Credit rating downgrades for several health systems were tied to capital expenditures and cash flow issues in recent months.
The following five health system credit rating downgrades occurred since July:
1. Tower Health (West Reading, Pa.) — lowered in September from "B+" to "CCC+" (Fitch Ratings)
"The three-notch downgrade to 'CCC+' reflects Tower's ongoing significant financial losses in fiscal 2022 … with an operating loss of $195 million, or a negative 1.8% operating EBITDA margin," Fitch said. "Tower Health's unrestricted liquidity position is also rapidly weakening, falling to just $341.5 million (when excluding $27.9 million in Medicare Advance funding), which results in a very weak cash-to-debt ratio of just 19%."
2. ProMedica (Toledo, Ohio) — lowered in September from "Baa3" to "Ba2" (Moody's Investors Service)
"The downgrade to 'Ba2' reflects material cashflow losses this year, which exceeded Moody's prior expectations, a significant drain of liquidity even with one-time cash infusions, and narrowing headroom to quarterly bank covenants," Moody's said. "In addition to severe losses in the nursing home and assisted living business, the provider business will need to reverse the year-to-date cashflow loss following solid margins in fiscal 2021. Both operations will continue to be challenged by high labor costs and related capacity constraints."
3. Premier Health (Dayton, Ohio) — lowered in September from "A" to "A-" (Fitch Ratings)
"The downgrade of [Premier Health's] revenue bond rating and IDR to 'A-' is driven by multiple years of weak operating cash flow generation … and coronavirus pandemic-related operating challenges that delayed the realization of improvements expected at Fitch's last review," the credit rating agency said.
4. MultiCare (Tacoma, Wash.) — lowered in August from "Aa3" to "A1" (Moody's Investors Service)
"The downgrade to A1 and the revision of the outlook to negative reflect a number of pressures which weaken MultiCare's credit profile, including: an unexpected 24% increase in debt; a material decline in liquidity; very significant operating losses through the first six months of fiscal 2022; a pending acquisition which would initially be dilutive to credit metrics; and an ambitious capital plan which will entail sizable capital expenditures over the next five years," Moody's said. "Operations are expected to improve through the second half of fiscal 2022, but nevertheless full year results will remain weak, providing at best thin headroom to MultiCare's debt service coverage covenant."
5. Memorial Health System (Marietta, Ohio) — lowered in July from "BB-" to "B+" (Fitch Ratings)
"The downgrade of the IDR to 'B+' reflects MHS's weak net leverage profile through Fitch's forward-looking scenario analysis given stated growth and spending objectives," Fitch said. "While operating performance has stabilized over the past three years … and reflects cost efficiency strategies and pandemic relief funding, improved cash flow funded higher levels of capital spending in fiscals 2020 and 2021."