond our control, (25) changes in U.S. federal, state, or foreign tax laws including interpretive guidance that may be issued by taxing authorities or other standard setting bodies, (26) the results of our efforts to use technology and resilience initiatives to drive efficiencies, better outcomes and an enhanced patient experience, (27) the ability of the Company to realize the assumptions underlying its expectations for growth and (28) other risk factors described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond our ability to control or predict. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements contained herein, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s views only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All references to “Company,” “HCA” and “HCA Healthcare” as used throughout this release refer to HCA Healthcare, Inc. and its affiliates.

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