Private Equity/Venture Services

If you haven't read the thousands of pages of the current Senate-proposed version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (that's the formal name of the proposed healthcare reform bill), you might be surprised by the kinds of opportunities that are available for businesses.  This commentary may be a bit premature given that a bill has not been passed, but because the Senate-proposed bill is currently forming the basis for congressional debates, it could become relevant to businesses very soon.

Everyone knows that the bill would require universal health insurance and impose a broad range of new requirements on the healthcare industry.  In addition, the bill has a variety of grants and opportunities it makes available to businesses both within and outside the traditional healthcare field. 

There are numerous grant opportunities for states, and in many cases, the state can allocate funds through a bidding process.  Traditional healthcare organizations such as hospitals are eligible for a large number of grants and funded study and training projects.  Nonprofits have a number of opportunities available, too.  And colleges and universities also can take advantage of a wide range of potential grant and award programs.  Funds are also available for other businesses, such as grants to implement comprehensive workplace wellness programs or contracts to establish Web sites.

It will be an interesting road to see what happens to healthcare reform in the next weeks and months.  We will keep you posted on the funding opportunities that might be available for your business.