LHC (LHCG) S-3ASRAutomatic shelf registration

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 21, 2021

Registration No. 333-            

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

LHC GROUP, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Copies to:

J. Mark Ray

Kyle G. Healy

Alston & Bird LLP

One Atlantic Center

1201 West Peachtree Street

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

(404) 881-7000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:

From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

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, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, 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 registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

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. (Check one):

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 Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

PROSPECTUS

LHC GROUP, INC.

Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants, Purchase Contracts and Units

From time to time, LHC Group, Inc. may offer and sell the following securities:

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The debt securities, preferred stock, warrants and purchase contracts may be convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common or preferred stock or other securities.

We may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, other third parties, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods, on a continuous or delayed basis. In addition, certain selling securityholders may offer and sell our securities from time to time.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to these securities. The specific terms of any securities to be offered will be described in a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the terms of the securities.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market and trades under the ticker symbol “LHCG.” Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange.

Investing in our securities involves risks. You should refer to the risk factors referenced on page 5 of this prospectus and carefully consider that information before buying our securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Prospectus dated May 21, 2021.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the Commission, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. No person is authorized to give any information or represent anything not contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We are only offering the securities in places where sales of those securities are permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or information incorporated by reference herein or therein, is current as of any date other than the date of such information. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. Each time we offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering and the manner in which the securities will be offered. The prospectus supplement may also add, update, change or clarify information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Any statement that we make in this prospectus will be modified or superseded by any inconsistent statement made by us in a prospectus supplement. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the information in the prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. We urge you to read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and other offering material together with additional information described under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference.”

In this prospectus, we refer to common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units collectively as the “securities.” The terms the “Company,” “LHC Group,” “our company,” “we,” “our,” “ours” and “us” refer to LHC Group, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, including that in the discussion of the capital stock and related matters, where these terms refer solely to LHC Group, Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We are required to file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Commission. You may read and copy any documents filed by us at the Commission’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our filings with the Commission are also available to the public through the Commission’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.

We have filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 relating to the securities covered by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. This prospectus is a part of the registration statement and does not contain all the information in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement to a contract or other document, the reference is only a summary and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement for a copy of the contract or other document. You may review a copy of the registration statement at the Commission’s public reference room in Washington, D.C., as well as through the Commission’s Internet site.

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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The Commission’s rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document. Any information referred to in this way is considered part of this prospectus from the date we file that document. Any reports filed by us with the Commission after the date of this prospectus will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the following documents or information filed with the Commission (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with Commission rules):

We will provide without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents, unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. These documents are available on our website at http://www.lhcgroup.com. You can also request those documents from our Investor Relations Department at the following address:

901 Hugh Wallis Road South

Lafayette, LA 70508

(337) 233-1307

Except as expressly provided above, no other information, including information on our website, is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

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SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND RISK FACTORS

Statements in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein, including the potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our results of operations and liquidity, the potential impact of actions we have taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the expected benefit of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”) on our liquidity, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements relate to future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, future financial performance, and expectations and beliefs concerning matters that are not historical facts or that necessarily depend upon future events. The words “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “foresee,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “intend,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as such statements speak only as of the date they were made. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to:

The forward-looking statements included in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein reflect our current views and assumptions only as of the date this report is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we assume no responsibility and do not intend to release updates or revisions to forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The occurrence of any of the events described in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and as updated in any future filings with the Commission, and other events that we have not predicted or assessed, could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, financial condition, and business, and any such forward-looking statements should not be relied on as a prediction of future events.

We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by this cautionary statement. In addition, with respect to all of our forward-looking statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Additional factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in the forward-looking statements can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and as updated in any future filings with the Commission.

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COMPANY SUMMARY

Our Company

We provide quality, cost-effective post-acute health care services to our patients. As of March 31, 2021, we have 829 service providers in 35 states within the continental United States and the District of Columbia. Our services are classified into five segments: (1) home health services, (2) hospice services, (3) home and community-based services, (4) facility-based services, primarily offered through our long-term acute care hospitals (“LTACHs”), and (5) healthcare innovations (“HCI”).

Our home health service locations offer a wide range of services, including skilled nursing, medically-oriented social services and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. The nurses, home health aides, and therapists in our home health agencies work closely with patients and their families to design and implement individualized treatment plans in accordance with a physician-prescribed plan of care. As of March 31, 2021, we operated 531 home health service locations, of which 318 are wholly-owned by us, 209 are majority-owned by us through equity joint ventures, two are under license lease arrangements, and the operations of the remaining two locations are managed by us.

Our hospices provide end-of-life care to patients with terminal illnesses through interdisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, home health aides, counselors, and volunteers. We offer a wide range of services, including pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual support, inpatient and respite care, homemaker services, and counseling. As of March 31, 2021, we operated 120 hospice locations, of which 56 are wholly-owned by us, 62 are majority-owned by us through equity joint ventures, and two are under license lease arrangements.

Our home and community-based locations offer assistance with activities of daily living to elderly, chronically ill, and disabled patients, performed by skilled nursing and paraprofessional personnel. As of March 31, 2021, we operated 129 locations, of which 117 are wholly-owned by us and 12 are majority-owned by us through equity joint ventures.

Our LTACH locations provide services primarily to patients with complex medical conditions who have transitioned out of a hospital intensive care unit but whose conditions remain too severe for treatment in a non-acute setting. As of March 31, 2021, we operated 11 LTACHs with 12 locations, of which all but three are located within host hospitals. As part of our facility-based services segment, we also operate two skilled nursing facilities, one pharmacy, a rural health clinic, one physician practice, one family health center, and 16 physical therapy clinics. Of these 36 facility-based services locations, 26 are wholly-owned by us and 10 are majority-owned by us through equity joint ventures.

Our HCI segment reports on our developmental activities outside its other business segments. The HCI segment includes (a) Imperium Health Management, LLC, an Accountable Care Organization (“ACO”) enablement and management company, (b) Long Term Solutions, Inc., an in-home assessment company serving the long-term care insurance industry, and (c) certain assets operated by Advance Care House Calls, which provides primary medical care for patients with chronic and acute illnesses who have difficulty traveling to a doctor’s office. These activities are intended ultimately, whether directly or indirectly, to benefit our patients and/or payors through the enhanced provision of services in our other segments. The activities all share a common goal of improving patient experiences and quality outcomes, while lowering costs. They include, but are not limited to, items such as: technology, information, population health management, risk-sharing, care-coordination and transitions, clinical advancements, enhanced patient engagement and informed clinical decision and technology enabled in-home clinical assessments. We have 13 HCI locations, 12 of which are wholly-owned and one is controlled by us through an equity joint venture.

Our History

Our founders began operations in September 1994 as St. Landry Home Health, Inc. in Palmetto, Louisiana. After several years of expansion, our founders reorganized their business and began operating as Louisiana Healthcare Group, Inc. in June 2000. In March 2001, Louisiana Healthcare Group, Inc. reorganized and became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Healthcare Group, Inc., a Louisiana business corporation. In December 2002, The Healthcare Group, Inc. merged into LHC Group, LLC, a Louisiana limited liability company, with LHC Group, LLC being the surviving entity. In January 2005, LHC Group, LLC established a wholly owned Delaware subsidiary, LHC Group, Inc. and on February 9, 2005, LHC Group, LLC merged into LHC Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation with LHC Group, Inc. being the surviving entity.

Our principal executive offices are located at 901 Hugh Wallis Road, South, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70508, and our telephone number is (337) 233-1307. Our website is www.lhcgroup.com. Information contained on our website is not part of or incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves risk. You should carefully consider the specific risks discussed or incorporated by reference in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all the other information contained in the prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the Commission in the future.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include additions to working capital, capital expenditures, repayment of debt, the financing of possible acquisitions and investments, stock repurchases or dividends.

We will not receive any proceeds from the resale of securities by selling securityholders under this prospectus or any supplement to it.

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

This prospectus contains summary descriptions of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units that we may offer from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. The particular terms of any security will be described in the related prospectus supplement and other offering material.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

Overview

The following is a description of LHC Group, Inc.’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (“Certificate of Incorporation”) and Bylaws, as amended (“Bylaws”). The following descriptions of our capital stock and provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are summaries of their material terms and provisions and are qualified by reference to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. The descriptions do not purport to be complete statements of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. You must read those documents for complete information on the terms of our capital stock.

Authorized Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock consists of 60,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. As of March 31, 2021, we had 36,507,148 shares of our common stock issued, 31,240,270 shares of our common stock outstanding, no shares of our preferred stock outstanding, and an additional 2,710,554 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under our employee benefit plans.

Common Stock

Each holder of our common stock will be entitled to one vote per share of record on all matters to be voted upon by our stockholders, including the election of directors, and do not have cumulative voting rights. Generally, all matters other than the election of directors submitted to our stockholders at any properly-convened meeting of our stockholders shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock present in person or represented by proxy at a meeting and entitled to vote thereon. Election of directors at all properly-convened meetings of our stockholders at which directors are to be elected are decided by a plurality of the votes cast.

Subject to the preferential rights of the holders of any preferred stock that may at the time be outstanding, each share of common stock will entitle the holder of that share to an equal and ratable right to receive dividends or other distributions if declared from time to time by our board of directors and if there are sufficient funds to legally pay a dividend.

In the event of the Company’s liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payments to creditors and after satisfaction of the liquidation preference, if any, of the holders of any preferred stock that may at the time be outstanding.

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights and there are no redemption or sinking funds provisions applicable to our common stock.

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Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “LHCG.”

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC serves as the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Preferred Stock

The authorized preferred stock will be available for issuance from time to time at the discretion of our board of directors without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the authority to prescribe for each series of preferred stock it establishes the number of shares in that series, the number of votes, if any, to which the shares in that series are entitled, the consideration for the shares in that series, the powers, designations, preferences, the relative, participating, optional, or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, of the shares in that series. Depending upon the rights prescribed for a series of preferred stock, the issuance of preferred stock could have an adverse effect on the voting power of the holders of our common stock and could adversely affect holders of our common stock by delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company, making removal of the Company’s management more difficult or imposing restrictions upon the payment of dividends and other distributions to the holders of our common stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may decrease the market price of our common stock.

Authorized But Unissued Shares

The Delaware General Corporate Law (“DGCL”) does not require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. Authorized but unissued shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public or private offerings to raise additional capital or to facilitate corporate acquisitions. One of the effects of the existence of authorized but unissued shares may be to enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest, or otherwise and thereby protect the continuity of current management and possibly restrict our stockholders of opportunities to sell their shares of our common stock at prices higher than prevailing market prices.

Certain Provisions That May Have an Anti-Takeover Effect

Certain other provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws may delay or make more difficult unsolicited acquisitions or changes of control of the Company. These provisions could have the effect of discouraging third parties from making proposals involving an unsolicited acquisition or change in control of the Company. These provisions may also have the effect of making it more difficult for third parties to cause the replacement of the current management without the concurrence of our board of directors. These provisions include:

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Section 203 of the DGCL

The Company is subject to Section 203 (“Section 203”) of the DGCL, which, subject to certain exceptions, prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combinations with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless (i) before such date the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding those shares owned (x) by persons who are directors and also officers and (y) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer, or (iii) on or after such date the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 203 defines business combination to include (i) any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder, (ii) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of assets of the corporation, (iii) subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder, (iv) any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, or (v) the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation. In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such an entity or person.

A Delaware corporation may “opt out” of Section 203, but we have not elected to do so, and we therefore will be subject to the anti-takeover provisions of Section 203. The application of the provisions of Section 203 may therefore delay, prevent or make more difficult certain unsolicited acquisitions, tender offers or changes of control of the Company and also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions which our stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interest.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE DEBT SECURITIES

General

The following description of the terms of the debt securities contains certain general terms that may apply to the debt securities. The specific terms of any debt securities will be described in one or more prospectus supplements relating to those debt securities and other offering materials we may provide.

We will issue the debt securities under an indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture (the “Indenture”). A copy of the form of Indenture is included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The terms of the debt securities will include those stated in the Indenture and any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities. The Indenture will be subject to and governed by the terms of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

We have summarized below the material provisions of the Indenture and the debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. These descriptions are only summaries, and each investor in our debt securities should refer to the Indenture (including any applicable supplemental indentures), the applicable prospectus supplement and any related documents, which describe more completely the terms and definitions summarized below and contain additional information regarding the debt securities. Any reference to particular sections or defined terms of the Indenture in any statement under this heading qualifies the entire statement and incorporates by reference the applicable section or definition into that statement.

The debt securities will be our direct general obligations and may be secured or unsecured. We may issue senior or subordinated debt securities, as specified in the prospectus supplement relating to that issuance of debt securities. The debt securities may be guaranteed by one or more of our direct or indirect subsidiaries.

The Indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. The Indenture allows us to reopen a previous issue of a series of debt securities and issue additional debt securities of that issue.

We are a holding company and conduct substantially all of our operations through subsidiaries. As a result, claims of holders of the debt securities will effectively have a junior position to claims of creditors of our subsidiaries, except to the extent that we may be recognized as a creditor of those subsidiaries. In addition, our right to participate as a shareholder in any distribution of assets of any subsidiary (and thus the ability of holders of the debt securities to benefit as creditors of the company from such distribution) is junior to creditors of that subsidiary.

We may issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series. The debt securities may be denominated and payable in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. We may also issue debt securities, from time to time, with the principal amount, interest or other amounts payable on any relevant payment date to be determined by reference to one or more currency exchange rates, securities or baskets of securities, commodity prices, indices or any other financial, economic or other measure or instrument, including the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event or circumstance. In addition, we may issue debt securities as part of units issued by us. All references in this prospectus, or any prospectus supplement to other amounts will include premium, if any, other cash amounts payable under the applicable indenture, and the delivery of securities or baskets of securities under the terms of the debt securities.

Debt securities may contain tranches that bear interest at a fixed rate, which may be zero, and tranches that bear interest at a floating rate.

The prospectus supplement and other offering materials we may provide relating to the particular series of debt securities being offered will specify the particular terms of, and other information relating to, those debt securities, including whether the debt securities will be guaranteed, the terms and conditions of such guarantees and provisions for the accession of the guarantors to certain obligations under the Indenture.

Some of the debt securities may be issued as original issue discount debt securities (the “Original Issue Discount Securities”). Original Issue Discount Securities bear no interest or bear interest at below market rates and will be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. The prospectus supplement relating to an issue of Original Issue Discount Securities will contain information relating to United States federal income tax, accounting and other special considerations applicable to Original Issue Discount Securities.

The Indenture may contain provisions with regard to the conversion or exchange of the debt securities, at the option of the holders of such debt securities or LHC Group, as the case may be, for or into new securities of a different series, LHC Group’s common stock or other securities.

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Holders may present debt securities for exchange or transfer, in the manner, at the places and subject to the restrictions stated in the debt securities and described in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material we may provide. We will provide these services without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with these services and subject to any limitations provided in the Indenture.

Holders may transfer debt securities in definitive bearer form by delivery to the transferee. If any of the securities are held in global form, the procedures for transfer of interests in those securities will depend upon the procedures of the depositary for those global securities. See “Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance” below.

We will generally have no obligation to repurchase, redeem or change the terms of debt securities upon any event (including a change in control) that might have an adverse effect on our credit quality.

Events of Default

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the Indenture with respect to any series of debt securities:

If an event of default with respect to the outstanding debt securities of a particular series occurs and continues, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series of outstanding debt securities may declare the principal amount of such series of debt securities to be due and payable immediately; provided that, in the case of certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, such principal amount, or portion thereof will automatically become due and payable without any action by the trustee or any holder. However, at any time after an acceleration with respect to the debt securities of a particular series has occurred, but before a judgment or decree based on such acceleration has been obtained, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration. For information as to waiver of defaults, see “Modification and Waiver” below.

If the principal or any premium or interest on any debt security is payable in a currency other than U.S. dollars and such currency is not available to the Company for making payment due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond the Company’s control, the Company is entitled to satisfy its obligations to holders of such debt securities by making such payment in U.S. dollars in an amount equal to the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amount payable in such other currency, as determined by the trustee as provided in the Indenture. Any payment made under such circumstances in U.S. Dollars where the required payment is in a currency other than U.S. Dollars will not constitute an event of default under the Indenture.

Subject to the duty of the trustee during default to act with the required standard of care, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless such holders have offered the trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. Subject to such indemnification and certain other limitations, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a particular series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of such series.

Other than with respect to a lawsuit for the payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on any series of debt securities when due, the Indenture provides that no holder of such series of debt securities may institute any action against the Company under the Indenture without first complying with the conditions set forth in the Indenture.

The Company will furnish to the trustee an annual statement as to the Company’s performance of certain of its obligations under the Indenture and as to any default in such performance.

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The provisions set forth in the prior five paragraphs may be revised or superseded by additional or replacement provisions described in an applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities.

Modification and Waiver

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities, modifications and amendments of the Indenture with respect to any series of debt securities outstanding may be made by the Company and the trustee with the consent of holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series, except that no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of the applicable series affected thereby:

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities, the Company and the trustee may also modify and amend the Indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities in limited circumstances, such as clarifications and changes that would not adversely affect the holders.

The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding debt securities may, on behalf of the holders of all such debt securities, waive the Company’s compliance with any provisions of the Indenture or such series of debt securities, subject to the rights of the holders to receive payment of the principal of, and premium, if any, and interest on, such debt securities on the maturity date and, if the terms of such debt security so provide, to convert such security in accordance with its terms, and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment after such respective dates. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of any series of outstanding debt securities may, on behalf of the holders of all such debt securities, waive any past default under the Indenture, except a default in the payment of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, such debt securities or in respect of any provision of the Indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of such series affected thereby.

Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

The following provisions related to Legal Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance, as such terms are defined below, will apply unless otherwise provided in an applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities.

The Indenture provides that the Company may, at its option, elect to discharge its obligations with respect to any series of debt securities (“Legal Defeasance”). If Legal Defeasance occurs, the Company will be deemed to have paid and discharged all amounts owed under the applicable series of debt securities, and the Indenture will cease to be of further effect as to such series of debt securities, except that:

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In addition, the Company may, at its option and at any time, elect to cause the release of its obligations with respect to most of the covenants in the Indenture (“Covenant Defeasance”) with respect to any series of debt securities. If Covenant Defeasance occurs, certain events (not including non-payment events and bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization events) relating to the Company described under “Events of Default” will no longer constitute events of default with respect to such series of debt securities. The Company may exercise Legal Defeasance regardless of whether it previously exercised Covenant Defeasance.

In order to exercise either Legal Defeasance or Covenant Defeasance (each, a “Defeasance”) with respect to any series of debt securities:

(1) the Company must irrevocably deposit with the trustee, in trust, for the benefit of holders of the debt securities of such series, U.S. legal tender, U.S. government securities, a combination thereof or other obligations as may be provided with respect to such series of debt securities, in amounts that will be sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, the applicable series of debt securities on the stated date for payment or any redemption date thereof, and the trustee must have, for benefit of holders of such debt securities, a valid, perfected, exclusive security interest in the trust;

(2) in the case of Legal Defeasance, the Company must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that:

(3) in the case of Covenant Defeasance, the Company must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel in the United States reasonably acceptable to the trustee confirming that holders of such series of debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the Covenant Defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the Covenant Defeasance had not occurred;

(4) no default or event of default may have occurred and be continuing under the Indenture on the date of the deposit with respect to such series of debt securities; in addition, no event of default relating to bankruptcy or insolvency may occur at any time from the date of the deposit to the 91st calendar day thereafter;

(5) the Defeasance may not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the Indenture or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound;

(6) the Company must deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent to hinder, delay or defraud any other of its creditors; and

(7) the Company must deliver to the trustee an officers’ certificate confirming the satisfaction of conditions in clauses (1) through (6) above, and an opinion of counsel confirming the satisfaction of the conditions in clauses (1) (with respect to the validity and perfection of the security interest), (2), (3) and (5) above.

The Defeasance will be effective on the earlier of (i) the 91st day after the deposit, and (ii) the day on which all the conditions above have been satisfied.

If the amount deposited with the trustee to effect a Covenant Defeasance is insufficient to pay the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on, the applicable series of debt securities when due, then the Company’s obligations under the Indenture and such series of debt securities will be revived, and such Defeasance will be deemed not to have occurred.

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Restrictive Covenants

We will describe restrictive covenants for any series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering materials relating to such series of debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance, Transfer or Lease

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of debt securities, the Company may not consolidate or merge with or into, or transfer or lease its assets substantially as an entirety to, any entity, unless:

Form, Exchange and Transfer

The Company will issue the debt securities only in fully registered form, without interest coupons. Unless provided otherwise in the prospectus supplement and the other offering materials relating to a particular series of debt securities, the debt securities will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof. No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of debt securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or government charge payable in connection therewith. If any series of the debt securities are to be redeemed in part, the Company will not be required to issue, register the transfer of or exchange such series of the debt securities during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of the mailing of a notice of redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing or to register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities being redeemed in part.

The Company will cause to be kept at the office of the registrar a register in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company will provide for the registration of the debt securities and registration of transfers of the debt securities. The Company initially will appoint the trustee at its corporate trust office as paying agent and registrar for the debt securities. The Company may vary or terminate the appointment of any paying agent or registrar, or appoint additional or other such agents or approve any change in the office through which any such agent acts. The Company will cause notice of any resignation, termination or appointment of the trustee or any paying agent or registrar, and of any change in the office through which any such agent will act, to be provided to holders of the debt securities.

The Trustee

All payments of principal on, premium, if any, and interest on, and all registration, transfer, exchange, authentication and delivery of, the debt securities will be effected by the trustee or its agent at an office designated by the trustee at its corporate trust office.

The Indenture provides that, except during the continuance of an event of default, the trustee will perform only such duties as are specifically set forth in the Indenture. During the existence of an event of default under the Indenture, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs. Subject to these provisions, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Indenture at the request of any of the holders of the debt securities, unless they shall have offered to the trustee security and indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee.

The Indenture and provisions of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, which we refer to as the Trust Indenture Act, contain limitations on the rights of the trustee, should it become a creditor of the Company, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases or to liquidate certain property received by it in respect of any such claim as security or otherwise. The trustee is permitted to engage in other transactions with the Company or any of its affiliates. If the trustee acquires any conflicting interest, it must eliminate such conflict or resign.

Affiliates of the trustee may serve as agents and lenders under our credit facilities or engage in other transactions with us from time to time

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Governing Law

New York law governs the Indenture and will govern the debt securities.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or other securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities. Warrants sold with other securities may be attached to or separate from the other securities. We will issue warrants, if any, under one or more warrant agreements between us and one or more warrant agents that we will name in the prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among others, the aggregate number of warrants offered, the exercise price of the warrants, the dates or periods during which the warrants are exercisable and any other specific terms of the warrants.

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any warrants we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable warrant agreement, which will be filed with the Commission if we offer warrants. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable warrant agreement if we offer warrants, see “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.” We urge you to read the applicable warrant agreement and the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material in their entirety before investing in our warrants.

DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue stock purchase contracts representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and us to sell to the holders, a specified or varying number of shares of common stock and/or preferred stock at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the stock purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specified or varying number of shares of common stock and/or preferred stock. The price per share and the number of shares may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are entered into or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may be entered into separately or as a part of a stock purchase unit that consists of (a) stock purchase contracts and (b) warrants. The stock purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or require the holders of the stock purchase units to make periodic payments to us. These payments may be secured or unsecured or prefunded and may be paid on a current or on a deferred basis. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under the contracts in a specified manner.

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable purchase contract agreement, which will be filed with the Commission if we offer stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable purchase contract agreement if we offer stock purchase contracts or stock purchase units, see “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.” We urge you to read the applicable purchase contract agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units comprising one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe:

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The description in the applicable prospectus supplement and other offering material of any units we offer and any related unit agreement will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable unit agreement, which will be filed with the Commission if we offer units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the applicable unit agreement if we offer units, see “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.” We urge you to read the applicable unit agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

LEGAL OWNERSHIP AND BOOK-ENTRY ISSUANCE

The securities offered by means of this prospectus may be issued in whole or in part in book-entry form, meaning that beneficial owners of the securities will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the securities, except in the event the book-entry system for the securities is discontinued. Securities issued in book-entry form will be evidenced by one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depository identified in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the securities. The Depository Trust Company is expected to serve as depository. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual securities represented thereby, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depository for the global security to a nominee of such depository or by a nominee of such depository to such depository or another nominee of such depository or by the depository or any nominee of such depository to a successor depository or a nominee of such successor. Global securities may be issued in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. The specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a class or series of securities that differ from the terms described here will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we anticipate that the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.

Upon the issuance of a global security, the depository for the global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective principal amounts of the individual securities represented by such global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with such depository, who are called “participants.” Such accounts will be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to the securities or by us if we directly offer and sell the securities. Ownership of global securities will be limited to the depository’s participants or persons that may hold interests through such participants. Ownership of global securities will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable depository or its nominee (with respect to ownership interests of participants) and records of the participants (with respect to ownership interests of persons who hold through participants). The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.

So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by such global security for all purposes under the applicable instrument defining the rights of a holder of the securities. Except as provided below or in the applicable prospectus supplement, owners of global securities will not:

Payments of amounts payable with respect to individual securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security representing such securities. None of us, our officers and directors or any paying agent or security registrar for an individual series of securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such securities or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such ownership interests.

We expect that the depository for a series of securities offered by means of this prospectus or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of dividend or other amount in respect of a permanent global security representing any of such securities, will immediately credit its participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of global securities for such securities as shown on the records of such depository or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Such payments will be the responsibility of such participants.

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If a depository for a series of securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and a successor depository is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue individual securities of such series in exchange for the global security representing such series of securities. In addition, we may, at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such securities, determine not to have any securities of such series represented by one or more global securities and, in such event, will issue individual securities of such series in exchange for the global security or securities representing such series of securities.

The information in this section concerning the depository and its book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy thereof.

SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS

We may register securities covered by this prospectus for re-offers and resales by any selling securityholders named in a prospectus supplement. We are a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, which allows us to add secondary sales of our securities by any selling securityholders by filing a prospectus supplement with the Commission. We may register these securities to permit selling securityholders to resell their securities when they deem appropriate. Selling securityholders may resell all, a portion or none of their securities at any time and from time to time. Selling securityholders may also sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of some or all of their securities in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. We do not know when or in what amounts the selling securityholders may offer securities for sale under this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We may pay all expenses incurred with respect to the registration of the securities owned by the selling securityholders, other than underwriting fees, discounts or commissions, which will be borne by the selling securityholders. We will provide you with a prospectus supplement naming the selling securityholder(s), the amount of securities to be registered and sold and any other terms of the securities being sold by the selling securityholder(s).

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the selling securityholders may offer and sell from time to time the securities in any one or more of the following ways:

In addition, we may enter into option, share lending or other types of transactions that require us to deliver shares of common stock to an underwriter, broker or dealer or other third parties, who will then resell or transfer the shares of common stock under this prospectus. We may also enter into hedging transactions with respect to our securities.

Any selling securityholder will act independently of us in making decisions with respect to the timing, manner and size of each sale of shares of common stock covered by this prospectus.

We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

Shares of common stock may also be exchanged for satisfaction of the selling securityholders’ obligations or other liabilities to their creditors. Such transactions may or may not involve brokers or dealers.

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Each time we or the selling securityholders sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will name any underwriter, dealer or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities if required. The prospectus supplement will also set forth the terms of the offering, including:

If underwriters or dealers are used in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters or dealers for their own account. The securities may be sold from time to time by us or the selling securityholders in one or more transactions:

Such sales may be effected:

The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more of such firms. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of underwriters or dealers to purchase the securities offered will be subject to certain conditions precedent and the underwriters or dealers will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if any are purchased. Any public offering price and any discount or concession allowed or reallowed or paid by underwriters or dealers to other dealers may be changed from time to time.

The selling securityholders might not sell any securities under this prospectus. In addition, any securities covered by this prospectus that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus. The securities may be sold directly by us or through agents designated by us from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be named, and any commission payable by us to such agent will be set forth in, the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

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Offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus may be solicited, and sales of the securities may be made by us or by selling securityholders directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. The terms of any offer made in this manner will be included in the prospectus supplement relating to the offer.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters, dealers or agents will be authorized to solicit offers by certain institutional investors to purchase securities from us pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery at a future date. In all cases, these purchasers must be approved by us. Underwriters and other agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of these contracts.

Some of the underwriters, dealers or agents used by us in any offering of securities under this prospectus may be customers of, engage in transactions with, and perform services for us or affiliates of ours in the ordinary course of business. Underwriters, dealers, agents and other persons may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to be reimbursed by us for certain expenses.

Subject to any restrictions relating to debt securities in bearer form, any securities initially sold outside the United States may be resold in the United States through underwriters, dealers or otherwise.

Any underwriters to which offered securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in such securities, but those underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time.

The anticipated date of delivery of the securities offered by this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offering.

If 5% or more of the net proceeds of any offering of securities made under this prospectus will be received by members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which we refer to in this prospectus as “FINRA,” participating in the offering or by affiliates or associated persons of such FINRA members, the offering will be conducted in accordance with FINRA Conduct Rule 5121.

The maximum aggregate commission or discount to be received by any member of FINRA or independent broker dealer will not be greater than 8% of the gross proceeds of the sale of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.

To comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the securities may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.

LEGAL MATTERS

Alston & Bird LLP will pass upon the validity of any securities we offer by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. If the validity of any securities is also passed upon by counsel for underwriters participating in an offering of securities offered by this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, the underwriters’ counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of LHC Group, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended December 31, 2020, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 have been incorporated by reference herein from the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

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PART II

Information Not Required in Prospectus

Item 14.     Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following is a statement of the expenses (all of which are estimated) we expect to incur in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered under this registration statement, other than underwriting discounts and commissions:

Item 15.     Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Delaware Corporations

Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorney’s fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 145 further provides that to the extent a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any such action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 145 or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith; that the indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which the indemnified party may be entitled; that indemnification provided by Section 145 shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors and administrators; and that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of a director or officer of the corporation against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liabilities under Section 145.

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As permitted by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Company’s directors shall have no personal liability to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law, (3) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (4) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.

The Bylaws provide for the indemnification of all current and former directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, except that the Company will indemnify a director or officer in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Company’s board of directors.

The above discussion of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and of the DGCL is not intended to be exhaustive and is qualified in its entirety by the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the DGCL.

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Item 16.     Exhibits

Item 17.     Undertakings

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation

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from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Company’s annual report pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, that the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Lafayette, State of Louisiana, on May 21, 2021.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned directors and officers of LHC Group, Inc. hereby constitute and appoint Keith G. Myers with full power to act and with full power of substitution and resubstitution, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power to execute in our name and behalf in the capacities indicated below any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments and amendments thereto) to this Registration Statement and to file the same, with all exhibits and other documents relating thereto and any registration statement relating to any offering made pursuant to this Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act with the Securities and Exchange Commission and hereby ratify and confirm all that such attorneys-in-fact or his substitute shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on May 21, 2021:

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