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compliance and reporting requirements related to, among other things, agency-specific policies and regulations, information security, subcontracting requirements, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action for veterans and workers with disabilities and accessibility for the disabled;
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broad audit rights;
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ownership of inventions made with federal funding under the Bayh-Dole Act; and
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specialized remedies for breach and default, including setoff rights, risk allocation, retroactive price adjustments and civil or criminal fraud penalties, re-procurement expenses, as well as mandatory administrative dispute resolution procedures instead of state contract law remedies.
In addition, certain violations of federal and state law may result in termination of our contracts with private insurers, and, under certain circumstances, suspension or debarment from future such contracts.
We face inspections, reviews, audits and investigations from health plans. These audits could have adverse findings that may negatively affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Because we support our health plan clients’ participation in Medicare and other government-sponsored healthcare programs, we are subject to inspections, reviews, audits and investigations by them to verify our compliance with these programs, applicable laws and regulations and contractual requirements. We also periodically conduct internal audits and reviews of our regulatory compliance. An adverse inspection, review, audit or investigation could result in:
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refunding amounts or paying penalties assessed by the health plans;
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state or federal agencies imposing fines, penalties and other sanctions on us;
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decertification or exclusion from participation in one or more health plan networks;
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self-disclosure of violations to applicable regulatory authorities;
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damage to our reputation; and
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loss of certain rights under, or termination of, our contracts with health plans.
The outcome of any current or future inspection, review, audit or investigation cannot be accurately predicted, nor can we predict any of the results noted above. Nevertheless, it is possible that any such outcome of an adverse inspection, review, audit or investigation could be substantial, and the outcome of these matters may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Furthermore, the legal and other costs associated with complying with these inspections, reviews, audits or investigations, including costs associated with maintaining related security and compliance controls, could be significant.
Our ability to use our net operating losses to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
Our net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities because of their limited duration or because of restrictions under U.S. tax law. NOLs generated in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2018 are permitted to be carried forward for only 20 taxable years under applicable U.S. federal income tax law. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act, as modified by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, NOLs arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021, may be carried back to each of the five tax years preceding the tax year of such loss, and NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2020 may not be carried back. Moreover, under the Tax Act as modified by the CARES Act, NOLs generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such NOLs generally will be limited in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020 to 80% of current year taxable income. The extent to which state income tax law will conform to the Tax Act and CARES Act is uncertain.
In general, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended to the date hereof (the “Code”), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” (as defined under Section 382 of the Code (“Section 382”) and applicable Treasury Regulations) is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize