The health care industry has seen a recent shift towards consolidation, driven in part by legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which encourages integration within the industry. As a result, health care entities are increasingly considering opportunities to merge with or acquire other companies. While this can be an exciting prospect for many organizations, the health care industry’s high level of both federal and state regulation has resulted in a myriad of potential legal issues that can stand in the way of a successful transaction. In particular, there are a number of regulatory hurdles that must be cleared in the state of Pennsylvania before a health care transaction can take place.
To address many of the potential issues that deal counsel must consider when involved in health care transactions in Pennsylvania, Reed Smith attorneys Karl Thallner and Zach Portin authored “Seal the Deal: Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions in Pennsylvania,” which was published in the April 2014 edition of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly. The article addresses a wide range of topics, including review by the state attorney general’s office and the Orphans’ Court; regulatory approvals at both the federal and state level; antitrust; the corporate practice of medicine doctrine; fiduciary duties; and other various matters for consideration.
