SEM Select Medical Holdings Corporation

Item 1A.     Risk Factors .

         In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this Form 10-K, the following are important factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of us.

Risks Related to our Business

         If there are changes in the rates or methods of government reimbursements for our services, our net operating revenues and profitability could decline.

        Approximately 45% of our net operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014, 37% of our net operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2015, and 30% of our net operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016, came from the highly regulated federal Medicare program.

        In recent years, through legislative and regulatory actions, the federal government has made substantial changes to various payment systems under the Medicare program. President Obama signed into

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law comprehensive reforms to the healthcare system, including changes to the methods for, and amounts of, Medicare reimbursement. Additional reforms or other changes to these payment systems, including modifications to the conditions on qualification for payment, bundling payments to cover both acute and post-acute care or the imposition of enrollment limitations on new providers, may be proposed or could be adopted, either by Congress or CMS. If revised regulations are adopted, the availability, methods, and rates of Medicare reimbursements for services of the type furnished at our facilities could change. Some of these changes and proposed changes could adversely affect our business strategy, operations, and financial results. In addition, there can be no assurance that any increases in Medicare reimbursement rates established by CMS will fully reflect increases in our operating costs.

         We conduct business in a heavily regulated industry, and changes in regulations, new interpretations of existing regulations or violations of regulations may result in increased costs or sanctions that reduce our net operating revenues and profitability.

        The healthcare industry is subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to: (i) facility and professional licensure, including certificates of need; (ii) conduct of operations, including financial relationships among healthcare providers, Medicare fraud and abuse, and physician self-referral; (iii) addition of facilities and services and enrollment of newly developed facilities in the Medicare program; (iv) payment for services; and (v) safeguarding protected health information.

        Both federal and state regulatory agencies inspect, survey and audit our facilities to review our compliance with these laws and regulations. While our facilities intend to comply with existing licensing, Medicare certification requirements and accreditation standards, there can be no assurance that these regulatory authorities will determine that all applicable requirements are fully met at any given time. A determination by any of these regulatory authorities that a facility is not in compliance with these requirements could lead to the imposition of requirements that the facility takes corrective action, assessment of fines and penalties, or loss of licensure, Medicare certification or accreditation. These consequences could have an adverse effect on our company.

        In addition, there have been heightened coordinated civil and criminal enforcement efforts by both federal and state government agencies relating to the healthcare industry. The ongoing investigations relate to, among other things, various referral practices, cost reporting, billing practices, physician ownership, and joint ventures involving hospitals. In the future, different interpretations or enforcement of these laws and regulations could subject us to allegations of impropriety or illegality or could require us to make changes in our facilities, equipment, personnel, services, and capital expenditure programs. These changes may increase our operating expenses and reduce our operating revenues. If we fail to comply with these extensive laws and government regulations, we could become ineligible to receive government program reimbursement, suffer civil or criminal penalties, or be required to make significant changes to our operations. In addition, we could be forced to expend considerable resources responding to any related investigation or other enforcement action.

         Full implementation of the Medicare 25 Percent Rule applicable to LTCHs will have an adverse effect on our future net operating revenues and profitability.

        Under the 25 Percent Rule, the Medicare payment rate for LTCHs is subject to a downward payment adjustment if the percentage of Medicare patients discharged from an LTCH who were admitted from a referring hospital (regardless of whether the LTCH or LTCH satellite is co-located with the referring hospital) exceeds an applicable percentage admissions threshold during a particular cost reporting period. Cases admitted to an LTCH in excess of the applicable percentage admissions threshold are reimbursed at a rate equivalent to that under IPPS. IPPS rates are generally lower than LTCH-PPS rates. Cases that reach outlier status in the discharging hospital do not count toward the admission threshold and are paid under LTCH-PPS.

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        LTCHs that are operated as HIHs or as HIH "satellites," are subject to payment reductions for those Medicare patients admitted from their host hospitals in excess of the applicable percentage admissions threshold and from other referring hospitals in excess of the applicable percentage admissions threshold. LTCHs that are operated as freestanding facilities are subject to a payment reduction for those Medicare patients admitted from other referring hospitals in excess of the applicable admissions threshold. Grandfathered HIHs are excluded from the Medicare percentage admissions threshold regulations. For cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2016, one percentage threshold applies to the LTCH as a whole (regardless of HIH or freestanding status) for each referring hospital (all locations).

        Current law provides relief in the form of higher percentage admissions thresholds for specific categories of LTCHs that previously obtained relief under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) (Pub. L. 110-173), as amended. Full implementation of the Medicare percentage admissions thresholds under the 25 Percent Rule will not go into effect for all LTCHs, except grandfathered HIHs, until discharges on or after October 1, 2017. See "Business—Government Regulations—Overview of U.S. and State Government Reimbursements—Long Term Acute Care Hospital Medicare Reimbursement—25 Percent Rule."

        Because these rules are complex and are based on the volume of Medicare admissions from other referring hospitals as a percent of our overall Medicare admissions, we cannot predict with any certainty the impact on our future net operating revenues and profitability of compliance with these regulations. We expect many of our LTCHs will experience an adverse financial impact when full implementation of the Medicare percentage admissions thresholds goes into effect. Our LTCHs have cost reporting periods that commence on various dates throughout the calendar year. Therefore, the application of the lower percentage admissions thresholds could be staggered, depending on how CMS implements the new statutory relief. In any event, the regular percentage admissions thresholds would not be in effect for all of our affected LTCHs until October 1, 2017 at the earliest, and we would not experience potential payment adjustments at the regular percentage thresholds until after Medicare cost reports are filed for cost reporting periods that include October 1, 2017.

         If our LTCHs fail to maintain their certifications as LTCHs or if our facilities operated as HIHs fail to qualify as hospitals separate from their host hospitals, our net operating revenues and profitability may decline.

        As of December 31, 2016, we operated 103 LTCHs, all of which are currently certified by Medicare as LTCHs. LTCHs must meet certain conditions of participation to enroll in, and seek payment from, the Medicare program as an LTCH, including, among other things, maintaining an average length of stay for Medicare patients in excess of 25 days. An LTCH that fails to maintain this average length of stay for Medicare patients in excess of 25 days during a single cost reporting period is generally allowed an opportunity to show that it meets the length of stay criteria during a subsequent cure period. If the LTCH can show that it meets the length of stay criteria during this cure period, it will continue to be paid under the LTCH-PPS. If the LTCH again fails to meet the average length of stay criteria during the cure period, it will be paid under the general acute care IPPS at rates generally lower than the rates under the LTCH-PPS. Such LTCHs may not be able to be re-classified as LTCHs until the moratorium is over on September 30, 2017.

        Similarly, our HIHs must meet conditions of participation in the Medicare program, which include additional criteria establishing separateness from the hospital with which the HIH shares space. If our LTCHs or HIHs fail to meet or maintain the standards for certification as LTCHs, they will receive payment under the general acute care hospitals IPPS which is generally lower than payment under the system applicable to LTCHs. Payments at rates applicable to general acute care hospitals would result in our LTCHs receiving significantly less Medicare reimbursement than they currently receive for their patient services.

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         Implementation of additional patient or facility criteria for LTCHs that limit the population of patients eligible for our hospitals' services or change the basis on which we are paid could adversely affect our net operating revenue and profitability.

        The BBA of 2013 establishes a dual-rate LTCH-PPS by adding a "site-neutral" payment rate for Medicare patients who do not meet specified criteria. Specifically, for Medicare patients discharged in cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2015, LTCHs are reimbursed under LTCH-PPS only if, immediately preceding the patient's LTCH admission, the patient was discharged from a "subsection (d) hospital" (generally, a short-term acute care hospital paid under IPPS) and either the patient's stay included at least three days in an intensive care unit (ICU) or coronary care unit (CCU), or the patient was assigned to an MS-LTC-DRG for cases receiving at least 96 hours of ventilator services in the LTCH. In addition, to be paid at the LTCH-PPS standard federal payment rate, the patient's discharge from the LTCH may not include a principal diagnosis relating to psychiatric or rehabilitation services. For any Medicare patient who does not meet these new criteria, the LTCH will be paid a "site-neutral" payment rate, which will be the lower of: (i) the IPPS comparable per-diem payment rate capped at the MS-DRG payment rate plus any outlier payments, or (ii) 100 percent of the estimated costs for services. For cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2019, payment for all discharges from an LTCH in the future may be subject to the site-neutral payment limitation unless the number of discharges for which payment is made under the LTCH-PPS payment rate is greater than 50% of the total number of discharges for the LTCH for that period. Reinstatement of payment under the dual-rate LTCH-PPS may be available, but CMS has not yet published details on this reinstatement process. The application of the new site-neutral payment rates under LTCH-PPS may reduce our operating revenues.

        We cannot predict whether Congress or CMS will adopt additional patient-level criteria in the future or, if adopted, how such criteria would affect our LTCHs. Implementation of additional patient or facility criteria that may limit the population of patients eligible for our LTCHs' services or change the basis on which we are paid could adversely affect our net operating revenues and profitability. See "Business—Government Regulations—Overview of U.S. and State Government Reimbursements—Long Term Acute Care Hospital Medicare Reimbursement."

         Decreases in Medicare reimbursement rates received by our outpatient rehabilitation clinics may reduce our future net operating revenues and profitability.

        Our outpatient rehabilitation clinics receive payments from the Medicare program under a fee schedule. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 requires that payments under the fee schedule be adjusted starting in 2019 based on performance in a new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and, beginning in 2020, incentives for participation in alternative payment models. The specifics of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and incentives for participation in alternative payment models will be subject to future notice and comment rule-making. It is unclear what impact, if any, the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and incentives for participation in alternative payment models will have on our business and operating results, but any resulting decrease in payment may reduce our future net operating revenues and profitability.

        Outpatient therapy services reimbursed under the Medicare physician fee schedule are subject to annual limits. Under an exceptions process to the annual limits, a Medicare enrollee (or person acting on behalf of the Medicare enrollee) is able to request an exception from the therapy caps if the provision of therapy services is deemed to be medically necessary. Therapy cap exceptions are available automatically for certain conditions and on a case by case basis upon submission of documentation of medical necessity. The exception process has been extended by Congress several times. Most recently, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 extends the exceptions process for outpatient therapy caps through December 31, 2017. The exception process will expire on December 31, 2017 unless further extended by Congress. There can be no assurance that Congress will extend it further. To date, the implementation of

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the therapy caps has not had a material adverse effect on our business. However, if the exception process is not renewed, our future net operating revenues and profitability may decline.

         The nature of the markets that Concentra serves may constrain its ability to raise prices at rates sufficient to keep pace with the inflation of its costs.

        Rates of reimbursement for work-related injury or illness visits in Concentra's occupational health services business are established through a legislative or regulatory process within each state that Concentra serves. Currently, 32 states have fee schedules pursuant to which all healthcare providers are uniformly reimbursed. The fee schedules are determined by each state and generally prescribe the maximum amounts that may be reimbursed for a designated procedure. In the states without fee schedules, healthcare providers are generally reimbursed based on usual, customary and reasonable rates charged in the particular state in which the services are provided. Given that Concentra does not control these processes, it may be subject to financial risks if individual jurisdictions reduce rates or do not routinely raise rates of reimbursement in a manner that keeps pace with the inflation of Concentra's costs of service.

        In Concentra's veteran's healthcare business, reimbursement rates are generally set according to the capitated monthly rate based on the number of then enrolled patients at that CBOC. Evolving legislative and regulatory changes aimed at improving veteran's access to care in the wake of Department of Veterans Affairs scandals (none of which involved Concentra's CBOCs) could result in fewer patients enrolling in CBOCs. Federal legislation that permits certain veterans to receive their health care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, for example, may reduce demand for services at some of Concentra's CBOCs. Moreover, changes in the methods, manner or amounts of compensation payable for Concentra's services, including, amounts reimbursable to the CBOCs under its agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs, due to legislative or other changes or shifting budget priorities could result in lower reimbursement for services provided at Concentra's CBOCs. Concentra may receive lower payments from the Veterans Health Administration if fewer eligible veterans are considered to live within the catchments of its CBOCs. These trends could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

         If our IRFs fail to comply with the 60% Rule or admissions to our IRFs are limited due to changes to the diagnosis codes on the presumptive compliance list, our net operating revenues and profitability may decline.

        As of December 31, 2016, we operated 20 IRFs, 19 of which are currently certified by Medicare as IRFs and one which is in the process of obtaining its certification. IRFs must meet certain conditions of participation to enroll in, and seek payment from, the Medicare program as an IRF. Among other things, at least 60% of the IRF's total inpatient population must require treatment for one or more of 13 conditions specified by regulation. This requirement is now commonly referred to as the "60% Rule." Compliance with the 60% Rule is demonstrated through a two step process. The first step is the "presumptive" method, in which patient diagnosis codes are compared to a "presumptive compliance" list. IRFs that fail to demonstrate compliance with the 60% Rule using this presumptive test may demonstrate compliance through a second step involving an audit of the facility's medical records to assess compliance.

        Effective October 1, 2015, CMS removed a number of diagnosis codes from the presumptive compliance list. By removing diagnosis codes from the presumptive compliance list our facilities may be required to demonstrate compliance with the 60% Rule through medical record reviews. If an IRF does not demonstrate compliance with the 60% Rule by either the presumptive method or through a review of medical records, then the facility's classification as an IRF may be terminated at the start of its next cost reporting period causing the facility to be paid as a general acute care hospital under IPPS. If our IRFs fail to demonstrate compliance with the 60% Rule through either method and are classified as general acute care hospitals, our net operating revenue and profitability may be adversely affected.

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         As a result of post-payment reviews of claims we submit to Medicare for our services, we may incur additional costs and may be required to repay amounts already paid to us.

        We are subject to regular post-payment inquiries, investigations, and audits of the claims we submit to Medicare for payment for our services. These post-payment reviews include medical necessity reviews for Medicare patients admitted to our specialty hospitals, and audits of Medicare claims under the Recovery Audit Contractor program. These post-payment reviews may require us to incur additional costs to respond to requests for records and to pursue the reversal of payment denials, and ultimately may require us to refund amounts paid to us by Medicare that are determined to have been overpaid.

         Our facilities are subject to extensive federal and state laws and regulations relating to the privacy of individually identifiable information.

        HIPAA required the United States Department of Health and Human Services to adopt standards to protect the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information. The department released final regulations containing privacy standards in December 2000 and published revisions to the final regulations in August 2002. The privacy regulations extensively regulate the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information. The regulations also provide patients with significant new rights related to understanding and controlling how their health information is used or disclosed. The security regulations require healthcare providers to implement administrative, physical and technical practices to protect the security of individually identifiable health information that is maintained or transmitted electronically. HITECH, which was signed into law in February 2009, enhanced the privacy, security, and enforcement provisions of HIPAA by, among other things, establishing security breach notification requirements, allowing enforcement of HIPAA by state attorneys general, and increasing penalties for HIPAA violations. Violations of HIPAA or HITECH could result in civil or criminal penalties.

        In addition to HIPAA, there are numerous federal and state laws and regulations addressing patient and consumer privacy concerns, including unauthorized access or theft of patient's identifiable health information. State statutes and regulations vary from state to state. Lawsuits, including class actions and action by state attorneys general, directed at companies that have experienced a privacy or security breach also can occur.

        In the conduct of our business, we process, maintain, and transmit sensitive data, including our patient's individually identifiable health information. We have developed a comprehensive set of policies and procedures in our efforts to comply with HIPAA and other privacy laws. Our compliance officer, privacy officer, and information security officer are responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance with our privacy and security policies and procedures at our facilities. We believe that the cost of our compliance with HIPAA and other federal and state privacy laws will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. However, there can be no assurance that a breach of privacy or security will not occur. If there is a breach, we may be subject to various lawsuits, penalties and damages and may be required to incur costs to mitigate the impact of the breach on affected individuals.

         We may be adversely affected by a security breach of our, or our third-party vendor's, information technology systems, such as a cyber attack, which may cause a violation of HIPAA or HITECH and subject us to potential legal and reputational harm.

        In the normal course of business, our information technology systems hold sensitive patient information including patient demographic data, eligibility for various medical plans including Medicare and Medicaid, and protected health information, which is subject to HIPAA and HITECH. Additionally, we utilize those same systems to perform our day-to-day activities, such as receiving referrals, assigning medical teams to patients, documenting medical information, maintaining an accurate record of all

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transactions, processing payments, and maintaining our employee's personal information. We also contract with third-party vendors to maintain and store our patient's individually identifiable health information. Numerous state and federal laws and regulations address privacy and information security concerns resulting from our access to our patient's and employee's personal information.

        Our information technology systems and those of our vendors that process, maintain, and transmit such data are subject to computer viruses, cyber attacks, or breaches. We adhere to policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with HIPAA and other privacy and information security laws and require our third-party vendors to do so as well. If, however, we or our third-party vendors experience a breach, loss, or other compromise of unsecured protected health information or other personal information, such an event could result in significant civil and criminal penalties, lawsuits, reputational harm, and increased costs to us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

        Furthermore, while our information technology systems, and those of our third-party vendors, are maintained with safeguards protecting against cyber attacks, including passive intrusion protection, firewalls, and virus detection software, these safeguards do not ensure that a significant cyber attack could not occur. A cyber attack that bypasses our information technology security systems, or those of our third-party vendors, could cause the loss of protected health information, or other data subject to privacy laws, the loss of proprietary business information, or a material disruption to our or a third-party vendor's information technology business systems resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In addition, our future results could be adversely affected due to the theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation or release of protected health information, other confidential data or proprietary business information, operational or business delays resulting from the disruption of information technology systems and subsequent clean-up and mitigation activities, negative publicity resulting in reputation or brand damage with clients, members, or industry peers, or regulatory action taken as a result of such incident.

         We may be adversely affected by negative publicity which can result in increased governmental and regulatory scrutiny and possibly adverse regulatory changes.

        Negative press coverage can result in increased governmental and regulatory scrutiny and possibly adverse regulatory changes. Adverse publicity and increased governmental scrutiny can have a negative impact on our reputation with referral sources and patients and on the morale and performance of our employees, both of which could adversely affect our businesses and results of operations.

         Future acquisitions or expansions may use significant resources, may be unsuccessful and could expose us to unforeseen liabilities.

        As part of our growth strategy, we may pursue acquisitions of specialty hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics and other related healthcare facilities and services, and increase the number of Concentra medical centers, onsite clinics, and CBOCs that Concentra operates. These acquisitions or expansions may involve significant cash expenditures, debt incurrence, additional operating losses and expenses, and compliance risks that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

        We may not be able to successfully integrate acquired businesses into ours, and therefore we may not be able to realize the intended benefits from an acquisition or expansion. If we fail to successfully integrate acquisitions and expansions into our operations, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. Acquisitions could result in difficulties integrating acquired operations, technologies, and personnel into our business. Such difficulties may divert significant financial, operational, and managerial resources from our existing operations and make it more difficult to achieve our operating and strategic objectives. We may fail to retain employees or patients acquired through

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acquisitions, which may negatively impact the integration efforts. Acquisitions could also have a negative impact on our results of operations if it is subsequently determined that goodwill or other acquired intangible assets are impaired, thus resulting in an impairment charge in a future period. Further expansions may require substantial financial resources and management attention, and diverting these resources may negatively affect our financial results.

        In addition, acquisitions and expansions involve risks that the acquired businesses or expanded operations will not perform in accordance with expectations; that we may become liable for unforeseen financial or business liabilities, including liabilities for failure to comply with healthcare regulations; that the expected synergies associated with acquisitions or expansions will not be achieved; and that business judgments concerning the value, strengths and weaknesses of businesses acquired or expanded operations will prove incorrect, which could have an material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

         Risks associated with our potential international operations.

        We intend to expand our operations into other countries. International operations are subject to risks that may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The risks that our potential international operations would be subject to include, among other things: difficulties and costs relating to staffing and managing foreign operations; fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies; repatriation of cash from our foreign operations to the United States; foreign countries may impose additional withholding taxes or otherwise tax our foreign income; separate operating and financial systems; disaster recovery; and unexpected regulatory, economic, and political changes in foreign markets. In addition to the foregoing, our potential international operations will face risks associated with complying with laws governing our foreign business operations, including the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and applicable regulatory requirements.

         Future joint ventures may use significant resources, may be unsuccessful and could expose us to unforeseen liabilities.

        As part of our growth strategy, we may partner with large health care systems to provide post acute care services. These joint ventures may involve significant cash expenditures, debt incurrence, additional operating losses and expenses, and compliance risks that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

        A joint venture involves the combining of corporate cultures and mission. As a result, we may not be able to successfully operate a joint venture, and therefore we may not be able to realize the intended benefits. If we fail to successfully execute a joint venture relationship, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. A new joint venture could result in difficulties in combining operations, technologies, and personnel. Such difficulties may divert significant financial, operational and managerial resources from our existing operations and make it more difficult to achieve our operating and strategic objectives. We may fail to retain employees or patients as a result of the integration efforts.

        A joint venture is operated through a board of directors that contains representatives of Select and other parties to the joint venture. We may not control the board or some actions of the board may require supermajority votes. As a result, the joint venture may elect certain actions that could have adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations.

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         If we fail to compete effectively with other hospitals, clinics, medical centers and healthcare providers in the local areas we serve, our net operating revenues and profitability may decline.

        The healthcare business is highly competitive, and we compete with other hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, medical centers, and other healthcare providers for patients. If we are unable to compete effectively in the specialty hospital, outpatient rehabilitation, and occupational health services businesses, our ability to retain customers and physicians, or maintain or increase our revenue growth, price flexibility, control over medical cost trends, and marketing expenses may be compromised and our net operating revenues and profitability may decline.

        Many of our specialty hospitals operate in geographic areas where we compete with at least one other hospital that provides similar services.

        Our outpatient rehabilitation clinics face competition from a variety of local and national outpatient rehabilitation providers, including physician-owned physical therapy clinics, dedicated locally owned and managed outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospital or university owned or affiliated ventures, as well as national and regional providers in select areas. Other competing outpatient rehabilitation clinics in local areas we serve may have greater name recognition and longer operating histories than our clinics. The managers of these competing clinics may also have stronger relationships with physicians in their communities, which could give them a competitive advantage for patient referrals. Because the barriers to entry are not substantial and current customers have the flexibility to move easily to new healthcare service providers, we believe that new outpatient physical therapy competitors can emerge relatively quickly.

        Concentra's primary competitors have typically been independent physicians, hospital emergency departments, and hospital-owned or hospital-affiliated medical facilities. Because the barriers to entry in Concentra's geographic markets are not substantial and its current customers have the flexibility to move easily to new healthcare service providers, new competitors to Concentra can emerge relatively quickly. The markets for Concentra's consumer health and veteran's healthcare businesses are also fragmented and competitive. If Concentra's competitors are better able to attract patients or expand services at their facilities than Concentra is, Concentra may experience an overall decline in revenue. Similarly, competitive pricing pressures from our competitors could cause Concentra to lose existing or future CBOC contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which may also cause Concentra to experience an overall decline in revenue.

         Future cost containment initiatives undertaken by private third-party payors may limit our future net operating revenues and profitability.

        Initiatives undertaken by major insurers and managed care companies to contain healthcare costs affect our profitability. These payors attempt to control healthcare costs by contracting with hospitals and other healthcare providers to obtain services on a discounted basis. We believe that this trend may continue and may limit reimbursements for healthcare services. If insurers or managed care companies from whom we receive substantial payments reduce the amounts they pay for services, our profit margins may decline, or we may lose patients if we choose not to renew our contracts with these insurers at lower rates.

         If we fail to maintain established relationships with the physicians in the areas we serve, our net operating revenues may decrease.

        Our success is partially dependent upon the admissions and referral practices of the physicians in the communities our hospitals and our outpatient rehabilitation clinics serve, and our ability to maintain good relations with these physicians. Physicians referring patients to our hospitals and clinics are generally not our employees and, in many of the local areas that we serve, most physicians have admitting privileges at other hospitals and are free to refer their patients to other providers. If we are unable to successfully

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cultivate and maintain strong relationships with these physicians, our hospitals' admissions and clinics' businesses may decrease, and our net operating revenues may decline.

         We could experience significant increases to our operating costs due to shortages of healthcare professionals or union activity.

        Our specialty hospitals are highly dependent on nurses, our outpatient rehabilitation division is highly dependent on therapists for patient care, and Concentra is highly dependent upon the ability of its affiliated professional groups to recruit and retain qualified physicians and other licensed providers. The market for qualified healthcare professionals is highly competitive. We have sometimes experienced difficulties in attracting and retaining qualified healthcare personnel. We cannot assure you we will be able to attract and retain qualified healthcare professionals in the future. Additionally, the cost of attracting and retaining qualified healthcare personnel may be higher than we anticipate, and as a result, our profitability could decline.

        In addition, United States healthcare providers are continuing to see an increase in the amount of union activity. Though we cannot predict the degree to which we will be affected by future union activity, there are continuing legislative proposals that could result in increased union activity. We could experience an increase in labor and other costs from such union activity.

         Our business operations could be significantly disrupted if we lose key members of our management team.

        Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our senior officers and other key employees, and our ability to retain and motivate these individuals. We currently have employment agreements in place with three executive officers and change in control agreements and/or non-competition agreements with several other officers. Many of these individuals also have significant equity ownership in our company. We do not maintain any key life insurance policies for any of our employees. The loss of the services of certain of these individuals could disrupt significant aspects of our business, could prevent us from successfully executing our business strategy, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

         In conducting our business, we are required to comply with applicable laws regarding fee-splitting and the corporate practice of medicine.

        Some states prohibit the "corporate practice of medicine" that restricts business corporations from practicing medicine through the direct employment of physicians or from exercising control over medical decisions by physicians. Some states similarly prohibit the "corporate practice of therapy." The laws relating to corporate practice vary from state to state and are not fully developed in each state in which we have facilities. Typically, however, professional corporations owned and controlled by licensed professionals are exempt from corporate practice restrictions and may employ physicians or therapists to furnish professional services. Also, in some states hospitals are permitted to employ physicians.

        Some states also prohibit entities from engaging in certain financial arrangements, such as fee-splitting, with physicians or therapists. The laws relating to fee-splitting also vary from state to state and are not fully developed. Generally, these laws restrict business arrangements that involve a physician or therapist sharing medical fees with a referral source, but in some states these laws have been interpreted to extend to management agreements between physicians or therapists and business entities under some circumstances.

        We believe that the Company's current and planned activities do not constitute fee-splitting or the unlawful corporate practice of medicine as contemplated by these state laws. However, there can be no assurance that future interpretations of such laws will not require structural and organizational modification of our existing relationships with the practices. If a court or regulatory body determines that we have violated these laws or if new laws are introduced that would render our arrangements illegal, we

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could be subject to civil or criminal penalties, our contracts could be found legally invalid and unenforceable (in whole or in part), or we could be required to restructure our contractual arrangements with our affiliated physicians and other licensed providers.

         If the frequency of workplace injuries and illnesses continues to decline, Concentra's results may be negatively affected.

        Approximately 54% of Concentra's revenue in 2016 was generated from the treatment or review of workers' compensation claims. In the past decade, the number of workers' compensation claims has decreased, which Concentra primarily attributes to improvements in workplace safety, improved risk management by employers, and changes in the type and composition of jobs. During the economic downturn, the number of employees with workers' compensation insurance substantially decreased. Although the number of covered employees has increased more in recent years as the employment rate has increased, adverse economic conditions can cause the number of covered employees to decline which can cause further declines in workers' compensation claims. In addition, because of the greater access to health insurance and the fact that the United States economy has continued to shift from a manufacturing-based to a service-based economy along with general improvements in workplace safety, workers are generally healthier and less prone to work injuries. Increases in employer-sponsored wellness and health promotion programs, spurred in part by the ACA, have led to fitter and healthier employees who may be less likely to injure themselves on the job. Concentra's business model is based, in part, on its ability to expand its relative share of the market for the treatment and review of claims for workplace injuries and illnesses. If workplace injuries and illnesses decline at a greater rate than the increase in total employment or if total employment declines at a greater rate than the increase in incident rates, the number of claims in the workers' compensation market will decrease and may adversely affect Concentra's business.

         If Concentra loses several significant employer customers, its results may be adversely affected.

        Concentra's results may decline if it loses several significant employer customers. One or more of Concentra's significant employer customers could be acquired. Additionally, Concentra could lose significant employer customers due to competitive pricing pressures or other reasons. The loss of several significant employer customers could cause a material decline in Concentra's profitability and operating performance.

         Significant legal actions could subject us to substantial uninsured liabilities.

        Physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers have become subject to an increasing number of legal actions alleging malpractice, product liability, or related legal theories. Many of these actions involve large claims and significant defense costs. We are also subject to lawsuits under federal and state whistleblower statutes designed to combat fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry. These whistleblower lawsuits are not covered by insurance and can involve significant monetary damages and award bounties to private plaintiffs who successfully bring the suits. See "Legal Proceedings" and Note 16 in our audited consolidated financial statements.

        We currently maintain professional malpractice liability insurance and general liability insurance coverages under a combination of policies with a total annual aggregate limit of $35.0 million. Our insurance for the professional liability coverage is written on a "claims-made" basis and our commercial general liability coverage is maintained on an "occurrence" basis. These coverages apply after a self-insured retention of $2.0 million per medical incident for professional liability claims and $2.0 million per occurrence for general liability claims. We review our insurance program annually and may make adjustments to the amount of insurance coverage and self-insured retentions in future years. In addition, our insurance coverage does not generally cover punitive damages and may not cover all claims against us. See "Business—Government Regulations—Other Healthcare Regulations."

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         Concentration of ownership among our existing executives and directors may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.

        Our executives and directors, beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 19.9% of Holdings' outstanding common stock as of February 1, 2017. As a result, these stockholders have significant control over our management and policies and are able to exercise influence over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our certificate of incorporation, and approval of significant corporate transactions. The directors elected by these stockholders are able to make decisions affecting our capital structure, including decisions to issue additional capital stock, implement stock repurchase programs, and incur indebtedness. This influence may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers, delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in management, or limiting the ability of our other stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interest.

Risks Related to our Capital Structure

         If WCAS and the other members of Concentra Group Holdings exercise their Put Right, it may have an adverse effect on our liquidity. Additionally, we may not have adequate funds to pay amounts due in connection with the Put Right, if exercised, in which case we would be required to issue Holdings' common stock to purchase interests of Concentra Group Holdings and our stockholders' ownership interest will be diluted.

        Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Concentra Group Holdings, WCAS and the other members of Concentra Group Holdings have a put right (the "Put Right") with respect to their equity interests in Concentra Group Holdings. If a Put Right is exercised by WCAS, Select will be obligated to purchase up to 33 ¹ / 3 % of the equity interests of Concentra Group Holdings that WCAS purchased on June 1, 2015, at a purchase price based on a valuation of Concentra Group Holdings performed by an investment bank to be mutually agreed between Select and WCAS, which valuation will be based on certain precedent transactions using multiples of EBITDA and capped at an agreed upon multiple of EBITDA. Select has the right to elect to pay the purchase price in cash or in shares of Holdings' common stock. WCAS may first exercise its Put Right after June 1, 2018, and then may exercise its Put Right again annually during each fiscal year thereafter. If WCAS exercises its Put Right, the other members of Concentra Group Holdings may elect to sell to Select, on the same terms as WCAS, a percentage of their equity interests of Concentra Group Holdings that such member purchased on June 1, 2015, up to but not exceeding the percentage of its initial equity interests that WCAS has determined to sell to Select in the exercise of its Put Right plus the same percentage of the equity interests that such member had the right to sell but declined to sell in connection with any previous put exercise by WCAS.

        Furthermore, WCAS and the other members of Concentra Group Holdings have a put right with respect to their equity interest in Concentra Group Holdings that may only be exercised in the event Holdings or Select experiences a change of control that has not been previously approved by WCAS and which results in change in the senior management of Select (an "SEM COC Put Right"). If an SEM COC Put Right is exercised by WCAS, Select will be obligated to purchase all (but not less than all) of the equity interests in Concentra Group Holdings of WCAS and each other member of Concentra Group Holdings, at a purchase price based on a valuation of Concentra Group Holdings performed by an investment bank to be mutually agreed between Select and WCAS, which valuation will be based on certain precedent transactions using multiples of EBITDA and capped at an agreed upon multiple of EBITDA.

        We may not have sufficient funds, borrowing capacity or other capital resources available to pay for the interests of Concentra Group Holdings in cash if WCAS and the other members of Concentra Group Holdings exercise the Put Right or the SEM COC Put Right or may be prohibited from doing so under the terms of our debt agreements. Such lack of available funds upon the exercising of the Put Right or the SEM COC Put Right would force us to issue stock at a time we might not otherwise desire to do so in order to purchase the interests of Concentra Group Holdings. To the extent that the interests of Concentra Group Holdings are purchased by issuing shares of our common stock, the increase in the number of

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shares of our common stock issued and outstanding may depress the price of our common stock and our stockholders will experience dilution in their respective percentage ownership in us. In addition, shares issued to purchase the interests in Concentra Group Holdings will be valued at the twenty-one trading day volume-weighted average sales price of such shares for the period beginning ten trading days immediately preceding the first public announcement of the Put Right or the SEM COC Put Right being exercised and ending ten trading days immediately following such announcement. Because the value of the common stock issued to purchase the interests in Concentra Group Holdings is, in part, determined by the sales price of our common stock following the announcement that the Put Right or the SEM COC Put Right is being exercised, which may cause the sales price of our common stock to decline, the amount of common stock we may have to issue to purchase the interests in Concentra Group Holdings may increase, resulting in further dilution to our existing stockholders.

         Our substantial indebtedness may limit the amount of cash flow available to invest in the ongoing needs of our business.

        We have a substantial amount of indebtedness. As of December 31, 2016, Select had approximately $2,067.4 million of total indebtedness excluding the debt at Concentra. Taking into account the indebtedness under the Concentra credit facilities (as defined below), which is nonrecourse to Select, our total indebtedness at December 31, 2016 was $2,699.0 million. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Select paid cash interest, including cash interest paid by Concentra on Concentra's indebtedness, of $142.6 million. Our indebtedness could have important consequences to you. For example, it:

•

requires us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our indebtedness, reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, development activity, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes;



•

increases our vulnerability to adverse general economic or industry conditions;



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limits our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or the industries in which we operate;



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makes us more vulnerable to increases in interest rates, as borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates;



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limits our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital or other purposes; and



•

places us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less indebtedness.

        Any of these consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, and ability to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness. In addition, there would be a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows if we were unable to service our indebtedness or obtain additional financing, as needed.

        See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources."

         Our credit facilities and the indenture governing Select's 6.375% senior notes require us to comply with certain financial covenants and obligations, the default of which may result in the acceleration of certain of our indebtedness.

        In the case of an event of default under the agreements governing our indebtedness, the lenders under these agreements could elect to declare all amounts borrowed, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other fees, to be due and payable. If we are unable to obtain a waiver from the requisite lenders under such circumstances, the lenders could exercise their rights as described above, then our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected and we could become bankrupt or insolvent.

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        The Select credit facilities (as defined below) require Select to maintain a leverage ratio (based upon the ratio of indebtedness to consolidated EBITDA as defined in the agreement), which is tested quarterly. The Select credit facilities also prohibit Select from making capital expenditures in excess of $125.0 million in any fiscal year (subject to a 50% carry-over provision). Failure to comply with these covenants would result in an event of default under the Select credit facilities and, absent a waiver or an amendment from the lenders, preclude Select from making further borrowings under its revolving facility and permit the lenders to accelerate all outstanding borrowings under the Select credit facilities.

        The Concentra credit agreement (as defined below) requires Concentra to maintain a leverage ratio (based upon the ratio of indebtedness for money borrowed to consolidated EBITDA) of 5.75 to 1.00, which is tested quarterly, but only if Revolving Exposure (as defined in the Concentra credit facilities (as defined below)) exceeds 30% of Revolving Commitments (as defined in the Concentra credit facilities) on such day. Failure to comply with this covenant would result in an event of default under the Concentra revolving facility (as defined below) only and, absent a waiver or an amendment from the lenders, preclude Concentra from making further borrowings under the Concentra revolving facility and permit the lenders to accelerate all outstanding borrowings under the Concentra revolving facility. Upon such acceleration, Concentra's failure to comply with the financial covenant would result in an Event of Default (as defined in the Concentra credit facilities) with respect to the Concentra term loan (as defined below).

        The Concentra credit facilities also contain a number of affirmative and restrictive covenants, including limitations on mergers, consolidations and dissolutions; sales of assets; investments and acquisitions; indebtedness; liens; affiliate transactions; and dividends and restricted payments. The Concentra credit facilities contain events of default for non-payment of principal and interest when due (subject to a grace period for interest), cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions and an event of default that would be triggered by a change of control.

        As of December 31, 2016, Select was required to maintain its leverage ratio (its ratio of total indebtedness to consolidated EBITDA for the prior four consecutive fiscal quarters) at less than 5.75 to 1.00. For the four consecutive fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2016, Select's leverage ratio was 5.40 to 1.00.

        While we have never defaulted on compliance with any of our financial covenants, our ability to comply with these ratios in the future may be affected by events beyond our control. Inability to comply with the required financial covenants could result in a default under our indebtedness. In the event of any default under Select's credit facilities, the lenders could elect to terminate borrowing commitments and declare all borrowings outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other fees, to be immediately due and payable. In the event of any default under Select's indenture, the trustee or holders of 25% of the notes could declare all outstanding 6.375% senior notes immediately due and payable.

         Payment of interest on, and repayment of principal of, our indebtedness is dependent in part on cash flow generated by our subsidiaries.

        Payment of interest on, and repayment of principal of our indebtedness will be dependent in part upon cash flow generated by our subsidiaries and their ability to make such cash available to us, by dividend, debt repayment or otherwise. Our subsidiaries may not be able to, or be permitted to, make distributions to enable us to make payments in respect of our indebtedness. For example, as a general matter, Concentra is restricted from paying dividends under the Concentra credit facilities and therefore we cannot rely on Concentra's cash flow to repay Select's indebtedness. Each of our subsidiaries is a distinct legal entity and, under certain circumstances, legal and contractual restrictions may limit our ability to obtain cash from our subsidiaries. In the event that we do not receive distributions from our subsidiaries, we may be unable to make required principal and interest payments on our indebtedness. In addition, any payment of interest, dividends, distributions, loans, or advances by our subsidiaries to us could be subject to restrictions on dividends or repatriation of distributions under applicable local law, monetary transfer

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restrictions, and foreign currency exchange regulations in the jurisdictions in which the subsidiaries operate or under arrangements with local partners. Furthermore, the ability of our subsidiaries to make such payments of interest, dividends, distributions, loans, or advances may be contested by taxing authorities in the relevant jurisdictions.

         Despite our substantial level of indebtedness, we and our subsidiaries may be able to incur additional indebtedness. This could further exacerbate the risks described above.

        We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur additional indebtedness in the future. Although the Select credit facilities and the Concentra credit facilities contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, and the indebtedness incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. Also, these restrictions do not prevent us or our subsidiaries from incurring obligations that do not constitute indebtedness. As of December 31, 2016, Select had $190.3 million of availability under the Select revolving facility (as defined below) (after giving effect to $39.7 million of outstanding letters of credit) and Concentra had $43.4 million of availability under the Concentra revolving facility (after giving effect to $6.6 million of outstanding letters of credit). In addition, to the extent new debt is added to us and our subsidiaries' current debt levels, the substantial leverage risks described above would increase.

         Concentra's inability to meet the conditions and payments under the Concentra credit facilities, although non-recourse to Select, could jeopardize Select's equity contribution to Concentra Group Holdings .

        Select is not a party to the Concentra credit facilities and is not an obligor with respect to Concentra's debt under such agreements; however, if Concentra fails to meet its obligations and defaults on the Concentra credit facilities, a portion of or all of Select's equity investment in Concentra Group Holdings, the indirect parent company of Concentra, could be at risk of loss.

         We may be unable to refinance our debt on terms favorable to us or at all, which would negatively impact our business and financial condition.

        We are subject to risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flow will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest. While we intend to refinance all of our indebtedness before it matures, there can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any maturing indebtedness, that such refinancing will be on terms as favorable to us as the terms of the maturing indebtedness or, if the indebtedness cannot be refinanced, that we will be able to otherwise obtain funds by selling assets or raising equity to make required payments on our maturing indebtedness. Furthermore, if prevailing interest rates or other factors at the time of refinancing result in higher interest rates upon refinancing, then the interest expense relating to that refinanced indebtedness would increase. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness at or before maturity or otherwise meet our payment obligations, our business and financial condition will be negatively impacted, and we may be in default under our indebtedness. Any default under the Select senior secured credit facilities would permit lenders to foreclose on our assets and would also be deemed a default under the indenture governing Select's 6.375% senior notes, which may also result in the acceleration of that indebtedness.

        See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources."

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