CareTrust REIT (CTRE) Risk Analysis

We, our borrowers and the healthcare operators leasing our properties depend on the healthcare industry and are susceptible to risks associated with healthcare reform. Legislative proposals are introduced each year that would introduce major changes in the healthcare system, both nationally and at the state level. For example, we believe that efforts may be made to, among other things, transition Federal payment programs further in the direction of value based care, but we cannot predict whether or in what form any of these measures may be enacted, or what effect they would have on our business or the businesses of our tenants if enacted. Efforts may also be made to reduce the age at which individuals become eligible for Medicare, which could have an adverse impact on our tenants because Medicare sometimes reimburses long term care providers at rates lower than those paid by commercial payors. In addition, the Biden Administration announced a focus on implementing minimum staffing requirements and increased inspections as part of nursing home reforms announced in the 2022 State of the Union Address. On April 22, 2024, CMS issued a final rule regarding minimum staffing requirements and increased inspections at nursing homes in order to establish comprehensive nurse staffing requirements. The rule consists of three core staffing requirements: (1) overall minimum standard of 3.48 total nurse staff hours per resident day; (2) minimum nurse staffing standards of 0.55 hours per resident day for registered nurses and 2.45 hours of care from a certified nurse's aid per resident per day; and (3) a requirement to have a registered nurse onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The rule includes a staggered implementation approach for which CMS will publish additional details on compliance as the implementation dates approach. The rule also includes possible waivers and temporary hardship exemptions for select facilities; however, no funding for the additional staff will be provided. We are currently evaluating the impact of the rule, but believe the unfunded mandate to increase staff may have a material and adverse impact on the financial condition of our tenants, operators and borrowers. We cannot predict how the new Trump Administration will implement the rule. We also cannot predict whether any future legislation related to staffing will be adopted or, if adopted, the impact such legislation may have on our tenants or our business. Our tenants and borrowers are subject to extensive federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting the healthcare industry that include those relating to, among other things, licensure, conduct of operations, ownership of facilities, addition of facilities and equipment, allowable costs, services, prices for services, qualified beneficiaries, quality of care, patient rights and insurance, fraudulent or abusive behavior, labor and employment issues and financial and other arrangements that may be entered into by healthcare providers. See "Government Regulation, Licensing and Enforcement" in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information. If our borrowers, tenants or operators fail to comply with the laws, regulations and other requirements applicable to their businesses and the operation of our properties, they could become ineligible to receive reimbursement from governmental and private third-party payor programs, face bans on admissions of new patients or residents, suffer civil or criminal penalties or be required to make significant operational changes. The cost to comply with these laws, regulations and other requirements results in increased costs of doing business for our tenants, operators and borrowers. For example, on October 13, 2023, California Senate Bill No. 525 ("SB 525") was signed into law, requiring a substantial increase in the minimum wage for workers operating in certain health care facilities. As a result of SB 525, certain health care facilities (including licensed skilled nursing facilities) operating in California are required to increase the wages of their covered health care employees to at least $21 per hour from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2026, $22 or $23 per hour (depending on facility type) from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2028, and $25 per hour after June 1, 2028. After the initial implementation was delayed by the Governor of California in June 2024, SB 525 went into effect on October 16, 2024. If our tenants, operators and borrowers are unable to offset these increased costs, their operating results and financial condition will be adversely impacted and our tenants and borrowers may be unable to satisfy their obligations to us. We believe that additional resources may be dedicated to regulatory enforcement, which could further increase our tenants' and borrowers' costs of doing business and negatively impact their ability to pay their obligations to us. Changes in enforcement policies by federal and state governments have also resulted in a significant increase in inspection rates, citations of regulatory deficiencies and sanctions, including terminations from Medicare and Medicaid programs, bars on Medicare and Medicaid payments for new admissions, civil monetary penalties and criminal penalties. Our tenants, operators and borrowers could be forced to expend considerable resources responding to an investigation, lawsuit or other enforcement action under applicable laws or regulations. Additionally, if our tenants' or borrowers' residents do not have insurance, it could adversely impact the tenants' or borrowers' ability to satisfy their obligation to us.

We currently operate, and intend to continue to operate, in a manner that will allow us to continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2014. We received an opinion of our counsel with respect to our qualification as a REIT in connection with becoming a public company. Investors should be aware, however, that opinions of advisors are not binding on the IRS or any court. The opinion of our counsel represents only the view of our counsel based on its review and analysis of existing law and on certain representations as to factual matters and covenants made by us, including representations relating to the values of our assets and the sources of our income. The opinion is expressed as of the date issued. Our counsel has no obligation to advise us or the holders of any of our securities of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed or of any subsequent change in applicable law. Furthermore, both the validity of the opinion of our counsel and our qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis, the results of which will not be monitored by our counsel. Our ability to satisfy the asset tests depends upon our analysis of the characterization and fair market values of our assets, some of which are not susceptible to a precise determination, and for which we will not obtain independent appraisals. If we fail to qualify to be taxed as a REIT in any year, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates, and dividends paid to our stockholders would not be deductible by us in computing our taxable income. Any resulting corporate liability could be substantial and would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders, which could have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock. Unless we were entitled to relief under certain Code provisions, we also would be disqualified from re-electing to be taxed as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which we failed to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, as a current or previous owner of real estate, we may be required to investigate and clean up certain hazardous or toxic substances or petroleum released at a property, and may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage and for investigation and cleanup costs incurred by the third parties in connection with the contamination. In addition, some environmental laws create a lien on the contaminated site in favor of the government for damages and the costs it incurs in connection with the contamination. Neither we nor our tenants carry environmental insurance on our properties. Contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may materially adversely affect our ability to sell or lease the real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral. As the owner of a site, we may also be held liable to third parties for damages and injuries resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the site. Although we generally require our tenants, as operators of our healthcare properties, to indemnify us for environmental liabilities they cause, such liabilities could exceed the financial ability of the tenant to indemnify us or the value of the contaminated property. We may also experience environmental liabilities arising from conditions not known to us.

Sometimes, governmental payors freeze or reduce payments to healthcare providers, or provide annual reimbursement rate increases that are smaller than expected, due to budgetary and other pressures. Healthcare reimbursement will likely continue to be of significant importance to federal and state authorities. For example, the federal government and a number of states are currently managing budget deficits and, as a result, many states are focusing on the reduction of expenditures under their Medicaid programs, which may result in a freeze on Medicaid rates or a decrease in reimbursement rates for our tenants and borrowers. The need to control Medicaid expenditures may be exacerbated by the potential for increased enrollment in Medicaid due to unemployment and declines in family incomes. These potential reductions could be compounded by the potential for federal cost-cutting efforts that could lead to reductions in reimbursement to our tenants and borrowers under both the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Additionally, in July 2023, Medicare excluded marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services from SNF consolidated billing. While these services may still be billed by the clinicians providing the services, such services may not be covered under the SNFs Medicare Part A payment. While we cannot make any assessment as to the ultimate timing or the effect that any future legislative reforms may have on our tenants' or borrowers' costs of doing business and on the amount of reimbursement by government and other third-party payors, potential reductions in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, or in non-governmental third-party payor reimbursement, to our tenants and borrowers could reduce the revenues of our tenants and borrowers and their ability to meet their obligations to us.

We derive revenue primarily by leasing our assets under long-term triple-net leases with rental rates that, subject to certain limitations, are generally fixed with annual rent escalations contingent on changes in the Consumer Price Index, subject to maximum fixed percentages. If the Consumer Price Index does not increase, our revenues may not increase. In addition, if economic conditions result in significant increases in the Consumer Price Index, but the escalations under our leases are capped, our growth and profitability also may be limited.

Global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions over the past several years, including declines in consumer confidence, concerns about declines in economic growth, increases in the rate of inflation, increases in borrowing rates and changes in liquidity and credit availability, and uncertainty about economic stability, including most recently in connection with proposed policies of the Trump administration, actions undertaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board to address inflation, the military conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and supply chain disruptions. While consumer sentiment is on the rise, concerns about declines in economic growth have faded and inflation has cooled there can be no assurance that further deterioration in credit and financial markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic downturn, volatile business environment or unpredictable and unstable market conditions. In addition, increased costs due to inflationary conditions may continue to adversely affect the operating expenses of our tenants and borrowers and their ability to meet their obligations to us and may also increase the costs for us to make capital improvements to our facilities. There is significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United States and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations, and tariffs. The Trump administration has indicated it will institute trade policy changes including the imposition of additional tariffs on imported products in an effort to address trade imbalances, specifically with China. In response to some of these actions, certain countries may impose retaliatory actions against the U.S. These policies may lead to supply chain constraints and additional inflation, further increasing operational costs of our facilities. Our business could also be adversely impacted by volatility caused by geopolitical events, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. A significant downturn in economic activity may cause a reduction in spending on healthcare matters and our tenants and borrowers may need to seek to lower their costs by renegotiating their agreements with us. Such reductions may disproportionately affect our revenue. In addition, if the current equity and credit markets deteriorate, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult, more costly, and more dilutive. Furthermore, our stock price may decline due in part to the volatility of the stock market and the general economic downturn.