variable consideration

ASC 310-954 governs how health care entities recognize, measure, present, and disclose receivables, principally amounts due from patients and third-party payors (Blue Cross, Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, workers' compensation). Contractual adjustments and discounts are treated as variable consideration under ASC 606 (606-10-32-5 through 32-14 and 32-42 through 32-45), while an allowance for credit losses is measured under Topic 326. Charity care is never recognized as a receivable, and amounts due from third-party payors for retroactive adjustments such as final settlements or appeals must be reported separately.

ASC 605-15 was the legacy guidance on revenue recognition for sales of product, most notably sales with a right of return (and related product financing and industry arrangements). Every paragraph in the subtopic — background, scope, recognition, and presentation — has been superseded by ASU 2014-09, which replaced it with the revenue model in ASC 606. As a result, the subtopic contains no operative guidance today and exists only as a historical marker.

ASC 605-28 formerly provided the "milestone method" of revenue recognition, an accounting policy election that allowed a vendor in a research-and-development arrangement to recognize contingent milestone consideration in its entirety in the period the milestone was achieved, if the milestone was deemed substantive. Every paragraph of this subtopic — scope, recognition, disclosure, and transition — was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). Milestone-type contingent consideration is now accounted for as variable consideration under ASC 606, subject to the constraint on variable consideration.