Company recognizes compensation expense related to its restricted stock and deferred stock awards ratably over the corresponding vesting periods. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company granted 977,745 shares of restricted stock to its employees andnon-employee directors under the Amended and Restated 2008 Incentive Plan. At March 31, 2019, the Company had 53,779 shares available for future grants and awards under its Amended and Restated 2008 Incentive Plan. On March 20, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors amended and restated the Amended and Restated 2008 Incentive Plan, subject to shareholder approval, to, among other things, increase the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for issuance under the Amended and Restated 2008 Incentive Plan by 8,275,000 shares.
Under the Company’s 1996Non-Qualified Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (the “ESPP”), employees are permitted to purchase the Company’s common stock at 85% of market value on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st of each year. Under the Company’s 2015Non-Qualified Stock Purchase Plan (the “SPP”), certain eligiblenon-employee service providers are permitted to purchase the Company’s common stock at 90% of market value on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st of each year.
Each of the ESPP and the SPP provide for the issuance of an aggregate of 2.6 million shares of the Company’s common stock less the number of shares of common stock purchased under the other plan. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for the discount received by participating employees andnon-employee service providers. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, 99,866 shares in aggregate were issued under the ESPP and SPP. At March 31, 2019, the Company had approximately 1.5 million shares in aggregate reserved for issuance under the ESPP and SPP.
During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $11.0 million and $9.7 million, respectively.
11. | Common Stock Repurchase Programs: |
In July 2013, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of shares of the Company’s common stock up to an amount sufficient to offset the dilutive impact from the issuance of shares under the Company’s equity compensation programs. The share repurchase program allows the Company to make open market purchases fromtime-to-time based on general economic and market conditions and trading restrictions. The repurchase program also allows for the repurchase of shares of the Company’s common stock to offset the dilutive impact from the issuance of shares, if any, related to the Company’s acquisition program. No shares were purchased under this program during the three months ended March 31, 2019.
In August 2018, the Company announced that its Board of Directors had authorized the repurchase of up to $500.0 million of the Company’s common stock in addition to its existing share repurchase program, of which $250.0 million remained available for repurchase as of December 31, 2018. Under this program, during the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company repurchased approximately 2.5 million shares of its common stock for $78.6 million. The Company also withheld 19,331 shares to satisfy minimum statutory withholding obligations of $0.6 million in connection with the vesting of restricted stock during the quarter. Subsequent to the end of the first quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased an additional 817,950 shares of its common stock for $21.4 million.
The Company intends to utilize various methods to effect any future share repurchases, including, among others, open market purchases and accelerated share repurchase programs. The amount and timing of repurchases will depend upon several factors, including general economic and market conditions and trading restrictions.
12. | Commitments and Contingencies: |
The Company expects that audits, inquiries and investigations from government authorities and agencies will occur in the ordinary course of business. Such audits, inquiries and investigations and their ultimate resolutions, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of its securities. The Company has not included an accrual for these matters as of March 31, 2019 in its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, as the variables affecting any potential eventual liability depend on the currently unknown facts and circumstances that arise out of, and are specific to, any particular future audit, inquiry and investigation and cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.
In the ordinary course of business, the Company becomes involved in pending and threatened legal actions and proceedings, most of which involve claims of medical malpractice related to medical services provided by the Company’s affiliated physicians. The Company’s contracts with hospitals generally require the Company to indemnify them and their affiliates for losses resulting from the negligence of the Company’s affiliated physicians. The Company may also become subject to other lawsuits which could involve large claims and significant costs. The Company believes, based upon a review of pending actions and proceedings, that the outcome of such legal actions and proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of its securities. The outcome of such actions and proceedings, however, cannot be predicted with certainty and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of them could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of its securities.
Although the Company currently maintains liability insurance coverage intended to cover professional liability and certain other claims, the Company cannot assure that its insurance coverage will be adequate to cover liabilities arising out of claims asserted against it in the future where the outcomes of such claims are unfavorable. With respect to professional liability risk, the Company generally self-insures a portion of this risk through its wholly owned captive insurance subsidiary. Liabilities in excess of the Company’s insurance coverage, including coverage for professional liability and certain other claims, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of its securities.
13