UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada | 809913 | 82-2726719 |
(State or other jurisdiction of | (Primary Standard Industrial | (I.R.S. Employer |
7887 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 500
Denver, Colorado 80111
Telephone: 720-287-3093
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Corporation Trust Company of Nevada
701 S Carson Street, Suite 200
Carson City, NV 89701
Telephone: 888-724-9870
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Jason K Brenkert, Esq.
Sudeep Simkhada, Esq.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
1400 Wewatta Street, Suite 400
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone: (303) 352-1133
Fax Number: (303) 629-3450
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement. |
(Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public) |
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer: ☐ | Accelerated filer: ☐ |
Smaller reporting company: | |
Emerging Growth Company: |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED JANUARY 27, 2023
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
ASSURE HOLDINGS CORP.
Shares of Common Stock
We are offering shares of our common stock at an offering price of $ per share.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market (the “NASDAQ”) under the symbol “IONM”. On January 25, 2023 the closing price per share of our common stock as quoted on the NASDAQ was $0.32 per share. In this offering, the actual public offering price per share will be determined between us and the underwriter in the offering, and may be at a discount to the current market price of our common stock. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price.
We are a “smaller reporting company” and an “emerging growth company” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, we may continue to elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements in future reports.
Investing in our shares involves risks. You should carefully read the “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus before investing.
We may amend or supplement this prospectus from time to time by filing amendments or supplements as required. You should read the entire prospectus and any amendments or supplements carefully before you make your investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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| Per Share |
| Total |
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Public offering price |
| $ |
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| $ |
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Underwriting discount and commissions(1) |
| $ |
| $ |
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Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
| $ |
| $ |
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(1) | We have agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain expenses and issue warrants to the underwriter in an amount equal to % of the aggregate number of shares issued in this offering. For more information, see “Underwriting.” |
The offering is being underwritten on a firm commitment basis. We have granted the underwriter a -day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to shares of our common stock from us solely to cover over-allotments, if any.
The underwriters expect to deliver our shares to purchasers in the offering on or about , 2023.
January , 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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5 | |
25 | |
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44 | |
44 | |
MMANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS | 44 |
56 | |
65 | |
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | 82 |
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F-1 |
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or contained in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with additional information or information different from that contained in this prospectus filed with the SEC. The selling stockholders are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of shares of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
As used in this prospectus, unless otherwise designated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” “Assure” and “our Company” refer to Assure Holdings Corp., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiaries.
Unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts are expressed in United States dollars. All references to “C$” or “Cdn$” refer to Canadian dollars and all references to “common shares” and “shares” refer to the common shares in our capital stock, unless otherwise indicated. All references to the number of common shares and price per common share have been adjusted to reflect the five-for-one reverse stock split effectuated during September 2021.
Assure Holdings Corp., the Assure logo and other trademarks or service marks of Assure appearing in this prospectus are the property of Assure or its subsidiaries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders.
i
IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our most recently completed fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other exemptions from requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include:
● | reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements; |
● | exemptions from non-binding shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements; and |
● | exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. |
We may, and intend to, take advantage of these exemptions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues as of the end of a fiscal year, if we are deemed to be a large-accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC or if we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.
ii
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION
Unless stated otherwise, all dollar amounts are in United States dollars. Certain dollar amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars (“Cdn$”).
The annual average exchange rates for Canadian dollars in terms of the United States dollar for each of the two-year periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, as quoted by the Bank of Canada, were as follows:
Year ended December 31 | ||
2022 |
| 2021 |
Cdn$1.3011 |
| Cdn$1.2535 |
On January 25, 2023, the daily rate for United States dollars in terms of the Canadian dollar, as quoted by the Bank of Canada, was US $1.00 = Cdn$1.3393.
iii
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This registration statement and the documents that are incorporated herein by reference contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities laws, including the Private Securities Limitation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and may be identified by the use of words including, but not limited to the following; “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “continue,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current plans and expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors which could significantly affect current plans and expectations and our future financial condition and results. These factors, which could cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated.
You should read this prospectus completely and with the understanding that actual future results may materially differ from expectations set forth in forward looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, when evaluating the information presented in this registration statement or our other disclosures because current plans, anticipated actions, and future financial conditions and results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company.
We have not undertaken any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All of our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made or, if a date is specified, as of such date. Subject to mandatory requirements of applicable law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in expectations or any changes in events, conditions, circumstances or information on which the forward-looking statement is based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the risk factors set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.
iv
SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
We and our business are subject to material risks, which could cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated, and the risk factors set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus. These risks can be summarized as follows:
Business Related Risks
● | We have incurred operating losses in some of our historical periods and we could incur additional losses until we successfully integrate acquired practices, improve collections for managed cases and reduce operating expenses. |
● | Our business and operations are subject to risks and uncertainty surrounding the future spread of COVID-19 and related variants as well as the potential impact that these may have on our future operations. |
● | We may need to raise additional funds to finance our operations and our expansion and growth plans; we may not be able to do so when necessary, and/or the terms of any financings may not be advantageous to us. |
● | Our business is not highly diversified and approximately 75% of our case volume is currently concentrated in Colorado and Texas where we are susceptible to local and regional fluctuations in demand for our service, downturns in the economy, adverse weather conditions, changes in local or state regulations, and other localized market changes. |
● | Assure is expanding its offering beyond our legacy provision of the Technical Component of IONM to provide the Professional Component by delivering tele- neurology services provided as part of IONM. We face significant competition from other health care providers for patients, physicians, nurses and technical staff. Some of our competitors are larger and have longstanding and well-established relationships with physicians and third-party payors in the community. |
● | Assure founder Preston Parsons remains our single largest shareholder and beneficially owns approximately 3.8 million shares or 18% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Mr. Parsons has the ability to influence the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval. |
● | Our development will depend on the efforts of key management, key personnel and our relationships with medical partners in the surgical industry, and the loss of any of these people and partnerships, particularly to competitors, could have a material adverse effect on our business. |
● | We depend on payments from third-party payors, including private insurers, managed care organizations and hospitals, which may cause fluctuations in our revenue and delays and uncertainties in the reimbursement rate and the timing of reimbursement. |
● | State and Federal surprise billing legislation could lead to lower reimbursement rates. |
● | Value-based purchasing initiatives of both governmental and private payors tying financial incentives to quality and efficiency of care will increasingly affect the results of operations of hospitals and other health care facilities where we operate and may negatively impact our revenues. |
● | Public scrutiny of the intraoperative neuromonitoring industry in general could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. |
● | Accounting adjustments due to changes in circumstances or estimates may require us to write-off accounts receivables or write-down intangible assets, such as goodwill, may have a material impact on our financial reporting and results of operations. |
● | Our business strategy has been to grow through expansion. Our efforts to execute our acquisition strategy may be affected by our ability to identify suitable candidates and negotiate and close acquisition transactions on acceptable terms. |
● | Our success, in large part, is dependent upon referrals to our physicians from other physicians, systems, health plans and others in the communities in which we operate, and upon our medical staff’s ability to maintain good relations with these referral sources. |
● | We may be involved in lawsuits, claims, audits and investigations, including those arising out of services provided, personal injury claims, professional liability claims, billing and marketing practices, employment disputes and contractual claims. |
● | We are subject to rising costs, including malpractice insurance premiums or claims may adversely affect our business. |
● | We are reliant on Software-as-a-Service (Saas) technologies from third parties, which could adversely affect our business. |
● | Our business depends on network and mobile infrastructure developed and maintained by third-party providers. Any significant interruptions in service could result in limited capacity, processing delays and loss of customers. |
● | Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential information, and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations. |
● | We rely on 3rd party software-as-a-service vendors for certain operational and administrative functions. |
There is currently a shortage of certified, interoperative neurophysiologists in the United States.
v
Health Care Industry Regulatory Risks
● | The health care industry is heavily regulated, and we are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state and local government levels. These regulations include: |
o | Anti-Kickback Statute, a provision of the Social Security Act of 1972 |
o | Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. 1395nn, also known as the physician self-referral law |
o | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 |
o | Affordable Care Act |
o | Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 |
o | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) |
● | If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could suffer penalties or be required to make significant changes to our operations. |
● | As a health care provider, we are subject to professional liability claims both directly via our neurophysiologic INP staff and indirectly through the malpractice of our supervising practitioners and surgical partners. |
● | Political and regulatory changes, including insurance options, billing restrictions, patient rights and reimbursement regulation, may have a negative impact on the health care industry and our business. |
Risk Related to our Debenture
● | Restrictive covenants in our loan agreements with Centurion Financial Trust may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies. |
● | Our obligations to Centurion Financial Trust are secured by a security interest in substantially all of our assets, if we default on those obligations, the lender could foreclose on our assets. |
Risk Related to our Stock
● | We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. |
● | Broad market and industry factors may affect the price of our common shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. |
● | Our common stock is listed in the U.S. on the NASDAQ Capital Markets. |
The issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of outstanding warrants could result in substantial dilution to our stockholders, which may have a negative effect on the price of our common stock.
The foregoing is a summary of significant risk factors that we think could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected results. However, there could be additional risk factors besides those listed herein that also could affect us in an adverse manner. You should read the risk factors set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus.
vi
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. Before making an investment decision, you should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors,” “Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.
In this prospectus, unless we indicate otherwise or the context requires, “Assure,” “company,” “our company,” “the company,” “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” refer to Assure Holdings Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Our Business
Overview
Assure is a best-in-class provider of outsourced Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (“IONM”) and an emerging provider of remote neurology services. The Company delivers a turnkey suite of clinical and operational services to support surgeons and medical facilities during invasive surgical procedures. IONM has been well established as a standard of care and risk mitigation tool for various surgical verticals such as neurosurgery, spine, cardiovascular, orthopedic, ear, nose, and throat (“ENT”), and other surgical procures that place the nervous system at risk. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Assure’s mission is to provide exceptional surgical care and help make invasive surgeries safer. Our strategy focuses on utilizing best of class personnel and partners to deliver outcomes that are beneficial to all stakeholders including patients, surgeons, hospitals, insurers, and shareholders.
During each procedure, Assure provides two types of services, the Technical Component and Professional Component of IONM. Our in-house Interoperative Neurophysiologists (“INP”) provide Technical Component IONM services from the operating room throughout the procedure, while telehealth-oriented supervising practitioners provide a level of redundancy and risk mitigation in support of the onsite INPs and surgical team. In addition, Assure offers a comprehensive suite of IONM services, including scheduling the INP and supervising practitioner, real time monitoring, patient advocacy and subsequent billing and collecting for services provided.
Clinical leadership, surgeon support and patient care are Assure’s cornerstones. We make substantial ongoing investments in our training and development of clinical staff and have created a fellowship program to rigorously train new INPs to cost-effectively join the Assure team. In addition, we have partnered with the internationally renowned Texas Back Institute on clinical research relating to IONM safety and efficacy. Isador Lieberman, M.D., the director of the scoliosis and spine tumor program at the Texas Back Institute, is a member of Assure’s Medical Advisory Committee.
Our Strategy
Current Strategy
Our strategy is to build a telehealth tele-neurology services company with exceptional capabilities in IONM and numerous adjacent markets.
Assure has a history of providing industry-leading IONM services with an emphasis on clinical excellence and patient well-being, and are in the midst of a significant transformation to position for growth. With a focus on execution and providing a high level of patient care, the Company is transforming from being a provider of the Technical Component of IONM utilizing a one-to-one business model of INPs in the operating room to a business that also provides the Professional Component of IONM via off-site tele-neurology services in a far more scalable one-to-many business model. The next step in our development will relate to opportunities to expand into adjacent tele-neurology services while utilizing Assure’s platform and employees. This will extend our reach and redefine Assure’s position in the industry. We are thoughtfully deploying capital and focusing our investment in high potential growth initiatives including: organically expanding within existing states and into new states, growing our tele-neurology platform, signing new IONM outsourcing agreements with hospitals and medical facilities, as well as opportunistic M&A. In addition, we are investing to make our revenue cycle management function more automated, improving the velocity of our cash collections. The data and analytics-driven Company we are building will play a bigger role in the success of our key stakeholder groups: surgeons, hospitals, insurance companies and patients, as we seek to deliver attractive returns to our stockholders.
1
Assure has made substantial investments to make its revenue cycle management function more data-driven, analytical and automated. This modernization facilitated successful state-level arbitrations in 2022. Success in arbitration supported improving cash flow. There is currently a backlog of claims awaiting federal arbitration that we anticipate will begin in earnest in 2023. Many IONM competitors, particularly smaller peers that remain reliant on third-party billing companies lack the analytics and transparency to similarly leverage opportunities presented by the arbitration process.
As we look forward, Assure is focused on aligning our costs with updated managed case revenue expectations. The Company expects to continue adding scale in favorable markets while fixing the cost of delivering for its services. Further, Assure wants to take advantage of an opportunistic M&A environment in IONM as the industry moves toward a near-term consolidation. Another catalyst for improving financials is moving away from Assure’s legacy Managed Service Agreement (“MSA”) model in order to keep all collections generated from services provided by the Professional Component of IONM. In addition, supported by a data-driven revenue cycle management function, the Company anticipates leveraging state and federal arbitration programs to maximize reimbursement per case. It is our expectation that consistent success in arbitrations will ultimately lead to new in-network contractual agreements with commercial insurance payors, which in turn will speed up cash flow and improve participation rates. Lastly, Assure remains entirely committed to maintaining its clinical leadership, providing surgeon partners and hospitals with clinical excellence and our patients with enhanced safety. Delivering industry-leading quality of service has long anchored the Company’s very strong surgeon retention rates and driven our referral network for winning new business.
IONM Market in the United States
Overview
A key factor driving growth in the market is the increasing number of surgeries for which IONM is required. Advances in technology, the growth of the geriatric population in the U.S. and a rising incidence of chronic diseases are other factors increasing the number of spinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular surgeries, which in turn is expected to drive market growth in IONM. Renowned medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic are advocating greater adoption of IONM including requiring medical professionals to complete comprehensive neurophysiology training courses and hosting international IONM conferences.
Market Landscape
The IONM market is bifurcated into in-house and outsourced providers. The end user segment is categorized into hospital and ambulatory surgical centers. IONM finds its application in spinal, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, ENT, orthopedic and other surgeries related to the central or peripheral nervous system. IONM modalities include motor evoked potential, somatosensory evoked potential, electroencephalography, electromyography, brainstem auditory evoked potential, and visual evoked potential.
There has been a substantial increase in the use of IONM services by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers during complex surgeries. Moreover, the market is moving toward outsourced monitoring to provide advanced treatment options for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
With no dominant players in the industry, the intraoperative neuromonitoring market in the U.S. is highly fragmented. Providers can generally be categorized into three groups: 1) IONM-specific companies, including a limited number of relatively larger players such as Assure and a much larger group of small local and regional providers, 2) In-house providers such as hospitals, and 3) Bundled product companies offering neuromonitoring as part of a broader suite of services including SpecialtyCare, Inc. and NuVasive, Inc. These bundled product companies are believed to be the largest IONM providers in the US, although each is estimated to individually comprise approximately 10% of the overall U.S. IONM market.
Competition
The IONM industry is highly competitive. We face significant competition from other IONM and tele-neurology providers for patients, physicians, INPs and supervising practitioners. Some of our competitors are larger and have longstanding and well-established relationships with physicians and third-party payors. We also compete with other health care providers in our efforts to hire and retain experienced professionals. As a result, we may have difficulty attracting or retaining key personnel or securing clinical resources.
2
Some of our competitors are hospitals that provide IONM services for surgeries occurring within their hospital facilities. Assure also has significantly larger competitors, some of which have access to greater marketing, financial and other resources and may be better known in the general community. As a result of these factors, the Company may not be able to compete effectively against current and future competitors. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.
Corporate Structure
Assure Holdings Corp.
Assure Holdings Corp., formerly Montreux Capital Corp, a Canadian Capital Pool Company (“Montreux”), was formed under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act in British Columbia, Canada on September 24, 2007, is a Nevada corporation, existing under the laws of the State of Nevada pursuant to its Articles of Domestication filed with the Nevada Secretary of State on May 15, 2017. A Canadian Capital Pool Company is a special purpose acquisition company organized for the purposes of completing acquisition transactions, known as “qualifying transactions,” with operating companies for the purposes of taking the operating companies public in Canada. Qualifying transactions are subject to Canadian securities laws and exchange listing requirements.
Our Common Stock
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ under the symbol “IONM”.
Available Information
Our executive office address is 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80111. The telephone number for our executive office is (720) 287-3093.
We make available, free of charge, on or through our Internet website, at www.assureneuromonitoring.com, our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Our Internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be, and are not, incorporated into this prospectus.
3
THE OFFERING
Issuer |
| Assure Holdings Corp. |
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Shares Offered by Us: | shares on a “firm commitment” basis at a price of $ per share. | |
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Common Stock Outstanding Before this offering: | shares of common stock. | |
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Common Stock Outstanding After this offering (1): | shares of common stock (or, shares if the underwriter exercises its over-allotment option in full). | |
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Over-Allotment Option | We have granted the underwriter a -day option from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to (i) shares of our common stock from us solely to cover over-allotments, if any. | |
Use of Proceeds: | We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including servicing our ongoing debt obligations under our notes, working capital, marketing, product development and capital expenditures. See “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus. | |
Dividend Policy: | We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our shares of common stock. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. | |
Nasdaq Capital Market Trading Symbol: | Our shares of common stock are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “IONM.” | |
Risk Factors: | Please read “Risk Factors” and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in the securities offered in this prospectus. |
(1) | The number of shares of common stock shown above to be outstanding after this offering is based on 21,021,952 shares outstanding as of January 25, 2023, and excludes the following: |
● | 3,940,006 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants with an average weighted exercise price of $4.49; |
● | 992,800 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options with an average weighted exercise price of $5.89; |
● | 753,024 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes. |
4
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following information about these risks, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, including the matters addressed in the section entitled “Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” beginning on page iv of this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected as a result of any of the following risks. The value of our securities could decline as a result of any of these risks. You could lose all or part of your investment in our securities. Some of the statements in “Risk Factors” are forward-looking statements. The following risk factors are not the only risk factors facing our Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations and it is not possible to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on us or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in or implied by any forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to Our Business
Meaningful decrease in underlying commercial insurance reimbursement for IONM services provided.
In recent years, the IONM industry including Assure has seen a meaningful compression in reimbursement for IONM services provided. This trend has been more pronounced for the Technical Component relative to the Professional Component, driven in part by a shift in perceived benefit.
In addition, in October 2022, Assure and other IONM providers experienced a meaningful decrease in the Texas reimbursement benchmark, which had been utilized in state arbitration claims to great success from January 2022 through September 2022. In October 2022, Texas state arbitration reimbursement was realigned to a level much closer to the state average across the Company’s operational footprint. As a reminder, Texas is Assure’s largest market and represents approximately 60% of our patient volume. The company is focused on improving margin and increasing participation rates for state arbitrations in Texas. This change does not affect the larger pool of federal arbitrations associated with the No Surprises Act, both in Texas and other states within Assure’s operational footprint still to come. This pool is anticipated to be much larger than the pool of state arbitration claims.
Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act (enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021), is intended to protect patients from receiving balance bills or “surprise bills”, the difference between what the provider charged and what insurance paid. This new law also provides for negotiation and independent dispute resolution (“IDR”) processes to resolve disputed claim payment amounts for federally regulated insurance plans. Assure has filed several hundred negotiation requests and IDR cases, although decisions for those cases are still pending. Health and Human Services has acknowledged that there is a substantial backlog of IDR case decisions due to a larger than expected demand for dispute resolutions. If we are unsuccessful in arbitrating, or if the arbitration process is delayed, we may not collect for our services or experience delays in collecting for our services and our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.
Assure management has made strategic and tactical decisions to stay ahead of these reimbursement trends. This includes the Company launching its own remote neurology business in 2021 to realign Assure toward the Professional Component. More recently, Assure has fixed the cost of delivery for IONM services it provides while maintaining a high standard of clinical care. Additional mitigating strategic initiatives include increasing scale through organic growth and M&A in a consolidating IONM market and moving away from the MSA model of revenue sharing.
If we are unable to be reimbursed for our services at expected levels, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.
Historical negative operating results
In 2015, Assure launched its business as a neuromonitoring services company. Since its initial launch, the Company has experienced operating losses. Our net loss was $2.8 million and $15.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Although we expect to be profitable in the future, there is no guarantee when profitability will occur.
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Our plan is to grow our business through expansion, and we anticipate that we will be required to raise additional funds to finance our operations; however, we may not be able to do so when necessary and/or on terms advantageous or acceptable to us.
We have financed our capital and cash requirements primarily from revenues generated from services, using a bank facility and line of credit, issuing convertible debentures, common stock and warrants in private placement offerings, and more recently using our debt arrangement with Centurion Financial Trust. Our ability to maintain the carrying value of our assets and become profitable is dependent on successfully marketing our services, maintaining future profitable operations, improving our billing and collections processes, successfully negotiating pricing and payment arrangements with payors and maintaining our network of providers, the outcome of which cannot be predicted at this time. We intend to grow our operations by developing additional PE relationships and directly contracting with hospitals and surgery centers for services. In the future, we anticipate that it may be necessary for us to raise additional funds for the continuing development of our business strategy.
Our operations to date have consumed substantial amounts of cash and we have sustained negative cash flows from our operations for the last several years. We anticipate that we will require future additional capital, including public or private financing, strategic partnerships or other arrangements with organizations that have capabilities and/or products that are complementary to our own capabilities and/or products, in order to continue the development of our product candidates. However, there can be no assurances that we will complete any financings, strategic alliances or collaborative development agreements, and the terms of such arrangements may not be advantageous to us. Any additional equity financing will be dilutive to our current stockholders and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. If we raise funds through collaborative or licensing arrangements, we may be required to relinquish, on terms that are not favorable to us, rights to some of our technologies or product candidates that we would otherwise seek to develop or commercialize. Our failure to raise capital when needed could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business strategy is to grow through expansion and acquisitions; however, our business is currently not highly diversified.
Our business strategy has been to grow through expansion. Although we operate in numerous states, approximately 75% of our case volume is currently concentrated in Colorado and Texas, where we are susceptible to local and regional fluctuations in demand for our service, downturns in the economy, adverse weather conditions, changes in local or state regulations, and other localized market changes.
Efforts to expand and execute our acquisition strategy may be affected by our ability to identify suitable candidates and negotiate and close acquisition transactions.
Our loan agreement subjects us to covenants that affect the conduct of business. In the event that our common shares do not maintain a sufficient valuation, or potential acquisition candidates are unwilling to accept our common shares as all or part of the purchase consideration, we may be required to use more of our cash resources, if available, or to rely solely on additional financing arrangements to pursue our acquisition and development strategy. We may not have sufficient capital resources or be able to obtain financing on terms acceptable to us for our acquisition and development strategy, which would limit our growth. Without sufficient capital resources to implement this strategy, our future growth could be limited and operations impaired. There can be no assurance that additional financing will be available to fund this growth strategy or that, if available, the financing will be on terms that are acceptable to us.
The business is expanding beyond our legacy provision of the Technical Component of IONM to offer the Professional Component via tele-neurology services.
Historically, our business has provided the Technical Component of IONM. While it remains a core part of our business and we expect it to remain so in the future, Assure has begun providing the Professional Component via off-site tele-neurology services for IONM. In some cases, this is done directly via our own supervising practitioners. In other instances, these services are provided by and through subsidiaries, which own interest in entities that either (i) directly perform the Professional Component through third-party contracted neurologists or oversight reading physicians, or (ii) provide management services for entities owned by licensed physicians. Assure employs supervising practitioners and has created a structure deploying them as reading physicians.
Providing the Professional Component of IONM subjects the Company to additional legal and government regulations as well as risk of billing and collecting for these services.
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The Termination of Managed Service Agreements.
In instances in which the Professional Component is provided via MSA’s with surgeons or through agreements with PEs, Assure engages in a revenue share based on our percentage ownership of the PE. Assure disclosed during its third quarter 2022 earnings call in November 2022 that the Company was moving away from the MSA model so that it can keep all collections from the Professional Component. Assure’s goal is to entirely terminate its MSA relationships by the end of the first quarter of 2023. This process may lead to the loss of some surgeon relationships and as a result our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.
We face significant competition from other health care providers.
We compete with other IONM service providers for patients, surgeons, neurologists and INPs. Some of our competitors have longstanding and well-established relationships with physicians and third-party payors in the community. Some of our competitors are hospitals that provide IONM services for surgeries occurring within their hospital facilities. Some of our competitors are also significantly larger than us, may have access to greater marketing, financial and other resources and may be better known in the general community.
The competition among service providers, facilities and hospitals for surgeons, neurologists, professional staff and patients has intensified in recent years. We face competition from other providers that perform similar services, both inside and outside of our primary service areas. Some of our competitors are owned by non-profit or governmental entities, which may be supported by endowments and charitable contributions or by public or governmental support. These competitors can make capital expenditures without paying sales tax, may hold the property without paying property taxes and may pay for the equipment out of earnings not burdened by income taxes. This competitive advantage may affect our ability to compete effectively with these non-profit or governmental entities.
There are several large, publicly traded companies, divisions or subsidiaries of large publicly held companies, and several private companies that develop and acquire specialty services, which may include neuromonitoring, and these companies compete with us in the acquisition of additional businesses. Further, many surgeon groups develop groups that provide ancillary services, using consultants who typically perform these services for a fee and who may take a small equity interest in the ongoing operations of a business. We can give no assurance that we can compete effectively in these areas. If we are unable to compete effectively to recruit new surgeons, neurologists, attract patients, enter into arrangements with managed care payors or acquire new facilities, our ability to implement our growth strategies successfully could be impaired. This may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Reliance on key personnel, industry partners and our ability to hire experienced employees and professionals.
Our development will depend on the efforts of key management, key personnel and our relationships with medical partners in the surgical industry and our ability to hire experienced employees and professionals. Loss of any of these people and partnerships, particularly to competitors, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, with respect to the future development of our business, it is necessary to attract additional partners and personnel for such development.
The marketplace for key skilled personnel is becoming more competitive, which means the cost of hiring, training and retaining such personnel may increase. Our business is dependent on our ability to hire and retain employees who have advanced clinical and other technical skills. Employees who meet these high standards are in great demand and are likely to remain a limited resource in the foreseeable future. If we are unable to recruit and retain a sufficient number of these employees, the ability to maintain and grow the business could be negatively impacted. A limited supply of qualified applicants may also contribute to wage increases which outpace the rate of inflation.
Factors outside our control, including competition for human capital and the high level of technical expertise and experience required to execute this development, will affect our ability to employ the specific personnel required. Due to our relatively small size, the failure to retain or attract a sufficient number of key skilled personnel and partnerships could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of future operations and financial condition.
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The intraoperative neuromonitoring industry is relatively new and is subject to risk associated with public scrutiny and gaps in technician oversight and formal board reviews.
The intraoperative neuromonitoring industry is relatively new and many of service providers are small privately held providers of intraoperative neuromonitoring that lack quality assurance programs. Our competitors may be more susceptible to adverse patient outcomes, thus raising public scrutiny of the industry as a whole. Such public scrutiny could impact our ability to maintain and grow the business.
INPs within the intraoperative neuromonitoring industry are not subject to oversight or formal board reviews. Lack of oversight and reviews could lead to declining quality among providers who lack self-governed internal programs designed to ensure high-quality standards. Given the fragmented competitive landscape of the neuromonitoring industry, such gaps in appropriate clinical oversight could impact our ability to maintain or grow the business.
We are subject to fluctuations in revenues and payor mix.
We depend on payments from third-party payors, including private insurers, managed care organizations and government health care programs. We are dependent on private and, to a lesser extent, governmental third- party sources of payment for the managed cases performed in Procedure Facilities. Our competitive position has been, and will continue to be, affected by reimbursement and co-payment initiatives undertaken by third- party payors, including insurance companies, and, to a lesser extent, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid.
As an increasing percentage of patients become subject to health care coverage arrangements with managed care payors, our success may depend in part on our ability to negotiate favorable contracts on behalf of Procedure Facilities with managed care organizations, employer groups and other private third-party payors. There can be no assurances that we will be able to enter into these arrangements on satisfactory terms in the future. Also, to the extent that Procedure Facilities have managed care contracts currently in place, there can be no assurance that such contracts will be renewed, or the rates of reimbursement held at current levels.
Managed care plans often set their reimbursement rates based on Medicare and Medicaid rates and consequently, although only a small portion of our revenues are from Medicare and Medicaid, the rates established by these payors may influence our revenues from private payors. As with most government reimbursement programs, the Medicare and Medicaid programs are subject to statutory and regulatory changes, possible retroactive and prospective rate adjustments, administrative rulings, freezes and funding reductions, all of which may adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced substantial changes to reimbursement and coverage related to ambulatory surgical centers (“ASC”). Under these ASC rules, reimbursement levels decreased and remain subject to change. Consequently, our operating margins may continue to be under pressure as a result of changes in payor mix and growth in operating expenses in excess of increases in payments by third-party payors. In addition, as a result of competitive burdens, our ability to maintain operating margins through price increases to privately insured patients is limited. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. Net patient service revenue is reported at the estimated net realizable amounts from patients, third-party payors, and others for services rendered and is recognized upon performance of the patient service. In determining net patient service revenue, management periodically reviews and evaluates historical payment data, payor mix and current economic conditions and adjusts, as required, the estimated collections as a percentage of gross billings in subsequent periods based on final settlements and collections. Management continues to monitor historical collections and market conditions to manage and report the effects of a change in estimates. While we believe that the current reporting and trending software provides us with an accurate estimate of net patient service revenues, any changes in collections or market conditions that we fail to accurately estimate or predict could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
We depend on reimbursement from a small group of third-party payors which could lead to delays and uncertainties in the reimbursement rate and process.
Approximately 62% of our accrued revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 relates to 30 third-party payors. The loss or disruption of any one of these payors could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, about 55% of our cash collections during the year ended December 31, 2021 was concentrated among these same third-party payors. Greater diversification of payors is dependent on expansion into new markets.
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Our performance is greatly dependent on decisions that Third-Party Payors make regarding their out-of-network benefits and alternatively, our ability to negotiate profitable contracts with Third-Party Payors.
One of the complexities of our business is navigating the increasingly hostile environment for entities that are not participants in the health insurance companies’ (“Third-Party Payors”) provider networks (also referred to as an out-of-network provider or facility). Third-Party Payors negotiate discounted fees with providers and facilities in return for access to the patient populations which those Third-Party Payors cover. The providers and facilities that contractually agree to these rates become part of the Third-Party Payor’s “network”. We are currently out-of-network as to most Third-Party Payors.
There are several risks associated with not participating in Third-Party Payor networks. First, not all Third- Party Payors offer coverage to their patients for services rendered by non-participants in that Third-Party Payor’s network. Further, it is typically the case that patients with so-called “out-of-network benefits” will be obliged to pay higher co-pays, higher deductibles, and a larger percentage of co-insurance payments. In addition, because the out-of-network coverage often mandates payment at a “usual and customary rate”, the determination of the amounts payable by the Third-Party Payor can fluctuate.
Health care providers and facilities that choose not to participate in a Third-Party Payor’s network often face longer times for their claims to be processed and paid. Further, many Third-Party Payors aggressively audit claims from out-of-network providers and facilities and continuously change their benefit policies in various ways that restrict the ability of beneficiaries to access out of network benefits, and to restrict out-of-network providers from treating their beneficiaries. Consequently, it may become necessary for us to change our out- of-network strategy and join Third-Party Payor networks. This may require us to negotiate and maintain numerous contracts with various Third-Party Payors. In either case, our performance is greatly dependent upon decisions that Third-Party Payors make regarding their out-of-network benefits and alternatively, our ability to negotiate profitable contracts with Third-Party Payors.
If it becomes necessary for us to convert entirely to in-network, there is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully negotiate these contracts. Further, we may experience difficulty in establishing and maintaining relationships with health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, and other Third-Party Payors. Out-of-network reimbursement rates are typically higher than in network reimbursement rates, so our revenue would likely decline if we move to an in-network provider strategy and fail to increase our volume of business sufficiently to offset reduced in-network reimbursement rates. These factors could adversely affect our revenues and our business.
Historically, all privately insured cases were billed on an out-of-network basis. Over the past three years, the Company has shifted some of the business to direct and indirect contracts with the payors and related parties. However, as of December 31, 2021, approximately 85% of our privately insured cases remain out of network basis, without any reimbursement rate protection or consistent in-network patient enrollments typically seen from an in-network agreement. Accordingly, we are susceptible to changes in reimbursement policies and procedures by Third-Party Payors and patients’ preference of using their out-of-network benefits which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The industry trend toward value-based purchasing may negatively impact our revenues.
We believe that value-based purchasing initiatives of both governmental and private payors tying financial incentives to quality and efficiency of care will increasingly affect the results of operations of Procedure Facilities and may negatively impact our revenues if we are unable to meet expected quality standards.
We may be affected by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), which contains several provisions intended to promote value-based purchasing in federal health care programs. Medicare now requires providers to report certain quality measures in order to receive full reimbursement increases for inpatient and outpatient procedures that were previously awarded automatically. In addition, hospitals that meet or exceed certain quality performance standards will receive increased reimbursement payments, while hospitals that have “excess readmissions” for specified conditions will receive reduced reimbursement. There is a trend among private payors toward value-based purchasing of health care services, as well. Many large commercial health insurance payors require hospitals to report quality data, and several of these payors will not reimburse hospitals for certain preventable adverse events.
We expect value based purchasing programs, including programs that condition reimbursement on patient outcome measures, to become more common, to involve a higher percentage of reimbursement amounts and to spread to reimbursement for ancillary services.
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Although we are unable to predict how this trend will affect our future results of operations, it could negatively impact our revenues if we are unable to meet quality standards established by both governmental and private payors.
State and Federal surprise billing legislation could lead to lower reimbursement rates.
In December 2020, federal legislation called the No Surprises Act was passed by Congress and signed by the President. Beginning in 2022, the law was implemented with the intended effect to prohibit surprise billing. Another feature of the No Surprise Act relevant to Assure is that it will for the first time allow companies like Assure to arbitrate disputed claims where we are not being paid in every state. While each arbitration case is treated like an individual lawsuit with unpredictable outcomes, we believe this dispute resolution process has the potential to help us get paid on a greater proportion of our claims.
The majority of U.S. states have laws protecting consumers against out-of-network balance billing or “surprise billing”. While consumer collections represent a negligible amount of our total revenue, most state surprise billing laws have established payment standards based on the median in-network rate or a multiplier of what Medicare would pay. These payment standards are often less than the average out-of-network payment and could therefore have an adverse effect on reimbursement rates. Although we have already experienced lower reimbursement rates from such laws, additional impact may be experienced as more states and/or federal legislation is adopted. Today, approximately 15% of our third-party payor revenue is contracted with in- network rate agreements and we are actively pursuing more in-network agreements to further mitigate this risk.
Our revenues will depend on our customers’ continued receipt of adequate reimbursement from private insurers and government sponsored health care programs.
Political, economic, and regulatory influences continue to change the health care industry in the United States. The ability of hospitals to pay fees for our products partially depends on the extent to which reimbursement for the costs of such materials and related treatments will continue to be available from private health coverage insurers and other similar organizations. We may have difficulty gaining market acceptance for the products we sell if third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement to hospitals. Major third- party payors of hospitals, such as private health care insurers, periodically revise their payment methodologies based, in part, upon changes in government sponsored health care programs. We cannot predict these periodic revisions with certainty, and such revisions may result in stricter standards for reimbursement of hospital charges for certain specified products, potentially adversely impacting our business, results of operations, and financial conditions.
Accounting adjustments due to changes in circumstances or estimates may require us to write off accounts receivables or write down intangible assets, such as goodwill, may have a material impact on our financial reporting and results of operations.
We have made accounting adjustments due to changes in circumstances or estimates. For example, we made adjustments by writing off accounts receivable due to changes in accounting estimates for collections and we may write off additional accounts receivable, intangible assets, such as goodwill, or may be required to make adjustments to our consolidated financial statements based on changes in circumstances.
Accounts Receivable
In order to more precisely estimate and our accounts receivable reserves, in September 2020 the Company changed its accounting policy to update its technical and professional collection experience quarterly. This change in policy will not eliminate additional reserves being recorded for fluctuation in the technical and professional collection experience in future periods. However, our change in policy is expected to reduce the magnitude of future reserves that are recorded as a result of fluctuations in the Company’s collection experience.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
As a result of purchase accounting for our acquisition transactions, our consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2021 contains intangible assets designated as either goodwill or intangibles totaling approximately $4.4 million in goodwill and approximately $3.6 million in intangibles. Additional acquisitions that result in the recognition of additional intangible assets would cause an increase in these intangible assets. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate whether facts and circumstances indicate any impairment of the value of intangible assets. As circumstances change, we cannot assure you that the value of these intangible assets will be realized. If we
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determine that a significant impairment has occurred, we will be required to write-off the impaired portion of goodwill or other intangible assets, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the write-off occurs.
We depend on referrals.
Our success, in large part, is dependent upon referrals to our physicians from other physicians, systems, health plans and others in the communities in which we operate, and upon our medical staff’s ability to maintain good relations with these referral sources. Physicians who use Procedure Facilities and those who refer patients are not our employees and, in many cases, most physicians have admitting privileges at other hospitals and (subject to any applicable non-competition arrangements) may refer patients to other providers. If we are unable to successfully cultivate and maintain strong relationships with our physicians and their referral sources, the number of managed cases performed at Procedure Facilities may decrease and cause revenues to decline. This could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may be subject to professional liability claims.
As a health care provider, we are subject to professional liability claims both directly and indirectly through the malpractice of members of our medical staff. We are responsible for the standard of care provided in Procedure Facilities by staff working in those facilities. We have legal responsibility for the physical environment and appropriate operation of our equipment used during surgical procedures. In addition, we are subject to various liability for the negligence of its credentialed medical staff under circumstances where we either knew or should have known of a problem leading to a patient injury. The physicians credentialed at Procedure Facilities are involved in the delivery of health care services to the public and are exposed to the risk of professional liability claims. Although we neither control the practice of medicine by physicians nor have responsibility for compliance with certain regulatory and other requirements directly applicable to physicians and their services, as a result of the relationship between us and the physicians providing services to patients in Procedure Facilities, we or our subsidiaries may become subject to medical malpractice claims under various legal theories.
Claims of this nature, if successful, could result in damage awards to the claimants in excess of the limits of available insurance coverage. Insurance against losses related to claims of this type can be expensive and varies widely from state to state. We maintain and require the physicians on the medical staff of Procedure Facilities to maintain liability insurance in amounts and coverages believed to be adequate, presently $1 million per claim to an aggregate of $3 million per year.
Most malpractice liability insurance policies do not extend coverage for punitive damages. While extremely rare in the medical area, punitive damages are those damages assessed by a jury with the intent to “punish” a tortfeasor rather than pay for a material loss resulting from the alleged injury. We cannot assure you that we will not incur liability for punitive damage awards even where adequate insurance limits are maintained. We also believe that there has been, and will continue to be, an increase in governmental investigations of physician-owned facilities, particularly in the area of Medicare/Medicaid false claims, as well as an increase in enforcement actions resulting from these investigations. Investigation activity by private third-party payors has also increased with, in some cases, intervention by the states’ attorneys general. Also possible are potential non-covered claims, or “qui tam” or “whistleblower” suits. Any adverse determination in a legal proceeding or governmental investigation, whether currently asserted or arising in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
We may be subject to liability claims for damages and other expenses not covered by insurance that could reduce our earnings and cash flows.
Our operations may subject us, as well as our officers and directors to whom we owe certain defense and indemnity obligations, to litigation and liability for damages. Our business, profitability and growth prospects could suffer if we face negative publicity or we pay damages or defense costs in connection with a claim that is outside the scope or limits of coverage of any applicable insurance coverage, including claims related to adverse patient events, contractual disputes, professional and general liability, and directors’ and officers’ duties. We currently maintain insurance coverage for those risks we deem are appropriate. However, a successful claim, including a professional liability, malpractice or negligence claim which is in excess of any applicable insurance coverage, or not covered by insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows. In addition, if our costs of insurance and claims increase, then our earnings could decline. Market rates for insurance premiums and deductibles have been steadily increasing. Our earnings and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected by any of these.
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We are subject to rising costs, including malpractice insurance premiums or claims may adversely affect our business.
The costs of providing our services have been rising and are expected to continue to rise at a rate higher than that anticipated for consumer goods as a whole. These increased costs may arise from adverse risk management claims against us or increases in the rates for medical malpractice insurance. As a result, our business, operating results or financial condition could be adversely affected if we are unable to implement annual private pay increases due to changing market conditions or otherwise increase our revenues to cover increases in labor and other costs.
We may incur unexpected, material liabilities as a result of acquisitions.
Although we intend to conduct due diligence on any future acquisition, we may inadvertently invest in acquisitions that have material liabilities arising from, for example, the failure to comply with government regulations, medical claims or other past activities. Although we have professional and general liability insurance, we do not currently maintain and are unlikely to acquire insurance specifically covering every unknown or contingent liability that may have occurred prior to our investment in Procedure Facilities, particularly those involving prior civil or criminal misconduct (for which there is no insurance). Incurring such liabilities as a result of future acquisitions could have an adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
Our reliance on software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) technologies from third parties may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We rely on SaaS technologies from third parties in order to operate critical functions of our business, including financial management services, customer relationship management services, supply chain services and data storage services. If these services become unavailable due to extended outages or interruptions or because they are no longer available on commercially reasonable terms or prices, or for any other reason, our expenses could increase, our ability to manage our finances could be interrupted, our processes for managing sales of our offerings and supporting our customers could be impaired, our ability to communicate with our suppliers could be weakened and our ability to access or save data stored to the cloud may be impaired until equivalent services, if available, are identified, obtained and implemented, all of which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our business depends on network and mobile infrastructure developed and maintained by third-party providers. Any significant interruptions in service could result in limited capacity, processing delays and loss of customers.
We depend on the development and maintenance of the Internet and mobile infrastructure. This includes maintenance of reliable Internet and mobile infrastructure with the necessary speed, data capacity and security, as well as timely development of complementary products, for providing reliable Internet and mobile access. We also use and rely on services from other third parties, such as our telecommunications services and credit card processors, and those services may be subject to outages and interruptions that are not within our control. Failures by our telecommunications providers may interrupt our ability to provide phone support to our customers and Distributed denial-of-service (“DDoS”) attacks directed at our telecommunication service providers could prevent customers from accessing our website. In addition, we have in the past and may in the future experience down periods where our third-party credit card processors are unable to process the online payments of our customers, disrupting our ability to receive customer orders. Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if for any reason the reliability of our Internet, telecommunications, payment systems and mobile infrastructure is compromised.
Cybersecurity incidents could disrupt business operations, result in the loss of critical and confidential information, and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.
We are dependent on the proper function, availability and security of our information systems, including without limitation those systems utilized in our scheduling and collection operations. We have undertaken measures to protect the safety and security of our information systems and the data maintained within those systems. As part of our efforts, we may be required to expend significant capital to protect against the threat of security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by breaches, including unauthorized access to patient data and personally identifiable information stored in our information systems and the introduction of computer malware to our systems. However, there can be no assurance our safety and security measures will detect and prevent security breaches in a timely manner or otherwise prevent damage or interruption of our systems and operations. We may be vulnerable to losses associated with the improper functioning, security breach or unavailability of our information systems.
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The United States Department of Justice is pursuing a civil investigation under the Anti-kickback Statue and the False Claims Act
In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ)” issued Civil Investigative Demands which seek information with respect to a civil investigation under the Anti-kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. Assure voluntarily contacted the DOJ offering to provide any materials needed in the investigation and to answer any questions. While our policy during the relevant time was to not seek payments from federal health care programs, the third-party billing company we used at that time submitted some claims to Medicare Advantage plans administered by commercial insurance companies. The Company has worked diligently to ensure that payments from Medicare Advantage plans have been returned to the commercial insurance companies and we believe we have returned substantially all such payments that we have discovered to date, totaling approximately $450 thousand. The DOJ has not made any allegations in the investigation, and we are currently unable to predict the eventual scope, ultimate timing, or outcome of this investigation. As a result, we are unable to estimate the amount or range of any potential loss, if any, arising from this investigation.
If we fail to successfully maintain an effective internal control over financial reporting, the integrity of our financial reporting could be compromised, which could result in a material adverse effect on our reported financial results.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock. Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.
We have identified and disclosed in Form 10-K material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are not able to remediate these material weaknesses and maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial results, which could cause our stock price to fall or result in our stock being delisted.
We need to devote significant resources and time to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) with respect to internal control over financial reporting. In addition, Section 404 under Sarbanes-Oxley requires that we assess the design and operating effectiveness of our controls over financial reporting, which are necessary for us to provide reliable and accurate financial reports.
As reported in Form 10-K in Part II – Item 9A, Controls and Procedures, there were material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting at December 31, 2021. Specifically, management’s assessment concluded that the Company has a material weakness related to the lack of proper segregation of duties.
We expect our systems and controls to become increasingly complex to the extent that we integrate acquisitions and as our business grows. To effectively manage our company today and this anticipated complexity, we need to remediate these material weaknesses and continue to improve our operational, financial, and management controls and our reporting systems and procedures. Any failure to remediate these material weaknesses and implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation or operation of these controls, could harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations, or make it more difficult to raise capital (or, if we are able to raise such capital, make such capital more expensive), one or more of which could adversely affect our business and/or jeopardize our listing on the OTC, any of which would harm our stock price.
Risks Related to the Regulation of the Healthcare Industry
Our business is subject to substantial government regulation.
The health care industry is heavily regulated and we are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state and local government levels. A number of these laws specifically relate to the provision of Medicare and Medicaid billing.
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Anti-Kickback Statutes
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of remuneration to induce the referral of a patient or the purchase, lease or order (or the arranging for or recommending of the purchase, lease or order) of health care items or services paid for by federal health care programs, including Medicare or Medicaid. A violation does not require proof that a person had actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate the statute, and court decisions under the Anti-Kickback Statute have consistently held that the law is violated where one purpose of a payment is to induce or reward referrals. Violation of the federal anti-kickback statute could result in felony conviction, administrative penalties, civil liability (including penalties) under the False Claims Act and/or exclusion from federal health care programs.
A number of states have enacted anti-kickback laws (including so-called “fee splitting” laws) that sometimes apply not only to state-sponsored health care programs but also to items or services that are paid for by private insurance and self-pay patients. State anti-kickback laws can vary considerably in their applicability and scope and sometimes have fewer statutory and regulatory exceptions than does the federal law. Enforcement of state anti-kickback laws varies widely and is often inconsistent and erratic.
Our management carefully considers the importance of such anti-kickback laws when structuring company operations. That said, we cannot assure that the applicable regulatory authorities will not determine that some of our arrangements with physicians violate the Anti-Kickback Statute or other applicable laws. An adverse determination could subject us to different liabilities, including criminal penalties, civil monetary penalties and exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or other health care programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Physician Self- Referral (“Stark”) Laws
The federal Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. 1395nn, also known as the physician self-referral law, generally prohibits a physician from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to an entity (including hospitals) providing “designated health services,” if the physician has a “financial relationship” with the entity, unless an exception applies. Designated health services include, among other services, inpatient hospital services, outpatient prescription drug services, clinical laboratory services, certain diagnostic imaging services, and other services that our affiliated physicians may order for their patients. The prohibition applies regardless of the reasons for the financial relationship, unless an exception applies. The exceptions to the federal Stark Law are numerous and often complex. The penalties for violating the Stark Law include civil penalties of up to $15,000 for each violation and potential civil liability (including penalties) under the False Claims Act.
Some states have enacted statutes and regulations concerning physician self-referrals (i.e., referrals by a physician to a health care entity in which the physician has an ownership interest). Such physician self-referrals laws may apply to the referral of patients regardless of payor source and/or type of health care service. These state laws may contain statutory and regulatory exceptions that are different from those of the federal law and that may vary from state to state. Enforcement of state physician self-referral laws varies widely and is often inconsistent and erratic.
Our management carefully considers the importance of physician self-referral laws when structuring company operations. That said, we cannot assure that the applicable regulatory authorities will not determine that some of our arrangements with physicians violate the Federal Stark Law or other applicable laws. An adverse determination could subject us to different liabilities, including criminal penalties, civil monetary penalties and exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or other health care programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
False Claims Act
The federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, imposes civil penalties for knowingly submitting or causing the submission of a false or fraudulent claim for payment to a government-sponsored program, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Violations of the False Claims Act present civil liability of treble damages plus a penalty of at least $11,803 per false claim. The False Claims Act has “whistleblower” or “qui tam” provisions that allow individuals to commence a civil action in the name of the government, and the whistleblower is entitled to share in any subsequent recovery (plus attorney’s fees). Many states also have enacted civil statutes that largely mirror the federal False Claims Act, but allow states to impose penalties in a state court.
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The False Claims Act has been used by the federal government and qui tam plaintiffs to bring enforcement actions under so-called “fraud and abuse” laws like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Such actions are not based on a contention that claims for payment were factually false or inaccurate. Instead, such actions are based on the theory that accurate claims are deemed to be false/fraudulent if there has been noncompliance with some other material law or regulation. The existence of the False Claims Act, under which so-called qui tam plaintiffs can allege liability for a wide range of regulatory noncompliance, increases the potential for such actions to be brought and has increased the potential financial exposure for such actions. These actions are costly and time-consuming to defend.
Our management carefully considers the importance of compliance with all applicable laws and when structuring company operations. Our management is aware of and actively works to minimize risk related to potential qui tam plaintiffs. That said, we cannot assure that the applicable enforcement authorities or qui tam plaintiffs will not allege violations of the False Claims Act or analogous state false claims laws. A finding of liability under the False Claims Act could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
State Licensure and Accreditation
States have a wide variety of health care laws and regulations that potentially affect our operations and the operations of our partners. For example: (1) many states have implemented laws and regulations related to so-called “tele-health,” but whether those laws apply to our operations, and the obligations they impose, vary significantly; (2) some states have so-called corporate practice of medicine prohibitions, and such prohibitions are used to indirectly regulate ownership of heath care companies and/or management companies; and (3) some states have “surprise billing” or out-of-network billing laws that impose a variety of obligations on health care providers and health plans. The failure to comply with all state regulatory obligations could be used by health plans to deny payment or to recoup funds, and any noncompliance could subject us to penalties or limitations that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
In addition, our partners’ health care facilities and professionals are subject to professional and private licensing, certification and accreditation requirements. These include, but are not limited to, requirements imposed by Medicare, Medicaid, state licensing authorities, voluntary accrediting organizations and third-party private payors. Receipt and renewal of such licenses, certifications and accreditations are often based on inspections, surveys, audits, investigations or other reviews, some of which may require affirmative compliance actions by us that could be burdensome and expensive. The applicable standards may change in the future. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain all necessary licenses or certifications in good standing or that they will not be required to incur substantial costs in doing so. The failure to maintain all necessary licenses, certifications and accreditations in good standing, or the expenditure of substantial funds to maintain them, could have an adverse effect on our business.
Health Information Privacy and Security Standards
The privacy and data security regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended, contain detailed requirements concerning (1) the use and disclosure of individually identifiable patient health information (“PHI”); (2) computer and data security standards regarding the protection of electronic PHI including storage, utilization, access to and transmission; and (3) notification to individuals and the federal government in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI. HIPAA covered entities and business associates must implement certain administrative, physical, and technical security standards to protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of certain electronic health information received, maintained, or transmitted. Violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules may result in civil and criminal penalties. In the event of a breach, a HIPAA covered entity must promptly notify affected individuals of a breach. All breaches must also be reported to the federal government. Where a breach affects more than 500 individuals, additional reporting obligations apply. In addition to federal enforcement, State attorneys general may bring civil actions on behalf of state residents for violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules, obtain damages on behalf of state residents, and enjoin further violations. Many states also have laws that protect the privacy and security of confidential, personal information, which may be similar to or even more stringent than HIPAA. Some of these state laws may impose fines and penalties on violators and may afford private rights of action to individuals who believe their personal information has been misused. We expect increased federal and state privacy and security enforcement efforts.
Our management carefully considers the importance of compliance with patient privacy and data security regulations when structuring company operations. Our management is aware of and actively works to minimize risk related to patient privacy and data security. That said, we cannot assure that a breach will not occur or that the applicable enforcement authorities will not allege violations of HIPAA’s
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patient privacy and data security regulations. A breach or an allegation of noncompliance with HIPAA’s patient privacy and data security regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Our ongoing civil investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice could result in significant civil penalties.
In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued Civil Investigative Demands which seek information with respect to a civil investigation under the Anti-kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. We voluntarily contacted the DOJ offering to provide any materials needed in the investigation and to answer any questions. While our policy during the relevant time was to not seek payments from federal health care programs, the third-party billing company we used at that time submitted some claims to Medicare Advantage plans administered by commercial insurance companies. We have worked diligently to ensure that payments from Medicare Advantage plans have been returned to the commercial insurance companies and we believe we have returned substantially all such payments that we have discovered to date, totaling approximately $450,000. The DOJ has not made any allegations in the investigation, and we are currently unable to predict the eventual scope, ultimate timing, or outcome of this investigation. As a result, we are unable to estimate the amount or range of any potential loss, if any, arising from this investigation, however, if the DOJ alleges that violations of law occurred and we are not successful in defending ourselves in relation to such allegations, we may be required to pay a significant civil penalty.
Our operations are subject to the nation’s health care laws, as amended, repealed, or replaced from time to time.
The ACA and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the “Health Care Reform Acts”) mandated changes specific to benefits under Medicare. Several bills have been, and are continuing to be, introduced in U.S. Congress to amend all or significant provisions of the ACA, or repeal and replace the ACA with another law. The likelihood of repeal currently appears low given the failure of the Senate’s multiple attempts to repeal various combinations of such ACA provisions. There is no assurance that any future replacement, modification or repeal of the ACA will not adversely affect our business and financial results. The full effects of the ACA may be unknown until all outstanding legal issues are resolved, the statutory provisions are fully implemented, and CMS, the FDA, and other federal and state agencies issue final applicable regulations or guidance. These developments could potentially alter coverage and marketing requirements, thereby affecting our business. The continued implementation of provisions of the ACA, the adoption of new regulations thereunder and ongoing challenges thereto, also added uncertainty about the current state of U.S. health care laws and could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. Health care providers could be subject to federal and state investigations and payor audits.
The amounts we receive for services provided to patients are determined by a number of factors, including the payor mix of our patients and the reimbursement methodologies and rates utilized by our patients’ plans. Reimbursement rates and payments from payors may decline based on renegotiations, and larger payors have significant bargaining power to negotiate higher discounted fee arrangements with healthcare providers. As a result, payors increasingly are demanding discounted fee structures or the assumption by healthcare providers of all or a portion of the financial risk related to paying for care.
Many private payors base their reimbursement rates on the published Medicare rates or, in the case of MA plans, are themselves reimbursed by Medicare for the services we provide. As a result, our results of operations are, in part, dependent on government funding levels for Medicare programs. Any changes that limit or reduce general Medicare reimbursement levels, such as reductions in or limitations of reimbursement amounts or rates under programs, reductions in funding of programs, change or elimination of coverage for certain benefits, or elimination of coverage for certain individuals or treatments under programs, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Changes that could adversely affect our business include:
● | administrative or legislative changes to base rates or the bases of payment; |
● | limits on the services or types of providers for which Medicare will provide reimbursement; and |
● | changes in methodology for coding services. |
A cyber security incident could cause a violation of HIPAA, breach of customer and patient privacy, or other negative impacts.
We rely extensively on our information technology (“IT”) systems to manage scheduling and financial data, communicate with customers and their patients, vendors, and other third parties, and summarize and analyze operating results. In addition, we have made
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significant investments in technology, including the engagement of a third-party IT provider. A cyber-attack that bypasses our IT security systems could cause an IT security breach, a loss of protected health information, or other data subject to privacy laws, a loss of proprietary business information, or a material disruption of our IT business systems. This in turn could have a material adverse impact on our business and result of operations. In addition, our future results of operations, as well as our reputation, could be adversely impacted by theft, destruction, loss, or misappropriation of public health information, other confidential data, or proprietary business information. See discussion of HIPAA, above. Computer malware, viruses, and hacking and phishing attacks by third parties have become more prevalent in our industry and may occur on our systems in the future. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until successfully launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures.
As cyber-security threats develop and grow, it may be necessary to make significant further investments to protect data and infrastructure. If an actual or perceived breach of our security occurs, (i) we could suffer severe reputational damage adversely affecting customer or investor confidence, (ii) the market perception of the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed, (iii) we could lose potential sales and existing customers, our ability to deliver our services or operate our business may be impaired, (iv) we may be subject to litigation or regulatory investigations or orders, and (v) we may incur significant liabilities. Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover the potentially significant losses that may result from security breaches.
If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could suffer penalties or be required to make significant changes to our operations.
The health care industry is heavily regulated, and we are required to comply with extensive and complex laws and regulations at the federal, state and local government levels relating to among other things:
● | Insurance: the collapse or insolvency of our insurance carriers; further increases in premiums and deductibles; increases in the number of liability claims against us or the cost of settling or trying cases related to those claims; an inability to obtain one or more types of insurance on acceptable terms, if at all; insurance carriers deny coverage of our claims; or our insurance coverage is not adequate. |
● | Billing and Collections: billing and coding for services, including documentation of care, appropriate treatment of overpayments and credit balances, and the submission of false statements or claims; relationships and arrangements with physicians and other referral sources and referral recipients, including self-referral restrictions, and prohibitions on kickbacks and other non-permitted forms of remuneration and prohibitions on the payment of inducements to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in order to influence their selection of a provider. |
● | Governmental Regulation: licensure, certification, enrollment in government programs and certificate of need approval, including requirements affecting the operation, establishment and addition of services and facilities; the necessity, appropriateness, and adequacy of medical care, equipment, and personnel and conditions of coverage and payment for services; quality of care and data reporting; restrictions on ownership of surgery centers; operating policies and procedures; qualifications, training and supervision of medical and support personnel; and fee-splitting and the corporate practice of medicine; |
● | Patient Care: screening of individuals who have emergency medical conditions; workplace health and safety; consumer protection; anti-competitive conduct; and confidentiality, maintenance, data breach, identity theft and security issues associated with health-related and other personal information and medical records. |
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of available exceptions and safe harbors, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of these laws. For example, failure to bill properly for services or return overpayments and violations of other statutes, such as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or the federal Stark Law, may be the basis for actions under similar state laws. Under HIPAA, criminal penalties may be imposed for health care fraud offenses involving not just federal health care programs but also private health benefit programs. Enforcement actions under some statutes may be brought by the government as well as by a private person under a qui tam or “whistleblower” lawsuit. Federal enforcement officials have numerous enforcement mechanisms to combat fraud and abuse, including bringing civil actions under the Civil Monetary Penalty Law, which has a lesser burden of proof than criminal statutes.
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If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could suffer civil or criminal penalties, including fines, damages, recoupment of overpayments, loss of licenses needed to operate, and loss of enrollment and approvals necessary to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and other government sponsored and third-party health care programs. Federal enforcement officials have the ability to exclude from Medicare and Medicaid any investors, officers and managing employees associated with business entities that have committed health care fraud. Many of these laws and regulations have not been fully interpreted by regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are sometimes open to a variety of interpretations. Different interpretations or enforcement of existing or new laws and regulations could subject our current practices to allegations of impropriety or illegality, or require us to make changes in our operations, facilities, equipment, personnel, services, capital expenditure programs or operating expenses to comply with the evolving rules. Any enforcement action against us, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. The laws and regulations governing the provision of health care services are frequently subject to change and may change significantly in the future. We cannot assure you that current or future legislative initiatives, government regulation or judicial or regulatory interpretations thereof will not have a material adverse effect on us. We cannot assure you that a review of our business by judicial, regulatory or accreditation authorities will not subject us to fines or penalties, require us to expend significant amounts, reduce the demand for our services or otherwise adversely affect our operations.
Risks Related to Our Debenture
Restrictive covenants in our loan agreements with Centurion Financial Trust may restrict our ability to pursue our business strategies.
The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our loan agreements with Centurion Financial Trust may adversely affect our ability to finance future operations or capital needs or to engage in other business activities. Such agreements limit our ability, among other things, to:
● | incur additional indebtedness or encumber our assets; |
● | sell, assign or otherwise dispose of our assets; |
● | sell shares of our subsidiaries; |
● | change our collection practices; |
● | change the nature of our business or re-organize our corporate structure; |
● | make loans to third parties; |
● | engage in sale-leaseback transactions; |
● | engage in certain related party transactions; |
● | create or adopt a defined benefit pension plan; |
● | make or commit to any form of distribution or reduction in profits, including declaring dividends, share buy backs or redemptions, payment on account loans or payment of management bonuses (other than in the ordinary course); and |
● | make or commit to capital expenditures in excess of 110% of the budget approved by Centurion Financial Trust. |
Additionally, we have agree to financial covenants whereby, beginning with the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2021, we will maintain:
● | a minimum working capital ratio of 1.20:1 (defined as current assets to current liabilities); |
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● | a fixed charge coverage of 1.25:1 (defined as the ratio of EBITDA less cash taxes and unfunded capital expenditures divided by all scheduled lease payments and payments on all debt including funded debt); and |
● | a maximum funded debt to EBITDA Ratio of 4.50:1 (defined as the ratio of the total outstanding balances of all indebtedness including the outstanding balances all credit facilities including capital leases, term loans, bank indebtedness etc. plus the balances of any non-postponed related party credit facilities, if applicable, divided by EBITDA). |
A breach of any of these covenants could result in an event of default under our loan agreements and permits the lender to cease making loans to us, demand immediate payment of all amounts due and payable under the loan agreements and to seek to foreclose on our assets if we can’t make such payments.
If our operating performance declines, we may be required to obtain waivers from the lender under the loan agreements to avoid defaults thereunder. If we are not able to obtain such waivers, our creditors could exercise their rights upon default.
Our obligations to Centurion Financial Trust are secured by a security interest in substantially all of our assets, if we default on those obligations, the lender could foreclose on our assets.
Our obligations under the loan agreements with Centurion Financial Trust and the related transaction documents are secured by a security interest in substantially all of our (the Company and all its subsidiaries) assets. As a result, if we default on our obligations under such loan agreements, the collateral agent on behalf of the lender could foreclose on the security interests and liquidate some or all of our assets, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations and could require us to reduce or cease operations and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
Events of default under the loan agreements include: (a) if default occurs in payment when due of any principal amount payable under the debenture; (b) if default occurs in payment when due of any interest, fees or other amounts payable under the debenture and remains unremedied for a period of five business days after the receipt by the Company of notice of such default; (c) if default occurs in payment or performance of any other obligation (whether arising herein or otherwise) and remains unremedied for a period of sixty days after the receipt by the Company of notice of such default; (d) if default occurs in performance of any other covenant of the Company or any guaranteeing subsidiary (a “Guarantor”) in favor of the lender under the debenture and remains unremedied for a period of sixty days after the receipt by the Company of notice of such default; (e) if an event of default occurs in payment or performance of any obligation in favor of any person from whom the Company or any Guarantor has borrowed in excess of $250,000 which would entitle the holder to accelerate repayment of the borrowed money, and such default is not remedied or waived in writing within sixty days of the occurrence of such default; (f) if the Company or any Guarantor commits an act of bankruptcy or becomes insolvent within the meaning of any bankruptcy or insolvency legislation applicable to it or a petition or other process for the bankruptcy of the Company or any Guarantor is filed or instituted and remains undismissed or unstayed for a period of sixty days or any of the relief sought in such proceeding (including the entry of an order for relief against it or the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or any substantial part of its property) shall occur; (g) if any act, matter or thing is done toward, or any action or proceeding is launched or taken to terminate the corporate existence of the Company, or any Guarantor, whether by winding‒up, surrender of charter or otherwise; (h) if the Company or any Guarantor ceases to carry on its business or makes or proposes to make any sale of its assets in bulk or any sale of its assets out of the usual course of its business unless expressly permitted herein or otherwise by the lender in writing; (i) if any proposal is made or any petition is filed by or against the Company or any Guarantor under any law having for its purpose the extension of time for payment, composition or compromise of the liabilities of such Company or any Guarantor or other reorganization or arrangement respecting its or any Guarantor’s liabilities or if the Company or any Guarantor gives notice of its intention to make or file any such proposal or petition including an application to any court to stay or suspend any proceedings of creditors pending the making or filing of any such proposal or petition; (j) if any receiver, administrator or manager of the property, assets or undertaking of the Company or any Guarantor or a substantial part thereof is appointed pursuant to the terms of any trust deed, trust indenture, debenture or similar instrument or by or under any judgment or order of any court; (k) if any balance sheet or other financial statement provided by the Company to the lender pursuant to the provisions hereof is false or misleading in any material respect; (l) if any proceedings are taken to enforce any encumbrance affecting any of the secured property or if a distress or any similar process be levied or enforced against any of the secured property; (m) if any judgment or order for the payment of money in excess of $250,000 shall be rendered against the Company or any Guarantor and either (A) enforcement proceedings shall have been commenced by any creditor upon such judgment or order, or (B) there shall be any period of sixty consecutive days during which a stay of enforcement of such judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect; (n) if any action is taken or power or right be exercised by any governmental body which would have a material adverse effect; (o) if any representation or warranty made by the Company or any
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Guarantor herein or in any other instrument to which it is a party or in any certificate, statement or report furnished in connection herewith is found to be false or incorrect in any way so as to make it materially misleading when made or when deemed to have been made; (p) if a change of control occurs with respect to the Company, without the lender’s prior written consent; or (q) if there shall occur or arise any change (or any condition, event or development involving a prospective change) in the business, operations, affairs, assets, liabilities (including any contingent liabilities that may arise through outstanding pending or threatened litigation or otherwise), capitalization, financial condition, licenses, permits, rights or privileges, whether contractual or otherwise, or prospects of the Company or any Guarantor which, in the judgment of the lender, acting reasonably, would have a material adverse effect.
Risk Related to Our Stock
If our common stock is delisted from Nasdaq, the liquidity and price of our common stock could decrease and our ability to obtain financing could be impaired.
On October 11, 2022, we received a notification letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market stating that we are not in compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, which requires our listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share. The notification stated that we have a compliance period of 180 calendar days, or until April 10, 2022, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. If at any time during this 180-day compliance period the closing bid price of our common stock is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, then the Nasdaq Stock Market will provide us with written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.
If compliance cannot be demonstrated by April 10, 2022, we may be eligible for additional time. To qualify, we will be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards on the Nasdaq Capital Market (except the bid price requirement). In addition, we would be required to provide written notice of our intention to cure the minimum bid price deficiency during this second 180-day compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If we are not granted an additional 180-day compliance period, then Nasdaq will provide written notification that our securities will be subject to delisting. At that time, we may appeal the determination to delist our securities to a Nasdaq hearings panel. There can be no assurance that we will regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or otherwise maintain compliance with the other listing requirements.
If we are unable to maintain our listing on The Nasdaq Stock Market, the liquidity and price of our stock could decrease. Further, our ability to raise capital through equity or convertible debt financings would be negatively impacted and result in us curtailing our plan of continued growth which could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.
Our Former Founder, Preston Parsons, has a controlling interest in Assure.
As of the date of this prospectus, our former founder, Preston Parsons, directly or indirectly, owns 3,934,498 shares of common stock and warrants to acquire 31,250 shares of common stock, which in aggregate totals 3,965,748 shares of common stock (assuming full exercise of his warrants) or beneficial ownership of 18.9% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by Mr. Parsons 660,000 shares were issued under a restricted stock grant agreement and are subject to forfeiture; which shares will vest on December 31, 2021 or earlier upon satisfaction of certain conditions, however, the Company is currently renegotiating the vesting term related to these shares. Mr. Parsons is our single largest shareholder and a control person for the purposes of Canadian and U.S. securities law. As a result, Mr. Parsons has the ability to influence the outcome of matters submitted to our shareholders for approval, which could include the election and removal of directors, amendments to our corporate governing documents and business combinations. In addition to his ability to influence matters submitted to our shareholders, the concentration of ownership in the hands of a single shareholder may discourage an unsolicited bid for our common stock and this may adversely impact the value and trading price of our common stock. In addition, sales of common stock by Mr. Parsons may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
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The price of our common shares is subject to volatility.
Broad market and industry factors may affect the price of our common shares, regardless of our actual operating performance. Factors unrelated to our performance that may have an effect on the price of our securities include the following: the extent of equity research coverage available to investors concerning our business may be limited if investment banks with research capabilities do not follow our securities; speculation about our business in the press or the investment community; lessening in trading volume and general market interest in our securities may affect an investor’s ability to trade significant numbers of our securities; additions or departures of key personnel; sales of our common shares, including sales by our directors, officers or significant stockholders; announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships of divestitures; and a substantial decline in the price of our securities that persists for a significant period of time could cause our securities to be delisted from an exchange, further reducing market liquidity. If an active market for our securities does not continue, the liquidity of an investor’s investment may be limited and the price of our securities may decline. If an active market does not exist, investors may lose their entire investment. As a result of these factors, the market price of our securities at any given point in time may not accurately reflect our long-term value. Securities class-action litigation often has been brought against companies in periods of volatility in the market price of their securities and following major corporate transactions or mergers and acquisitions. We may in the future be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and damages and divert management’s attention and resources.
Our bylaws designate the state and federal courts located in Denver, Colorado as the exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings, which could limit a shareholder’s ability to choose the judicial forum for disputes arising with Assure Holdings Corp.
Our bylaws provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the applicable court of competent jurisdiction shall be the state and federal courts located in Denver, Colorado (the “Colorado Court”), which Colorado Court shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for actions or other proceedings relating to:
(i) | a derivative action; |
(ii) | an application for an oppression remedy, including an application for leave to commence such a proceeding; |
(iii) | an action asserting a claim of breach of the duty of care owed by us; any director, officer or other employee or any shareholder; |
(iv) | an action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee or any shareholder; |
(v) | an action or other proceeding asserting a claim or seeking a remedy pursuant to any provision of the Nevada Revised Statute or our articles or bylaws; and |
(vi) | an action or other proceeding asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation regarding a matter of the regulation of our business and affairs. |
There is uncertainty as to whether a Court will enforce these forum selection clauses. The choice of forum provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes, which may discourage such lawsuits. We interpret the forum selection clauses in our bylaws to be limited to the specified actions and not to apply to actions arising under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act. Section 27 of the Exchange Act provides that United States federal courts shall have jurisdiction over all suits and any action brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder and Section 22 of the Securities Act provides that United States federal and state courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
There is a limited trading market for our common stock.
Our common stock is listed in the U.S. on the NASDAQ Capital Market and was historically traded in Canada on the TSX-V, but was voluntarily delisted on February 7, 2022. Historically, the trading volume for our common stock has been limited. Accordingly, investors
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may find it more difficult to buy and sell our shares. These factors may have an adverse impact on the trading and price of our common stock.
Our issuance of common stock upon exercise of warrants or options or conversion of convertible notes may depress the price of our common stock.
As of January 25, 2023, Assure had 21,021,952 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, outstanding warrants to purchase 3,940,006 shares of common stock; outstanding options to purchase 992,800 shares of common stock; outstanding convertible notes convertible into 753,024 shares of common stock. The issuance of shares of common stock in connection with convertible securities and obligations could result in substantial dilution to our stockholders, which may have a negative effect on the price of our common stock.
In addition, our articles authorize the issuance of 180,000,000 shares of common stock. We may issue additional common stock in the future in connection with a future financing or acquisition.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act.
As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:
● | have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; |
● | comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm; |
● | rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis); |
● | submit certain executive compensation matters to shareholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay” and “say-on- frequency”; and |
● | disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the Chief Executive’s compensation to median employee compensation. |
We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues exceed $1.07 billion, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which would occur if the market value of our ordinary shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period or (iv) the last day of the fiscal year in which we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our first sale of registered common equity securities pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Until such time, however, we cannot predict if investors will find our common shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common shares and our stock price may be more volatile.
Risks Relating to This Offering
Management will have broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering, and we may not use the proceeds effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion as to the application of the net proceeds and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering. Our stockholders may not agree with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and spend the net proceeds. Moreover, our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not increase our
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results of operations or the market value of our common stock. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, delay the development and approval of our products and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you will experience immediate dilution as a result of this offering.
Because the price per share being offered may be higher than net tangible book value per share of our common stock, you will experience dilution to the extent of the difference between the offering price per share of common stock you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2022 was approximately $18.2 million, or $0.98 per share of common stock. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets minus total liabilities, all divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding. See “Dilution” on page 26 of this prospectus for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you may incur if you participate in this offering. Because the sales of the shares offered hereby will be made directly into the market or in negotiated transactions, the prices at which we sell these shares will vary and these variations may be significant. Purchasers of the shares we sell, as well as our existing stockholders, will experience significant dilution if we sell shares at prices significantly below the price at which they invested.
If you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings or other equity issuances.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer and issue additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock. We cannot assure you that we will be able to sell shares or other securities in any offering at a price per share that is equal to or greater than the price per share paid by investors in previous offerings, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share in previous offerings. Further, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. In addition, the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants or the settlement of outstanding restricted stock units would result in further dilution of your investment.
This offering may cause the trading price of our common stock to decrease.
The price per share, together with the number of shares of common stock we propose to issue and ultimately will issue if this offering is completed, may result in an immediate decrease in the market price of our common stock. This decrease may continue after the completion of this offering.
A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are eligible to be sold into the market, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, either by us or by our current stockholders, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause a decline in the market price of our securities. Such sales, along with any other market transactions, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Upon completion of this offering, based on our shares outstanding as of January , 2023, we will have shares of common stock outstanding based on the issuance and sale of shares in this offering. Of these shares, are subject to a contractual lock-up with the underwriter for this offering for a period of days following this offering. These shares can be sold, subject to any applicable volume limitations under federal securities laws, after the earlier of the expiration of, or release from, the -day lock-up period. The balance of our outstanding shares of common stock, including any shares of common stock purchased in this offering, other than shares acquired by our current stockholders who are also subject to the contractual lock-up, may be resold into the public market immediately without restriction, unless owned or purchased by our affiliates.
As of September 30, 2022, there were an aggregate of 3,940,006 shares subject to outstanding warrants, many of which shares we have registered under the Securities Act. These shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates to the extent applicable.
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As of September 30, 2022, there were 992,800 shares subject to outstanding options units that are issuable under our equity incentive plan, all of which shares we have registered under the Securities Act on a registration statement on Form S-8. These shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates, to the extent applicable.
We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to finance the operation and growth of our business and currently do not plan to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress, including changes in U.S. tax law, and the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, may adversely impact the Company and the value of the shares of common stock.
Changes to U.S. tax laws (which changes may have retroactive application) could adversely affect the Company or holders of the shares of common stock. In recent years, many changes to U.S. federal income tax laws have been proposed and made, and additional changes to U.S. federal income tax laws are likely to continue to occur in the future.
The U.S. Congress is currently considering numerous items of legislation which may be enacted prospectively or with retroactive effect, which legislation could adversely impact the Company’s financial performance and the value of the shares of common stock. Additionally, states in which the Company operates or owns assets may impose new or increased taxes. If enacted, most of the proposals would be effective for the current or later years. The proposed legislation remains subject to change, and its impact on the Company and investors who purchase the shares of common stock.
In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was recently signed into law and includes provisions that will impact the U.S. federal income taxation of corporations. Among other items, this legislation includes provisions that will impose a minimum tax on the book income of certain large corporations and an excise tax on certain corporate stock repurchases that would be imposed on the corporation repurchasing such stock. It is unclear how this legislation will be implemented by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Company cannot predict how this legislation or any future changes in tax laws might affect the Company or holders of the shares of common stock.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $ million (or $ if the underwriter exercises the over-allotment option in full), assuming a public offering price of $ per share, which represents approximately a % discount to $ , the last reported sale price for the shares of our common stock on , 2023, as reported by the Nasdaq Capital Market, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including servicing our ongoing debt obligations, working capital, marketing, product development and capital expenditures. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual use of proceeds will vary depending on numerous factors, including the factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering, and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds.
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DILUTION
If you invest in the securities being offered by this prospectus, your interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the as adjusted, net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.
The net tangible book value of our common stock as of September 30, 2022 was approximately $18.2 million, or approximately $0.98 per share based on approximately 18.5 million shares of our common stock issued and outstanding. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets, excluding goodwill and intangible assets, less total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding.
After giving further effect to the assumed sale of shares of our common stock at the public offering price of $ per share, the closing sale price per share of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January , 2023, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted pro forma net tangible book value per share as of January , 2023 would have been approximately $ million, or approximately $ per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value per share of $ to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of approximately $ per share to new investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering.
Dilution per share to new investors is determined by subtracting the pro forma, as adjusted, net tangible book value per share after this offering from the public offering price per share paid by new investors.
The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:
Assumed public offering price per share |
| $ | |
Historical net tangible book value per share as of | $ | ||
Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of | $ | ||
Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering | $ | ||
As adjusted pro forma net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering | $ | ||
Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors | $ |
The number of shares of common stock used in the table above is based on 18,512,605 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2022 and shares on an as adjusted basis after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock offered by this prospectus. Except as otherwise indicated herein, all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option and no exercise of the underwriter’s warrants to be issued in connection with this offering.
The number of shares of common stock outstanding excludes:
● | 3,940,006 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants with an average weighted exercise price of $4.49; |
● | 992,800 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options with an average weighted exercise price of $5.89; |
● | 753,024 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible notes. |
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants are exercised, you will experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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MARKET PRICE AND DIVIDENDS
Market Price for our Common Stock
Our common stock commenced quotation on the OTCQB under the symbol “ARHH” on February 25, 2019. On September 29, 2021, our common stock ceased trading on the OTCQB and commenced trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol “IONM.”
On January 25, 2023 the closing price per share of our common stock as quoted on the NASDAQ was $0.32.
Holders
As of January 25, 2023 there were approximately 74 stockholders of record. This number does not include an indeterminate number of stockholders whose shares are held by brokers in street name through depositaries, including CDS & Co and CEDE & Co. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive rights and no right to convert their common stock into any other securities. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.
Dividend Policy
We have never paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain future earnings to fund ongoing operations and future capital requirements of our business. Any future determination to pay cash dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors (the “Board”) and will be dependent upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and such other factors as our Board deems relevant. Our ability to pay cash dividends is subject to limitations imposed by state law.
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OUR BUSINESS
Our Business
Overview
Assure is a best-in-class provider of outsourced Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (“IONM”) and an emerging provider of remote neurology services. The Company delivers a turnkey suite of clinical and operational services to support surgeons and medical facilities during invasive surgical procedures. IONM has been well established as a standard of care and risk mitigation tool for various surgical verticals such as neurosurgery, spine, cardiovascular, orthopedic, ear, nose, and throat (“ENT”), and other surgical procures that place the nervous system at risk. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Assure’s mission is to provide exceptional surgical care and help make invasive surgeries safer. Our strategy focuses on utilizing best of class personnel and partners to deliver outcomes that are beneficial to all stakeholders including patients, surgeons, hospitals, insurers, and shareholders.
During each procedure, Assure provides two types of services, the Technical Component and Professional Component of IONM. Our in-house Interoperative Neurophysiologists (“INP”) provide Technical Component IONM services from the operating room throughout the procedure, while telehealth-oriented supervising practitioners provide a level of redundancy and risk mitigation in support of the onsite INPs and surgical team. In addition, Assure offers a comprehensive suite of IONM services, including scheduling the INP and supervising practitioner, real time monitoring, patient advocacy and subsequent billing and collecting for services provided.
Clinical leadership, surgeon support and patient care are Assure’s cornerstones. We make substantial ongoing investments in our training and development of clinical staff and have created a fellowship program to rigorously train new INPs to cost-effectively join the Assure team. In addition, we have partnered with the internationally renowned Texas Back Institute on clinical research relating to IONM safety and efficacy. Isador Lieberman, M.D., the director of the scoliosis and spine tumor program at the Texas Back Institute, is a member of Assure’s Medical Advisory Committee.
Historically, the foundation of Assure’s business has been providing the Technical Component of IONM via our INP staff. We employ highly trained INPs, which provide a direct point of contact in the operating room during the surgeries to relay critical information to the surgical team. In this one-to-one business model, Assure pairs a team of INPs with third-party surgeons to promote a level of familiarity, comfort and efficiency between the surgeon and the INP. Each INP has the ability to handle approximately 200 cases annually. Our INPs monitor the surgical procedure using state of the art, commercially available, diagnostic medical equipment. Assure INP’s are certified by a third-party accreditation board, ABRET Neurodiagnostic Credentialing and Accreditation. The success of our service depends upon the timely recognition and successful interpretation of the data signals by our INPs and remote supervisors to quickly determine if the patient is experiencing a deficiency and advise the surgeon to determine if surgical intervention is required to positively impact the patient and surgery. While, employing this model, Assure has rapidly expanded, supporting roughly 1,600 managed
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cases in 2017 to approximately 21,600 in 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the Company was operating in 12 number of states with the majority of our managed cases in Texas, Colorado and Arizona.
Beginning in the second quarter of 2021, Assure began executing on its long-term vertical integration plan by expanding into tele-neurology services. This includes delivering remote neurology services in support of the surgical team and INPs. Supervising practitioners are utilizing equipment and training to monitor electroencephalographic (“EEG”) and electromyography (“EMG”) and several other complex modalities during surgical procedures to pre-emptively notify the surgeon of any nerve related issues as they are identified. Assure currently has supervising practitioners employed working with surgical teams and our INPs from remote locations. Additionally, the Company utilizes independent third-party contractors as supervising practitioners for Professional Component services. This system provides Assure with mirrored benefits and enables stickiness at fixed costs.
The Professional Component of IONM is provided via tele-neurology services under a one-to-many business model, and as a result, has a different financial profile than the Technical Component. Supervising practitioners provide tele-neurology services from an off-site location and maintain the ability to monitor multiple surgical cases simultaneously. As a result, each supervising practitioner has the ability to monitor approximately 2,500 or more cases annually. In 2022, Assure performed approximately 21,600 total managed cases including managing approximately 2,500 remote neurology cases.
Expanding our role in the Professional Component of IONM generates a number of positives for Assure. First, the Company is better positioned to oversee quality of service for providing tele-neurology services. This commitment to quality supports our efforts to sign new in-network agreements with insurance payors and facility-wide agreements with hospitals. Second, Assure is able to significantly reduce cost of delivery, allowing the Company to improve profitability on every case we perform. Assure’s objective is to significantly cut the cost of delivery for tele-neurology services going forward. Additional scale will serve as a catalyst for margin expansion in the future. Third, for most cases performed, tele-neurology services represent the creation of a new revenue stream. Fourth, providing tele-neurology services for IONM creates opportunities in adjacent markets where similar tele-neurology services are utilized. Accelerating the Company’s shift to providing remote neurology was straightforward. Assure had already built the platform and maintained the patient volume. The result will be higher margins, a new revenue stream and turning cash over more quickly.
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Collectively, we believe support from Assure’s high quality Technical and Professional IONM services results in:
Over the past three years, Assure has built a platform to support our future growth and development. The attributes of our platform detailed in the graphic above include: maintaining exceptional clinical operations, automating our revenue cycle management function and collecting cash faster, boosting managed care through the signing of in-network agreements with insurance payors, minimizing operational bottlenecks, particularly around onboarding and credentialing, instituting an ongoing training and development program for clinical staff to ensure we maintain industry-leading skills and performance, and successful execution of an M&A strategy in a highly fragmented market that has led to four accretive transactions over the past three years. This platform was built with the intent of having these key functional areas support IONM in our key surgical verticals including within IONM: spine, neurosurgery, vascular, ENT and orthopedic. As we transition to becoming a provider of tele-neurology services, we believe our expertise in IONM will assist us in entering adjacent markets in which Assure supervising practitioners can also provide patient services. The Company expects to begin providing services in new verticals including EEG, epilepsy, sleep study and stroke by leveraging key competencies we have built over the past three years.
In 2022, Assure provided IONM services for approximately 215 surgeons in 129 hospitals and surgery centers (which we refer to as “Procedure Facilities”) across the Company’s operational footprint. Our continued organic geographic expansion initiatives, including facility-wide outsourcing agreements with medical facilities and hospital networks, potential for selective acquisitions, and the extension of our platform into tele-neurology services, is expected to generate substantial growth opportunities going forward.
Going forward, we will focus on minimizing cash burn and generating positive EBITDA while improving margin and driving growth.
Our Strategy
Current Strategy
Our strategy is to build a telehealth tele-neurology services company with exceptional capabilities in IONM and numerous adjacent markets.
Assure has a history of providing industry-leading IONM services with an emphasis on clinical excellence and patient well-being, and are in the midst of a significant transformation to position for growth. With a focus on execution and providing a high level of patient care, the Company is transforming from being a provider of the Technical Component of IONM utilizing a one-to-one business model of INPs in the operating room to a business that also provides the Professional Component of IONM via off-site tele-neurology services
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in a far more scalable one-to-many business model. The next step in our development will relate to opportunities to expand into adjacent tele-neurology services while utilizing Assure’s platform and employees. This will extend our reach and redefine Assure’s position in the industry. We are thoughtfully deploying capital and focusing our investment in high potential growth initiatives including: organically expanding within existing states and into new states, growing our tele-neurology platform, signing new IONM outsourcing agreements with hospitals and medical facilities, as well as opportunistic M&A. In addition, we are investing to make our revenue cycle management function more automated, improving the velocity of our cash collections. The data and analytics-driven Company we are building will play a bigger role in the success of our key stakeholder groups: surgeons, hospitals, insurance companies and patients, as we seek to deliver attractive returns to our stockholders.
Assure has made substantial investments to make its revenue cycle management function more data-driven, analytical and automated. This modernization facilitated successful state-level arbitrations in 2022. Success in arbitration supported improving cash flow. There is currently a backlog of claims awaiting federal arbitration that we anticipate will begin in earnest in 2023. Many IONM competitors, particularly smaller peers that remain reliant on third-party billing companies lack the analytics and transparency to similarly leverage opportunities presented by the arbitration process.
As we look forward, Assure is focused on aligning our costs with updated managed case revenue expectations. The Company expects to continue adding scale in favorable markets while fixing the cost of delivering for its services. Further, Assure wants to take advantage of an opportunistic M&A environment in IONM as the industry moves toward a near-term consolidation. Another catalyst for improving financials is moving away from Assure’s legacy Managed Service Agreement (“MSA”) model in order to keep all collections generated from services provided by the Professional Component of IONM. In addition, supported by a data-driven revenue cycle management function, the Company anticipates leveraging state and federal arbitration programs to maximize reimbursement per case. It is our expectation that consistent success in arbitrations will ultimately lead to new in-network contractual agreements with commercial insurance payors, which in turn will speed up cash flow and improve participation rates. Lastly, Assure remains entirely committed to maintaining its clinical leadership, providing surgeon partners and hospitals with clinical excellence and our patients with enhanced safety. Delivering industry-leading quality of service has long anchored the Company’s very strong surgeon retention rates and driven our referral network for winning new business.
Legacy Strategy
At the Company’s inception, the delivery of the Technical Component and Professional Component of IONM were reimbursed at nearly identical rates. For several years Assure was primarily focused on collecting and keeping proceeds from the Technical Component while splitting a significant portion of the proceeds from the Professional Component via MSAs in a manner that benefitted surgeons financially. In recent years, the IONM market has changed dramatically and now the Technical Component is perceived by commercial insurance payors to have limited value whereas the Professional Component is deemed to maintain considerable value. Given the changing dynamics in market reimbursement, the Company will no longer be pursuing MSA arrangements and instead focus on collecting and keeping all proceeds from both the Technical and Professional Components of IONM.
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Our Priorities
As we look ahead to 2023, we are pursuing the following objectives:
Continuing to expand, scale and grow our managed case volume. Assure expects to expand managed case volume in 2023. One potential driver for growth in 2023 is a 3-year agreement the Company was awarded in November 2021 to become the sole contracted provider of IONM services for Premier, Inc., the second largest group purchasing organization in the U.S.
Opportunistic acquisitions. The Company expects to continue to be a consolidator in the highly fragmented IONM industry. The four acquisition transactions completed by Assure over the past three years have been highly accretive.
Expand our tele-neurology capabilities. Assure will focus on providing higher quality service at a lower cost. We believe this will support margin expansion as we scale, benefit revenue growth, and assist us in penetrating adjacent markets.
Set a greater proportion of our commercial insurance volume in contractual rates by signing in-network agreements with insurance payors. This helps Assure reduce risk, minimize complexity, accelerate the timing of payments and protect our liquidity. Overall, across all markets, Assure has approximately 15% of our total commercial volume in contractual rates with payors, either directly or indirectly. This percentage was cut in half during 2022 as indirect contract utilization fell with the implementation of the federal No Surprises Act. By the end of 2023, our goals is to drive over 50% of our commercial insurance volume in-network. Very few of our intraoperative neuromonitoring peers have the scale in terms of managed case volume nor the organizational expertise to strike similar deals. We will also be aggressive in utilizing the dispute resolution process authorized by state and federal legislation, such as the No Surprises Act, which went into effect in 2022. For the first time, this legislation provides companies like Assure with the ability to arbitrate claims in every U.S. state where we have performed service but were not paid. While federal arbitrations have been backlogged in 2022 due to operational challenges, we expect this process to accelerate in 2023.
Accelerate digital transformation and automation to add predictability and transparency to cash flows. Cash collection has been a focus over the last three years as we brought our revenue cycle management function inside the organization. We have improved significantly, but there is substantial room for further automation, as well as incorporating artificial intelligence and analytics to improve collections and cash flow.
Extend clinical leadership. We have invested heavily in research and continuing education. This includes setting up our own fellowship program to cost effectively train new INPs. Being seen as an industry leader helps Assure win new business and bring more surgeons onto our platform.
Taking into account Assure’s scale and managed case volume, the increasing sophistication of our revenue cycle management team, the Company’s shift to providing Professional Component IONM services and collecting all of the associated revenue, as well as
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maintaining a very high level of patient care in support of exceptional surgeons, the Company believes it will be able to drive higher margin and positive cash flow in 2023.
Our Service Offering
INPs
Assure offers a turnkey full suite of IONM services including scheduling of the INP and supervising practitioner, real time monitoring and subsequent billing for services provided.
Prior to a patient’s procedure, Assure will coordinate with the surgeon’s office to obtain the necessary information and documentation to provide IONM services, such as the patients’ insurance information, patients’ demographic information and office/clinic notes. We provide educational materials to the surgeon’s office for inclusion in each surgical patient’s pre-operative packets to educate and provide comfort to the patient about IONM services. Prior to the surgery, an Assure patient advocate connects with the patient to explain our role during the surgery, the benefits of IONM and billing issues that may affect the patient. Assure’s INP will arrive at the hospital with an IONM machine and disposable supplies/electrodes. The INP meets with the patient to explain their role during the surgery, discuss the patients’ pertinent past medical history, explain the risks and benefits associated with IONM and have the patient sign a consent form for IONM to be utilized on their procedure.
All IONM procedures include both technical services (performed by INPs) and professional services (performed by supervising practitioners). During the surgery, the INP will continuously monitor the functional integrity of the peripheral and/or central nervous system by recording, troubleshooting, documenting and communicating activity arising from the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, somatosensory or motor nerve systems using the IONM machine provided by Assure and communicating the physiologic results in real-time to the surgeon. The INP and surgeon are supported by an off-site supervising practitioner providing tele-neurology oversight services. The supervising practitioner also monitors the functional integrity of the peripheral or central nervous system throughout the procedure communicating in real-time with the surgeon and INP throughout the process. In some cases, remote neurology is performed directly by Assure’s supervising practitioners. In other instances, these tele-neurology services are provided by and through subsidiaries, which owns interest in entities that either directly perform the Professional Component through third-party contracted neurologists or oversight reading physicians.
Assure Interoperative Neurophysiologists
Assure currently employs specialized IONM INPs that are board certified CNIM or board eligible CNIM by ABRET. ABRET seeks to encourage, establish and maintain standards of clinical EEG, Evoked Potential Technology, and Neurophysiologic Intraoperative and long-term monitoring, by offering credentialing exams to evaluate the skills and knowledge of technologists, and by supporting lab accreditation.
Assure has developed an Intraoperative Neurophysiologist Fellowship program. This Fellowship program trains new INPs from start to board certification, allowing for consistently high caliber well-trained professional INPs for placement into emerging and growing markets. Training and developing our own talent pool allow for more flexible scalability.
Assure Supervising Practitioners
Assure currently employs supervising practitioners performing remote neurology services. These physicians are highly trained and specialized in providing off-site tele neurology services. Multiple Assure supervising practitioners have already received the training necessary to provide remote neurology services in targeted expansion markets including EEG.
Compensation
Commercial Insurance
Following the procedure, assuming the patient has health care insurance under a commercial health care policy, we will invoice the insurance company directly for IONM services. The invoice provided to the insurance company will detail each modality monitored by the INP for the neural protection of the patient during the procedure. After we have submitted the claim to the private insurance company,
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our patient advocate will contact the patient to further explain the details on the explanation of benefits insurance form and to ensure the patient was satisfied with the level of service provided by us.
Facility Billing
In the event a patient is uninsured or has insurance coverage under a government health care policy (Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or Veterans Administration) the facility where the procedure took place will be billed for the patient’s IONM services as agreed to in each facility service contract.
Hospital Agreements
Assure Neuromonitoring must enter into a contracted services agreement with each facility it performs cases prior to initiating IONM services. The purpose of these agreements is to ensure that Assure provides its services in accordance with all regulatory and accreditation standards, including those requirements imposed by The Joint Commission, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and all applicable federal, state and local laws.
Pursuant to these agreements, Assure has agreed to provide IONM services and shall ensure the real-time interpretation of such monitoring to patients.
Each INP is required to be approved and decreed privileges to practice IONM by each of the contracted facilities. All INP who are performing onsite monitoring must be certified or board eligible from one of the following organizations (i) American Board of Neurophysiologic Monitoring; (ii) American Board of Electrodiagnostic Technologists; or (iii) ABRET.
Payment for services, revenue mix and seasonality
Nearly half of Assure’s patients commonly have commercial health insurance coverage (“Commercial Payor”) and we are compensated via their health insurance plan. Assure’s commercial insurance patients represent the significant majority of our revenue and profit margin. We produce separate bills for the Technical Component and the Professional Component of the IONM services we perform. The remainder of our patients, who do not have commercial insurance coverage, compensate the Company via hospital agreements. Regardless of type of payment and whether the patient has commercial insurance coverage, Assure provides the same high level of service and quality of care.
The majority of our commercial payors are billed out-of-network and we negotiate payment for most claims. The remainder of commercial payors utilize a contracted rate. The majority of contracted rates are via indirect agreements with third-party organizations or related entities of the commercial payor with a smaller portion in direct agreements with contracted rates.
We bill, collect and keep 100% of the revenue associated with the Technical Component of IONM services we provide. For the Professional Component, when the supervising practitioner is an Assure employee or where we own 100% of the entity managing the procedure, the Company bills, collects and keeps 100% of the revenue. In instances in which the Professional Component is provided via MSAs with surgeons or through agreements with Professional Entities (“PEs”), Assure engages in a revenue share based on our percentage ownership of the PE. Assure disclosed during its third quarter 2022 earnings call, in November 2022, that the Company was moving away from the MSA model. Given the substantial shift in IONM reimbursement and regulatory scrutiny associated with these agreements, many surgeons Assure works with are amenable to exiting MSA arrangements. Assure’s goal is to entirely terminate its MSA relationships by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
In addition, the surgical segment of the health care industry tends to be impacted by seasonality due to the nature of most benefit plans resetting on a calendar year basis. As patients utilize and reduce their remaining deductible throughout the year, we typically see an increase in volume throughout the year with the biggest impact coming in the fourth quarter. Historically, our annual revenues are overweighted in the fourth quarter.
Seasonality impacts our revenue mix for similar reasons. As patients with commercial insurance utilize and reduce their remaining deductible throughout the year, we typically see an increase in volume with the biggest impact coming in the fourth quarter. Historically, our revenue mix is relatively overweighted to patients with commercial insurance in the second half of the year and to patients with government insurance in the first half of the year.
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IONM Market in the United States
Overview
A key factor driving growth in the market is the increasing number of surgeries for which IONM is required. Advances in technology, the growth of the geriatric population in the U.S. and a rising incidence of chronic diseases are other factors increasing the number of spinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular surgeries, which in turn is expected to drive market growth in IONM. Renowned medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic are advocating greater adoption of IONM including requiring medical professionals to complete comprehensive neurophysiology training courses and hosting international IONM conferences.
Market Landscape
The IONM market is bifurcated into in-house and outsourced providers. The end user segment is categorized into hospital and ambulatory surgical centers. IONM finds its application in spinal, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, ENT, orthopedic and other surgeries related to the central or peripheral nervous system. IONM modalities include motor evoked potential, somatosensory evoked potential, electroencephalography, electromyography, brainstem auditory evoked potential, and visual evoked potential.
There has been a substantial increase in the use of IONM services by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers during complex surgeries. Moreover, the market is moving toward outsourced monitoring to provide advanced treatment options for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
With no dominant players in the industry, the intraoperative neuromonitoring market in the U.S. is highly fragmented. Providers can generally be categorized into three groups: 1) IONM-specific companies, including a limited number of relatively larger players such as Assure and a much larger group of small local and regional providers, 2) In-house providers such as hospitals, and 3) Bundled product companies offering neuromonitoring as part of a broader suite of services including SpecialtyCare, Inc. and NuVasive, Inc. These bundled product companies are believed to be the largest IONM providers in the US, although each is estimated to individually comprise approximately 10% of the overall U.S. IONM market.
Market Segmentation by Application
Current market breakdown as relating to the current IONM utilization by procedure classification is approximately:
● | 70% Spinal Surgery |
● | 12% Neurosurgery |
● | 10% Vascular Surgery |
● | 8% ENT, Orthopedic and Other |
Surgical neurophysiology continues to progress, with the improvement of new applications such as brainstem mapping, spinal cord mapping, and proving the utilization of IONM in surgeries where the nervous system is not at primary risk but a secondary risk of the surgery (such as reducing post-operative deficits caused by malposition).
IONM utilization is also highly regional, with the eastern portions of the United States having higher utilization of IONM as compared to the central and western portions of the country, especially for orthopedic and vascular surgery verticals. This regional nature is partly associated with the regional medico-legal issues, but also the training of the surgeons. If surgeons train with effective IONM they are more likely to continue to use it in their practice in comparison to surgeons who either were not exposed to IONM or exposed to ineffective IONM. Assure currently capitalizes on a key relationship in supporting and working with a neurosurgery residency program.
There are large opportunities that Assure is working to capitalize on with respect to growing the use of IONM monitoring in the underutilized verticals. Assure aims to expand in this market by investing in research, correlating improved outcomes in procedures that are not traditionally monitored or where IONM is underutilized. There are also many surgical disciplines that have not been explored with respect to whether IONM could support improved patient outcomes.
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Drivers of the IONM Market
The U.S. IONM market is expected to expand, driven by growth in procedures related to an aging population, increase in prevalence of chronic disorders, adoption of IONM in new surgeries, and increased interest in risk mitigation.
High volume of surgeries
Physicians use IONM during many surgeries. IONM is vital in obtaining real-time status of the nervous system. An increase in the volume of neurosurgeries, spinal surgeries, and orthopedic surgeries has fueled the demand for IONM services.
Advances in technology
With the improvement in health care facilities and advances in technology, vendors are developing innovative and efficient IONM devices. Companies such as Cadwell Industries and Natus Medical invest extensively in R&D to develop advanced IONM devices.
Certain service providers offer advanced IONM services for various surgeries, including neurosurgeries and ENT, cardiovascular, orthopedic and spinal surgeries. These companies provide IONM devices such as EEG systems for real time monitoring of the nervous system. Advanced IONM devices help physicians monitor and record complex patterns of neural activities.
Focus on patient safety
Surgeons use IONM as an additional line of safety during surgeries. IONM systems are used to monitor the nervous system and alert the surgeons prior to the threshold for injury. The IONM systems play a vital role during critical surgeries such as spinal surgeries that involve the insertion of instruments near the nerves or the spinal area and may cause damage to the nervous system. IONM also helps surgeons avoid or minimize common complications such as paraparesis, quadriplegia, and paraplegia that occur during surgeries.
Selected reasons for the rising deployment of IONM include:
● | Patient Safety: IONM helps decrease the risk of surgeries. IONM systems are also widely accepted, as they are devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). |
● | Medico-legal Obligations: End-users and hospitals use IONM systems to reduce medico-legal lawsuits from people that have undergone surgeries. |
● | Growth in Surgeries: The rising volume of technically demanding surgeries increases the need for advanced IONM tools. |
● | Cost Savings: Accurate IONM alerts help save operating room time, facilitating high margin surgeries for the hospital, while reducing length of stay and readmission rates for patients. |
IONM Market Challenges
Cost of surgery with IONM
The cost of surgeries with IONM is more than those without IONM. Surgeries with IONM involve the expenses on IONM devices, intraoperative neurophysiologists, supervising practitioners and disposable materials. The cost of surgeries restricts the adoption of IONM. Though IONM systems play a crucial role in invasive surgeries such as spinal, neurological, orthopedic and cardiovascular surgeries, it has not been proven to be a cost-effective therapy in all procedures.
Payor payments
Beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2022, Assure faced an increase in third-party insurance claim payment denials for our technologist services that we believe will continue in the foreseeable future. The increase in technical claim denials is primarily attributable to a shift in third-party insurance company policies to bundle the technologist service payment into the surgical procedure payment made to the facility in which our services are rendered. In response to this change Assure has been renegotiating its facility contracts to obtain reimbursement directly from the facility for technologist services paid through this type of bundling technique.
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Limited interoperative neurophysiologists
Though the number of surgeries that need IONM continues to increase in the U.S., only a limited number of INPs with expertise in IONM are available. Industry studies estimate that approximately 5,000 board certified INPs are currently working in the United States. INPs with high levels of expertise are required to effectively use IONM devices to record data and diagnose patient alerts. There is also the risk of false recordings due to physiological artifacts arising from other sites. Only highly skilled INPs can perform IONM in hospitals, surgical centers and neurophysiological laboratories and provide the greatest levels of service to the surgeons they support.
Complications of IONM
Though the popularity of IONM is growing rapidly, risks and complications associated with IONM remains, as there is for any medical procedure.
● | Types of injuries induced by electrical current: Burns may occur at the contact of stimulating electrodes with tissue, when the current density is high. The leakage of high-frequency current through alternate pathways can also cause burns. In addition, high current flow can cause macro shock. |
● | Use of needle electrodes: risk of infection at the electrode site. |
● | Electrical cortical stimulation: Transcranial electrical cortical stimulation during Motor Evoked Potential monitoring can cause tongue lacerations, oral injuries, and even mandibular fractures. These adverse effects occur due to forceful contraction of the biting muscles as a result of the stimulation. This risk is largely mitigated by appropriate use of bite blocks. |
Competition
The IONM industry is highly competitive. We face significant competition from other IONM and tele-neurology providers for patients, physicians, INPs and supervising practitioners. Some of our competitors are larger and have longstanding and well-established relationships with physicians and third-party payors. We also compete with other health care providers in our efforts to hire and retain experienced professionals. As a result, we may have difficulty attracting or retaining key personnel or securing clinical resources.
Some of our competitors are hospitals that provide IONM services for surgeries occurring within their hospital facilities. Assure also has significantly larger competitors, some of which have access to greater marketing, financial and other resources and may be better known in the general community. As a result of these factors, the Company may not be able to compete effectively against current and future competitors. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report.
Corporate Structure
Assure Holdings Corp.
Assure Holdings Corp., formerly Montreux Capital Corp, a Canadian Capital Pool Company (“Montreux”), was formed under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act in British Columbia, Canada on September 24, 2007, is a Nevada corporation, existing under the laws of the State of Nevada pursuant to its Articles of Domestication filed with the Nevada Secretary of State on May 15, 2017. A Canadian Capital Pool Company is a special purpose acquisition company organized for the purposes of completing acquisition transactions, known as “qualifying transactions,” with operating companies for the purposes of taking the operating companies public in Canada. Qualifying transactions are subject to Canadian securities laws and exchange listing requirements.
Assure Holdings, Inc.
Our direct subsidiary is Assure Holdings, Inc., a Colorado corporation, formed under the laws of the State of Colorado on November 7, 2016. Assure Holdings, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Assure Holdings Corp. on May 15, 2017 when Assure Holdings Inc. and its shareholders and Montreux and its shareholders entered into a Share Exchange Agreement pursuant to which the shareholders of Assure Holdings, Inc. received shares of Montreux as consideration for their assignment of their shares in Assure Holdings, Inc. to Montreux in the “Qualifying Transaction” under the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX-V”). One of the primary objectives of the Qualifying Transactions was to facilitate our going public and listing on the TSX-V.
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Assure Holdings, Inc. is the sole member of Assure Neuromonitoring, LLC (“Assure Neuromonitoring”), a Colorado limited liability company formed under the laws of the state of Colorado on August 25, 2015. Prior to the Qualifying Transaction, Preston Parsons owned a controlling ownership interest in Assure Neuromonitoring. Assure Neuromonitoring became a wholly owned subsidiary of Assure Holdings, Inc. on November 7, 2016, when its members assigned their interest in Assure Neuromonitoring to Assure Holdings, Inc. for shares of Assure Holdings, Inc.
Assure Holdings, Inc. is the sole member of Assure Networks, LLC (“Assure Networks”), a Colorado limited liability company formed under the laws of the state of Colorado on November 2, 2016. Prior to the Reorganization and Qualifying Transaction, Preston Parsons owned a controlling ownership interest in Assure Networks. Assure Networks became a wholly owned subsidiary of Assure Holdings, Inc. on November 7, 2016, when its members assigned their interest in Assure Networks to Assure Holdings, Inc. for shares of Assure Holdings, Inc.
Assure Holdings, Inc. is the sole member of Assure Equipment Leasing, LLC (“Assure Equipment Leasing”), a Colorado limited liability company formed under the laws of the state of Colorado on April 20, 2020.
Assure Neuromonitoring
Assure Neuromonitoring exists for the purpose of facilitating industry-leading IONM support to surgeons and patients. This includes a Technical Component via our INP staff who utilize technical equipment and technical training to monitor EEG, EMG and a number of complex modalities during surgical procedures to pre-emptively notify the underlying surgeon of any nerve related issues that are identified. The INP’s perform their services in the operating room during the surgeries. The INP’s are certified by a third-party accreditation agency.
Assure Networks
Assure Networks exist for the purpose of facilitating the performance of the Professional Component of IONM. Assure Networks provides off-site tele-neurology services for IONM. In some cases, the remote neurology is done directly via the Company’s own supervising practitioners. In other instances, these services are provided by and through the Assure Networks subsidiaries, which owns interest in entities that either (i) directly perform the Professional Component through third-party contracted neurologists or oversight reading physicians, or (ii) provide management services for entities owned by licensed physicians. These oversight services support the INP and strengthen our capacity to pre-emptively notify the underlying surgeon of any nerve related issues that are identified during a surgical procedure.
Assure Networks Texas Holdings, LLC
Assure Networks Texas Holdings, LLC (“Assure Networks Texas Holdings”) is a Texas limited liability company, formed under the laws of the State of Texas on November 12, 2019. On October 31, 2019, Assure Networks Texas Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Assure Networks, acquired all of the assets of Neuro- Pro Series, LLC, Neuro-Pro Mgmt., LLC, Neuro-Pro Monitoring, LLC, MONRV, PLLC, NPJC, LLC, MONRVortho, PLLC, NPJCorto LLC and PRONRV, LLC (collectively, the “Neuro-Pro Asset Purchase”). The Neuro-Pro Asset Purchase increased the number of cases for both the Technical Component and the Professional Component and expanded the presence for Assure Neuromonitoring, the Assure Neuromonitoring subsidiaries, Assure Networks and the Assure Networks subsidiaries in the State of Texas.
Corporate Structure
Ownership Model:
In the instances where Assure Networks, or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary, owns an interest in the entity performing the Professional Component, our corporate structure is based on a legal analysis that is completed by a third-party law firm to determine the specific state law requirements with respect to the corporate practice of medicine. Once Assure Networks or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary obtains a legal determination regarding the recommended corporate structure, the applicable entity is established.
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Management Services Model:
In the instances where Assure Networks or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary is unable to own an interest in the entity performing the professional component due to state laws or regulations, Assure Networks or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary enters into a management services agreement whereby Assure Networks or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary agrees to perform management services on behalf of a third party unrelated entity performing the Professional Component and is paid fair market value compensation for such services. The fair market value compensation is based on a third-party fair market value valuation prepared by a professional valuation firm engaged by Assure Networks or the applicable Assure Networks subsidiary.
Privacy
Assure is committed to protecting the privacy of its patients by safeguarding all medical information in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Assure’s processes are also fully compliant with the Health Information Technology for Economics and Clinical Health Act (Hitech). Assure currently relies on its data security by storing all confidential information, including patient information, with a third-party company called ShareFile, which is owned and operated by Citrix Systems, Inc. ShareFile has, among other security measures, a third-party validated application and datacenter control from SOC 2 and SSAE 18 audits, bank-level encryption technology, multiple data storage locations around the globe and disaster recovery centers in the United States and Europe. We rely upon these party Companies and their cloud-based services to ensure all confidential information is safeguarded. Assure’s privacy policy is located on its website at www.assureneuromonitoring.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
Government Regulation
We are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. Government regulation affects our business by controlling our growth, requiring licensure and certification for our facilities and the physicians and other health care personnel who provide services in our facilities and regulating the use of our properties.
Licensure and Accreditation
The health care facilities and our partner professionals are subject to professional and private licensing, certification and accreditation requirements. These include, but are not limited to, requirements imposed by Medicare, Medicaid, state licensing authorities, voluntary accrediting organizations and third-party private payors. Receipt and renewal of such licenses, certifications and accreditations are often based on inspections, surveys, audits, investigations or other reviews, some of which may require affirmative compliance actions by us that could be burdensome and expensive. The applicable standards may change in the future. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain all necessary licenses or certifications in good standing or that they will not be required to incur substantial costs in doing so. The failure to maintain all necessary licenses, certifications and accreditations in good standing, or the expenditure of substantial funds to maintain them, could have an adverse effect on our business.
Anti-Kickback Statutes
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any form of remuneration to induce the referral of a patient or the purchase, lease or order (or the arranging for or recommending of the purchase, lease or order) of health care items or services paid for by federal health care programs, including Medicare or Medicaid. A violation does not require proof that a person had actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate the statute, and court decisions under the Anti-Kickback Statute have consistently held that the law is violated where one purpose of a payment is to induce or reward referrals. Violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute could result in felony conviction, administrative penalties, liability (including penalties) under the False Claims Act and/or exclusion from federal health care programs.
A number of states have enacted anti-kickback laws (including so-called “fee splitting” laws) that sometimes apply not only to state-sponsored health care programs, but also to items or services that are paid for by private insurance and self-pay patients. State anti-kickback laws can vary considerably in their applicability and scope and sometimes have fewer statutory and regulatory exceptions than does the federal law.
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Our management carefully considers the importance of anti-kickback laws when structuring company operations and relationships. That said, we cannot ensure that the applicable regulatory authorities will not determine that some of our arrangements with physicians violate the Anti-Kickback Statute or other applicable laws. An adverse determination could subject us to different liabilities, including criminal penalties, civil monetary penalties and exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or other health care programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Physician Self-Referral (“Stark”) Laws
The federal Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. 1395nn, also known as the physician self-referral law, generally prohibits a physician from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to an entity (including hospitals) providing “designated health services,” if the physician has a “financial relationship” with the entity, unless an exception applies. Designated health services include, among other services, inpatient hospital services, outpatient prescription drug services, clinical laboratory services, certain diagnostic imaging services, and other services that our affiliated physicians may order for their patients. The prohibition applies regardless of the reasons for the financial relationship, unless an exception applies. The exceptions to the federal Stark Law are numerous and often complex. The penalties for violating the Stark Law include civil penalties of up to $15,000 for each violation and potential liability (including penalties) under the False Claims Act.
Some states have enacted statutes and regulations concerning physician self-referrals (i.e., referrals by physicians to health care entities with whom the physician has a financial relationship). Such physician self- referrals laws may apply to the referral of patients regardless of payor source and/or type of health care service. These state laws may contain statutory and regulatory exceptions that are different from those of the federal law and that may vary from state to state.
Our management carefully considers the importance of physician self-referral laws when structuring company operations and relationships and seeks legal guidance on the parameters of the law. That said, we cannot ensure that the applicable regulatory authorities will not determine that some of our arrangements with physicians violate the Federal Stark Law or other applicable laws. An adverse determination could subject us to different liabilities, including civil monetary penalties and exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid or other health care programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
False Claims Act
The federal False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, imposes civil penalties for knowingly submitting or causing the submission of a false or fraudulent claim for payment from a government-sponsored program, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Under the 2021 annual adjustment, the minimum False Claims Act penalty assessed per violation occurring after December 13, 2021, will be not less than $11,803 and not more than $23,607. This per violation statutory penalty is in addition to the statutory penalty of three times the amount of damages which the government sustains because of the violation. 31 U.S.C. 3729(a)(1). The False Claims Act has “whistleblower” or “qui tam” provisions that allow individuals to commence a civil action in the name of the government, and the whistleblower is entitled to share in any subsequent recovery (plus attorney’s fees). Many states also have enacted civil statutes that largely mirror the federal False Claims Act, but allow states to impose penalties in a state court.
The False Claims Act has been used by the federal government and private whistleblowers to bring enforcement actions under so-called “fraud and abuse” laws like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Such actions are not based on a contention that claims for payment were factually false or inaccurate. Instead, such actions are based on the theory that accurate claims are deemed to be false/fraudulent if there has been noncompliance with some other material law or regulation. The existence of the False Claims Act, under which so-called qui tam plaintiffs can allege liability for a wide range of regulatory noncompliance, increases the potential for such actions to be brought and has increased the potential financial exposure for such actions. These actions are costly and time-consuming to defend.
Our management carefully considers the importance of compliance with all applicable laws and when structuring company operations and relationships. Our management is aware of and actively works to minimize risk related to potential qui tam plaintiffs. That said, we cannot assure that the applicable enforcement authorities or qui tam plaintiffs will not allege violations of the False Claims Act or analogous state false claims laws. A finding of liability under the False Claims Act could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
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Health Information Privacy and Data Security
The privacy and data security regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended, contain detailed requirements concerning (1) the use and disclosure of individually identifiable patient health information (“PHI”); (2) computer and data security standards regarding the protection of electronic PHI including storage, utilization, access to and transmission; and (3) notification to individuals and the federal government in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI. HIPAA covered entities and business associates must implement certain administrative, physical, and technical security standards to protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of certain electronic health information received, maintained, or transmitted. Violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules may result in civil and criminal penalties, including a tiered system of civil money penalties. HIPAA has four tiers of violations that reflect increasing levels of culpability, with minimum and maximum penalty amounts within each tier and an annual cap on penalties for multiple violations of an identical provision. The indexed penalty amounts for each violation of a HIPAA administrative simplification provision are as follows:
● | Tier 1—lack of knowledge: The minimum penalty is $120; |
● | Tier 2—reasonable cause and not willful neglect: The minimum penalty is $1,205; |
● | Tier 3—willful neglect, corrected within 30 days: The minimum penalty is $12,045; and |
● | Tier 4—willful neglect, not corrected within 30 days; The minimum penalty is $60,226. |
For all tiers, the maximum penalty is $60,226 and the calendar-year cap is $1,806,757. 45 CFR Part 102, 86 Fed. Reg. 62928 (Nov. 15, 2021).
In the event of a breach, a HIPAA covered entity must promptly notify affected individuals of a breach. All breaches must also be reported to the federal government. Where a breach affects more than 500 individuals, additional reporting obligations apply. In addition to federal enforcement, State attorneys general may bring civil actions on behalf of state residents for violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules, obtain damages on behalf of state residents, and enjoin further violations. Many states also have laws that protect the privacy and security of confidential, personal information, which may be similar to or even more stringent than HIPAA. Some of these state laws may impose fines and penalties on violators and may afford private rights of action to individuals who believe their personal information has been misused. We expect increased federal and state privacy and security enforcement efforts.2
Our management carefully considers the importance of compliance will patient privacy and data security regulations when structuring company operations. Our management is aware of and actively works to minimize risk related to patient privacy and data security. That said, we cannot assure that a breach will not occur or that the applicable enforcement authorities will not allege violations of HIPAA’s patient privacy and data security regulations. A breach or an allegation of noncompliance with HIPAA’s patient privacy and data security regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regulations
We are subject to federal, state and local regulations governing the storage, use and disposal of waste materials and products. We are compliant with all state and federal licensure and permit requirements. Although we believe that our safety procedures for storing, handling and disposing of these materials and products comply with the standards prescribed by law and regulation, we cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from those hazardous materials. In the event of an accident, we could be held liable for any damages that result and any liability could exceed the limits or fall outside the coverage of our insurance coverage, which we may not be able to maintain on acceptable terms, or at all. We could incur significant costs and attention of our management could be diverted to comply with current or future environmental laws and regulations. Federal regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration impose additional requirements on us, including those protecting employees from exposure to elements such as blood-borne pathogens. We cannot predict the frequency of compliance, monitoring, or enforcement actions to which we may be subject as those regulations are being implemented, which could adversely affect our operations.
Other Federal and State Health Care Laws
We are also subject to other federal and state health care laws that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. The Health Care Fraud Statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1347, prohibits any person from knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any health care benefit program, which can be either a government or private payor plan. Violation of this statute, even in the absence of actual knowledge of or specific intent to violate the statute, may be charged
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as a felony offense and may result in fines, imprisonment, or both. The Health Care False Statement Statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1035, prohibits, in any matter involving a federal health care program, anyone from knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up, by any trick, scheme or device, a material fact, or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any materially false writing or document knowing that it contains a materially false or fraudulent statement. A violation of this statute may be charged as a felony offense and may result in fines, imprisonment or both.
Under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, a person (including an organization) is prohibited from knowingly presenting or causing to be presented to any United States officer, employee, agent, or department, or any state agency, a claim for payment for medical or other items or services where the person knows or should know (a) the items or services were not provided as described in the coding of the claim, (b) the claim is a false or fraudulent claim, (c) the claim is for a service furnished by an unlicensed physician, (d) the claim is for medical or other items or service furnished by a person or an entity that is in a period of exclusion from the program, or (e) the items or services are medically unnecessary items or services. Penalties range from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation, treble damages, and exclusion from federal health care programs. The Civil Monetary Penalties Law also prohibits a person from transferring any remuneration to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary that the person knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider of Medicare or Medicaid payable items or services.
States have a wide variety of health care laws and regulations that potentially affect our operations and the operations of our partners. Many states have implemented laws and regulations related to so-called “tele-health,” which govern the use of technology to provide health care services, including allowing patients and providers to be in different geographic locations. Tele-health laws may apply to our operations, and the obligations they impose, vary wildly and are in a state of flux. Some states have so-called corporate practice of medicine prohibitions, which govern how physicians are organized to practice medicine (including corporate structure, employment and management). Such prohibitions are used to indirectly regulate ownership of heath care companies and/or management companies and the obligations they impose vary. Some states have “surprise billing” or out-of-network billing laws that impose a variety of obligations on health care providers and health plans. The failure to comply with all state regulatory obligations could be used by health plans to deny payment or to recoup funds, and any noncompliance could subject us to penalties or limitations that could have an adverse effect on our business. The limitations and obligations under “surprise billing” laws vary by state, and many states are actively considering additional legislation and/or regulation in this area creating a state of flux in the law.
Many states have adopted a form of anti-kickback law, self-referral prohibition, and false claims and insurance fraud prohibition. The scope of these laws and the interpretations of them vary from state to state and are enforced by state courts and regulatory authorities, each with broad discretion. Some of these state laws apply to all health care services and not just those covered under a governmental health care program. From time to time, private health plans attempt to use such laws as a basis to deny claims or recoup payments previously made to health care providers.
A determination of liability under any of the laws above could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these states. We cannot assure that our arrangements or business practices will not be subject to government scrutiny or be found to violate applicable laws.
Other Regulations
In addition to the regulatory initiatives described above, health care facilities, including our partner facilities, are subject to a wide variety of federal, state, and local environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations that may affect their operations, facilities, and properties. Violations of these laws could subject us to civil penalties and fines for not investigating and remedying any contamination by hazardous substances, as well as other liability from third parties.
Human Capital - Employees
Our human capital resources consist of employees and relationships that we maintain with third party service providers, including surgeons and hospitals. As of December 31, 2022, we had 127 full-time employees.
While we do not use any formal human capital measures or objectives, we focus our hiring efforts on offering competitive opportunities, which means recruitment, training and retaining personnel that demonstrate a high level of technical expertise and experience in the medical profession. We value diversity, professionalism, safety and collaboration within our organization.
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None of our employees are represented by a labor union covered by a collective bargaining agreement. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not experienced any work stoppages.
Diversity
We value the benefits that diversity brings and seek to maintain a workforce comprised of talented and dedicated employees with a diverse mix of experience, skills and backgrounds collectively reflecting the strategic needs of the business and the nature of the environment in which we operate. In identifying qualified hires, we will consider prospective candidates based on merit, having regard to those competencies, expertise, skills, background and other qualities identified from time to time by management as being important in fostering a diverse and inclusive culture which solicits multiple perspectives and views.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our most recently completed fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other exemptions from requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include:
● | reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements; |
● | exemptions from non-binding shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements; and |
● | exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. |
We may, and intend to, take advantage of these exemptions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues as of the end of a fiscal year, if we are deemed to be a large-accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC or if we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.
Available Information
Our executive office address is 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80111. The telephone number for our executive office is (720) 287-3093.
We make available, free of charge, on or through our Internet website, at www.assureneuromonitoring.com, our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Our Internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be, and are not, incorporated into this Annual Report.
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DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY
Assure currently leases approximately 16,700 square feet of office space for its corporate offices at 7887 East Belleview Avenue, Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80111.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We know of no material, existing or pending legal proceedings against our Company or any of our subsidiaries, nor are we involved as a plaintiff in any other material proceeding or pending litigation. There are no other proceedings in which any of our directors, executive officers or affiliates, or any registered or beneficial stockholder, is an adverse party or has a material interest adverse to our interest.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the factors we describe in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.
COVID-19
Our commitment to the health, well-being and peace of mind of our employees and the people we serve remains our focus as the pandemic environment evolves. We continue to leverage our resources, expertise, data and actionable intelligence to assist customers, clients and care providers throughout this time.
The situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid with continued uncertainty and a wide range of potential outcomes. We continue to actively manage our response and assess impacts to our financial position and operating results, as well as mitigate adverse developments in our business. Further discussion of the potential impacts on our business from the COVID-19 pandemic is provided under Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of the Form 10-K filed on March 14, 2022.
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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2020
The following table provides selected financial information from the condensed consolidated financial statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. All dollar amounts set forth in the table below are expressed thousands of dollars, except share and per share amounts.
| Year Ended December 31, | Change | Change |
| ||||||||
2021 |
| 2020 |
| $ |
| % |
| |||||
Revenue | ||||||||||||
Technical services | $ | 16,742 | $ | 1,347 | $ | 15,395 | 1,142.9 | % | ||||
Professional services | 8,051 | (3,172) | 11,223 | 353.8 | % | |||||||
Other |
| 4,399 |
| 5,349 |
| (950) | (17.8) | % | ||||
Total revenue |
| 29,192 |
| 3,524 |
| 25,668 | 728.4 | % | ||||
Cost of revenues |
| 14,318 |
| 7,912 |
| 6,406 | 81.0 | % | ||||
Gross margin |
| 14,874 |
| (4,388) |
| 19,262 | 439.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
| 14,805 |
| 9,592 |
| 5,213 | 54.3 | % | ||||
Sales and marketing |
| 1,082 |
| 1,209 |
| (127) | (10.5) | % | ||||
Depreciation and amortization |
| 1,114 |
| 1,014 |
| 100 | 9.9 | % | ||||
Total operating expenses |
| 17,001 |
| 11,815 |
| 5,186 | 43.9 | % | ||||
Loss from operations |
| (2,127) |
| (16,203) |
| 14,076 | 86.9 | % | ||||
Other income (expenses) | ||||||||||||
Income (loss) from equity method investments |
| 225 |
| (1,194) |
| 1,419 | 118.8 | % | ||||
Gain on Paycheck Protection Program loan | — | 1,211 | (1,211) | — | % | |||||||
Gain on extinguishment of acquisition debt | — | 188 | (188) | — | % | |||||||
Other income (expense), net |
| (46) |
| 89 |
| (135) | (151.7) | % | ||||
Accretion expense | (556) | (782) | 226 | 28.9 | % | |||||||
Interest expense, net |
| (1,081) |
| (530) |
| (551) | 104.0 | % | ||||
Total other expense |
| (1,458) |
| (1,018) |
| (440) | 43.2 | % | ||||
Loss before income taxes |
| (3,585) |
| (17,221) |
| 13,636 | 79.2 | % | ||||
Income tax benefit |
| 829 |
| 2,185 |
| (1,356) | (62.1) | % | ||||
Net loss | $ | (2,756) | $ | (15,036) | $ | 12,280 | 81.7 | % | ||||
Loss per share | ||||||||||||
Basic | $ | (0.24) | $ | (2.07) | $ | 1.84 | 88.7 | % | ||||
Diluted | $ | (0.24) | $ | (2.07) | $ | 1.84 | 88.7 | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – basic |
| 11,725,422 |
| 7,246,625 |
| 4,478,797 | 61.8 | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – diluted |
| 11,725,422 |
| 7,246,625 |
| 4,478,797 | 61.8 | % | ||||
EBITDA | ||||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (2,756) | $ | (15,036) | $ | 12,280 | 81.7 | % | ||||
Interest expense, net | 1,081 | 530 | 551 | 104.0 | % | |||||||
Accretion expense | 556 | 782 | (226) | (28.9) | % | |||||||
Income tax benefit | (829) | (2,185) | 1,356 | (62.1) | % | |||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 1,114 | 1,014 | 100 | 9.9 | % | |||||||
EBITDA | $ | (834) | $ | (14,895) | $ | 14,061 | 94.4 | % |
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Revenue
Total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $29.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively, net of implicit price concessions. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded an allowance for implicit price concessions of $7.4 million and $27.3 million, respectively. The 2020 price concession was primarily related to a significant decline in the estimated revenue accrual rate based upon updated cash collection rates.
Technical and professional service revenue is recognized in the period in which IONM services are rendered, at net realizable amounts due from third party payors when collections are reasonably assured and can be estimated. The majority of the Company’s services are rendered on an out-of-network basis and billed to third-party insurers. We estimate out-of-network technical and professional revenue per case based upon our historical cash collection rates from private health insurance carriers. Our revenue estimation process for out-of-network revenue is based on the collection experience from insurance cases that are between 1-24 months old as management believes the more recent collection experience is more indicative of future per case collection rates.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Assure managed approximately 17,400 cases compared to approximately 9,900 cases in the same period in the prior year, a 76% increase in managed case volume The increase is primarily related to organic sales growth in new markets such as Arizona, Nebraska and Nevada, the acquisition of Sentry on April 30, 2021, and the launch of tele neurologist services during the second quarter of 2021.
Other revenue consists of revenue from managed service arrangements on a contractual basis. Revenue from services rendered is recorded after services are rendered.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 were $14.3 million compared to $7.9 million for the same period in 2020, an 81% increase. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the number of neuromonitoring cases increased 76% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 which drove the costs of revenues increase. Cost of revenues consist primarily of the cost of our internal billing and collection department, technologist and reader wages, third-party reader fees, internal and external collection costs and medical supplies. Technologist wages and medical supplies vary with the number of neuromonitoring cases. The cost of our internal billing and collection department increased as we have ramped up this department and as the number of cases they are responsible for invoicing increases.
General and administrative
General and administrative expenses were $14.8 million and $9.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase period-to-period was primarily related to higher legal fees to support our Nasdaq listing, acquisition of Sentry in April 2021 and debt financing with Centurion, increased head count as we continued to build various administrative functions including accounting, human resources and information technologies to support our planned growth. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we incurred legal and audit expenses related to the filing of our registration statement on Form S-1 and our initial Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission which are nonrecurring expenses.
Sales and marketing
Sales and marketing expenses remained consistent at $1.1 million and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense was $1.1 million and $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase is primarily related to the increase in ROU asset balances compared to the prior year.
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Earnings (loss) from equity method investments
Assure recognizes its pro-rata share of the net loss generated by the non-wholly-owned PEs. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized $225 thousand of income from equity method investments compared to $1.2 million of losses for the year ended December 31, 2020. The variance is primarily associated with recording of the previously mentioned implicit price concessions which were significantly larger in 2020 than 2021.
Gain on Paycheck Protection Program loan
During April 2020, the Company received an unsecured loan under the United States Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) pursuant to the recently adopted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “PPP Loan”) in the amount of $1.2 million. During November 2020, the Company filed an application for forgiveness of the PPP Loan. During December 2020, the Company was granted forgiveness of the PPP Loan. As of December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a gain on forgiveness of the PPP Loan of $1.2 million. There were no similar transactions during the year ended December 31, 2021 , however, the Company received notice in the first quarter of 2022, the remaining PPP loan of approximately $1.7 million was forgiven.
Gain on extinguishment of acquisition debt
During 2019, the Company acquired Neuro-Pro Monitoring for $7 million and was funded via promissory notes with the sellers of Neuro-Pro Monitoring. The Company repaid the promissory notes during December 2020 which is resulted in a gain on extinguishment of acquisition debt of $188 thousand. There were no similar transactions during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Accretion expense
The Company recorded non-cash accretion expense of $556 thousand and $782 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company accretes the difference between the fair value of the convertible notes and the face value of the convertible debt over the term of the convertible note.
Interest expense, net
Interest expense, net was $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $530 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase year-over-year is primarily due to higher outstanding debt balances.
Income tax benefit
For the year ended December 31, 2021 income tax benefit was $829 thousand compared to $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company had an effective tax rate of 23.1% and 12.6% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company’s estimated annual tax rate is impacted primarily by the amount of taxable income earned in each jurisdiction the Company operates in and permanent differences between financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis.
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
The following table provides selected financial information from the condensed consolidated financial statements of income for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. All dollar amounts set forth in the table below are expressed thousands of dollars, except share and per share amounts.
| Nine Months Ended September 30, | Change | Change |
| ||||||||
2022 |
| 2021 |
| $ |
| % |
| |||||
Revenue | ||||||||||||
Technical services | $ | 2,653 | $ | 11,649 | $ | (8,996) | (77) | % | ||||
Professional services | 7,605 | 3,704 | 3,901 | 105 | % | |||||||
Other |
| 2,292 |
| 4,180 |
| (1,888) | (45) | % | ||||
Total revenue |
| 12,550 |
| 19,533 |
| (6,983) | (36) | % | ||||
Cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization |
| 11,564 |
| 9,956 |
| 1,608 | 16 | % | ||||
Gross margin |
| 986 |
| 9,577 |
| (8,591) | (90) | % | ||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
| 11,177 |
| 10,275 |
| 902 | 9 | % | ||||
Sales and marketing |
| 688 |
| 748 |
| (60) | (8) | % | ||||
Depreciation and amortization |
| 761 |
| 965 |
| (204) | (21) | % | ||||
Total operating expenses |
| 12,626 |
| 11,988 |
| 638 | 5 | % | ||||
Loss from operations |
| (11,640) |
| (2,411) |
| (9,229) | (383) | % | ||||
Other income (expenses) | ||||||||||||
Income (loss) from equity method investments |
| 18 |
| 136 |
| (118) | 87 | % | ||||
Gain on Paycheck Protection Program loan | 1,665 | — | 1,665 | — | % | |||||||
Other income (expense), net |
| 29 |
| (29) |
| 58 | (200) | % | ||||
Accretion expense | (511) | (386) | (125) | (32) | % | |||||||
Interest expense, net |
| (1,317) |
| (500) |
| (817) | 163 | % | ||||
Total other expense |
| (116) |
| (779) |
| 663 | (85) | % | ||||
Loss before income taxes |
| (11,756) |
| (3,190) |
| (8,566) | (269) | % | ||||
Income tax benefit |
| 3,138 |
| 743 |
| 2,395 | 322 | % | ||||
Net loss | $ | (8,618) | $ | (2,447) | $ | (6,171) | (252) | % | ||||
Loss per share | ||||||||||||
Basic | $ | (0.63) | $ | (0.21) | $ | (0.42) | (197) | % | ||||
Diluted | $ | (0.63) | $ | (0.21) | $ | (0.42) | (197) | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – basic |
| 13,686,686 |
| 11,528,371 |
| 2,158,315 | 19 | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – diluted |
| 13,686,686 |
| 11,528,371 |
| 2,158,315 | 19 | % |
Revenue
Total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were $12.6 million and $19.5 million, respectively, net of implicit price concessions. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, we recorded an allowance for implicit price concessions of $14.1 million and $1.2 million, respectively. Gross revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, prior to the application of implicit price concessions, totaled $26.7 million and $20.7 million. The increase in gross revenue is primarily related to an increase in managed case volume of approximately 5,200 from nearly 11,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 to nearly 16,200 in the same period of 2022. The increase in managed cases is primarily related to the acquisition of Sentry, completed during the second quarter of 2021, and expansion into remote neurology. These gains were partially counteracted by Assure’s decision to exit certain markets. The Company utilized market intelligence and data warehousing analytics it did not previously possess to inform our decision to exit certain lower performing markets that were dragging down the Company’s average revenue per case. Assure’s go-forward strategy is anchored on achieving the benefit of scale in geographies underpinned by above average reimbursement.
Gross revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, was negatively impacted by implicit price concessions related to aged claims. Based on the Company’s historical experience, claims generally become uncollectible once they are aged greater than 24 months;
48
as such, included in the Company’s $14.1 million allowance for implicit price concessions for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, is an estimate of the likelihood that a portion of the Company’s accounts receivable may become uncollectible due to age. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Assure formalized a new holistic accounts receivable accrual and reserve strategy based on our historical collections experience. This process provides a clearer picture of the Company’s estimated collectible accounts receivable by taking a conservative approach and reserving claims earlier in the process. The new process has led to a higher than anticipated reserve in 2022. The issue Assure has experienced in 2022 is not related to lower reimbursement negatively impacting accrual rates, which have remained stable in high volume markets. The Company chose to take a conservative approach on reserving accounts receivable given our visibility on the challenges associated with collecting certain receivables before they are automatically reserved at 24 months. The benefit of taking these reserves earlier is: 1) It provides clearer visibility into future accounts receivable write-down expenses, and 2) Assure’s anticipated go-forward exposure in 2023 is substantially reduced. Going forward, as we continue to accelerate our cash receipts there will be less accounts receivable at risk. Management has designated a tactical team to specifically pursue these reserved claims. We expect to begin seeing results from these efforts in the last quarter of the year as we continue collection efforts for claims aged past 24 months. As a result, we anticipate that there will also be a bad debt charge in the fourth quarter of 2022; similar to what we reported in the third quarter, but still a material impact.
Technical and professional service revenue is recognized in the period in which IONM services are rendered, at net realizable amounts due from third party payors when collections are reasonably assured and can be estimated. The majority of the Company’s services are rendered on an out-of-network basis and billed to third-party insurers. We estimate out-of-network technical and professional revenue per case based upon our historical cash collection rates from private health insurance carriers. Our revenue estimation process for out-of-network revenue is based on the collection experience from insurance cases that are between 1-24 months old as management believes the more recent collection experience is more indicative of future per case collection rates.
Other revenue consists of revenue from managed service arrangements on a contractual basis. Revenue from services rendered is recorded after services are rendered.
Cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization
Cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, were $11.6 million compared to $10.0 million for the same period in 2021, a 16% increase. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, the number of neuromonitoring cases increased 47% compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2021 which drove the costs of revenues increase. Cost of revenues consist primarily of the cost of our internal billing and collection department, internal and external collection costs, technologist and supervising practitioner wages, third-party supervising practitioner fees, and medical supplies. Technologist and supervising practitioner wages and medical supplies vary with the number of neuromonitoring cases. The cost of our internal billing and collection department increased as we have increased headcount to align with expected growth in volume and the number of cases to invoice has increased. A primary focus for Assure during the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 will be on reducing the Company’s average cost of the delivery in providing our services, both on the technologist and the remote neurology parts of the business.
General and administrative
General and administrative expenses were $11.2 million and $10.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase period-to-period was primarily related to increased head count, via organic growth and integrated acquisitions, partially offset by cost cutting efforts.
Gain on Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness
During March 2021, the Company received an unsecured loan under the United States Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) pursuant to the recently adopted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “PPP Loan”) in the amount of $1.7 million. During January 2022, the Company was granted forgiveness of the PPP Loan. As of June 30, 2022, the Company recorded a gain on forgiveness of the PPP Loan of $1.7 million. There were no similar transactions during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.
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Accretion expense
The Company recorded non-cash accretion expense of $511 thousand and $386 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company accretes the difference between the fair value of the convertible debt and the debenture and the face value of the convertible debt and the debenture over the term of the convertible debt and the debenture. Specifically, accretion expense was $285 for each period related to the convertible debt and $226 thousand and $101 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the Centurion debenture.
Interest expense, net
Interest expense, net was $1,317 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $500 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2021. The increase year-over-year is primarily due to higher outstanding debt balances. Specifically, interest expense was $220 thousand for each period related to the convertible debt and $873 thousand and $236 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the Centurion debenture.
Income tax benefit
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, income tax benefit was $3.1 million compared $743 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2021. The Company’s estimated annual tax rate is impacted primarily by the amount of taxable income earned in each jurisdiction the Company operates in and permanent differences between financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis.
50
Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
The following table provides selected financial information from the condensed consolidated financial statements of income for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021. All dollar amounts set forth in the table below are expressed thousands of dollars, except share and per share amounts.
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Change | Change |
| ||||||||
2022 |
| 2021 |
| $ |
| % |
| |||||
Revenue | ||||||||||||
Technical services | $ | 1,190 | $ | 4,421 | $ | (3,231) | (73) | % | ||||
Professional services | 4,278 | 2,738 | 1,540 | 56 | % | |||||||
Other |
| 736 |
| 1,387 |
| (651) | (47) | % | ||||
Total revenue |
| 6,204 |
| 8,546 |
| (2,342) | (27) | % | ||||
Cost of revenues |
| 3,685 |
| 4,254 |
| (569) | (13) | % | ||||
Gross margin |
| 2,519 |
| 4,292 |
| (1,773) | (41) | % | ||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
| 3,340 |
| 3,180 |
| 160 | 5 | % | ||||
Sales and marketing |
| 198 |
| 247 |
| (49) | (20) | % | ||||
Depreciation and amortization |
| 243 |
| 293 |
| (50) | (17) | % | ||||
Total operating expenses |
| 3,781 |
| 3,720 |
| 61 | 2 | % | ||||
Income (loss) from operations |
| (1,262) |
| 572 |
| (1,834) | (321) | % | ||||
Other income (expenses) | ||||||||||||
Income (loss) from equity method investments |
| 9 |
| 139 |
| (130) | (94) | % | ||||
Other income (expense), net |
| (37) |
| (27) |
| (10) | 37 | % | ||||
Accretion expense | (170) | (171) | 1 | (1) | % | |||||||
Interest expense, net |
| (471) |
| (264) |
| (207) | 78 | % | ||||
Total other expense |
| (669) |
| (323) |
| (346) | 107 | % | ||||
Income (loss) before income taxes |
| (1,931) |
| 249 |
| (2,180) | (876) | % | ||||
Income tax benefit (expense) |
| 498 |
| (158) |
| 656 | (415) | % | ||||
Net income (loss) | $ | (1,433) | $ | 91 | $ | (1,524) | (1,675) | % | ||||
Income (loss) per share | ||||||||||||
Basic | $ | (0.09) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.10) | (1,325) | % | ||||
Diluted | $ | (0.09) | $ | 0.01 | $ | (0.10) | (1,727) | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – basic |
| 15,220,948 |
| 11,838,032 |
| 3,382,916 | 29 | % | ||||
Weighted average number shares – diluted |
| 15,220,948 |
| 15,724,103 |
| (503,155) | (3) | % |
Revenue
Total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021 were $6.2 million and $8.5 million, respectively, net of implicit price concessions. For the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, we recorded an allowance for implicit price concessions of $2.1 million and $nil, respectively. Gross revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2022, and 2021, prior to the application of implicit price concessions, totaled $8.3 million and $8.5 million. Gross revenue is primarily related to an increase in managed case volume of approximately 300 from nearly 5,000 in the third quarter 2021 to approximately 5,300 in the same period of 2022. The increase in managed cases is primarily related to the expansion into remote neurology. These gains were partially counteracted by Assure’s decision to exit certain markets. The Company utilized market intelligence and data warehousing analytics it did not previously possess to inform our decision to exit certain lower performing markets that were dragging down the Company’s average revenue per case. Assure’s go-forward strategy is anchored on achieving the benefit of scale in geographies underpinned by above average reimbursement.
Gross revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2022, was negatively impacted by implicit price concessions related to aged claims. Based on the Company’s historical experience, claims generally become uncollectible once they are aged greater than 24 months; as such, included in the Company’s $2.1 million allowance for implicit price concessions for the three months ended September 30, 2022, is an estimate of the likelihood that a portion of the Company’s accounts receivable may become uncollectible due to age. In the
51
fourth quarter of 2021, Assure formalized a new holistic accounts receivable accrual and reserve strategy based on our historical collections experience. This process provides a clearer picture of the Company’s estimated collectible accounts receivable by taking a conservative approach and reserving claims earlier in the process. The new process has led to a higher than anticipated reserve in 2022. The issue Assure has experienced in 2022 is not related to lower reimbursement negatively impacting accrual rates, which have remained stable in high volume markets. The Company chose to take a conservative approach on reserving accounts receivable given our visibility on the challenges associated with collecting certain receivables before they are automatically reserved at 24 months. The benefit of taking these reserves earlier is: 1) It provides clearer visibility into future accounts receivable write-down expenses, and 2) Assure’s anticipated go-forward exposure in 2023 is substantially reduced. Going forward, as we continue to accelerate our cash receipts there will be less accounts receivable at risk. Management has designated a tactical team to specifically pursue these reserved claims. We expect to begin seeing results from these efforts in the last quarter of the year as we continue collection efforts for claims aged past 24 months. As a result, we anticipate that there will also be a bad debt charge in the fourth quarter of 2022; similar to what we reported in the third quarter, but still a material impact.
Technical and professional service revenue is recognized in the period in which IONM services are rendered, at net realizable amounts due from third party payors when collections are reasonably assured and can be estimated. The majority of the Company’s services are rendered on an out-of-network basis and billed to third-party insurers. We estimate out-of-network technical and professional revenue per case based upon our historical cash collection rates from private health insurance carriers. Our revenue estimation process for out-of-network revenue is based on the collection experience from insurance cases that are between 13-24 months old as management believes the more recent collection experience is more indicative of future per case collection rates.
Other revenue consists of revenue from managed service arrangements on a contractual basis. Revenue from services rendered is recorded after services are rendered.
Cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization
Cost of revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, for the three months ended September 30, 2022, were $3.7 million compared to $4.3 million for the same period in 2021, a 13% decrease. Cost of revenues consist primarily of the cost of our internal billing and collection department, internal and external collection costs, technologist and supervising practitioner wages, third-party supervising practitioner fees, and medical supplies. Technologist and supervising practitioner wages and medical supplies vary with the number of neuromonitoring cases. The cost of our internal billing and collection department increased as we have increased headcount to align with expected growth in volume and the number of cases to invoice has increased. A primary focus for Assure during the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 will be on reducing the Company’s average cost of delivery in providing our services, both on the technologist and the remote neurology parts of the business.
General and administrative
General and administrative expenses were $3.3 million and $3.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Accretion expense
The Company recorded non-cash accretion expense of $170 thousand and $171 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company accretes the difference between the fair value of the convertible debt and the debenture and the face value of the convertible debt and the debenture over the term of the convertible debt and the debenture. Specifically, accretion expense was $95 thousand for each period related to the convertible debt and $75 thousand for each period related to the Centurion debenture.
Interest expense, net
Interest expense, net was $471 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $264 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The increase year-over-year is primarily due to higher outstanding debt balances. Specifically, interest expense was $nil for each period related to the convertible debt and $324 thousand and $190 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, for the Centurion debenture.
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Income tax benefit
For the three months ended September 30, 2022, income tax benefit was $0.5 million and compared income tax expense of $158 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The Company’s estimated annual tax rate is impacted primarily by the amount of taxable income earned in each jurisdiction the Company operates in and permanent differences between financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis.
Financial Position, Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our cash position as of September 30, 2022 was $3.8 million compared to the December 31, 2021 cash balance of $4.0 million. Working capital was $28.0 million as of September 30, 2022 compared to $34.3 million at December 31, 2021. We believe that our working capital balance and our estimated cash flows from operations during 2022 is expected support our operating activities and our obligations for the next 12 months. However, if we pursue our plan of continued growth our existing working capital will not be sufficient and we may need to seek equity or debt financing. Such financings may include the issuance of shares of common stock, warrants to purchase common stock, convertible debt or other instruments that may dilute our current stockholders. Financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms depending on market conditions at the time we seek financing. On October 11, 2022, we received a notification letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market stating that we are not in compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, which requires our listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share. A delisting from The Nasdaq Stock Market would negatively impact our ability to raise additional capital through equity financings on acceptable terms in order to meet our plan of continued growth.
We rely on payments from multiple private insurers and hospital systems that have payment policies and payment cycles that vary widely and are subject to change. Because we are primarily an out-of-network biller to private insurance companies, the collection times for our claims can last in excess of 24 months. During the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded an allowance for implicit price concessions of $14.1 million. During the three months ended September 30, 2022, we recorded an allowance for implicit price concessions of $2.1 million, we expect a similar allowance for the three months ended December 31, 2022 for the reasons discussed.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2022, we collected approximately $17.4 million of cash from operations compared to collecting approximately $10.1 million in the same prior year period. As of September 30, 2022, accounts receivable, which are recorded net of implicit price concessions, was $20.9 million compared to $27.8 million at December 31, 2021. The decrease in our accounts receivable balance during 2022 is primarily related to the increased velocity of cash receipts and implicit price concession charges. We received $69 thousand in cash distributions from the PE entities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to $312 thousand received for the same period in the prior year.
Historically, we have financed our operations primarily from revenues generated from services rendered and through equity and debt financings. Our cash balance and projected cash flows from operations are expected to fund our current obligations and planned operating activities for the next 12 months.
Cash used in operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $5.3 million compared to $9.4 million for the same period in the preceding year. Cash was used to fund operations and to fund our growth strategy.
Cash used in investing activities of $161 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was related the PE distributions of $69 thousand, offset by payments related to acquisition liabilities of $204 thousand and fixed asset purchases of $26 thousand. Cash provided by investing activities of $108 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was related the PE advances, offset by payments related to the Sentry acquisition.
Cash provided by financing activities of $5.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was due to equity financing. Cash provided by financing activities of $5.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was due to $7.4 million of net proceeds from the debenture, $1.7 million of proceeds from the Payroll Protection Program loan, and $832 thousand in proceeds from common stock issuances, offset by $4.1 million payments of bank debt.
We expect to see an increase in case volume during the fourth quarter of 2022, due to normal seasonality related to patient use of benefits before the end of the year. We also expect to see a higher proportion of patients utilizing commercial insurance relative to the proportion of patients utilizing government insurance. We expect these items to result in increased revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022.
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In October, we experienced a meaningful decrease in the Texas reimbursement benchmark, which has been utilized in state arbitration claims to great success through September of this year. Texas state arbitration reimbursement has realigned to a level much closer to the state average across our operational footprint, based on our arbitration experience. Since Texas represents approximately 60% of our patient volume, we expect to remain focused on participation rates for state arbitrations in Texas.
Our near-term cash requirements relate primarily to payroll expenses, trade payables, debt payments, capital lease payments, and general corporate obligations.
We have receivables from equity investments in PEs and other entities that are due and payable upon those entities collecting on their own accounts receivable. To the extent that these entities are unable to collect on their accounts receivable or there is an impairment in the valuation of those accounts receivable, the Company will need to reduce its related party receivables and/or its equity investments in the PEs.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no material undisclosed off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Critical Accounting Policies
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. Application of GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and within this MD&A. We consider our most important accounting policies that require significant estimates and management judgment to be those policies with respect to revenue, accounts receivable and income taxes, which are discussed below. Our other significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2, “Basis of Presentation” and Note 3, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form S-1 Registration Statement.
We continually evaluate the accounting policies and estimates used to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, our estimates are based on historical experience, evaluation of current trends, information from third-party professionals and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the known facts and circumstances. Estimates can require a significant amount of judgment and a different set of assumptions could result in material changes to our reported results.
Revenue Recognition and Collection Cycle
The Company recognizes revenue primarily from fees for IONM services provided. Revenue is recognized at a point in time upon satisfaction of the Company’s performance obligation to a customer, which is at the time of service. Revenue is based on the Company’s best estimate of the transaction price the Company expects to receive in exchange for the services rendered. Our estimate of the transaction price includes estimates of price concessions for such items as contractual allowances from third-party payors, potential adjustments that may arise from payment, and uncollectible amounts.
The Company performs a collection analysis for out-of-network billings to private insurance companies and adjusts its estimated transaction price if the collection rate is different from the amount recorded in previous periods. Historically, this analysis is performed quarterly.
The cash collection cycles of the Company are protracted due to the majority of its revenue being billed to third-party commercial insurance payers on an out-of-network basis. The collection cycle for IONM to out-of-network payers may require an extended period to maximize reimbursement on claims, which results in accounts receivable growth tied to the Company’s overall growth in technical and professional service revenues. The collection cycle may consist of multiple payments from out-of-network private insurance payers, as the collection process entails multiple rounds of denials, underpayments, appeals and negotiations as part of the process to maximize the reimbursement yield on claims. Based on the Company’s historical experience, claims generally become uncollectible once they are aged greater than 24 months; as such, included in the Company’s allowance for implicit price concessions is an estimate of the likelihood that a portion of the Company’s accounts receivable may become uncollectible due to age. The Company continues collection efforts on claims aged over 24 months. Collections on claims are recorded as revenue in the period received as such collections represent a subsequent change to the initial estimation of the transaction price.
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Technical and professional service revenue
Technical and professional service revenue is recognized at a point in time in which performance obligations are satisfied at the amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled. Performance obligations are satisfied when IONM services are rendered. The majority of the Company’s services are rendered on an out-of-network basis and billed to third party commercial insurers. Since allowable charges for services rendered out-of-network are not explicitly identified in the contract, the Company determines the transaction price based on standard charges for services provided, reduced by an estimate of contractual adjustments and implicit price concessions based on evaluating the payor mix, historical settlements and payment data for payor types and current economic conditions to calculate an appropriate net realizable value for revenue and accounts receivable. These estimates are subject to ongoing monitoring and adjustment based on actual experience with final settlements and collections and management revises its revenue estimates as necessary in subsequent periods.
For services rendered to patients that have insurance coverage and that the Company has an in-network contract with, the Company.
Other revenue
The Company recognizes revenue from managed service arrangements on a contractual basis. Revenue is recorded when the Company has completed its performance obligations, which is the time of service.
Income Taxes
The Company must make certain estimates and judgments in determining income tax expense for financial statement purposes. These estimates and judgments are used in the calculation of tax credits, tax benefits, tax deductions, and in the calculation of certain deferred taxes and tax liabilities. Significant changes to these estimates may result in an increase or decrease to the Company’s tax provision in a subsequent period.
The provision for income taxes was determined using the asset and liability method prescribed by GAAP. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes. If and when it is determined that a deferred tax asset will not be realized for its full amount, we will recognize and record a valuation allowance with a corresponding charge to earnings. The calculation of the current tax liability involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws and regulations and in determining the liability for tax positions, if any, taken on the Company’s tax returns in accordance with authoritative guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes.
New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding new accounting pronouncements that were issued or became effective during the year ended December 31, 2021 that had, or are expected to have, a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures, see the “Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements” and “Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted” sections of Note 3, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form S-1 Registration statement.
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MANAGEMENT
Set forth below is certain information with respect to the individuals who are our directors and executive officers.
Name |
| Age |
| Position |
| Term |
John Farlinger |
| 63 |
| Executive Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer |
| Since May 24, 2017 |
Martin Burian |
| 58 |
| Lead Director |
| Since May 24, 2017 |
Christopher Rumana |
| 54 |
| Director |
| Since December 19, 2018 |
Steven Summer |
| 72 |
| Director |
| Since September 19, 2019 |
John Flood |
| 63 |
| Director |
| Since April 15, 2021 |
John Price |
| 53 |
| Chief Financial Officer |
| Since March 26, 2021 |
The following is a description of the business background of the current directors, director nominees and executive officers of the Company.
Directors
John Farlinger, Director, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairperson: Mr. Farlinger was appointed to Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman on August 28, 2019. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Mr. Farlinger was appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman on May 15, 2018. Mr. Farlinger held the position of Chairman and CEO of Urban Communications Inc. from July 8, 2014 to June 2018. His past positions also include director and Chair of the Governance and Audit Committee of Freckle Ltd. (TSX-V) from June 2019 to February 2020, Senior Vice-President of Telephone Navigata-Westel from February 2013 to April 2014, and CEO of Titan Communications from 2009 to February 2013. Mr. Farlinger has been a Board member and Audit Committee member for BillDirect.com Technologies Inc. ((TSX-V) from August 2021 to April 2022 and a Board member for Lite Access Technologies, Inc. (TSX-V) from April 2021 until June 2022. He is also an advisor to CareCru Inc., a healthcare start up.
Mr. Farlinger was selected by the Board to serve as the Executive Chairman because he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and his prior experience as an Executive Chairman and director of other public companies brings valuable insight to the operation of the Board. Additionally, Mr. Farlinger holds a CPA, CA designation (Canada).
Martin Burian, Lead Director: Currently, Mr. Burian is a director of multiple publicly traded companies. Mr. Burian is currently Managing Director of Investment Banking at RCI Capital Group, and also serves as CFO (part time) to Heffel Gallery Limited. Prior to 2014 Mr. Burian spent 20 years in senior investment banking roles including with Haywood Securities Inc., Bolder Investment Partners and Canaccord Capital Corp.
Mr. Burian was selected by the Board to serve as director because he holds a CPA designation (Canada) and has extensive experience with audit committees and his extensive experience in investment banking provides the Board with valuable experience and oversight in relation to the Company’s capital raising activities.
Christopher Rumana, Director: Dr. Rumana brings over 20 years’ experience in the medical field as a board-certified neurosurgeon. Dr. Rumana has served in many roles including Chairman of Department of Surgery, Chief of Neurosurgery, Chairman of the Medical staff, Chairman of the Medical Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Dr. Rumana has previously served as the President of the Tallahassee Neurological Clinic from 2000 to 2017 and served as the President and chairman of Caduceus, LLC, a joint venture pain management facility and surgery center from 2005 to 2017. Dr. Rumana currently runs a consulting company and serves on the board of multiple health-related companies.
Mr. Rumana was selected by the Board to serve as director because his experience in the medical field as a neurosurgeon and his service on numerous committees and boards in the neurology medical community provides the Board with specialized knowledge of the Company’s industry and its customer’s operations which is valuable to the Board’s oversight role of the Company’s operations.
Steven Summer, Director: Steven Summer brings over four decades of management experience in health care to the Company’s board. From 2006 to December 2019, Mr. Summer served as President and CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association. Previously, from 1993
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through 2006, he was the President and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association and prior to that he was with the Maryland Hospital Association, where he also held various senior level roles prior to becoming an executive. In January 2020, Mr. Summer was named President of the Healthcare Institute (HI), an organization whose membership consists of 35 of the nation’s most prestigious non-profit hospitals and health care systems.
Mr. Summer has selected by the Board to serve as director because of his management experience in the health care industry including his experience as President and CEO of a number of Hospital Associations provides specialized knowledge of the Company’s industry which is valuable to the Board’s oversight role of the Company’s operations.
John Flood, Director: Mr. Flood, age 63, has nearly four decades of capital markets experience, as well as extensive operations, business building and governance expertise. Until retiring in 2019, he served as chairman and managing partner of Craig-Hallum Capital Group (“Craig-Hallum”), an equity research, trading and investment banking firm that Flood co-founded in 1997. At Craig-Hallum, Flood led the investment banking and institutional equity sales teams. He was also a member of Craig-Hallum’s board of governors, and executive, research, banking and M&A committees.
Mr. Flood was selected by the Board to serve as director because his extensive capital markets experience provides the Board with valuable experience and oversight in relation to the Company’s capital raising activities which are of significant importance to the Company at its current stage of operations.
Non-Director Executive Officers
John Price, Chief Financial Officer: Mr. Price, age 53, was appointed as Chief Financial Officer effective March 26, 2021. Mr. Price has over 25 years of experience in accounting, financial planning and analysis, and business process improvement. He is also highly experienced in capital raise and debt financing, M&A, accounting operations, compliance, and system implementations. Mr. Price’s prior positions include serving as chief accountant of National Beverage (December 2019 to November 2020), chief financial officer and president at Alliance MMA (August 2016 to October 2019), and chief financial officer at MusclePharm (March 2015 to August 2016) and in various accounting and finance roles in high growth technology companies in the Silicon Valley. Mr. Price spent the first seven years of his career at Ernst & Young (October 1995 to July 2003). Mr. Price earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. Mr. Price does not have any family relationship with any other member of the Board of Directors or any executive officer of the Company.
Arrangements between Officers and Directors
To our knowledge, there is no arrangement or understanding between any of our executive officers and any other person, including directors, pursuant to which the executive officer or director was selected to serve as an executive officer or director.
Family Relationships
None of our directors or executive officers is related by blood, marriage, or adoption to any other director or executive officer.
Other Directorships
None of our directors or director nominees are also directors of issuers with a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”) (or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act or any company required to be registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended).
Legal Proceedings
We know of no material proceedings in which any of our directors, executive officers, affiliates or any stockholder of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, or any associate thereof, is a party adverse or has a material interest adverse to Assure or its subsidiaries. To the best of our knowledge, except as provided below, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:
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● | been convicted in a criminal proceeding or been subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offences); |
● | had any bankruptcy petition filed by or against the business or property of the person, or of any partnership, corporation or business association of which he was a general partner or executive officer, either at the time of the bankruptcy filing or within two years prior to that time; |
● | been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction or federal or state authority, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting, his involvement in any type of business, securities, futures, commodities, investment, banking, savings and loan, or insurance activities, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity; |
● | been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated; |
● | proceeding among private litigants, relating to an alleged violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or |
● | been the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26)), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29)), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member. |
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
We believe that effective corporate governance is critical to our long-term success and our ability to create value for our stockholders. We regularly review our corporate governance practices, monitor emerging developments in corporate governance and update our policies and procedures when our Board determines that it would benefit the Company and our stockholders to do so. We also monitor our corporate governance policies and practices to maintain compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC rules and regulations, and the corporate governance standards set forth in the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “NASDAQ Standards”). The Board is of the view that the Company’s system of corporate governance meets or exceeds this set of guidelines and requirements.
We maintain a corporate governance page on our website that includes: our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and the charters for the Audit, Nomination and Corporate Governance, and Compensation Committees of our Board, all of which can be found at www.assuremneuromonitoring.com by clicking on “Investor Info” under the heading “Governance” and sub-heading “Governance Documents”. Reference to our website is provided herein for informational purposes only and no content on our website is incorporated herein by reference or otherwise forms a part of this Proxy Statement, unless otherwise stated herein.
Board Composition
The Board is currently composed of five (5) directors. The Company’s current bylaws require the number of directors of the Company to be not less than one (1) nor more than the number as fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent directors. All of the proposed nominees of the Board of Directors for election as directors at the Annual Meeting are current directors of the Company.
Director Independence
We had five Directors at January 25, 2023 (including four independent Directors) as follows:
● | John Farlinger |
● | Martin Burian, independent |
● | Christopher Rumana, independent |
● | Steven Summer, independent |
● | John Flood, independent |
The Board applies the requirements for independence set out in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Standards and considers all relevant facts and circumstances in making its assessment. Consistent with NASDAQ Standards, the Board assesses the independence of its members not less than annually.
In addition, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics specifically addresses conflict of interest situations involving directors. Pursuant to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, all directors are required to act in the best interests of the Company and to avoid conflicts of interest.
With the assistance of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, the Board has considered the relationship of the Company to each of the directors and has determined that four of the five directors are independent (Burian, Rumana, Summer, and Flood). The one director who is not independent (Farlinger) is an executive officer of the Company and member of management.
Meetings of the Board and Committees
In 2022, the Board met 13 times, the Audit Committee met 4 times, the Compensation Committee met 2 times and the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee met 6 times. None of the incumbent directors attended fewer than 75% of the meetings of the Board and Committees on which they served in the year ended December 31, 2022.
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Company’s Policy regarding Board Members’ Attendance at the Annual Meeting
The Company does not have a policy that requires directors to attend the Annual Meeting. 1 director attended the Company’s annual meeting in 2022.
Communications to the Board
Stockholders may communicate directly with members of the Board, or the Board as a group, by writing directly to the individual Board member or the Board, Assure Holdings Corp., 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado, USA 80111. The Company’s Corporate Secretary will forward communications directly to the appropriate Board member. If the correspondence is not addressed to a particular member, the communication will be forwarded to a Board member to bring to the attention of the Board. The Company’s Manager, Investor Relations will review all communications, and if requested by the stockholder or if the matter relates to Company business, shall forward them to the appropriate Board member(s).
Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight
The positions of our principal executive officer and the chairperson of our Board are served by one individual, John Farlinger. We have determined that the leadership structure of our Board is appropriate, especially given the size of our company and the Board. Our Board currently consists of six directors. The Board has appointed Martin Burian as lead independent director. Due to the size of the Board, the independent directors, with the leadership of the lead director, are able to closely monitor the activities of our Company. In addition, the independent directors are able to meet independently with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm without management to discuss the Company’s financial statements and related audits. Therefore, the Board has determined that having one individual serve as principal executive officer and chairperson of the Board does not negatively impact the ability of the Board to provide independent oversight. To the extent the composition of the Board changes and/or grows in the future, the Board may re-evaluate the need for an independent chairperson.
Management is responsible for the day-to-day management of risks the Company faces, while the Board as a whole has ultimate responsibility for the Company’s oversight of risk management. Our Board takes an enterprise-wide approach to risk oversight, designed to support the achievement of organizational objectives, including strategic objectives, to improve long-term organizational performance and enhance stockholder value. A fundamental part of risk oversight is not only understanding the risks a Company faces and what steps management is taking to manage those risks, but also understanding what level of risk is appropriate for the Company. As a critical part of this risk management oversight role, our Board encourages full and open communication between management and the Board. Our Board regularly reviews material strategic, operational, financial, compensation and compliance risks with management. In addition, our management team regularly reports to the full Board regarding their areas of responsibility and a component of these reports is risk within the area of responsibility and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures. Additional review or reporting on risk is conducted as needed or as requested by our Board.
Ethical Business Conduct
The Board has found that the fiduciary duties placed on individual directors by our governing corporate legislation and the common law and the restrictions placed by applicable corporate legislation on an individual directors’ participation in decisions of the Board in which the director has an interest have been sufficient to ensure that the Board operates independently of management and in the best interests of the company.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
The Company has adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to the Company’s officers, directors, employees, and contractors.
We have adopted a corporate Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) that applies to all our employees including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer and is administered by our Chief Financial Officer, John
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Price, and the Chair of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, Martin Burian. We believe our Code provides written standards for deterring, and is reasonably designed to deter, wrongdoing. The purpose of our Code is to promote:
● | honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; |
● | full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that are filed with, or submitted to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Company; |
● | compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; |
● | prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and |
● | accountability for adherence to the Code. |
Our Code is available on our website at https://www.assureneuromonitoring.com/. A copy of the Code will be provided to any person without charge upon written request to the Company at its administrative office: Assure Holdings Corp., 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80111. We intend to disclose on our website any waiver from a provision of our Code that applies to any of our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, or persons performing similar functions that relates to any element of our Code.
Hedging Policy
The Company’s share trading policy prohibits hedging or monetization transactions. The policy sets forth hedging or monetization transactions as transactions that can be accomplished through the use of various financial instruments, including prepaid variable forwards, equity swaps, collars and exchange funds. The policy notes that these transactions may permit continued ownership of the Company’s securities obtained through employee benefit plans or otherwise without the full risks and rewards of ownership. When that occurs, a person entering into these types of transactions may no longer have the same objectives as the Company’s other shareholders. In addition, under the policy no director or officer of the Company is permitted to purchase financial instruments, including, for greater certainty, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of any the Company’s securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by such director or officer.
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BOARD COMMITTEES
The Board has established an Audit Committee, a Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee and a Compensation Committee. The Company also has a Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee which includes both directors and non-director advisors. Terms of reference for each committee, which delineate the mandate of the committee, the composition of the committee, the frequency of committee meetings and other relevant matters, have been approved and adopted by the Board.
Audit Committee and Audit Committee Financial Expert
We have a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act and the NASDAQ Standards. The Audit Committee, in accordance with its written charter, is responsible for reviewing and approving the financial statements and public reports of the Company, considering the existence and adequacy of internal and management controls and reviewing and approving material accounting policies and measurements. The Audit Committee is also responsible for reviewing the annual audit and quarterly reviews and communicating directly with the external auditor as to their findings.
The Audit Committee’s mandate provides for regularly scheduled meetings to review and approve annual audited financial statements and quarterly unaudited financial statements and other reports to stockholders. Additional meetings may be held as warranted with respect to public financing initiatives and other material transactions. In addition, the Audit Committee has the authority to pre-approve non-audit services which may be required from time to time. The Charter for the Audit Committee is available on our website at https://www.assureneuromonitoring.com/.
Currently, our Audit Committee consists of John Flood (Chairperson), Martin Burian and Christopher Rumana. The Board has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are “independent” within the meaning of Rule 5605 of the NASDAQ Standards and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Our Board has determined that Martin Burian qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K based on education, professional designations held, experience and background.
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee’s mandate provides for regularly scheduled meetings to review the processes and procedures as may be reasonably necessary to allow the Compensation to make recommendations to the Board with respect to executive compensation. The Compensation Committee administers the Company’s Stock Option Plan, and determines all direct, indirect and incentive compensation and benefits of the executive management team. The Compensation Committee has the authority to form and delegate all or a portion of its duties and authority to subcommittees or individuals; communicate directly with officers, employees, and legal counsel; and in its discretion, may obtain advice from a compensation consultant. The Charter for the Compensation Committee is available on our website at https://www.assureneuromonitoring.com/.
Currently, our Compensation Committee consists of Steven Summer (Chairperson), Martin Burian, Christopher Rumana, and John Flood. The Board has determined that all members of the Compensation Committee are “independent” within the meaning of Rule 5605 of the NASDAQ Standards.
Nomination & Corporate Governance Committee (“NCG Committee”)
The NCG Committee, in accordance with its charter, is responsible in assisting the Board in the exercise of their responsibilities as it relates to nomination and corporate governance matters delegated to it by the Board. The NCG Committee is also responsible for annually overseeing the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Board and its Committees and making recommendations to the Board with respect to any changes which may be advisable to improve the functioning of the Board or any of its committees. The NCG Committee’s mandate provides for regularly scheduled meetings to review the corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company. The Charter for the NCG Committee is available on our website at https://www.assureneuromonitoring.com/.
Currently, our NCG Committee consists of Martin Burian (Chairperson), Steven Summer, and John Flood. The Board has determined that all members of the NCG Committee are “independent” are “independent” within the meaning of Rule 5605 of the NASDAQ Standards.
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Diversity
The Board values the benefits that diversity can bring and seeks to maintain a Board comprised of talented and dedicated directors with a diverse mix of experience, skills and backgrounds collectively reflecting the strategic needs of the business and the nature of the environment in which the Company operates. In identifying qualified candidates for nomination to the Board, the NCG Committee will consider prospective candidates based on merit, having regard to those competencies, expertise, skills, background and other qualities identified from time to time by the Board as being important in fostering a diverse and inclusive culture which solicits multiple perspectives and views and is free of conscious or unconscious bias and discrimination.
The Board does not adhere to any specific targets or quotas in determining Board membership but the Board is committed to increasing diversity on the Board and realizes the potential benefits from new perspectives that could be gained through increasing diversity within the Board’s ranks. The NCG Committee strives to see diversity, inclusion and equity in connection with its vision and mission for the Board and the Company.
Nomination Responsibilities and Duties
The Board believes that directors should ideally reflect a mix of experience and other qualifications important to the Board’s role in oversight of the Company. While there is no firm requirement of minimum qualifications or skills that candidates must possess we seek directors with high integrity and experience relevant to our business and public company listings in order to maintain a board with a mix of skills and experience. The NCG Committee evaluates director candidates based on a number of qualifications, including their resume, independence, judgment, leadership ability, expertise in the industry, experience developing and analyzing business strategies, financial literacy, risk management skills, and, for incumbent directors, his or her past performance. While neither the Board nor the NCG Committee has adopted a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity when evaluating candidates for election to the Board, it is our goal to have a balanced Board, with members whose skills, background and experience are complimentary and, together, cover the variety of areas that impact our business.
The qualifications of each of the Company’s directors are set forth in their respective biographies in this Proxy Statement.
The NCG Committee does not have a policy pursuant to which it considers director candidates recommended by stockholders. It is the NCG Committee’s view that a formal policy is not necessary because stockholders can make recommendations to the NCG Committee by writing to: NCG Committee Chair c/o Corporate Secretary at Assure Holdings Corp., 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado, USA 80111 and the Company’s bylaws contain provisions pursuant to which Company’s stockholders can nominate a person for election to the Board at stockholders meetings.
The Company’s bylaws permit certain stockholders to nominate persons for election to the Board. Pursuant to the bylaws, any person (a “Nominating Shareholder”) (i) who, at the close of business on the date of the giving of a notice for a nomination and on the record date for notice of the applicable meeting of stockholders, is entered in the securities register of the Company as a holder of one or more shares carrying the right to vote at such meeting or who beneficially owns shares that are entitled to be voted at such meeting and (ii) who complies with the notice procedures set forth below, may nominate persons for election to the Board. The Nominating Shareholder must give timely written notice, in proper form, to the Corporate Secretary of the Company at Assure Holdings Corp., 7887 E. Belleview Ave., Suite 500, Denver, Colorado, USA 80111 to make a nomination.
To be timely, a Nominating Shareholder’s notice to the corporate secretary of the Company must be made (i) in the case of an annual meeting of stockholders, not less than 30 days prior to the date of the annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting of stockholders is called for a date that is less than 50 days after the date (the “Notice Date”) on which the first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting was made, notice by the Nominating Shareholder may be made not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the Notice Date; and (ii) in the case of a special meeting of stockholders (which is not also an annual meeting of stockholders) called for the purpose of electing directors (whether or not called for other purposes), not later than the close of business on the 15th day following the day on which the first public announcement of the date of the special meeting of stockholders was made.
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To be in proper written form, a Nominating Shareholder’s notice to the corporate secretary of the Company must set forth:
● | as to each person whom the Nominating Shareholder proposes to nominate for election as a director (A) the name, age, business address and residential address of the person, (B) the principal occupation(s) or employment(s) of the person, (C) the class or series and number of shares in the capital of the Company which are controlled or which are owned beneficially or of record by the person as of record date for the meeting of shareholders (if such date shall then have been made publicly available and shall have occurred) and as of the date of such notice, and (D) any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a dissident’s proxy circular in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to applicable laws; and |
● | as to the Nominating Shareholder giving the notice, any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such Nominating Shareholder has a right to vote any shares of the Company and any other information relating to such Nominating Shareholder that would be required to be made in a dissident’s proxy circular in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors pursuant to the Act and Applicable Securities Laws. The Company may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may be required under applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities are listed to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director on the Board. |
Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee
The Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee, is responsible for assisting the Board in (i) establishing best practices related to the Company’s, including its subsidiaries, performance of services, (ii) continually evolving and refining techniques, process and procedures to ensure the highest quality of services, (iii) understanding how technology and equipment can be used and implemented to ensure the highest quality of services, and (iv) making recommendations to the Board on matters delegated to it by the Board from time to time. It is the intention of the Board that the Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee be comprised, in part, of medical professionals who can assist the Company with establishing, through research, development, and implementation of best practices and technology advancements, processes and operational infrastructure aimed at increasing the rate of successful outcomes in patient cases as a result of the use of intraoperative monitoring.
Currently, our Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee consists of Dr. Rumana (Chairperson), Mr. Summer and Dr. Isador Lieberman.
Dr. Isador Lieberman, M.D., M.B.A, FRCSC, was appointed to our Medical Monitoring Advisory Committee on March 18, 2021. Dr. Lieberman is a fellowship trained Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and holds specialist certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Lieberman completed medical school and residency at the University of Toronto and completed Spine Surgery and Trauma Surgery fellowships at the Toronto Hospital in Canada and at Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham, England. Dr. Lieberman joined the Texas Back Institute in 2010 and is currently the president and director of its scoliosis and spine tumor program. Prior to joining Texas Back Institute he served as teaching faculty at the University of Toronto, then was recruited to the Cleveland Clinic. His research interests include; clinical outcomes in spinal surgery, biomechanics of spinal implants, robotics for spinal surgery and disc replacement technologies. Dr. Lieberman has conceived and developed a number of spinal surgery instruments and implants and holds over thirty issued U.S. patents. He has been recognized internationally for contributions to minimally invasive/endoscopic spinal surgery and robotics and navigation for spine surgery. In addition, Dr. Lieberman established the Uganda Spine Surgery Mission. Over the past fifteen years this organization has provided more than 250 operations to Ugandans afflicted with spinal ailments including scoliosis.
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Oversight of Executive Compensation Program
The Compensation Committee of the Board oversees the Company’s executive compensation programs that are both motivational and competitive for executive officers and other members of senior management. Additionally, the Compensation Committee is charged with reviewing and approving all compensation decisions relating to the executive officers.
The Compensation Committee is composed entirely of independent, non-management members of the Board. At least once each year, and at such other times as is necessary, the Board reviews any and all relationships that each director has with the Company. The Board has determined that none of the Compensation Committee members has any material business relationship with the Company.
The responsibilities of the Compensation Committee, as stated in its charter, include the following:
● | to review and assess the adequacy of the Compensation Committee charter annually and submit any proposed changes to the Board for approval; |
● | to produce an annual report on senior executive officer compensation for inclusion in the Company’s annual report or the proxy statement relating to its annual meeting of stockholders; |
● | to review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to all incentive-based compensation plans and equity-based plans; |
● | to establish peer groups of comparable companies and targeting competitive positioning for the Company’s compensation programs; and |
● | to consider the implications of the potential risks associated with the Company’s compensation policies and programs; and |
● | to review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the compensation of the senior executive officers. |
Overview of Executive Compensation Program
The objectives of our executive compensation policy are to attract and retain individuals of high caliber to serve as officers, to motivate their performance in order to achieve our strategic objectives and to align the interests of executive officers with the long term interests of our stockholders. Short-term compensation, including base salaries and annual performance bonus, is used to attract and retain employees. Long-term compensation, including our Stock Option Plan and Equity Incentive Plan, is used to reward growth in asset value per share.
Our compensation policy is reviewed and examined annually by the Compensation Committee in accordance with its charter. The Compensation Committee considered the implications of the risks associated with our compensation policies and practices and did not identify any risks arising from our compensation policies and practices that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.
We do not have any written policies which prohibit a named executive officer or director from purchasing financial instruments, including, for greater certainty, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or units of exchange funds, that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by the named executive officer or director.
For the purposes of this Proxy Statement, named executive officers or “NEOs” means each of the following individuals:
(a) | each individual who, in respect of the Company, during any part of the financial year ended December 31, 2021, served as chief executive officer, including an individual performing functions similar to a chief executive officer (“CEO”) of the Company; |
(b) | the Company’s two most highly compensated executive officers who were serving as executive officers at the end of the last completed fiscal year; |
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(c) | up to two individuals who would be an NEO under paragraph (b) but for the fact that the individual was neither an executive officer of the Company, nor acting in a similar capacity, as of December 31, 2021. |
During the financial year ended December 31, 2022, we had two NEOs: John Farlinger (CEO) and John Price (CFO). Mr. Farlinger was appointed the CEO on August 28, 2019. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Farlinger was appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer on May 15, 2018. Mr. Price was appointed as Chief Financial Officer effective March 26, 2021. Prior to his appointment as CFO, Mr. Price was appointed as Vice President of Finance on November 30, 2020.
Compensation Elements and Rationale
Executive officer (including the NEOs) compensation consists of essentially three components: (i) base salary; (ii) annual performance bonus; and (iii) the equity compensation under our Stock Option Plan as amended, Equity Incentive Plan as amended, 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or written grant agreements. Each component of our executive officer compensation arrangements are briefly described below.
Base Salaries
Salaries for executive officers and other members of senior management are determined by evaluating the responsibilities of each executive’s position, as well as the experience and knowledge of the individual, with a view to market competitiveness. Assure benchmarks its executive salaries, by position and responsibility, against other comparable business enterprises. The base salaries for executive officers are reviewed in the fourth quarter of each financial year for the ensuing year by the NCG Committee. Annual salary adjustments take into account the market value of the executive’s role, the executive’s performance throughout the year and the economic factors that affect Assure’s industry and marketplace.
Retention of executive officers is a risk considered by the Compensation Committee in setting base salaries.
Annual Performance Bonus
Each executive is eligible to receive an annual bonus (the “Annual Bonus”) based upon achievement of milestones established by the Compensation Committee. The Annual Bonus is determined, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee at the beginning of each year and is paid during the first quarter of the subsequent year. If the executive voluntarily resigns from their employment with us or if their employment is terminated for cause prior to payment of the Annual Bonus, they shall not be entitled to receive payment of the Annual Bonus, or any portion thereof, whether prorated or otherwise.
Our Annual Bonus provides NEOs and key employees with the opportunity to earn annual incentive awards in respect of their leadership and contribution towards enhanced levels of operating performance. As such, the Annual Bonus is designed to increase alignment with Assure’s strategic and operational goals with awards earned based on the achievement of both financial and personal performance goals.
The “financial performance” of each executive (including NEOs) is measured and calculated on three pre-established annual financial performance measure (the “Financial Performance Measure”). The Financial Performance Measures are designed around key drivers of profitability and operational cash flow, namely: (i) revenue growth; (ii) EBITDA growth; and (iii) cash flow growth, increase in procedures and other identified metrics. For each Financial Performance Measure, there are three performance levels set: threshold, target and maximum.