MELVILLE, N.Y. , July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gentiva Health Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTIV), the nation's leading provider of comprehensive home health services, today reported strong second quarter results, led by double-digit increases in Medicare revenues and admissions in the Company's Home Health segment.

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Performance highlights for the quarter ended June 29, 2008 included:

-- A 13% increase in net revenues to $346.2 million versus the second quarter ended July 1, 2007 .

-- A 34% rise in net income to $12.0 million , or $0.41 per diluted share, versus $9.0 million , or $0.31 per diluted share, for the prior-year period. Average diluted shares were 29.2 million versus 28.5 million in the second quarter of 2007.

-- A 19% increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to $31.5 million in the second quarter of 2008. EBITDA as a percentage of net revenues was 9.1% in the second quarter of 2008 versus 8.6% in the prior-year period. EBITDA included restructuring and integration costs of $0.4 million for the second quarter of 2008 as compared to $0.6 million for the prior-year period.

'Gentiva has generated a strong first half that puts us well on track to achieve our goals for the year,' said Chairman and CEO Ron Malone. 'We are building our Home Health segment with a focus on growing Medicare admissions, expanding our pioneering specialty programs, and increasing our capacity both organically and through acquisitions, including two transactions completed so far this year. We also saw sequential improvement at both CareCentrix and within our Other Related Services segment.

'These achievements, along with the stable reimbursement outlook indicated in the recently passed Medicare legislation, position Gentiva for continued strength in performance through the balance of 2008 and lead us to increase our financial outlook for the year.'

Gentiva reported these segment highlights for the quarter:

-- Home Health segment revenues increased 16% versus the prior-year period, while operating contribution rose 27%. Home Health's operating contribution margin reached 16.6% versus 15.2% in the second quarter of 2007. Strong Home Health Medicare revenue growth of 18% was driven by a double-digit increase in episodic patient admissions, increases in revenue per episode, due in part to the Company's expanding specialty programs, and the impact of acquisitions completed in 2008.

-- CareCentrix revenues grew by 8% compared with the 2007 second quarter and by $1.5 million over the 2008 first quarter. Operating contribution declined 18% from the year-ago quarter, but increased by approximately $200,000 sequentially as the Company began to see a reduction in the use of capitated services.

-- Revenues in Gentiva's Other Related Services segment -- which includes hospice, respiratory therapy and home medical equipment, infusion services and consulting -- rose by 2% versus the prior-year period. Operating contribution declined 6% compared to the prior-year period. Sequentially, revenue and operating contribution increased $1.0 million and $0.4 million , respectively, as this segment began to benefit from investments in infrastructure and capacity to support accelerated growth and anticipated increases in demand.

Companywide performance highlights for the six months ended June 29, 2008 included:

-- A 10% increase in net revenues to approximately $670 million versus the prior-year period.

-- A 25% rise in net income to $19.7 million , or $0.68 per diluted share, versus $15.8 million , or $0.56 per diluted share, for the first half of 2007.

-- An 11% increase in EBITDA to $55.3 million versus $49.6 million in the prior-year period. Excluding charges for restructuring and integration costs, EBITDA for the period would have been $56.0 million , or $0.69 per diluted share, compared to $51.2 million and $0.59 per diluted share in the prior-year period.

Gentiva announced that it is raising its 2008 outlook for net revenues to a range of $1.32 billion to $1.35 billion , as compared to $1.28 billion to $1.32 billion , and now expects its diluted earnings per share to be between $1.36 and $1.43 , up from the $1.32 to $1.40 range announced earlier this year. Projected earnings exclude special items and restructuring and integration costs.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The information provided in this press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules. In accordance with SEC rules, the Company has provided, in the supplemental information and the footnotes to the tables, a reconciliation of those measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Conference Call and Web Cast Details

The Company will comment further on its second quarter results during its conference call and live web cast to be held Thursday, July 31, 2008 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time . To participate in the call from the United States , Canada or an international location, dial (973) 935-2408 and reference call #56178391. The web cast is an audio-only, one-way event. Web cast listeners who wish to ask questions must participate in the conference call. Log onto http://investors.gentiva.com/events.cfm to hear the web cast. This press release is accessible at http://investors.gentiva.com/releases.cfm and a transcript of the conference call is expected to be available on the site within 36 hours after the call.

About Gentiva Health Services, Inc.

Gentiva Health Services, Inc. is the nation's leading provider of comprehensive home health services. The Company serves patients across the United States , through its direct service delivery units or through CareCentrix(R), which manages home health services for major managed care organizations. Gentiva is a single source for skilled nursing; physical, occupational, speech and neurorehabilitation services; hospice services; social work; nutrition; disease management education; help with daily living activities; respiratory therapy and home medical equipment; infusion therapy services; and other therapies and services. Gentiva's revenues are generated from federal and state government programs, commercial insurance and individual consumers. For more information, visit Gentiva's web site, http://www.gentiva.com, and its investor relations section at http://investors.gentiva.com. GTIV-E



                          (tables and notes follow)



    (in 000's, except per share data)      2nd Quarter         Six Months
                                         2008      2007      2008      2007
    Statements of Income
      Net revenues                     $346,225  $307,277  $669,947  $606,819
      Cost of services and goods sold   194,745   176,276   381,944   346,397
      Gross profit                      151,480   131,001   288,003   260,422
      Selling, general and
       administrative expenses          125,569   109,431   243,449   220,496
      Operating income                   25,911    21,570    44,554    39,926
      Interest expense                   (5,592)   (6,946)  (11,685)  (14,085)
      Interest income                       273       809       940     1,626
      Income before income taxes         20,592    15,433    33,809    27,467
      Income tax expense                  8,568     6,481    14,062    11,676
      Net income                        $12,024    $8,952   $19,747   $15,791

     Earnings per Share
       Net income:
         Basic                            $0.42     $0.32     $0.70     $0.57
         Diluted                          $0.41     $0.31     $0.68     $0.56

       Average shares outstanding:
         Basic                           28,497    27,703    28,389    27,616
         Diluted                         29,240    28,540    29,147    28,447



    Condensed Balance Sheets
     ASSETS                                     Jun 29, 2008      Dec 30, 2007
      Cash, cash equivalents and
       restricted cash (A)                         $22,079           $36,181
      Short-term investments (B)                       -              31,250
      Accounts receivable, net (C)                 233,478           207,801
      Deferred tax assets                           11,306            18,859
      Prepaid expenses and other current
       assets                                       14,455            14,415
           Total current assets                    281,318           308,506

      Long-term investments (B)                     12,641               -
      Fixed assets, net                             66,181            59,562
      Intangible assets, net                       240,158           211,602
      Goodwill                                     316,069           276,100
      Other assets                                  26,008            26,463
          Total assets                            $942,375          $882,233

     LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
      Current portion of long-term debt            $   -              $2,304
      Accounts payable                              22,207            20,093
      Payroll and related taxes                     19,094            17,163
      Deferred revenue                              33,624            29,015
      Medicare liabilities                           8,782             7,985
      Cost of claims incurred but not
       reported                                     22,089            24,321
      Obligations under insurance
       programs                                     38,805            36,816
      Other accrued expenses                        34,138            42,282
           Total current liabilities               178,739           179,979

      Long-term debt                               331,000           307,696
      Deferred tax liabilities, net                 57,152            48,572
      Other liabilities                             22,109            22,557
      Shareholders' equity                         353,375           323,429
           Total liabilities and
            shareholders' equity                  $942,375          $882,233

      Common shares outstanding                     28,507            28,046


(A) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash included restricted cash of $0.3 million at June 29, 2008 and $22.0 million at December 30, 2007 .

(B) Short-term and long-term investments at June 29, 2008 and December 30, 2007 consisted of AAA-rated auction rate securities. At June 29, 2008 , long-term investments were presented net of a $0.4 million valuation allowance, the charge for which was recorded in shareholders' equity.

(C) Accounts receivable, net, included an allowance for doubtful accounts of $10.5 million and $9.4 million at June 29, 2008 and December 30, 2007 , respectively.



      (in 000's)                                           Six Months
     Condensed Statements of Cash Flows              2008              2007
     OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
     Net income                                    $19,747           $15,791
     Adjustments to reconcile net income to
      net cash provided by operating activities:
      Depreciation and amortization                 10,753             9,698
      Amortization of debt issuance costs              593               509
      Provision for doubtful accounts                6,124             3,886
      Equity-based compensation expense              3,220             3,477
      Windfall tax benefits associated
       with equity-based compensation               (1,306)             (656)
      Deferred income taxes                         10,829             9,187
     Changes in assets and liabilities,
      net of acquired businesses:
      Accounts receivable                          (24,960)          (28,321)
      Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (1,508)           (4,372)
      Current liabilities                           (3,240)           11,112
     Other, net                                        529             1,200
     Net cash provided by operating
      activities                                    20,781            21,511

     INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
     Purchase of fixed assets                      (13,831)          (12,486)
     Acquisition of businesses, net of
      cash acquired                                (59,217)              -
     Purchases of short-term investments
      available-for-sale                           (28,000)          (39,100)
     Maturities of short-term investments
      available-for-sale                            46,250            43,150
     Net cash used in investing activities         (54,798)           (8,436)

     FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
     Proceeds from issuance of common stock          6,211             6,462
     Windfall tax benefits associated
      with equity-based compensation                 1,306               656
     Borrowings under revolving credit facility     24,000               -
     Home Health Care Affiliates debt repayments    (7,420)              -
     Debt issuance costs                              (557)              -
     Other debt repayments                          (3,000)          (18,000)
     Repayment of capital lease obligations           (625)             (587)
     Net cash provided by (used in)
      financing activities                          19,915           (11,469)

     Net change in cash, cash equivalents
      and restricted cash                          (14,102)            1,606
     Cash, cash equivalents and
      restricted cash at beginning of period        36,181            32,910
     Cash, cash equivalents and
      restricted cash at end of period             $22,079           $34,516

     SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH
      FLOW INFORMATION:

     Interest paid                                 $11,355           $15,739
     Income taxes paid, net of refunds              $6,071            $1,107



      (in 000's)
     Supplemental Information             2nd Quarter          Six Months
                                         2008      2007      2008      2007
    Segment Information (1)
     Net revenues
      Home Health                      $236,876  $204,894  $453,876  $409,925
      CareCentrix                        79,323    73,326   157,171   139,216
      Other Related Services             30,839    30,332    60,657    60,895
      Intersegment revenues                (813)   (1,275)   (1,757)   (3,217)
     Total net revenues                $346,225  $307,277  $669,947  $606,819

     Operating contribution (3)
      Home Health                       $39,423   $31,101   $70,625   $61,089
      CareCentrix                         6,523     7,987    12,849    14,941
      Other Related Services              3,278     3,479     6,123     7,466
     Total operating contribution        49,224    42,567    89,597    83,496
     Corporate expenses                 (17,711)  (16,082)  (34,290)  (33,872)
     Depreciation and amortization       (5,602)   (4,915)  (10,753)   (9,698)
     Interest expense, net               (5,319)   (6,137)  (10,745)  (12,459)
     Income before income taxes         $20,592   $15,433   $33,809   $27,467



                                          2nd Quarter          Six Months
                                         2008      2007      2008      2007
     Net Revenues by Major Payer
      Source:
      Medicare
        Home Health                    $161,257  $136,829  $306,362  $272,083
        Other                            15,727    14,858    30,301    30,146
        Total Medicare                  176,984   151,687   336,663   302,229
      Medicaid and local government      36,608    40,331    71,974    78,659
      Commercial insurance
       and other (4)                    132,633   115,259   261,310   225,931
           Total net revenues          $346,225  $307,277  $669,947  $606,819



    A reconciliation of EBITDA to Net
     income - As Reported amounts
     follows: (2)                         2nd Quarter          Six Months
                                         2008      2007      2008      2007
      EBITDA (3)                        $31,513   $26,485   $55,307   $49,624
      Depreciation and amortization      (5,602)   (4,915)  (10,753)   (9,698)
      Interest expense, net              (5,319)   (6,137)  (10,745)  (12,459)
      Income before income taxes         20,592    15,433    33,809    27,467
      Income tax expense (5)             (8,568)   (6,481)  (14,062)  (11,676)
      Net income - As Reported          $12,024    $8,952   $19,747   $15,791


Notes:

1) The Company's senior management evaluates performance and allocates resources based on operating contributions of the reportable segments, which exclude corporate expenses, depreciation, amortization, and interest expense (net), but include revenues and all other costs directly attributable to the specific segment.

2) EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, is defined as income before interest expense (net of interest income), income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Management uses EBITDA to evaluate overall performance and compare current operating results with other companies in the healthcare industry. EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income, operating income or cash flow statement data determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States . Because EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and is susceptible to varying calculations, it may not be comparable to similarly titled measures in other companies.

3) Operating contribution and EBITDA for the second quarter and first half of 2008 included restructuring and integration costs of $0.4 million and $0.7 million , respectively. For the second quarter and first half of 2007, operating contribution and EBITDA included restructuring and integration costs of $0.6 million and $1.6 million , respectively. The restructuring and integration costs were reflected as follows for segment reporting (dollars in millions):



                                           2nd Quarter        Six Months
                                          2008     2007     2008     2007
    Home Health                           $0.1     $0.1     $0.2     $0.4
    Other Related Services                   -      0.1        -      0.1
    Corporate                              0.3      0.4      0.5      1.1
    Total                                 $0.4     $0.6     $0.7     $1.6


4) Commercial insurance and other revenues included revenues from Medicare Advantage business paid on an episodic basis of $13.4 million and $24.5 million for the second quarter and first half of 2008, respectively, and $7.2 million and $12.6 million for the second quarter and first half of 2007, respectively.

5) The Company's effective tax rate was 41.6% for the second quarter and first half of 2008, and 42.0% and 42.5% for the second quarter and first half of 2007, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements contained in this news release, including, without limitation, statements containing the words 'believes,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'expects,' 'assumes,' 'trends' and similar expressions, constitute 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current plans, expectations and projections about future events. However, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: economic and business conditions; demographic changes; changes in, or failure to comply with, existing governmental regulations; legislative proposals for healthcare reform; changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels, including changes to the Medicare home health Prospective Payment System effective January 1, 2008 ; effects of competition in the markets in which the Company operates; liability and other claims asserted against the Company; ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; availability and terms of capital; loss of significant contracts or reduction in revenues associated with major payer sources; ability of customers to pay for services; business disruption due to natural disasters or terrorist acts; ability to successfully integrate the operations of acquisitions the Company may make and achieve expected synergies and operational efficiencies within expected time-frames; effect on liquidity of the Company's debt service requirements; a material shift in utilization within capitated agreements; and changes in estimates and judgments associated with critical accounting policies and estimates. For a detailed discussion of certain of these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in this news release, please refer to the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the 'Risk Factors' section contained in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2007 .

     Financial and Investor Contact:  John R. Potapchuk
                                      631-501-7035
                                      john.potapchuk@gentiva.com

     Media Contacts:                  David Fluhrer
                                      631-501-7102, 516-589-0778
                                      david.fluhrer@gentiva.com

SOURCE Gentiva Health Services, Inc.