Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are a significant asset of ours and the allowance for doubtful accounts is a significant estimate made by management. Trade accounts receivable were $2,573 M and $2,286 M at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $277 M and $266 M at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Approximately half of our receivables relates to business in our North America segment.

DialysisDialysisForm of renal replacement therapy where a semipermeable membrane – in peritoneal dialysis the peritoneum of the patient, in hemodialysis the membrane of the dialyzer – is used to clean a patient’s blood. care revenues are recognized and billed at amounts estimated to be receivable under reimbursement arrangements with third party payors. MedicareMedicare / MedicaidA program developed by the federal U.S. Social Security Administration that reimburses health insurance companies and providers of medical services for medical care to individuals over 65, people with chronic kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, ESRD) or the disabled. and MedicaidMedicare / MedicaidA program developed by the federal U.S. Social Security Administration that reimburses health insurance companies and providers of medical services for medical care to individuals over 65, people with chronic kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, ESRD) or the disabled. programs are billed at pre-determined net realizable rates per treatment that are established by statute or regulation. Revenues for non-governmental payors where we have contracts or letters of agreement in place are recognized at the prevailing contract rates. The remaining non-governmental payors are billed at our standard rates for services and, in our North America segment, a contractual adjustment is recorded to recognize revenues based on historic reimbursement experience with those payors for which contracted rates are not predetermined. The contractual adjustment and the allowance for doubtful accounts are reviewed quarterly for their adequacy. No material changes in estimates were recorded for the contractual allowance in the periods presented.

The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on local payment and collection experience. We sell dialysis products directly or through distributors in over 120 countries and dialysis services in more than 35 countries through owned or managed clinics. Most payors are government institutions or government-sponsored programs with significant variations between the countries and even between payors within one country in local payment and collection practices. Specifically, public health institutions in a number of countries outside the U.S. require a significant amount of time until payment is made. Payment differences are mainly due to the timing of the funding by the local, state or federal government to the agency that is sponsoring the program that purchases our services or products. The collection of accounts receivable from product sales to dialysis clinics is affected by the same underlying causes, since these buyers of our products are reimbursed as well by government institutions or government sponsored programs.

In our U.S. operations, the collection process is usually initiated 30 days after service is provided or upon the expiration of the time provided by contract. For Medicare and Medicaid, once the services are approved for payment, the collection process begins upon the expiration of a period of time based upon experience with Medicare and Medicaid. In all cases where co-payment is required the collection process usually begins within 30 days after service has been provided. In those cases where claims are approved for amounts less than anticipated or if claims are denied, the collection process usually begins upon notice of approval of the lesser amounts or upon denial of the claim. The collection process can be confined to internal efforts, including the accounting and sales staffs and, where appropriate, local management staff. If appropriate, external collection agencies may be engaged.

For our international operations, a significant number of payors are government entities whose payments are often determined by local laws and regulations. Depending on local facts and circumstances, the period of time to collect can be quite lengthy. In those instances where there are commercial payors, the same type of collection process is initiated as in the U.S.

Due to the number of our subsidiaries and different countries that we operate in, our policy of determining when a valuation allowance is required considers the appropriate local facts and circumstances that apply to an account. While payment and collection practices vary significantly between countries and even agencies within one country, government payors usually represent low credit risks. Accordingly, the length of time to collect does not, in and of itself, indicate an increased credit risk and it is our policy to determine when receivables should be classified as bad debt on a local basis taking into account local practices. In all instances, local review of accounts receivable is performed on a regular basis, generally monthly. When all efforts to collect a receivable, including the use of outside sources where required and allowed, have been exhausted, and after appropriate management review, a receivable deemed to be uncollectible is considered a bad debt and written off.

Estimates for the allowances for doubtful accounts receivable from the dialysis service business are mainly based on local payment and past collection history. Specifically, the allowances for the North American operations are based on an analysis of collection experience, recognizing the differences between payors and aging of accounts receivable. From time to time, accounts receivable are reviewed for changes from the historic collection experience to ensure the appropriateness of the allowances. The allowances in the International segment and the products business are also based on estimates and consider various factors, including aging, creditor and past collection history. Write offs are taken on a claim by claim basis when the collection efforts are exhausted. Due to the fact that a large portion of our reimbursement is provided by public health care organizations and private insurers, we expect that most of our accounts receivables will be collectable, albeit potentially more slowly in the International segment in the immediate future, particularly in countries which continue to be severely affected by the global financial crisis. For a discussion of unfavorable days sales outstandingDays Sales Outstanding (DSO)Indicates the average number of days it takes for a receivable to be paid. A shorter DSO results in less interest for the creditor and a lower risk of default. developments in 2010 see chapter "Liquidity and capital resources". A significant change in our collection experience, a deterioration in the aging of receivables and collection difficulties could require that we increase our estimate of the allowance for doubtful accounts. Any such additional bad debt charges could materially and adversely affect our future operating results.

If, in addition to our existing allowances, 1% of the gross amount of our trade accounts receivable as of December 31, 2010 were uncollectible through either a change in our estimated contractual adjustment or as bad debt, our operating income for 2010 would have been reduced by approximately 1.5%.

The following tables show the portion and aging of trade accounts receivable of major debtors or debtor groups at December 31, 2010 and 2009. No single debtor other than U.S. Medicaid and Medicare accounted for more than 5% of total trade accounts receivable in either year. Trade accounts receivable in the International segment are for a large part due from government or government-sponsored organizations that are established in the various countries within which we operate. Amounts pending approval from third party payors represent less than 3% at December 31, 2010.