October 26, 2009 -  Why Healthcare Reform May Fail…Again
On September 16, 2009, Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) found out what happens when you give a party and nobody comes. On that date he took the podium alone before a roomful of journalists and formally announced his health care reform bill.  Apparently, no colleagues from either party were willing to stand with him. Small wonder, the legislation included $500 billion in Medicare cuts, mandated universal coverage, member-owned purchasing “co-ops”, a potential price tag only slightly below $1 trillion and no public option. In short, it had something for everybody to dislike. Is it possible that the phrase in italics is the reason why yet another attempt to reform America’s health care system may fail? If every provision in a Health Care Reform bill is opposed by someone, the accumulative affect of this opposition could potentially defeat the bill.

October 12, 2009 - Around the Health Care Reform Debate in Less Than Two Pages
The week ending October 9, 2009 was a quiet one compared with the frenzied activity of previous weeks.  Health Care Reform Fatigue Syndrome (HCRFS) could be part of it; there may also be a growing sense of resignation out there that the reform debate may be becoming more destructive than most any reform itself could be.  If true, this may be a dangerous mindset.  Nevertheless, the week was not without a few noteworthy developments. To read the entire article, simply click on the title.

October 5, 2009 – Health Care Reform Update
The reform process is moving ahead, albeit, slowly. Our paper this week examines two newsworthy items that emerged during the past several days. On September 29th, the Senate Finance Committee rejected two public option proposals. The second story involves the growing concern over the potential penalty for failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance. Is it possible that citizens who don’t buy individual health insurance could be sent to prison? Click on the above title to read more.

September 28, 2009 - Health Care Reform – A Look at the Baucus Proposal
Health care reform proposals, particularly from the U.S. Senate, are coming so quickly and are changing so fast that it is difficult to offer sound commentary on their merits. Some of the most noteworthy proposals remain visible for such a short time they are almost like subliminal messages. Nevertheless, we have been able to glean a few common themes from the Baucus bill now before the Senate Finance Committee. Even with their 564 amendments (yes, true!) we think these provisions may remain in play for awhile. To read the entire article, simply click on the title.

September 11, 2009 - M&A Assessment of President Obama's Health Care Speech to Congress
President Obama's Health Care Reform speech of September 9th generated a huge volume of commentary. One can only imagine the outpouring of "boos" and "yeas" from every talking head and every television and radio show in the land. Our hope is that the speech rekindles some forward movement on the much-needed reform. In the meantime, we want to offer our comments on some of the key points in the president's speech. To read the entire article, simply click on the title.

September 4, 2009 - M&A On Point Position Paper - Health Care Reform - Is the Public Option Doomed?
In the beginning, a Public Option was assumed to be an integral part of Health Care Reform. However, in the past few weeks, the strength of that assumption has weakened considerably. The question now seems to be, will it even survive? For insight into that question, just click the title above.

August 31, 2009 - M&A On Point Position Paper - The  "Lion" Casts a Huge Shadow Over Healthcare Reform Debate
Throughout his career, Senator Edward M. Kennedy fought to ensure that all Americans would have access to high quality, affordable health care. His death came at a time when the debate over Health Care Reform was at its peak. Only time will tell what affect the passing of “The Lion of the Senate” will have on the final legislation. To read the full article, just click on the title.

August 19, 2009 - M&A On Point Position Paper - Health Care Reform
From the beginning, we have been monitoring developments in the Health Care Reform debate, and what a debate it has been! Thankfully, Congress took its summer recess and the pace of Reform has slowed. We took advantage of this lull in the action to document some of our thoughts on the major points of the pending reform. Our challenge was to comment on these issues before they changed, which they seemed to do every hour. To read the full article, just click on the title.

June 30, 2009 - Tax Deductibility of Unpaid Employee Welfare Benefit Claims
The rules governing the deductibility of Incurred But Not Reported claims (IBNR) in an employee welfare benefit program are complex. This complexity has led benefits and accounting professionals of every stripe to offer incorrect interpretations to clients and employers. The purpose of this Position Paper is to clarify those rules and the circumstances under which employers may claim a deduction. To read the full article, just click on the title.