Note 16 – Commitments and Contingencies

Concentration of Credit Risk

Credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is generally diversified due to the large number of patients comprising the client base. The Company does have significant receivable balances with government payers and various insurance carriers. Generally, the Company does not require collateral or other security to support customer receivables. However, the Company continually monitors and evaluates its client acceptance and collection procedures to minimize potential credit risks associated with its accounts receivable and establishes an allowance for uncollectible accounts and as a consequence, believes that its accounts receivable credit risk exposure beyond such allowance is not material to the financial statements.

A number of proposals for legislation continue to be under discussion which could substantially reduce Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reimbursements to hospitals and clinical laboratories. Depending upon the nature of regulatory action, and the content of legislation, the Company could experience a significant decrease in revenues from Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company is unable to predict, however, the extent to which such actions will be taken.

The Company maintains its cash balances in high credit quality financial institutions. The Company’s cash balances may, at times, exceed the deposit insurance limits provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Legal Matters

From time to time, the Company may be involved in a variety of claims, lawsuits, investigations and proceedings related to contractual disputes, employment matters, regulatory and compliance matters, intellectual property rights and other litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company operates in a highly regulated industry which may inherently lend itself to legal matters. Management is aware that litigation has associated costs and that results of adverse litigation verdicts could have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. The Company’s policy is to expense legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with the legal proceedings in the period in which the expense is incurred. Management, in consultation with legal counsel, has addressed known assertions and predicted unasserted claims below.

Biohealth Medical Laboratory, Inc. and PB Laboratories, LLC (the “Companies”) filed suit against CIGNA Health in 2015 alleging that CIGNA failed to pay claims for laboratory services the Companies provided to patients pursuant to CIGNA - issued and CIGNA - administered plans. In 2016, the U.S. District Court dismissed part of the Companies’ claims for lack of standing. The Companies appealed that decision to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which in late 2017 reversed the District Court’s decision and found that the Companies have standing to raise claims arising out of traditional insurance plans as well as self-funded plans. In July 2019, the Companies and EPIC Reference Labs, Inc. filed suit against CIGNA Health for failure to pay claims for laboratory services provided. Cigna Health, in turn, sued for improper billing practices. CIGNA’s case against the Company was dismissed on June 22, 2020. The suit remains ongoing but because the Company did not have the financial resources to see the legal action to conclusion it assigned the benefit, if any, from the suit to Christopher Diamantis for his assumption of the costs to carry the cost to conclusion.

In November of 2016, the IRS commenced an audit of the Company’s 2015 Federal tax return. Based upon the audit results and additional carryback adjustments, the Company made provisions of approximately $1.0 million as a liability and approximately $0.9 million as a receivable in its financial statements. During 2020, the Company received $0.6 million of income tax refunds. During the first quarter of 2020, the U.S. Congress approved the CARES Act, which allows a five-year carryback privilege for federal net operating tax losses that arose in a tax year beginning in 2018 and through the current tax year, that is, 2020. As a result, during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded approximately $1.1 million in refunds from the carryback of certain of its federal net operating losses. Income taxes are more fully discussed in Note 15.

On September 27, 2016, a tax warrant was issued against the Company by the Florida Department of Revenue (the “DOR”) for unpaid 2014 state income taxes in the approximate amount of $0.9 million, including penalties and interest. The Company entered into a Stipulation Agreement with the DOR allowing the Company to make monthly installments until July 2019. The Company has made payments to reduce the amount owed. The Company intends to renegotiate another Stipulation agreement. However, there can be no assurance the Company will be successful. The balance accrued of approximately $0.4 million remained outstanding to the DOR at December 31, 2020.

In December of 2016, TCS-Florida, L.P. (“Tetra”), filed suit against the Company for failure to make the required payment under an equipment leasing contract that the Company had with Tetra and received a judgment against the Company. In May 2018, Tetra and the Company agreed to dispose of certain equipment and the proceeds from the sale were applied to the outstanding balance. In July 2020, the Company entered into a settlement with Tetra and paid $100,000 as full and final settlement of all liability to Tetra. As a result of the settlement, the Company recorded a gain from settlement of approximately $0.9 million in the year ended December 31, 2020.

In December of 2016, DeLage Landen Financial Services, Inc. (“DeLage”), filed suit against the Company for failure to make the required payments under an equipment leasing contract that the Company had with DeLage (see Note 11). On January 24, 2017, DeLage received a default judgment against the Company in the approximate amount of $1.0 million, representing the balance owed on the lease, as well as additional interest, penalties and fees. The Company recognized this amount in its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2016. On February 8, 2017, a Stay of Execution was filed and under its terms the balance due was to be paid in variable monthly installments through January of 2019, with an implicit interest rate of 4.97%. The Company and DeLage disposed of certain equipment and reduced the balance owed to DeLage. A balance of $0.2 million remained outstanding at December 31, 2020. 

On December 7, 2016, the holders of the Tegal Notes (see Note 8) filed suit against the Company seeking payment for the amounts due under the notes in the aggregate of the principal of $341,612, and accrued interest of $43,000. A request for entry of default judgment was filed on January 24, 2017. On April 23, 2018, the holders of the Tegal Notes received a judgment against the Company. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has repaid $44,544 of the principal amount of these notes. 

The Company, as well as many of our subsidiaries, are defendants in a case filed in Broward County Circuit Court by TCA Global Credit Master Fund, L.P. The plaintiff alleges a breach by Medytox Solutions, Inc. of its obligations under a debenture and claims damages of approximately $2,030,000 plus interest, costs and fees. The Company and the other subsidiaries are sued as alleged guarantors of the debenture. The complaint was filed on August 1, 2018. The Company has recorded the principal balance and interest owed under the debenture agreement for the period ended December 31, 2020 (see Note 8). The Company and all defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, but have not recorded any potential liability related to any further damages. In May 2020, the SEC appointed a Receiver to close down the TCA Global Master Fund, L.P. over allegations of accounting fraud. The amount recorded by the Company as being owed to TCA was based on TCA’s application of prior payments made by the Company. The Company believes that prior payments of principal and interest may have been applied to unenforceable investment banking and other fees and charges. It is the Company’s position that the amount owed to TCA is less than what is set forth in Note 8 and the Company intends to negotiate a settlement with the Receiver. 

On September 13, 2018, Laboratory Corporation of America sued EPIC Reference Labs, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, in Palm Beach County Circuit Court for amounts claimed to be owed. The court awarded a judgment against EPIC Reference Labs, Inc. in May 2019 for approximately $155,000. The Company has recorded the amount owed as a liability as of December 31, 2020.

In August 2019, EPIC Reference Labs, Inc. and Medytox Diagnostics, Inc. were sued by Beckman Coulter, Inc. in the same court under an agreement to purchase laboratory supplies. The plaintiff claims damages of approximately $124,000. The Company has disputed the amount owed, and in October 2020 entered into a settlement agreement to pay $35,000 as full and final settlement of this matter.

In July 2019, the landlord of Medytox Solutions, Inc. received a judgment in the amount of approximately $413,000 in connection with failure to pay under an office lease in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Company reached a settlement in May 2020 to resolve the judgment for the amount of $300,000, which was fully paid in 2020.

In February 2020, Anthony O. Killough sued the Company and Mr. Diamantis, as guarantor, in New York State Court for the County of New York, for approximately $2.0 million relating to the promissory note issued by the Company in September 2019. In May 2020, the parties entered into a Stipulation providing for a payment of a total of $2,158,168 (which includes accrued interest) in installments through November 1, 2020 (See Note 8). As of December 31, 2020, the Company has not made the majority of the required payments and, as a result, approximately $1.9 million, which includes penalty interest at a rate of 20% per annum, is due and owing.

In February 2021, a supplier to the Company’s hospitals, Shared Medical Services, Inc., filed suit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court for approximately $90,000 by virtue of default and for breach of contract and charges totaling approximately another $100,000. The Company disputes that it has any liability or responsibility under the agreements and has filed an initial response in the matter.

Following the Company’s decision to suspend operations at Jamestown Regional Medical Center in June 2019 a number of vendors remain unpaid. A number have initiated or threatened legal actions. The Company believes it will come to satisfactory arrangements with these parties as it works toward reopening the hospital. The Company has accrued the amounts that it expects to owe in its financial statements. The Company is planning the reopen the hospital upon securing adequate capital to do so. The reopening plans and timing thereof have also been disrupted by the current pandemic.

Two former employees of Jamestown Regional Medical Center have filed suit alleging violations of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“WARN”). The Court entered a default against the Company on August 14, 2019. The parties disagreed to the amount of damages, specifically to whether part-time employees are entitled to WARN act damages. The parties have agreed and are in support of a confidential settlement agreement which is in the final stage of agreement and will be concluded in the second quarter of 2021. The Company has recorded the estimated settlement amount in the statements of operations in “Net gain from legal settlements,” and in the balance sheets in accrued expenses. 

In June 2019, CHSPSC, the former owners of Jamestown Regional Medical Center, obtained a judgment against the Company in the amount of $592,650. The Company has recorded $130,000 of this judgment as a liability at December 31, 2020, as management believes that a number of insurance payments were made to CHSPCS after the change of ownership and will likely offset the majority of the claim made by CHSPCS.

In August 2019, Morrison Management Specialists, Inc. obtained a judgment against Jamestown Regional Medical Center and the Company in Fentress County, Tennessee in the amount of $194,455 in connection with housekeeping and dietary services. The Company has recorded this liability as of December 31, 2020.

In November 2019, Newstat, PLLC obtained a judgment against Big South Fork Medical Center in Knox County, Tennessee in the amount of $190,600 in connection with the provision of medical services. The Company has recorded this liability as of December 31, 2020.