California Passes Bill Regulating Private Equity Deals

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC

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On September 28th, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) 3129, which sought to regulate private equity (PE) transactions involving healthcare organizations by requiring certain transactions to be reviewed by, and to receive approval from, the California Attorney General (AG).

In his veto message, Governor Newsom stated that the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), established in 2022, has the power to review and evaluate healthcare transactions (including the ones at issue in AB 3129). While OHCA does not have the power to block proposed transactions, as the AG would have had under AB 3129, it can refer transactions to the AG for further examination. Put simply, the governor’s veto seems to stem from concern that taking power away from the newly-created OHCA could muddy the waters in healthcare transaction regulation.

While there is a possibility that the California legislature could override Governor Newsom’s veto, it appears unlikely as of the publication of this Alert. However, the overall popularity of this bill in the legislature (as evidenced by the fairly wide margins with which it passed) indicates that PE groups looking to transact in the healthcare space – both in California and across the U.S. – should be on high alert, as regulators are increasingly turning their focus on the role of PE in healthcare.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

For more information on AB 3129, as well as the status of state and federal regulation of PE, see the September 2024 Health Capital Topics article entitled, California Passes Bill Regulating Private Equity Deals.”

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PODCAST: Stock Market Impact on Health Care

The Dramatic Rise in the Stock Market Over the Last 10 Years Has Caused Institutional Investors Like Pension Funds to Re-balance to Private Equity

EP269: COVID-19—Prepping for the Next Wave: What Payers ...

By Eric Bricker MD

A Typical Pension Fund Portfolio Will Be 51% Bonds, 28% Equities, 6% Real Estate, 5% Private Equity, 4% Other and 6% Cash. As a Result of Rebalancing Money Out of Skyrocketing Equities, Private Equity Funding Has Doubled to Over $1.2 Trillion in the Last 10 Years.

Specifically in Healthcare, Private Equity Investment in Providers (i.e. Physician Groups, Surgery Centers, Imaging Centers, etc.) Doubled to $30 Billion in Just ONE YEAR. The Private Equity Investment on the Payor Side of Healthcare PALES in Comparison at Only $1 Billion. The Majority of These Private Equity Investments Plan on Making Money By INCREASING Healthcare Costs in a Fee-for-Service Payment Environment.

Healthcare Costs Don’t Rise By Accident. They Rise Because Specific People Make Specific Plans to Increase Costs to Earn a Return on Their Investment.

Sources: https://www.ssga.com/investment-topic…​, https://www.barrons.com/articles/reba…​, https://www.privateequityinternationa…

Private equity sees a lot to like in healthcare

PODCAST LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3hpyeQaKDk

ASSESSMENT: Your thoughts are appreciated.

Diversification: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2014/11/12/the-negative-short-term-implications-of-diversification/

Hospital Endowment Fund: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2015/01/08/on-hospital-endowment-fund-management/

ORDER Textbook: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-Advisors/dp/1482240289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418580820&sr=8-1&keywords=david+marcinko

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SECOND OPINIONS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/schedule-a-consultation/

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