Podcasts about cgma

“Leaders should model respect, not just expect it.” Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn the age of digital disruption and hybrid work, professional etiquette often feels like an afterthought. But in the latest episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA, argue the opposite: manners are more relevant—and strategic—than ever.  MORE Accounting ARC: Resilience, Real Talk, and the Road to Mental Wellness | Blockchain Could Still Reshape Accounting | What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client Service | Ron Baker: Surviving Tariff Turmoil | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance | Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth “Manners make a difference,” says Patrick, CEO of VERIFYiQ and co-founder of TB Academy. “They impact hiring, client service, team dynamics—everything.” 

“The real question isn't whether a firm is diverse enough. It's whether the people in that firm feel like they truly belong there.” MOVE Like ThisWith Bonnie Buol RuszcykFor CPA TrendlinesIn this episode of MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk and guest Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, explore the complex landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the accounting profession, specifically in the current political climate.Shimamoto, founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC and founder and inspiration architect for the Center for Accounting Transformation, shares insights into the challenges faced by underrepresented professionals, drawing from his personal experiences as an Asian male in leadership roles. They discuss the persistent barriers that prevent women and people of color from advancing to top leadership positions despite making up a significant portion of accounting graduates.  More MOVEThe discussion delves into the current political climate surrounding DEI efforts, acknowledging the pushback and misconceptions about diversity initiatives. Shimamoto emphasizes that these efforts are not about quotas or tokenism but about creating genuine opportunities and a sense of belonging for all professionals. The conversation highlights the importance of moving beyond mere inclusion to fostering an environment where every team member feels they truly belong and can contribute meaningfully.  

From mindful walking to redefining worth, this conversation reveals what it really takes to thrive. Accounting ARCWith Arpan GrewalCenter for Accounting TransformationIn the latest Student-Led Conversations episode of Accounting ARC, high school business student Arpan Grewal steps in as guest host for a raw, reflective episode centered on mental health and resilience. In conversation with Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA, CDE, CEO of Etienne Consulting; Rafael Casas, senior consultant with Workday; and Kiera Speed, inspiration logistician for the Center for Accounting Transformation, the episode marks a powerful contribution to Mental Health Awareness Month.  MORE Accounting ARC: Blockchain Could Still Reshape Accounting | What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client Service | Ron Baker: Surviving Tariff Turmoil | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance |  Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth | Break the Burnout Cycle in Accounting | Accounting in Transition: 2024 Reflections & the Road Ahead | Ron Baker: Visions for the Accounting Profession | “Mental health is something we all struggle with, whether we're students or seasoned professionals,” says Grewal. “It's not talked about enough, especially in accounting.” 

Bayport Financial Services' CEO Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, explains why having employees return to the office is not enough to improve productivity and why leaders should transparently explain expectations of workers.  Ramosedi details the benefits for organisations that are intentional about bringing employees back to the office, where morale could be affected by return-to-office policies, and what three things senior leaders can do to drive productivity across all work models and environments.  What you'll learn from this episode: §  Four reasons companies are asking employees to return to the office. §  Why leaders need to understand and communicate how they intend to measure productivity. §  Three possible advantages for companies' bringing employees back to the office. §  Morale concerns that could arise from return-to-office policies. §  The importance of rewarding employees with flexible working arrangements. §  Three things leaders can consider to drive productivity across all work models.

Welcome to EO Radio Show - Your Nonprofit Legal Resource. I'm Cynthia Rowland, and today I'm joined by David Sacarelos, a principal at Baker Tilly. We do a deep dive into the penalties under the Internal Revenue Code sections that apply to insider transactions involving private foundations. Using a recently issued IRS Chief Counsel memorandum, we look at the circumstances of loans by a private foundation that led to significant penalties for indirect self-dealing and jeopardizing investments. Show Notes: Cynthia Rowland, Podcast Host, Partner, Farella Braun + Martel David M. Sacarelos, CPA, CGMA, Principal, Baker Tilly US, LLP Chief Counsel Memo 202504014 IRS Form 4720   EO Radio Show #117: REFRESH Nonprofit Basics: Insider Transactions and Nonprofits Farella YouTube podcast channel Clarifying Notes: (17:06) The $20,000 maximum first-tier tax imposed on foundation managers is not indexed for inflation. (20:59) Per Rev. Ruling 78-76, a private foundation trustee was determined to have participated in a self-dealing transaction both as a disqualified person and as a foundation manager. Consequently, he was found liable for both the tax imposed on self-dealing under IRC Sec. 4941(a) and the tax imposed on foundation managers under IRC Sec. 4941(a)(2). Depending on the facts and circumstances, it is possible to be taxed both as foundation manager and as a disqualified person. If you have suggestions for topics you would like us to discuss, please email us at eoradioshow@fbm.com. Additional episodes can be found at EORadioShowByFarella.com. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, legal advice or opinion.

Could you spend years earning your CPA license only to be told you can't use it? In this episode, Mark Koziel, president of the AICPA, joins Blake and David to discuss the shocking trend of firms prohibiting CPAs from identifying themselves as such in emails, on business cards, and even on LinkedIn. Blake and David also explore the economic uncertainty created by Trump's tariff policies, with major corporations cutting costs and delaying investments. Plus, learn about Republican plans to eliminate the PCAOB, the wave of states creating alternative CPA pathways, and why Ramp could become the federal government's spend management platform.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayBluevine - http://accountingpodcast.promo/bluevine (Bluevine is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC.) Cloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casRoboDebit - http://accountingpodcast.promo/robodebitChapters(01:13) - Top News Stories of the Week (04:18) - Ramp's Ambitious Federal Government Plans (14:04) - Republican Plans to Scrap PCAOB (17:56) - Impact of Tariffs on Major Corporations (28:45) - IRS Leadership Changes (32:31) - Private Equity's New Accounting Firm (36:03) - CPA Pipeline Updates: Tennessee, Texas, and Indiana (37:46) - Republicans and the Millionaire Tax Idea (40:20) - Interview with Mark Koziel: CPA Title Controversy (01:06:36) - Fun Facts: The Cost of Replacing the Pope (01:08:43) - Earn Free CPE on Earmark  Show NotesTrump Team Eyes Politically Connected Startup to Overhaul $700 Billion Government Payments Programhttps://www.propublica.org/article/trump-peter-thiel-ramp-gsa-smartpay-expense-payment-system Big 4 Alum Start Their Own Thing Hoping Clients Want Something Different and Conflict-Freehttps://www.goingconcern.com/big-4-alum-start-their-own-thing-hoping-clients-want-something-different-and-conflict-free/ Texas passes CPA law as push to lower licensure barrier gains steamhttps://www.cfodive.com/news/broadening-cpa-licensure-paths-marching-beyond-150-hour-rule-accounting-talent-shortage/745282/ Draft bill would eliminate PCAOBhttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/draft-bill-would-eliminate-pcaob-empower-sec Why The IRS Went Through 4 Acting Commissioners In 3 Monthshttps://abovethelaw.com/2025/04/why-the-irs-went-through-4-acting-commissioners-in-3-months/ 'Hard no': Millionaire tax hike proposal has House Republicans dividedhttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/hard-no-millionaire-tax-hike-proposal-has-house-republicans-divided Tariffs and global trade: The economic impact on businesshttps://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/geopolitics/our-insights/tariffs-and-global-trade-the-economic-impact-on-business Firms with AI report higher per-employee revenuehttps://www.accountingtoday.com/news/firms-with-ai-report-higher-per-employee-revenue-vs-others The mysterious donor who paid for Pope Francis' funeralhttps://en.ara.cat/misc/the-mysterious-donor-who-paid-for-pope-francis-funeral_1_5357026.htmlNeed CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring the Cloud Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/OvercastClassifiedsREFRAME 2025 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2025Want to get the word out about your newsletter, webinar, party, Facebook group, podcast, e-book, job posting, or that fancy Excel macro you just created? Let the listeners of The Accounting Podcast know by running a classified ad. Go here to create your classified ad: https://cloudacctpod.link/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top o...

The latest Journal of Accountancy podcast episode is a wide-ranging conversation with two likely familiar names to listeners. April Walker, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA lead manager–Tax Practice & Ethics, and author John Garrett joined the show to discuss employee engagement in the hybrid and remote era, the importance of sharing and asking about hobbies, and why they are less likely these days to carry business cards to events such as conferences. Walker is the host of the Tax Section Odyssey podcast and the Reimaging Your Tax Practice webcast series. She has also been a host of tax-focused episodes on the JofA podcast. Garrett is a speaker, corporate consultant, and former Big Four accountant-turned-stand-up comedian. In previous episodes of the podcast, he has shared presentation tips and explained why our passions are essential to work success. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Reviewing the concept of “bringing your whole self to work.” ·         Why, in Garrett's mind, employers should “value the worker as much as you value the work.” ·         Should you start a virtual team meeting with an icebreaker question? Why Walker says “yes.” ·         The speakers' opinions on business cards. ·         Words that could create “stronger and deeper connections” on a business card. ·         Why we should “shine a light” on outside interests.

Technologies like AI and Web3 could eventually unlock blockchain's full potential. Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIs blockchain dead? In a thought-provoking Accounting ARC, hosts Liz Mason, CPA, and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; tackle the pressing question and brainstorm other blockchain applications. The short answer is no—but the landscape has changed. MORE Accounting ARC: What Gen Z Wants from Business | Firm Differentiation Depends Upon Client Service | Ron Baker: Surviving Tariff Turmoil | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance |  Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth | Break the Burnout Cycle in Accounting | Accounting in Transition: 2024 Reflections & the Road Ahead | Ron Baker: Visions for the Accounting Profession | Angie Grissom: Next Gen Inspo for Accountants | Does Accounting Belong in STEM? |When blockchain first entered mainstream conversation, it was hailed as a transformative tool capable of revolutionizing financial reporting, auditing, and recordkeeping. However, according to Mason, CEO of High Rock Accounting, the execution challenges are enormous.

Raising the bar on client service doesn't mean sacrificing all your time.  Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationTechnology has changed how firms operate, but relationships—and setting clear expectations—remain central to client satisfaction. In a recent episode of Accounting ARC, co-hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, tackled a pressing issue: how the accounting profession can evolve to deliver better client service in the digital age. MORE Accounting ARC: Ron Baker: Surviving Tariff Turbulence | Crypto, Cash, or Chaos? The Fallout of an IRS-Free America | Is Agentic AI a Game Changer or Game Ender? | Kelly Mann: Thriving Against All Odds | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance | Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth | Break the Burnout Cycle in Accounting | Accounting in Transition: 2024 Reflections & the Road Ahead | Ron Baker: Visions for the Accounting Profession | Angie Grissom: Next Gen Inspo for Accountants | Does Accounting Belong in STEM? “Client service is the number one reason we hear clients are looking for a new CPA firm,” says Mason, founder and CEO of High Rock Accounting. “We need to get back to the roots of our profession—deep relationships and great communication.” 

If visions of the new administration come to fruition, the IRS could also be on the chopping block.  Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn a recent episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; Liz Mason, CPA; and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP and CGMA explore the provocative question, "What if the IRS was shut down?" This discussion aligns with current political movements considering the downsizing or elimination of various government agencies, including the IRS.MORE Accounting ARC: Is Agentic AI a Game Changer or Game Ender? | Kelly Mann: Thriving Against All Odds | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance | Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth | Break the Burnout Cycle in Accounting | The Fair Tax Act of 2025, introduced by GOP lawmakers, seeks to abolish the IRS and replace income taxes with a national sales tax. Proponents argue that this would simplify the tax system, while critics contend it could disproportionately affect lower-income individuals.  Patrick emphasizes the critical role of the IRS in funding government operations. He questions the feasibility of maintaining government functions without a tax collection agency, stating, "You need money to operate a government, and if you have no mechanism for collecting revenue... there has to be a mechanism for revenue to do anything to pay people to have services, to care for a population of people."

This episode features Oliver Rowe, FM's editor-in-chief, detailing the contents of the magazine's April digital edition.   The discussion highlights articles on artificial intelligence (AI), including one that advises how finance can steer AI adoption. Rowe also details the key points of an article on understanding and avoiding burnout and discusses April's regular columns. Also included: an explanation of how members can access the April digital edition as well as the issue library. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         The edition's focus on AI and explanation of three AI-related articles. ·         Advice from regular FM writer Rhymer Rigby on avoiding burnout. ·         A practical Excel article: How to create a chart template in Excel. ·         The other articles in the edition, including regular columns, a Q&A with Association CEO Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, and Institute News. ·         Ways to access the April edition.

In this episode, Dr. Jackie Meyer interviews Amy Vetter, a CPA, yogi, and author, discussing her unique journey in the accounting profession and the importance of finding balance in work and life. They explore the B3 method, practical steps for achieving work-life harmony, the significance of technology in accounting, and the value of advisory services. The conversation also touches on coaching programs and the need for effective communication in professional settings, culminating in a rapid-fire round of fun questions.

“Politics affects tax laws, compliance, and financial decisions. We can't afford to ignore it."  Transformation TalksWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationPolitics and business have always been intertwined, but today's climate of deep division presents new challenges for accounting professionals. Whether discussing tax policy, compliance, or broader economic issues, accountants often find themselves in conversations that can quickly become contentious. MORE TRANSFORMATION TALKSIn a recent episode of Transformation Talks, host Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA leads a discussion with Brian Tankersley, CPA.CITP, CGMA; Ron Baker, CPA (inactive), and Amy Welch, APR, CAE, on how accountants can navigate political differences while maintaining professionalism, respect, and productive dialogue. Accountants are more than number crunchers—they are trusted advisors. As such, they must address politically charged topics with clients and colleagues while maintaining neutrality and professionalism. However, in an era where ideological divides are deepening, even casual conversations can lead to tension. 

When it comes to accounting for construction businesses, using a generic accounting program can result in more confusion than clarity. In this episode of the Cultivating Business Growth Podcast, host Katina Peters, CPA, CGMA, and Virtual CFO, sits down with John Meibers, Vice President and General Manager of Deltek ComputerEase, to discuss the real-world advantages of construction accounting programs built specifically for the industry. John brings over 30 years of experience in the construction software industry and shares his expert perspective on what contractors are missing out on when they don't use purpose-built software. From managing real-time job costing to navigating complex payroll and change orders, this episode is a must-listen for contractors, CFOs, and accounting professionals who work with construction clients.

"We've underestimated how quickly AI is changing our profession." Accounting ARCWith Liz Mason, Byron Patrick, and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationIn a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, agentic AI is emerging as a powerful tool that could redefine the accounting profession. Unlike traditional AI applications, agentic AI doesn't just respond to prompts—it actively coordinates multiple AI models to complete complex workflows. But is this a breakthrough for efficiency, or does it pose risks for the industry? MORE Accounting ARC: Kelly Mann: Thriving Against All Odds | Are We Ready for the Hidden Risks of AI in Accounting? | The Research Imperative: Why Data Drives Accounting Success | How Coaching Can Unlock Professional Success | Demystifying Accounting Governance | Top 10 Red Flags to Watch for in Accounting Offices | Jeremy Dubow: Private Equity as a Catalyst for Growth | Break the Burnout Cycle in Accounting | Accounting in Transition: 2024 Reflections & the Road Ahead | Ron Baker: Visions for the Accounting Profession | Angie Grissom: Next Gen Inspo for Accountants | Does Accounting Belong in STEM? | Rose Wang: Where Numbers Meet Strategy and Creativity | TikTok Fraud Exposes Gaps in Financial Literacy |In a recent episode of Accounting ARC, hosts Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Liz Mason, CPA, break down the meaning, potential, and risks of agentic AI in accounting. “Agentic AI is about AI acting as an agent, not just a tool,” explains Shimamoto, founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC and founder of the Center for Accounting Transformation. “It can take a single task, break it into smaller components, and distribute it across specialized AI models—then bring everything back into a cohesive solution.” 

Episode 252FACULTY: Ron BakerCLASS: #TheGuideScotty's back in the Office with our Principal, Ron Baker, and he has a copy of "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin. In this book report, they cover a wide range of topics, including creativity in art and accounting, the quest for efficiency, the role of humor in art, and the importance of paying attention to your surroundings. The conversation also touches on the challenges of being an entrepreneur and artist, the subjective nature of value, and the evolution of an artist's work. This engaging and thought-provoking discussion is a must-listen for anyone interested in creativity, art, or entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear more from Scott and Ron on "The Creative Act" and its many insights.All the Shoutouts:Greg Kyte, CPA, Rick Rubin, Broken Record, Jason Ackerman, CPA, CFP®, CGMA, Times up, Jasper, Conversations with Tyler, South Park, Arthur Schopenhauer, John Wooten, James Clear, Simon Sinek, Tim Williams, Nikole Mackenzie, David C. Baker, Caddyshack, Dave Chappelle, Terrell A Turner, CPA, Kenji Kuramoto, James Ashford, Michelle Weinstein, Tim Ferriss, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Eminem, Paul McCartney, Beatles, Elvis Presley, Sage, Thriveal, The Crux, Momentum Accounting, Inc, Mortimer J. Adler

Study finds job embeddedness, not engagement, drives retention.Know-How KornerWith Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationA new study by Dr. Amy Cooper, CPA, CFE, CGMA, an assistant accounting professor and program director at University of Alaska Fairbanks, challenges conventional wisdom, revealing that job embeddedness—not engagement—is the key to keeping accountants in public firms.  MORE: Donny Shimamoto “I assumed smaller firms would foster stronger embeddedness, but my research showed the opposite,” says Dr. Cooper. “Larger firms offer more career mobility, specialization, and structured support, which increase long-term commitment.” While job engagement—enthusiasm for daily tasks—seems important, it did not significantly predict turnover intentions. Instead, employees with deeper professional and community ties were less likely to leave. 

For several reasons, including persistent inflation and concern about the effects of tariffs, CPA decision-makers in business and industry are less optimistic this quarter about the U.S. and global economy and their own businesses. That's according to the Economic Outlook Survey released on Thursday. On Friday, Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development, joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to analyze the survey's latest results. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Witt said, the likelihood of less regulation was one reason for an increase in sentiment. But much of that November enthusiasm has been tempered. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         The top challenge for CPA decision-makers' businesses (it's not a surprise). ·         The difference in expansion plans based on company size. ·         The percentage of respondents who expect tariffs to have a negative effect on their organizations. ·         What finance executives project related to hiring in the coming 12 months.

This episode has three chapters. Each one answers a key question, and, bottom line, it all adds up to action steps directly and indirectly for many, including plan sponsors probably, community leaders, and also hospital boards of directors. Here's the three chapters in sum. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. Chapter 1: Are commercial insurance premiums rising faster than the inflation rate? And if so, is the employee portion of those premiums also rising, meaning a double whammy for employees' paychecks (ie, premium costs are getting bigger and bigger in an absolute sense, and also employees' relative share of those bigger costs is also bigger)? Spoiler alert: yes and yes. Chapter 2: What is the biggest reason for these premium increases? Like, if you look at the drivers of cost that underpin those rising premiums, what costs a lot that is making these premiums cost a lot? Spoiler alert: It's hospitals and the price increases at hospitals. And just in case anyone is wondering, this isn't, “Oh, chargemasters went up” or some kind of other tangential factor. We're talking about the revenue that hospitals are taking on services delivered has gone up and gone up way higher than the inflation rate. In fact, hospital costs have gone up over double the amount that premiums have gone up. Wait, what? That's a fact that Dr. Vivian Ho said today that threw my brain for a loop: Hospital costs have gone up over double the amount that premiums have gone up. Chapter 3: Is the reason that hospital prices have rocketed up as they have because the underlying costs these hospitals face are also going up way higher than the inflation rate? Like, for example, are nurses' salaries skyrocketing and doctors are getting paid a lot more than the inflation rate? Stuff like this. Too many eggs in the cafeteria. Way more charity care. Bottom line, is an increase in underlying costs the reason for rising hospital prices? Spoiler alert: no. No to all of the above. And I get into this deeply with Dr. Vivian Ho today. But before I do, I do just want to state with three underlines not all hospitals are the same. But yeah, you have many major consolidated hospitals crying about their, you know, “razor-thin margins” who are, it turns out, incentivizing their C-suites to do things that ultimately wind up raising prices. I saw a PowerPoint flying around—you may have seen it, too—that was apparently presented by a nonprofit hospital at JP Morgan, and it showed this nonprofit hospital with a 15.1% EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) in 2024. Not razor thin in my book. It's a, the boards of directors are structuring C-suite incentives in ways that ultimately will raise prices. If you want to dig in a little deeper on hospital boards and what they may be up to, listen to the show with Suhas Gondi, MD, MBA (EP404). Vivian Ho, PhD, my guest today, is a professor and faculty member at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. Her most major role these days is working on health policy at Baker Institute at Rice University. Her work there is at the national, state, and local levels conducting objective research that informs policymakers on how to improve healthcare. Today on the show, Professor Vivian Ho mentions research with Salpy Kanimian and Derek Jenkins, PhD. Alright, so just one quick sidebar before we get into the show. There is a lot going on with hospitals right now. So, before we kick in, let me just make one really important point. A hospital's contribution to medical research, like doing cancer clinical trials, is not the same as how a hospital serves or overcharges their community or makes decisions that increase or reduce their ability to improve the health and well-being of patients and members who wind up in or about the hospital. Huge, consolidated hospital networks can be doing great things that have great value and also, at the exact same time, kind of harmful things clinically and financially that negatively impact lots of Americans and doing all of that simultaneously. This is inarguable. Also mentioned in this episode are Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy; Baker Institute Center for Health Policy; Suhas Gondi, MD, MBA; Salpy Kanimian; Derek Jenkins, PhD; Byron Hugley; Michael Strain; Dave Chase; Zack Cooper, PhD; Houston Business Coalition on Health (HBCH); Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFM; Cora Opsahl; Claire Brockbank; Shawn Gremminger; Autumn Yongchu; Erik Davis; Ge Bai, PhD, CPA; Community Health Choice; Mark Cuban; and Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA. For further reading, check out this LinkedIn post.   You can learn more at Rice University's Center for Health Policy (LinkedIn) and Department of Economics and by following Vivian on LinkedIn.   Vivian Ho, PhD, is the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, a professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University, a professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and a nonresident senior scholar in the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. Ho's research examines the effects of economic incentives and regulations on the quality and costs of health care. Her research is widely published in economics, medical, and health services research journals. Ho's research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American Cancer Society, and Arnold Ventures. Ho has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Health Statistics, as well as on the NIH Health Services, Outcomes, and Delivery study section. She was elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2020. Ho is also a founding board member of the American Society for Health Economists and a member of the Community Advisory Board at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Ho received her AB in economics from Harvard University, a graduate diploma in economics from The Australian National University, and a PhD in economics from Stanford University.   05:12 Are insurance premiums going up? 05:59 What is the disparity between cost of insurance and wage increases? 06:21 LinkedIn post by Byron Hugley. 06:25 Article by Michael Strain. 06:46 How much have insurance premiums gone up for employers versus employees? 09:06 Chart showing the cost to insure populations of employees and families. 10:17 What is causing hospital prices and insurance premiums to go up so exponentially? 12:53 Article by (and tribute to) Uwe Reinhardt. 13:49 EP450 with Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFM. 14:01 EP452 with Cora Opsahl. 14:03 EP453 with Claire Brockbank. 14:37 EP371 with Erik Davis and Autumn Yongchu. 15:28 Are razor-thin operating margins for hospitals causing these rising hospital prices? 16:56 Collaboration with Marilyn Bartlett and the NASHP Hospital Cost Tool. 19:47 What is the explanation that hospitals give for justifying these profits? 23:16 How do these hospital cost increases actually happen? 27:06 Study by Zack Cooper, PhD. 27:35 EP404 with Suhas Gondi, MD, MBA. 27:50 Who typically makes up a hospital board, and why do these motivations incentivize hospital price increases? 30:12 EP418 with Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA. 33:17 Why is it vital that change start at the board level?   You can learn more at Rice University's Center for Health Policy (LinkedIn) and Department of Economics and by following Vivian on LinkedIn.   Vivian Ho discusses #healthinsurance #premiums and #hospitalpricing on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #changemanagement #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Chris Crawford (EP465), Al Lewis, Betsy Seals, Wendell Potter (Encore! EP384), Dr Scott Conard, Stacey Richter (INBW42), Chris Crawford (EP461), Dr Rushika Fernandopulle, Bill Sarraille, Stacey Richter (INBW41)  

The AICPA & CIMA CFO Conference begins April 23 in La Quinta, Calif. The co-chairs of the conference planning committee joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss top-of-mind issues for finance leaders and to preview the agenda for the in-person event.   Ted Delgado, CPA, CGMA, and Summer Redmon, CPA, finance executives themselves, shared what they learn from attending the conference each year and explained the ways that the pace of change has affected the CFO role.   Also, Lisa Simpson, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA's vice president–Firm Services, joined the show to discuss International Women's Day, which this year is on Saturday. Resources: n  CFO Conference registration information and agenda. n  Podcast conversations in September and January with not-for-profit CFO Janice Stucke, CPA. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         The value of self-awareness and servant leadership for CFOs. ·         Redmon's explanation of a former boss referring to herself as “CFO-plus.” ·         Delgado's summary of a session on navigating business slowdowns. ·         Highlights of other topics and panel discussions at the conference. ·         The importance of International Women's Day to one AICPA & CIMA leader.

In this episode, Jamie Lopiccolo, CPA, CGMA, Founder and Managing Member of Capocore Professional Advisors, and Will Hill, Owner of Will Hill Consults, discuss marketing and pricing tax advisory services. They explore the importance of identifying client needs through effective listening and highlight the significance of understanding clients' pain points and gaps to move beyond traditional tax. What you'll learn from this episode: How to use effective listening techniques to identify client needs and help uncover pain points and gaps The importance of moving beyond traditional tax services to offer comprehensive advisory solutions. How to potentially classify tax advisory opportunities into different pricing buckets and the importance of adjusting pricing based on scope changes. The importance of involving team members in advisory services early on, even if they feel unprepared, as this helps them learn and grow in their roles. AICPA resources Broadridge Advisor Spotlight for Tax Section Members — Tax Section members can access sample resources from Broadridge Advisor which provides client education and communication tools on personal financial planning. 2025 Tax and Financial Planner — This digital, month-by-month planner is designed for Tax and PFP Section members and serves as a field guide to summarize key due dates, action items, client engagement ideas and financial planning tips. Keep your finger on the pulse of the dynamic and evolving tax landscape with insights from tax thought leaders in the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section Odyssey podcast includes a digest of tax developments, trending issues and practice management tips that you need to be aware of to elevate your professional development and your firm practices. This resource is part of the robust tax resource library available from the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section is your go-to home base for staying up to date on the latest tax developments and providing the edge you need for upskilling your professional development. If you're not already a member, consider joining this prestigious community of your tax peers. You'll get free CPE, access to rich technical content such as our Annual Tax Compliance Kit, a weekly member newsletter and a digital subscription to The Tax Adviser.

Guests Matthew Payze and Stewardt Cornelissen join us from South Africa. Together we discuss their experiences in studying for CGMA, and share their advice and views on studying for the qualification via the FLP pathway.   The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ or https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/the-cgma-r-finance-leadership-program. CONNECT  If you're on LinkedIn, feel free to connect with show host Kevin Gormley Connect with Matthew at  www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-payze-347195198 or find out more about Collivery at https://collivery.net/ Connect with Stewardt at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewardt-cornelissen-0b664ab3/ Your feedback and comments welcomed at podcast@aicpa-cima.com This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, was less than a week into his tenure as AICPA & CIMA CEO when he joined the Journal of Accountancy podcast for a two-part conversation. In part one, published Thursday, Koziel discussed wanting to hear from members about their challenges and success stories. In part two, he talks about how accountants can work with artificial intelligence tools, why he initially was interested in pursuing work with the FBI, and the value he sees in a hybrid work environment for some firms.  Koziel has invited members to send email to AskMark@aicpa-cima.com and "tell me how the Association can help you, your career, and the profession." What you'll learn from this episode: ·         The career-related questions Koziel used to ask fellow CPA firm partners. ·         One aspect of Koziel's preparation to become an accountant that he would have changed. ·         The key things he learned as an employee of the grocery store Wegmans. ·         What he says to students considering a career in accounting. ·         More on how client advisory services have “erupted” over the years.

Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, was officially just a few days into his role as CEO of AICPA & CIMA when he took time to join the Journal of Accountancy podcast for a conversation that will be shared in two parts. Part one is below, and part two will be published in the coming days. Koziel — named in October to succeed the now retired Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA — discussed the importance of hearing about the successes and challenges facing members, how he hopes to create communities, and more in this interview. Koziel also invited members to send email to AskMark@aicpa-cima.com and “tell me how the Association can help you, your career, and the profession.” Related links: n  The news of Koziel's hiring, succeeding Barry Melancon as CEO. n  Melancon's words about Koziel in a December podcast conversation. n  Koziel's previous JofA podcast appearance, as part of a 2022 episode when he was the CEO of Allinial Global. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Three facts for members to know about Koziel, in his words. ·         What he sees as the profession's strengths and opportunities. ·         Why he calls accounting pipeline concerns “not a U.S.-only problem.” ·         Koziel's “listening tour” with members and his request for feedback. ·         More about his ideas for creating communities within the global membership of AICPA & CIMA. ·         Koziel's thoughts on the evolution of the profession. ·         The important distinction between outsourcing and offshoring. ·         A look ahead to part two of the conversation.

Former IRSAC Chair Annette Nellen joins Roger and Annie to discuss critical challenges facing the IRS and tax administration. The conversation explores the growing tax gap, the importance of consistent IRS funding, and efforts to modernize taxpayer services through online accounts and digital solutions. The discussion also delves into proposals for tax preparer regulation, continuing education requirements for enrolled agents, and the complexities of implementing cryptocurrency reporting requirements.SponsorsPadgett -  Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips(00:00) - Welcome to Federal Tax Updates (01:35) - Introducing Special Guest Annette Nellen (02:26) - Understanding the ERSAC Annual Report (05:40) - Deep Dive into the Tax Gap (07:52) - IRS Funding and Its Impact (19:04) - Tax Literacy and Education Challenges (25:48) - Modernizing the IRS and Funding (30:33) - IRS Hiring Challenges and Misconceptions (31:48) - Impact of Potential Hiring Freeze (33:28) - IRS Strategic Operating Plans and Online Accounts (36:50) - Technological Advancements and Challenges (43:44) - Practice Management and Professional Development (47:48) - Regulating Tax Return Preparers (52:17) - Digital Currency and Cryptocurrency Regulations (55:19) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Connect with Annette Nellenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-nellen-7448824IRSAC Reporthttps://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5316.pdfGet NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CELaunch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CE for listening to this episode.Connect with the Roger and Annie on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerharrispbs/https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-schwab-852418261/ReviewLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or PodchaserSubscribeSubscribe to the Federal Tax Updates podcast in your favorite podcast app!This podcast is a production of the Earmark Media

In this insightful episode, we break down the fundamentals of long-term finance, exploring the key financing options available to companies—from equity and debt instruments to venture capital and business angels. Learn the crucial differences between ordinary and preference shares, rights issues, and convertible debt, and understand how companies structure their financial strategies for growth.We also dive deep into Earnings Per Share (EPS), the finance vs. operating lease debate, and the essential principles of IFRS 15 revenue recognition. Our discussion includes a step-by-step guide to ensuring compliance with international accounting standards. Whether you're a student, finance professional, or business owner, this episode provides a strong foundation in corporate finance essentials. Tune in now!

Subscriber-only episodeIs profit the only measure of success?In this episode, we explore alternative business models that prioritize stakeholder value over mere financial gains. We kick off with the Mendelo model, a powerful tool for stakeholder mapping, using Green Bean Coffee as a case study. Learn how businesses categorize stakeholders based on power, legitimacy, and urgency to shape effective operating models.Next, we dive into value capture strategies, examining cost, revenue, and value-sharing models—with Patagonia as a prime example of embedding core values into business operations. We also discuss Solar Innovations' use of the #CIMA model for strategic decision-making and reveal how these frameworks can be applied to your career, investments, and personal life.Whether you're a business leader, student, or entrepreneur, this episode will transform the way you view business strategy. Tune in now!

In this episode, we explore how traditional industry life cycles are being upended by disruptive innovations, such as ride-sharing apps transforming the taxi industry. We discuss the shift from competition to collaboration, emphasizing the importance of creating customer value through ecosystems like Apple's. Listeners will gain insights into managing uncertainty, fostering a culture of learning, empowering teams, and leveraging data-driven decision-making. We also delve into purpose-driven leadership and the necessity of connecting employees' work to a larger mission while enhancing customer-centricity. Tune in to learn actionable strategies for thriving in today's dynamic business environment.If you're preparing for qualifications like #CIMA, #CGMA, CPA Australia, #GSL, #ACCA, or other business and finance management courses, this session will be invaluable.Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about CIMA, CPA Australia and ACCA classes.LinkedIninfo@ultimateaccess.net

In this insightful episode, we dive deep into the world of corporate governance and sustainability, exploring how companies balance legal, ethical, and environmental responsibilities.

In this episode, we unpack the critical role of professional ethics in accounting, exploring the fundamental principles outlined in the IESBA Code of Ethics—integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behavior.Join us as we delve into real-world ethical dilemmas, including how accountants can identify and mitigate threats like self-interest, intimidation, and conflicts of interest. Through compelling case studies—such as managing a partner's financial interests—we discuss practical strategies for ethical decision-making, from seeking independent advice to implementing disclosure protocols.With public trust in the profession at stake, this discussion highlights the importance of maintaining professional competence, safeguarding client confidentiality, and upholding ethical standards in an ever-evolving financial landscape.

In this episode, Joe sits down with MICPA Senior Vice President, Peggy Jury, CPA, CGMA to talk about the new quality management standards for accounting firms, which include risk assessment, communication documents, and annual monitoring. 

Former CIMA President Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA, discusses the ways the finance function is evolving and the skills finance professionals will need to develop to lead their organisations on that journey.  Ghosh explains the value of continous learning, some of the “power skills” management accountants and finance professionals can adopt to drive value for their organisations as business partners, and what finance professionals need to start thinking about as their roles broaden.  What you'll learn from this episode:  §  Three themes to think about as the finance profession evolves. §  The interplay between data storytelling and technology. §  What “power skills” are critical to navigating the profession in the future. §  Key skills for becoming a better business partner. §  The career development opportunities that emanate from expanding your role.

If you have zero clue what co-pay maximizers and/or co-pay accumulators are and the financial incentives involved for PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and plan sponsors here, after you're done listening to this episode, go back and listen to the show with Joey Dizenhouse (EP423). Also, the episode called “Game Theory Gone Wild” with Dea Belazi, PharmD, MPH (EP293). Both these shows could fill in some blanks. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. Here's the micro mini of the co-pay maximizer/accumulator deal. These are vehicles that are designed by vendors who are also sometimes called maximizers or sometimes they're also PBMs. But these programs are designed to get as much money out of Pharma as possible in the form of co-pay support. So, here's how the maximizers are supposed to maximize plan sponsors getting pharma money. Say, for some drug, the pharma company has, I don't know, $12,000 max in co-pay support available to patients in total per year. Pharma does always cap the dollars that are available for patients. So, in this hypothetical, $12k a year is available. What a forthright or well-run maximizer will do is figure out, you know, if there's $12k max available, then they'll set a co-pay—so there's variable co-pays for patients—so they'll set a patient co-pay of, like, $1000 a month, which adds up to $12k over 12 months of the year. Get it? Every single month, the patient has a $0 co-pay, but the plan maximizes the dollars that the plan gets. Or, you know, maybe they'll charge $1,025 a month so the patient has some small “skin in the game,” and the plan sponsor just banked $12k. Sounds great, right? Well, sure, when it works as promised … and we'll get to this in a moment. Accumulators, on the other hand, have no such “Hey, let's make sure the patient actually gets their meds” guardrails. They hear that the Pharma is offering $12k, and the accumulator vendor and their plan sponsor clients also are like, “Cool, let's get that money as fast as possible.” So, they make the co-pay for that drug, I don't know, like hypothetically $3000. Great, now the patient runs out of that co-pay money in May. And don't forget and/or let me inform you, for both maximizers and accumulators, dollars paid by the Pharma generally don't count to the plan deductible for the patient. So now, the patient walks into the pharmacy, if in an accumulator or in a poorly run maximizer program, they walk into the pharmacy in May and are told that if they want their drug, they're gonna need to pay the $3000 co-pay that was set out of pocket every month until they reach their deductible. With some of these co-pay maximizer/accumulator plans, the plan sponsor may be a little bit out of the loop relative to what is actually going on here. The plan sponsor may think that members are doing fine—you know, they're getting their drug every month—so they may be surprised to learn about this running out of money in May issue. And what is true more often than it's not true, this $3000 or whatever—hundreds or thousands of dollars—payment due co-pay, the patient learns about it at the pharmacy counter or while trying to get chemo. It comes as a complete surprise, the fact that they owe three grand or whatever. What patient just shrugs and pays up in that moment because they happen to have their entire deductible or thousands of dollars lying around and at the ready? What a shock to find this out at the pharmacy counter or at the infusion clinic. Some of these maximizer programs are also starting to veer back into accumulator zones, like they're doing things such as saying that the member must pay their out-of-pocket max or their deductible or 30% of the cost of the drug, right, like some number before the plan will allow the patient to use the co-pay reimbursement program to begin with. So, there's other things that are emerging right now, which, again, cause the patient to have a very, very large out of pocket in order for them to get a drug which they have been prescribed and—ostensibly, at least—need. Allegedly, and sometimes for sure, dollars raked in from Pharma make it across the PBM/maximizer, vendor, middleman trench all the way over to the plan sponsor. For sure, especially for the administrative only maximizer vendors … yeah, you're gonna have the dollars actually making it to the plan sponsor. But sometimes the vendor running these programs is paid spread, right? So, the more expensive the drug and the richer the co-pay card program, the more the vendor will make because they take a percentage of savings. So, the more expensive, the more savings, therefore, the more the vendor is gonna make. In these cases where the vendor is paid a spread, can I take Perverse Incentives for $600, Alex? Right? But in sum, again, there's a lot to this conversation with Bill Sarraille, so please do listen to the whole thing. Bill offers five main pieces of advice, so I'm just gonna cover them right here up front—spoiler alert, I guess, but just to keep them all in one place. 1. Look into what is going on with a maximizer and/or accumulator program. First of all, is the plan sponsor paying spread? And also, how are these programs being marketed to members and how aggressively? Because there are a lot of plan sponsors having way more negative impact than they suspect they are. So, that's point of advice #1: Really look into actually what is happening on the grounds with some of these programs. 2. Eliminate surprise. Any plan sponsor listening, and Brian Reid also says this very crisply in an episode a month or so ago (EP456). If a plan sponsor wants to do stuff like this—like force a patient to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket—if at any point during the year they are gonna wind up with thousands of dollars in co-pay or coinsurance to get their Crohn's disease med or cancer med or whatever, be really up front about this at least. It's really important if we really want to make sure that patients are taking maintenance meds and getting the medications that they're prepared for the reality that, at a certain point during the year, they are going to have a really big bill. 3. There is legal risk here. So also, Bill's advice is check into whether accumulators and/or maximizers are unlawful under the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and/or by deceptive practices rules when maximizers or accumulators are teed up as a benefit. And it, again (reference point of advice #2), it's not explained that dollars they get from Pharma will be taken by the plan and not applied to the patient deductible. I was just reading about the crazy aggressive marketing tactics that some of these vendors are using to get members to sign up and … yeah, definitely look into deceptive practice rules. 4. If it's utilization management that we're trying to achieve here, then your utilization manager should be utilization managing. These maximizers are not meant to impact utilization management. Patients really cannot differentiate, as per study after study, it's very difficult for patients to differentiate high-value from low-value care or meds. So, pretty much the impact of having a patient with thousands or hundreds of dollars of out-of-pocket spend to get a med isn't going to be to ensure that the right people are taking the right med. Point is, use the right tool for the right job. So, if we're trying to keep patients away from low-value meds, the tool for that is utilization management. Also be aware, if the PBM says it cannot do utilization management or you'll lose your rebates and/or is pushing into a maximizer accumulator program to do this instead, that's kind of a clue that they cannot do it because they are taking money from Pharma to not have any restrictions on a drug. Read the article in the New York Times (you're welcome) about how PBMs took secret payments for the free flow of opioids, and Chris Crawford also talks about this sort of same-ish thing in an upcoming show relative to GLP-1s. But if you're trying to do utilization management, then do utilization management. 5. Use our understanding of this whole goings-on as a rationale or a way to tamp down perverse incentives. We want to wind up with patients getting charged a percentage of net prices, not a percentage of some wildly inflated list price with this whole accumulator maximizer contributing to, you know, just more wildly inflated list prices so the co-pay programs can be bigger and someone can make even more money off of the percentage of savings. And plan sponsors addicted to rebates now have another bucket of cash. Like, this is just another example of how perverse incentives pervade the system. And we should certainly be aware of that. Bill Sarraille was a healthcare attorney for many years. He retired from his law firm on the first of last year, and now he's doing the things he wanted to do before but couldn't because his billable rate was too high. Bill is teaching at the University of Maryland Law School and doing some regulatory consulting, etc. He's working with a variety of patient groups. Also mentioned in this episode are University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; Joey Dizenhouse; Dea Belazi, PharmD, MPH; Brian Reid; Chris Crawford; Marilyn Bartlett; Scott Haas; Paul Holmes; and Tom Nash. You can learn more at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and by following Bill on LinkedIn. You can also sign up for his Substack.   Bill Sarraille is a professor of practice at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, a regulatory consultant, and a retired senior member of the Healthcare Practice group at Sidley Austin LLP. Bill is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare, life sciences, drugs, medical devices, and patient access to treatments. He is widely known for his expertise in a broad array of healthcare matters, including rare disease treatment access barriers, pharmaceutical pricing, Anti-Kickback Law compliance, the 340B program, and managed care and PBM issues. During his years practicing law, Bill was recognized repeatedly by The Best Lawyers in America in both healthcare law and administrative law. He was also consistently listed as a leader in the field of healthcare law in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Bill also serves as the general counsel of the charity the Pharmaceutical Coalition for Patient Access, as an advisor to multiple patient advocacy groups on patient access issues, a compliance advisor to a coinsurance patient assistance foundation, and as the director of a rare disease society and Kalderos, Inc., a health IT firm with a focus on effectuating pharmaceutical discounts and rebates.   09:31 What should plan sponsors be aware of right now? 14:01 What is the justification for maximizers, and why is this at odds with the purpose of insurance? 18:05 Where does the issue of “fairness” land within cost containment? 20:00 Brian Reid's LinkedIn post on insurance company access challenges. 21:30 What are the real legal issues presented by some of these co-pay maximizers and co-pay accumulator programs? 27:06 How are these programs creating perverse incentives? 29:28 EP450 with Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFM. 32:16 “If you're covered by the ACA, I think this is unlawful.” 32:57 What advice does Bill have in regard to these programs? 33:49 What potential litigations does Bill see coming in the near future in regard to these co-pay maximizers and co-pay accumulator programs? 38:38 EP365 with Scott Haas. 38:45 EP397 with Paul Holmes.   You can learn more at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and by following Bill on LinkedIn. You can also sign up for his Substack.   @HCLAWComment discusses #costcontainment on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #pharma #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Stacey Richter (INBW41), Andreas Mang (Encore! EP419), Dr Komal Bajaj, Cynthia Fisher, Stacey Richter (INBW40), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams (Encore! EP418), Rob Andrews (Encore! EP415), Brian Reid, Dr Beau Raymond, Brendan Keeler  

Last week in San Diego, a group of 165 finance leaders convened for the fourth Future of Finance Summit. This JofA podcast episode is a compilation of takeaways from the event and a look at key areas of focus for leaders in 2025. It is the first of several Future of Finance recordings. The speakers for this episode are: n  Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA's executive vice president–Business Growth & Engagement n  Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, CPA, CGMA, the CEO of KET Solutions and former AICPA chair n  Becca Shane, CPA, CGMA, the CFO of Blue Marlin Ventures n  Okorie Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, vice president–Sarbanes Oxley at Kaiser Permanente and former AICPA and Association of International Certified Professional Accountants chair What you'll learn from this episode: ·         More about Tom Hood's summation that the event "leveled up." ·         The top priorities of finance leaders, based on polling last week at the Future of Finance Summit. ·         Why Kimberly Ellison-Taylor says she's looking forward to “clarity” in 2025. ·         Why the phrase “feed forward” and an emphasis on positivity resonated with CFO Becca Shane. ·         Okorie Ramsey's focus on the talent pipeline and relevance. ·         His explanation of the profession's need to “tell a better story.”

Note: This podcast episode was recorded Nov. 20, 2024, and since then, the U.S. House of Representatives races have been called, giving the Republicans 220 congressional members and the Democrats 215. This balance could change depending on potential special elections if some members of the House are appointed to positions within President-Elect Trump's administration. In this episode of the AICPA's Tax Section Odyssey podcast, Kasey Pittman, CPA, MST, Director of Tax Policy ­— Baker Tilly US LLP, discusses potential upcoming tax legislation for 2025, focusing on the complexities and challenges of extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and other tax provisions.   What you'll learn from this episode: The potential complexities and challenges of extending provisions of the TCJA and other tax legislation. The implications of a unified government and the reconciliation process for passing tax legislation. The financial constraints posed by the national debt and the importance of managing the deficit. The influence of individual policymakers and the importance of state and local tax (SALT) deductions. Potential revenue raisers like tariffs and ending the employee retention credit early, and their impact on the overall tax legislation. AICPA resources Planning for tax changes — CPAs need to not only brace for tax law changes such as the TCJA and expiring provisions but also be proactive in planning for them. Tax advocacy — Advocacy is a core element of our purpose and value proposition. It is a strong mechanism for promoting trust and confidence in the CPA and CGMA credentials around the world.   Transcript April Walker: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the AICPA's Tax Section Odyssey podcast, where we offer thought leadership on all things tax facing the profession. I'm April Walker, a lead manager from the tax section, and I'm here today with Kasey Pittman. Kasey is the director of Tax Policy with Baker Tilly's National Tax Office. Welcome, Kasey. Kasey Pittman: Thank you for having me. April Walker: I thought we'd spend a few minutes today setting expectations for tax legislation for 2025. First, a little bit of a spoiler, tax legislation is likely, right, but what it will actually entail is probably a lot more complicated than just a straight status quo extension of TCJA. Kasey, let's set the stage a little bit and talk about what we know about the makeup of the government and what that will mean for upcoming legislation. Kasey Pittman: I think going into the election, the vast majority of people assumed we were going to wind up in some divided government. We knew it was very likely that Republicans would capture the Senate. The math there was not very good for Democrats, just in terms of how many seats were up, and one of the Democratic-turned-independent retiring senators from a deep red state was almost a certainty to flip. I think the general thinking was that either Democrats would capture the White House or the House, and neither of those things came to fruition. We are sitting here in the 2024 election was a Republican sweep. We've done a lot of worrying about things that we can let go of, and I think probably we'll touch on that a little bit later in the podcast. But the margins aren't very big. Trump captured the White House actually by a good margin in terms of both electoral votes and total votes in the country. It looks like Senate Republicans will have the majority with a 53-47 split between Republicans and Democrats. The house is currently unknown. We know that the House has captured 218, and that's what you need for the majority. There's 435 seats. 218 is literally a one seat majority. There are five races outstanding, and probably threeish, maybe four of those are likely to go Republican. We're just waiting on final vote counts. In the House, we're looking at a few vote margin, in the Senate, we're looking at a few vote margin, and that can make legislating really difficult. One of the themes we touch on here as we go through is reconciliation. When you have a unified government, and a unified government is one where one party has both chambers in Congress, and the White House, which is what we're going into in 2025, there's this process that you can use for certain types of legislation, fiscal legislation called reconciliation. What reconciliation does is it allows you to overcome the filibuster in the Senate. You actually only need a simple majority, like 51 votes in the Senate to pass a bill, but anybody can hold up a bill with a filibuster, and you need 60 votes to end debate and force the vote on the floor. But this type of legislation doesn't require that, so we can move forward with a simple majority. However, there are a lot of limitations to the reconciliation process. Everything in a reconciliation bill has to be financial. It needs to deal with spending or revenues and it can't be incidentally related to those. That has to be its primary purpose. Tax provisions are perfect for this. It cannot increase the deficit outside of the budget window. The budget window is typically 10 years. Then inside that budget window, you can only increase or decrease the deficit by the amount in the reconciliation instructions. Reconciliation instructions are set again, by a simple majority on a budget resolution in the House and in the Senate. That number can be hard to define. We also can't touch Social Security, by the way, which is why you never see Social Security in a reconciliation bill. However, that number is really difficult to come to an agreement on sometimes, and I predict that we're going to face some issues just in getting to that budget reconciliation number before we even start to put together the bill. April Walker: That's a great summary, and we used reconciliation before to actually pass TCJA and some other legislation in the past few years, but it's still not how I grew up learning how law was passed. It's a little bit interesting and that's a great summary. Kasey, I led with saying, we don't think it's going to be a straight extension of TCJA and some of the other proposals that have been thrown out throughout campaigns. Talk through a little bit about specific provisions, what they're scoring out at, why they may or may not be included in this legislation. Again, I don't think we have to say this. This is all just speculation on our part. We will have to see what we will see once it turns to 2025. Kasey Pittman: Some of it is really speculative. We're guessing, they are educated guesses based on history and based on what influential policymakers are telling us. For many months, Republicans have really optimistically been planning for reconciliation, hoping to capture both chambers, hoping that Trump would be in the White House. They've been planning. Honestly, there's been a ton of organization inside the House Ways and Means Committee around it. What I said just a minute ago was that I think we're going to have trouble getting to that number, and here's why. If we want a blanket 10-year extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, all these taxpayer-favorable provisions, they're mostly taxpayer-favorable and we'll get into that in a second too. It's going to cost $4.6 trillion. Just for benchmarking for everybody, our national debt, which is the sum accumulation of all the deficits we've ever run right now is $35 trillion. That's really impactful because each year, honestly, I believe since Clinton, we've run at a deficit and some of the Clinton years too. But each year, since I was in middle school, we've run at a deficit, which means we're spending more money than we're bringing in, and part of the reason we're spending more money than we're bringing in is because we have to pay interest on all this debt. It's really come to a head over the last couple of years for two reasons. One, our debt skyrocketed. Recently, TCJA added to it. COVID certainly didn't help it at all. Then additionally, because we've had such high inflation, the Fed has increased interest rates and that's the rate that we pay to service the debt. In FY 24, which ended at the end of September. This year, we paid over a trillion dollars just to service our debt, not paying down our debt, just paying the interest on our debt. That's more than we spent on defense spending for the entire year. It becomes a liability if our debt is too large. Particularly, we like to compare it to our GDP. This year we ran a $1.8 trillion deficit. Over a trillion of that we could say is attributable to interest costs. Anyway, here we are. We've got $4.6 trillion to extend the TCJA. Then we've got a whole host of other campaign proposals that Trump made on the trail. No SALT, and we'll get to SALT in a second. No SALT, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security benefits. There's family caregivers credit for home caregivers. There's just a number of things, and some of them are hard to score because there's not a lot of details around the policy yet. They're more on the idea than the actual detailed policy phase at this point but those are a lot and estimates are 8-10 trillion with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act plus all of the other campaign promises, and that is just wild as compared to our current national debt and the fiscal responsibility that I think a lot of policymakers and Americans really are focused on. Do I think that Senate Republicans and House Republicans are going to come together and say, let's write a $10 trillion bill that's not paid for at all, that increases the deficit? No, I don't. We still have deficit hawks in the Republican Party, we have people who are really concerned about it and for good reason. That's going to be a struggle. I want to say SALT is really important here. Republicans are fairly united in the general extension of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. There's a lot of campaigning this cycle on it. It's been a priority where we're fairly unified. However, that's not where it ends. We're looking again at these small margins in the House and the small margins in the Senate. When we have that, we have individual policymakers who have a lot of influence. We saw that in 2021- 2022, when Democrats had a big bill and they said, Hey, this is our wish list, and Joe Manchin and Kristen Sinema, who are Democrats, turned independents in the Senate, said, Oh gosh, no, thank you, that's way too big. Here's what we can do. We'll do the Inflation Reduction Act, which was a fraction and a little bit of a different direction on some than the original Democratic priorities. That's what we passed, because again, these two policymakers were able to exert a ton of influence. Then we saw it in 2023, when I think it was a total of eight house members ousted their speaker, which was the historic moment for Republicans in the House, what we see is a lot of power when we have those small vote margins. In the House, there's a really strong caucus for repeal of the state and local income tax, a limitation of $10,000. It's bipartisan. But there are a number of Republicans on there, particularly from high tax states, from traditionally blue states, New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey. There's dozens of them, really, and they've won re election to the House and they've campaigned on this, and this is going to be a priority for them. I think it's really impractical to think we're going to see a tax bill that doesn't have SALT attached to it because this is a pretty strong caucus. Again, the margins are small, and to fully repeal SALT for 10 years is another $1.2 trillion. Now I'm at $6 trillion April, and that's before the overtime and before the Social Security, which is already system in peril in terms of being able to fund it. It's not quite that simple, and we do have deficit hawks. When we saw Tax Cuts and Jobs Act originally come through in 2017, we used the reconciliation process, Republicans did, and then Democrats used it in 2022 to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. There were many Republicans who wanted much more than TCJA cost. TCJA eventually they came to an agreement, and they said, We can do $1.5 trillion. 1.5 trillion is what we can sign on for. We can get everybody on board for that. That's what the budget instruction said. You can write a bill that increases the deficit by 1.5 trillion dollar over 10 years and so they did that. But it's not quite that simple. People say, $1.5 trillion, it wasn't 1.5 trillion dollar in tax cuts. It was $5.5 trillion in tax cuts with four trillion dollar in revenue raisers, some of them were pretty simple.  I replaced these itemized deductions with the standard deductions, they kinda offset, but there were some provisions in there that were just revenue raisers and one of them is 163(j), the business interest limitation. Then additionally, we couldn't see them all through the entire budget window and still hit that mark. When I originally described it literally in 2017, 2018, when I was talking about it, I would say. Hey, look, we've got all these dials, and at the top, we've got this big number, and this is what we've added up to. We want to turn this dial up, but that costs too much money, and that puts us over, so maybe we dial it down on the number of years or maybe we add this revenue raiser. We're trying to back into this $1.5 trillion number, and that's part of the reason we saw some of these changes that transitioned under TCJA. We're seeing right now the bonus depreciation number come down. We've seen a change in how we calculate ATI for that business interest limitation, and we've changed how we deduct research and experimental expenditures. Honestly, they just couldn't make it all the way through that budget window at that number. Just a quick note on those things that have already changed, we saw a bipartisan bill sail through the House, sail through 83% vote margin, 357-70, I want to say on January 31 this year, and it died in the Senate. Senate Finance Committee Leader Ranking member, Mike Crapo, said, No, thank you. [He was] really confident that he was going to have a majority in the Senate in 2025 and he does, and he now also is able to have a Republican House to work with. One of the questions I get a lot is, do I think that we're going to see that bill be taken up in the lame duck session? My answer is no, I do not. I don't see what the incentive is for Republicans to make the concessions in there with Democrats around the refundability of child tax credit because they've got different methodologies on that. I don't see an incentive for them when they know they're going to run the table next year. April Walker: One thing I know you and I have talked about before, there's in evaluating “pay fors” and revenue raisers, there's the ERC provisions that are in that legislation that you're talking about in the past. I guess that's still potentially on the table ending ERC in January, that's potentially out there. What about tariffs? Tariffs have been suggested as a revenue raiser. How does that work with reconciliation? Kasey Pittman: There are a couple of revenue raisers that have been widely talked about, and I think there's a lot of bipartisan agreement around ending the employee retention credit early, and that's scored, if they use it from the old bill, that's scored around $77 billion. But you have to think that's drop in the bucket when we're talking about $6 trillion, $8 trillion, $10 trillion dollars. But it helps - every bit helps, obviously right?  And then there's another one that's clawing back a lot of the IRA provisions, some of those clean energy provisions and semi recently, I think last weekend, President Elect Trump said,"Hey, I'm going to take away this $7,500 EV credit. We're not doing that anymore once I'm president." That's one item, but there are a lot of energy provisions outside of just that. That's the one that I think most individuals know about, but there are a lot of energy provisions outside of that. How they dismantle that is going to be really interesting to me, because there are some proponents who just say kill it all. This is not where our priorities are. There are others and there was a letter, I want to say to Speaker Johnson in the summer, that came from a number of House Republicans, a dozen or so that said, Hey, these are really beneficial in my district. I really hope that we and the language we've heard a lot of here is take a scalpel and not a sledgehammer. That's the talking point, scalpel and not a sledgehammer, to clawing back some of these provisions. I do expect some exploration of clawing back those provisions, and then tariffs. President Trump has talked a lot about tariffs and we've heard a number of things between 10 and 20% across the board tariff rate for anything coming into the country, about 60% on China. I believe we've heard 100% on cars coming from Mexico. What we don't know is and I've gotten a ton of questions on this, honestly. What we don't know is how serious he is about those. Is it an idea? Is it something that he intends to use as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations? Is it something that's going to be applied potentially in a more specific niche, these particular areas? That's what we saw in his first presidency was that it was particular items coming in. We saw it on aluminum, we saw it on steel. Or is it going to really be, does he intend to do it across the board? The thing is that presidents do not have completely unfettered power here, but they have the ability to enact certain tariffs without the consent of Congress. That being said, unless they find a way to write that into the reconciliation bill, they can't use the money they believe they'll generate from the tariffs as an offset to try to get back into that number. Because again, TCJA, $5.5 trillion in cuts, $4 trillion in revenue, if we want to include that in revenue, it's going to have to be present in the bill in some fashion. What I have been reading and researching a little bit, does it have to be explicit or does it have prescriptive or does it have to authorize him to move in that area? I'm still doing a little research there. But anyway, it would have to be in the bill in order to be included in the revenue scoring. April Walker: Lots of items to think about as we're rapidly going towards the end of the year and our listeners are [a  lot of] tax partitioners talking to clients. I think another top question I'm sure you've been getting is, what are we thinking about timing? When is this going to happen? When is legislation going to happen? Because we really think it's going to happen, they're not going to let TCJA expire at the end at 12/31/25. But what are we thinking? Kasey Pittman: Speaker Johnson has been very bullish on this and saying he would like a bill coming out of the house, not necessarily enacted, but out of the house in the first 100 days of Trump's presidency. Just if we're going from inauguration day of January 20th, that date would be April 30th. That is a really ambitious goal. There's a number, it's ambitious in ideal scenarios. There's a ton of other priorities as well, including government funding, which as of this moment, is not done, and we don't know if it'll be a continuing resolution or if they'll fund the government through the end of the year.  But there are a lot of priorities for this Congress, and one of them is the confirmation of all of President Trump's picks for various administration positions, which is going to complicate this. Because right now, the House Republicans have the generally accepted number is 218 seats. There are five seats outstanding. They could wind up with a total of 223. That's probably more like 221, 222, maybe 220, but probably 221, 222 (See note above for the final results). There are three people from the House that President Trump has nominated. They're leaving their seats, assuming they get this job, Matt Gaetz has already left his seat, and that's going to complicate matters. It's not an easy swap. Speaker Johnson will be working with a very tight majority, like a very razor thin majority in the House until all of that is sorted out, and you've got new policymakers in seat. That's going to complicate things as well, and it's going to be difficult to get to that number. Again, I think that there are a lot of different, even within the Republican Party, even though they believe in the TCJA. They believe it was stimulating. They think that they should extend it. Deficit funding for a large number is going to be really difficult. First, we're going to have to come to that number, and that is going to be a negotiation in and of itself. It's not going to be $10 trillion. It's not going to be, hey, we get everything we want for 10 years. In addition, then they have to figure out how to work with that number. Let's say $2 trillion, I'm just going to throw that out there, $2 trillion, $3 trillion, whatever they've decided on. You can increase the deficit over the budget window by $2 trillion dollars, $3 trillion dollars. I've got 10 years. In my budget window, what am I going to do with it? I could try to find a ton of revenue raisers, and I think it's honestly going to be a mix of these things. I could try to find a ton of revenue raisers. I could try to reduce government spending. I could not put everything in place for 10 years. We could see a bill that comes out for four years. Even though the budget window could be larger, they could say, hey, they're all going to expire after four years because that's how we can get most of our priorities in, and then we're going to kick this can down the road. When they crafted TCJA, it was very intentional. The portion that they made permanent was the corporate rate, there's a much longer planning runway for large corporations and businesses than there are for individuals, typically.That was smart. In addition, the things that are expiring are the things that are popular with voters, lower rates, increased child tax credit. It puts political pressure on the extension of these items. They could do that again because the items we're talking about are by and large, popular with voters. Nobody's looking, nobody raises their hand and says, I'd really love you to increase my tax rate. Personally, thank you so much. I'd like my bill to go up every year. Now, many taxpayers are okay with it and they believe in the methodology of a graduated system, but nobody's personally asking for an income tax increase that I've seen anyway in my practice. They're popular, they could kick it down the road and put pressure on the 2028 election, if they only do it for four years. I'd be interested to see what happens. They could also only enact them partially or phase them out or make other changes. There's a lot to figure out. There are a lot of dueling priorities and there's a lot of money at stake. April Walker: Lots to think about as we move into 2025, but I so appreciate your sitting down with us today, Kasey, and thinking through the scenarios. Very helpful for me. In closing, as we wrap up this podcast, I like to take a little bit of a left turn and think about, hey, we're together, we're taking a journey together towards a better profession in doing that, I like to get a glimpse of my guest other journeys outside of the world of tax. Kasey, tell me about a trip you have planned or a bucket list item you've got on the agenda. Kasey Pittman: Actually, we took our kids out of the country for the first time this summer, and we had a little bit of a larger trip planned and it got delayed because of a couple of years, mostly because of COVID, honestly. It was wonderful. We went to Germany and Austria and London, and we were hoping to add France on there too, but we couldn't because it was the Olympics and it was bananas getting into France. It was absolutely bananas. We are hoping to go, not next summer, but maybe the following summer go back and bring the kids to France. I enjoy traveling a lot, but I think it's so cool to see it through their eyes, too. I think it's really neat because the world. April Walker: I love to do that, too. Traveling is definitely I didn't do it a ton as a kid, and so I try to do it and get my daughter on the road as much as possible. Kasey Pittman: But in the short term, April, I'm going to come down your way. Let's see. I want to say it's the first Sunday of December to watch because on Monday, it is the Women's NCAA soccer championship, which will be very exciting. It'll be our third year and it's in Cary. Unfortunately, the next three years, I think, after that are in California, and we're not going to make that trip. It's probably our last year. April Walker:  Yes, you're always welcome to come down to a lovely North Carolina. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Kasey Pittman: Fingers crossed. April Walker: Thanks again so much, Kasey. Again, this is April Walker from the AICPA Tax Section. This community is your go to source for technical guidance and resources design, especially for CPA tax practitioners like you in mind. This is a podcast from AICPA and CIMA together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcast and we encourage you to follow us so you don't miss an episode. If you already follow us, thank you so much. Please feel free to share with a like minded friend. You can also find us at aicpa-cima.com/tax and find our other episodes and get access to any resources we mentioned during this episode. Thank you so much for listening and wishing everyone a happy upcoming holiday season. Keep your finger on the pulse of the dynamic and evolving tax landscape with insights from tax thought leaders in the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section Odyssey podcast includes a digest of tax developments, trending issues and practice management tips that you need to be aware of to elevate your professional development and your firm practices. This resource is part of the robust tax resource library available from the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section is your go-to home base for staying up to date on the latest tax developments and providing the edge you need for upskilling your professional development. If you're not already a member, consider joining this prestigious community of your tax peers. You'll get free CPE, access to rich technical content such as our Annual Tax Compliance Kit, a weekly member newsletter and a digital subscription to The Tax Adviser.

It's no secret anymore: Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, is retiring as CEO of AICPA & CIMA. He was first named CEO of the AICPA nearly 30 years ago, and he leaves the now global organization with a legacy of change. His last official day is Dec. 31, and Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA, is his successor. In this episode of the JofA podcast, recorded earlier this week at Digital CPA in Denver, Melancon explains why he's not counting down the days of his tenure, why there likely will be more recreation in his future, and why he expects he will “still wake up every day and think about the profession.” What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Why Melancon hasn't been counting the days until his tenure as CEO ends. ·         His “stellar” assessment of how he will transition into retirement. ·         His relationship over the years with incoming CEO Mark Koziel, CPA, CGMA. ·         The “unsettled” nature of the world and how accountants can help. ·         Why Melancon prioritized the profession and the members before thinking of the organization. ·         The “humbling” messages he has received.

In this episode with Dan O'Hare, CPA, CGMA, Principal at Glenn Burdette, we explore why CPA firms might choose to implement an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). With O'Hare's insights and expertise, we explore how ESOPs can facilitate smooth succession planning, boost employee retention and engagement and offer significant tax benefits. Additionally, we discuss how this alternative practice structure can improve performance and make the firm more attractive to potential hires. This conversation will help you understand the potential power of ESOPs in reshaping your firm's future.   Want more? Dive into our business model transformation resources. To get more insights on business model transformation and access new podcast episodes automatically and free, follow our show via our podcast homepage. This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here. Your feedback and comments welcomed at podcast@aicpa-cima.com  

The potential for less regulation is one factor driving optimism among CPA decision-makers in a quarterly survey, according to Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director–Management Accounting Research and Development. Witt joined the JofA podcast to discuss fourth-quarter results of the Business and Industry Economic Outlook Survey — statistics that were dramatically different from the third quarter. The executives are mostly optimistic about the domestic economy in 2025. They also have a brighter outlook as it relates to their own organizations, although that increase since the third quarter was more muted. What you'll learn from this episode: A breakdown of the quarter-over-quarter change in optimism. What challenge returned to its familiar top spot in this quarter's survey. The reasons that optimists and pessimists feel the way they do, according to Witt's analysis. The hiring outlook for 2025.

This episode features Oliver Rowe, the editor-in-chief of FM, detailing the contents of the December digital edition of the magazine. The discussion summarises articles on topics that include skills development beyond core finance, using Excel modelling to avoid costly mistakes, and capital investment decision-making. Rowe explains how members can access the most recent edition of the online magazine as well as the issue library. Previous podcast episodes focusing on 2024 digital editions: February April June August October What you'll learn from this episode: Coverage of the AICPA & CIMA leadership transition. Skills that CGMA designation holders have developed to advance their careers. A summary of an article on balancing in-office work and at-home work. Highlights of an article about Excel modelling and how it can minimise mistakes.

Chase Insogna, CPA, CGMA, is a seasoned accountant and entrepreneur specializing in helping small businesses under $20M with accounting, tax strategy, and wealth-building services through his firm, Insogna CPA. With over 13 years as President of the firm and prior corporate accounting experience, he offers CFO-level expertise to aid business growth and tax savings. Recognized with accolades like Hubdoc Top 50 Cloud Accountants and certifications including QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Xero Advisor, he emphasizes tailored solutions and long-term financial planning for clients. Insogna CPA is an accounting firm based in Austin, Texas, offering services like bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial advice to clients across all 50 states. They focus on clear communication, proactive guidance, and transparent pricing to help clients manage their finances effectively. Founded in 2011, the firm has grown to include a team of over 20 professionals. The Riderflex Podcast, hosted by Steve Urban, features insightful interviews with entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives from various industries. With over 400 episodes, the podcast offers listeners inspiring stories of success, leadership, and personal growth. Steve Urban, as Founder & CEO of Riderflex, brings his extensive experience in recruitment and business consulting to the conversations, providing valuable career and leadership advice. Guests often share their journeys, challenges, and lessons learned, making it a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals looking to gain practical insights into business and personal development. Learn more about Steve Urban here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepurban/ steve.urban@riderflex.com

Choosing the right business structure isn't just about compliance – it's about maximizing tax efficiency and aligning with your long-term goals. Larry Heller, CFP®, CDFA®, and William Huether, CPA, CGMA, MBA, discuss how S-Corporations can help business owners save on taxes, streamline compliance, and drive growth. They compare S-Corps to C-Corps, LLCs, and partnerships, offering … Read More Read More

In this joint episode with the JofA podcast, host Neil Amato discusses with Melanie Lauridsen, Vice President of Tax Policy & Advocacy for the AICPA, what tax practitioners can expect regarding tax legislation. The conversation covers key tax topics following the 2024 election, including the future of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting, and disaster relief efforts. Melanie provides insights into the challenges and opportunities facing tax professionals in 2025, emphasizing the importance of staying informed.   What you'll learn from this episode:  The latest updates on disaster relief for BOI reporting.  Melanie's insights about the potential future of the TCJA provisions.  How IRS funding might be impacted by the new administration AICPA resources   Planning for tax changes – CPAs need to not only brace for tax law changes such as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and expiring provisions but also be proactive in planning for them.   Tax Advocacy – Advocacy is a core element of our purpose and value proposition. It is a strong mechanism for promoting trust and confidence in the CPA and CGMA credentials around the world.   Transcript April Walker: Welcome back to the AICPA's Tax Section Odyssey podcast, where we offer thought leadership on all things tax facing the profession. I'm April Walker, lead manager from the Tax section, and today we have a joint episode with the JOA, providing information on several important tax topics, such as BOI, disaster relief, and also upcoming potential tax legislation. Let's hear more. Neil Amato: Welcome to the Journal of Accountancy podcast. This is Neil Amato with the JofA. This episode is a special collaboration between the JofA and the Tax Section Odyssey podcast. It's Nov. 19 as we're recording, two weeks since the 2024 election. With the election over, we have results. We also have questions about the future of several tax topics. Here to provide some analysis and clarity on those topics is Melanie Lauridsen, vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy for the AICPA. Melanie, welcome back to the podcast. Melanie Lauridsen: Thank you for having me back, Neil. Amato: We talk pretty regularly, pretty much a quarterly basis. It's safe to say that even if we keep this discussion fairly narrow in scope, there is plenty to discuss, so we'll get right to it. I'm going to tease for the listeners that there will be discussion of the future of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. But first, I'd like to ask about BOI reporting, beneficial ownership information reporting, as that's been in the news lately as well. What's the latest from your lens, the advocacy lens, on the topic of FinCEN's disaster relief for BOI? Lauridsen: Good topic, Neil. Disaster relief is something, regardless of what it is, whether it's tax or BOI, it is critical that people are able to get it as quickly as possible in the largest scope possible. With BOI, we are grateful that FinCEN did offer disaster relief for victims of various hurricanes, most notably Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, which created quite a bit of damage to the areas they hit. But, unfortunately, the scope of the relief, particularly for those victims of Hurricane Helene, is not as broad and as encompassing as we would have liked it to have been. They did offer a filing relief for those victims. However, they didn't extend it to entities that had been created prior to 2024 and therefore had a Jan. 1, 2025, deadline. We know that [for] some of the entities, it took everything away. It destroyed everything, and those entities have years to rebuild, and they really could use an extension. With that in mind, we are actually working with various state CPA societies, and we are also working with FinCEN in order to broaden the scope that was issued, in particular for victims of Hurricane Helene. Of course, we are working with people on the Hill because there are a lot of questions around the Corporate Transparency Act and BOI reporting to begin with, much more so also with disaster relief that they would like to see some expansion of the scope, too. Amato: Yeah, and on that topic of the reports that are in versus the reports that are expected, it's still a pretty small number. I know people like to do things at the last minute, but it's something like 6.5 million of 32 million, so still a long way to go. Lauridsen: There is an awareness issue there, and FinCEN is highly aware that there is an awareness issue because, like you said, 6.5 million filings of 32.6 [million], there's a little bit of a disconnect, especially when we're in November. So we're talking there's a month and a half to file to meet those other — what is it? — 20-plus million filings that we have to go in 1½ months? I don't think they're going to be able to meet those numbers, so, yes. But a couple of things to note about that 6.5 million. Of those 6.5 million, the majority of those filings are for entities that were created in 2024 and had that 90-day deadline, and also for the 30-day corrected and updates that are needed, and that's the 30-day deadline needed. A lot of the existing entities, those that were created prior to 2024, still need to file. Now, FinCEN realizes that their numbers are not where they want them to be, and they are now focusing on awareness and not so much on enforcement. But they are, like I said, making pushes for awareness, and they were even on our AICPA Town Hall, so you can look at the archive there because we did host Phil Lam for that. But also, the other day, I was watching national television, and I saw one of their commercials. I just about fell out of my seat. I didn't think the messaging was as clear as it could have been, but they are trying to make efforts there. Amato: Was this the coffee shop ad that you saw? Lauridsen: Yes, it is. Amato: We wrote about that earlier this year, that the outreach had begun. But still, I guess, a ways to go on that topic. Let's look ahead to one item that was popular at the tax conference. It's popular in the news headlines, and I know it's something you're paying attention to: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It's a very open-ended question, but I'll ask it anyway: What's the future of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? Lauridsen: Well, Neil, we would all love to know exactly what the future is. But, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, it's interesting because a lot of people said prior to the election, we always knew that tax was going to be on the agenda. People were saying that, it all depended on if it was Democrat or Republican that ended up taking the presidency. Ultimately, the same topics are at stake. TCJA was always something that was going to be debated and discussed, regardless of who ended up being in office and who will be in office. The difference is we definitely know that President-elect Trump would like to see TCJA provisions become permanent. Now, the reality is all those provisions cost money, and there are real dollars associated with it. Even though we are going to be seeing in 2025 the trifecta effect, where the Republicans have swept across the board, it doesn't mean that everybody is in line with the same provisions, and therefore it doesn't mean we know exactly what will be coming. A lot of what is to come becomes an argument of how much things cost and how much things don't cost and what can be included and what can be agreed on. The debate is still very much alive as to what will happen with TCJA. I think, this is my pure speculation, I think we're going to see a hybrid of all the things that are there and not necessarily everything becoming permanent. But who's to say? Things could absolutely change. Amato: Do you want to talk about any of the particulars within that, for example, the SALT cap, estate tax policies, the future of the corporate tax rate? Lauridsen: All of those pieces are very interesting. The SALT cap, let's start with that one. The SALT cap, we have heard that they would like to eliminate the SALT cap. On a personal level, sure. I would love to see that go away. I know quite a few people feel that way about it. But the reality is that it costs money. Right now, the SALT cap at the $10,000 cap is a revenue raiser, and it helps pay for other aspects of it. If they were to eliminate it, that will cost a lot more money than what is anticipated. If we were to see a change, again, this is pure speculation on my part, obviously, we have to wait and see how things play out and what indicators we see. Right now, we haven't seen any specific indicators, but I wouldn't be surprised if the SALT cap ends up being raised slightly, not completely eliminated because, again, it costs money to eliminate it. Amato: OK, state tax policies next. Lauridsen: You said estate? Amato: Estate. Sorry, estate, not state, as opposed to state and local tax. Now, estate tax. Lauridsen: With estate tax policy, there's definitely a desire and a will to see the cap also eliminated because with TCJA, after TCJA, it will cut in half of what we're seeing. Who knows what we'll see in that play. Again, it costs money to be able to have no limit for estate tax planning purposes. I do think like the SALT cap we're going to see something come out in the middle. Maybe it'll maintain, maybe it might increase, but completely unlimited — I don't see that happening, either. Amato: Then finally, the corporate tax rate as it relates to the TCJA. Lauridsen: The corporate tax rate, that is definitely something that has been discussed. We have heard during the campaigns from President-elect Trump that he would like to lower the corporate tax rates, but please keep in mind that the current corporate tax rates in TCJA, again, they cost money. What is paying for those corporate tax rates are those small business provisions that we would like to see come back. For example, Sec. 174, the R&E expenditures. We would like to see that 100% bonus depreciation. We would like to see that come back, but those are some of those provisions that pay for that lower corporate tax rate. Of course, there's the [Sec.] 163(j) interest expense deduction and Sec. 199A, the qualified business income. Again, all those pieces come into play into that corporate tax rate because, technically, those are the pay-fors for that corporate tax rate, so it's a handoff. Amato: Good description of the pay-for aspect of it. Anytime there's a change in administration, I guess the IRS funding topic comes up. The IRS has said many times that the funding it received under the Inflation Reduction Act was helping it provide better service. Now, I guess that funding is going to be up for debate. What do you see as the future there? Lauridsen: Well, that is definitely something. The funding for the IRS, specifically, the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRA as we call it, is something that we are definitely going to keeping an eye on because, if you take a look at the Inflation Reduction Act, the majority of the money, $80 billion — that was allocated towards enforcement. Now there was a piece that was allocated to IRS services, and it is that piece, that portion where we've seen the increased answering of the telephone, the hiring of people at the IRS to be able to provide services with that. Now, we know that that particular funding for IRS services from the Inflation Reduction Act is set to run out by 2026. If the money runs out, what do you think will happen? We'll see decreased IRS services. The way we're looking at it is we do know there is interest in clawing back the Inflation Reduction Act funding and, specifically, for the enforcement piece of it. Our position is, well, let's not take it away from the IRS. Let's rebalance it and shift it over to services. One thing to note, though, is enforcement is a critical function of the IRS. Not everything under enforcement is audits, liens, and levies — all these things that people don't want to see happening. There are pieces of enforcement like Chief Counsel's Office that is covered under enforcement, and Chief Counsel are the ones who provide the regulations and those guides, the guidelines to people in order to be compliant with their taxes. It is a critical function of the IRS. Now, do they need as much as they got? I would venture to say and would like to see some of that money going from enforcement to IRS services and not necessarily clawed back. Amato: That's great. Now, I said we're two weeks since the election. We're also about one week since the AICPA & CIMA National Tax Conference. I know you were there. I know you were busy yourself, but maybe, as you interact with members, as you interact with people in Washington, if you could then look ahead to 2025, what do you see as challenges that are tax-related and also opportunities for the new year? Lauridsen: Some of the challenges that our people have, and we've actually done some informal surveys, too, and the results are the same and we're seeing this trend. There's a lot of growing concern with new legislation coming and, in particular, retroactive legislation or midyear legislation, which makes it particularly hard for members to be able to keep up with it. Retroactivity doesn't help because then you have to amend returns if you already started down that process. Of course, with both last-minute legislation and retroactive legislation, you have to keep on top of the tax changes. Now, you should do that on every given year, but when they do it retroactively or midyear, it makes it particularly hard when you're in the middle of filing season. That is one of the biggest challenges that our members are concerned about. Also, with new legislation, that means we are waiting on guidance from the IRS. The IRS [process] can be very time-consuming in looking at the rules to able to provide guidance. Again, people just want to be compliant. People aren't trying to get out of it. They just want to be compliant, and they need some guidance. That's another concern that we see there. Of course, other challenges that we're seeing associated with Sec. 199A — we would love to see the extension of that to continue, but ideally, we would also like to see the expansion of Sec. 199A. Again, that costs money, and where is that money going to come by in order to be able to achieve something along those lines within it. But, there are opportunities, Neil. Some of those opportunities there's mobile workforce, opportunities there's an appetite for that hopefully that we can see move forward, and that would be something that would make a lot of people's lives a lot easier. That essentially is saying to put a safe harbor that if you work less than 30 days in a state, then you don't file at that state level. It would have to be over 30 days to be able to move forward with that. The expanded use of 529 accounts to be able to pay for studying to sit for the CPA Exam or to be able to get your financial planning certification associated with that. There are pieces of opportunities. Another piece of opportunity that we would like to see — maybe we'll see a change with the Form 1099-K, with the threshold. Remember that was at $600, and there's been a debate where it could be, so maybe we'll see an increase in that threshold filing. Of course, disaster relief. We would love to be able to see some of the bigger positions that we've had associated with disaster relief to make a real difference for victims of disasters. Amato: Good points all. Thank you very much, Melanie. I'll give you the opportunity to give a closing thought if you have one. Lauridsen: My closing thoughts are, I think 2025 is a huge tax year. I think we just need to buckle down and get ready for that roller coaster that's going to be coming, and it's always important to keep up to date and follow through, but in this year, changes are happening. They're happening quickly. I think podcasts like this, webcasts, things like the AICPA Town Hall, they become even more critical for people to keep up to date. Amato: Great. We will keep having you on. We'll see you again in 2025, and thank you for being on the show today. Lauridsen: Thank you, Neil.  Keep your finger on the pulse of the dynamic and evolving tax landscape with insights from tax thought leaders in the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section Odyssey podcast includes a digest of tax developments, trending issues and practice management tips that you need to be aware of to elevate your professional development and your firm practices. This resource is part of the robust tax resource library available from the AICPA Tax Section. The Tax Section is your go-to home base for staying up to date on the latest tax developments and providing the edge you need for upskilling your professional development. If you're not already a member, consider joining this prestigious community of your tax peers. You'll get free CPE, access to rich technical content such as our Annual Tax Compliance Kit, a weekly member newsletter and a digital subscription to The Tax Adviser.

Kevin Gormley welcomes Hugh Martin from Procountancy back to the podcast to hear his views on preparing for this month's Strategic Case Study exam.  Returning podcast guest Hugh is a CGMA and has lots of experience with the SCS. Connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hughmartincgma/ ABOUT US. The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ Get in touch with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn. Your feedback and comments welcomed at podcast@aicpa-cima.com This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.  

Kevin Gormley is joined by John Bannon, Director at First Intuition who are a Training Partner of AICPA & CIMA.  John outlines the First Intuition FLP offer and also gives his thoughts on the upcoming Strategic Case Study (SCS) exam.  As a tutor himself, he has lots of experience in teaching for the SCS and students who are preparing for this exam may find his insights useful. CONNECT If you're on LinkedIn, feel free to connect with show host Kevin Gormley. Connect with John Bannon at First Intuition https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bannon-a5b2543b/ Find out more about First Intuition's FLP offer at https://www.firstintuition.co.uk/study-cimas-cgma-flp/  The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/.            Your feedback and comments are welcomed at podcast@aicpa-cima.com This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.

Tom Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, executive vice president–Business Growth and Engagement at AICPA & CIMA, understands why accounting skills are often ranked outside the top five of key skills in informal polling of finance audiences. “It's not because they're less important, but because the other skills are more important,” Hood said. The core requirements remain, but the ability to adapt and add new skills has grown in importance with the pace of transformation accelerating. In this episode of the JofA podcast, Hood expands on some recent themes of his travels and what he looks forward to from the Future of Finance Summit in December. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Why mindset is more important in transformation than the toolset of technology. ·         Details of a recent report about skills from the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs. ·         The skills that rank ahead of the “table stakes” of technical accounting skills. ·         Why it's important to “grab these new skills.” ·         The new way that Future of Finance Summit attendees will get a summary of the event.

Digital disruption is everywhere, including in the practice of internal audit. An audit leader joined the JofA podcast recently to discuss how technology can be harnessed instead of feared or resisted. Anthony Pugliese, CPA/CITP, CGMA, president and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), said it is understandable for fast-moving technology to be daunting. But such technology presents opportunities as well as risks. One tie-in is the new tools' ability to attract the next generation of talent for auditing. In this episode, Pugliese reviews recent IIA research, reminds auditors about the importance of curiosity, and discusses some of the misconceptions facing the profession. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Highlights of recent research by The IIA about top risks. ·         Some of the “misconceptions” about internal auditing, according to Pugliese. ·         How the “slow trek” of blockchain integration into processes differs from today's tech implementations. ·         The “most golden thing” auditors can do. ·         A reminder of the timeline for adoption of international auditing standards.

In less than four weeks, IRS officials and tax practitioners will gather in Washington for the AICPA & CIMA National Tax Conference. The event begins six days after Election Day, when it's possible there will be clarity about election results and about the future of tax legislation. On this episode of the podcast, two speakers closely tied to the conference explain what it will offer attendees, detailing agenda specifics. April Walker, CPA, CGMA, is lead manager–Tax Practice & Ethics at AICPA & CIMA, and Brandon Lagarde, CPA, J.D., LL.M., is chair of the event's planning committee. Walker hosts the Tax Section Odyssey podcast. Also, a new AICPA & CIMA CEO was named Wednesday. That news is mentioned at the start of the episode. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         What Lagarde and Walker look forward to about this year's conference. ·         The potential for learning more during the conference about the future of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. ·         The reasons Lagarde called the event “the most important conference” for tax practitioners. ·         A look ahead to a session on transforming tax practices to include year-round advisory services. ·         The topics in a quiz-focused session on tax ethics. ·         Why Lagarde says attendees shouldn't worry about attending one concurrent session over another.

We're joined by CIMA member and former FLP student Shirley Henrick, who switched to the Finance Leadership Programme and attained CGMA after the opportunity arose during the Pandemic to complete her studies.  She talks about her career, her route to CGMA, and gives some invaluable advice based on her experiences. The CGMA Finance Leadership Programme (FLP) , is the online pathway to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' Professional Qualification. Find out more about the FLP at https://enroll.cgma.org/ Connect with show host Kevin Gormley via LinkedIn. Your feedback and comments welcomed at podcast@aicpa-cima.com This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here.    

Yeah, I made a meme for the show with Marilyn Bartlett. My very first meme ever. In this meme, I picture that Olympic silver medalist shooter from Turkey who showed up in a T-shirt and his hand in his pocket versus the others with all their fancy equipment that, turns out, may or may not be necessary, regardless of who might swear up and down that complexity requires even more complexity and plenty of expensive gear to shoot straight. Point being, it's amazing what a dedicated CPA with a spreadsheet and their eye on the target can accomplish in the real world when they just do their thing and follow the dollar. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. And with that, Marilyn Bartlett has entered the chat. Marilyn Bartlett isn't called the “Queen of Healthcare” for no good reason, and nobody is joking when they say this. She was probably the first person (or one of the first, at a minimum) to truly identify the amount of money getting sucked out of the wallets of taxpayers and employers and plan members and into the pockets of the healthcare and insurance and consulting industries. She is a through and through numbers person but also deeply cares. She is truly a senior stateswoman in our field. Let's start from the beginning here. But you'll have to listen to the interview that follows for the end and most of Marilyn's really sage advice and words of inspiration for any of you, for all of us, trying really hard to fix healthcare and, any day of the week, taking two steps forward and/or five steps back. It's what Mike Tyson was talking about when he said, “Everybody has a plan until [you] get punched in the face.” And yeah, I'd say pretty confidently that everyone in the Relentless Health Value tribe trying to fix healthcare has been there at some point or another. So, here's where I begin the conversation with Marilyn Bartlett today. One day in 2014 or 2015, Marilyn was minding her own business as a CFO at a regional TPA (third-party administrator) firm about ready to retire when the state of Montana reached out. They asked if she would consider being the plan administrator for the state employee health plan, which was, turned out, headed for bankruptcy. Marilyn took the job, and she took the state health plan from $9 million in the hole—they were in debt $9 million—to $112 million to the good. Well, meanwhile, plan members got better benefits. Think about that: $9 million in the hole to $112 million in the good. In fact, the plan had so much money in 2018 when Marilyn left that the state took some of it to pay for other things in the budget. This is truly mind blowing. I mean, get a CPA with their eye on the ball, and this is the difference that is possible to be made in a state health plan. It also just needs to be said that this same state plan, the one that was going bankrupt, clearly had seen over $100 million of taxpayer money exit stage left and wind up in the bank account of their vendors. Now might be a good time to mention something that Chris Deacon wrote about: the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This is a $55 billion program, once again funded by taxpayers. As per an OIG (Office of the Inspector General) audit, there are no written policies or procedures over approval and payment of funds to the carriers via ACH (Automated Clearing House). Wait, what? This is just one example, along with a whole lot of other things that kind of make you go, “Hmmm … can a CPA with a spreadsheet please get in there and do your thing?” In the conversation that follows, I ask Marilyn to tell me what she did in roughly three short years to do her thing and save the state of Montana over $100 million while improving benefits of the state workers. And she tells me, short version, she created a why—that's step one. Step two, she looked at her spreadsheets and financial analyses and quantified the situation. She was able to identify a few big hairy problems, which she then hit fast and hard with solutions. This is gonna accomplish a couple of things if you do this, find a solution for a big enough problem. First, it creates a quick win; and quick wins are needed to get some momentum to get started. Second, she knew that by solving big hairy problems, the solutions would have an outsized impact given the scope of these original problems. This is kind of Strategy 101. And then step three, she dug in on assembling the right team with the right skills to make it through what amounts to a change management process, I'm gonna say. What did Marilyn not do in those three years? She did not get captivated or sidetracked by any, I'm gonna call it, transformational theater—which is not easy because a lot of transformation theater has more glitter than a Las Vegas show and is really hard to look away from. It's as magical as most magical thinking. Also, Marilyn stayed the course in the face of what I am sure were many opportunities for personal gain that would have not been a win-win for the state of Montana or its employees. To emphasize how one should not take this for granted, I was talking to a benefits leader the other day and you know what she told me? She said she always goes with this one carrier every year because if you go with that one, when you get invited to their box at the NFL games, you can go out on the field afterwards. I mean, it's really fun to meet the players. Unfortunately, for so many in positions of power, when doing the right thing by taxpayers and/or plan members stands between them and box seats, the right thing gets escorted out of the building. Mentioned in this show, we have Cora Opsahl and Claire Brockbank, who both will be featured in upcoming shows about RFPs (request for proposals) and best practices and how they can go right and also occasionally take a left turn. Check the links to episodes about pharmacy benefits and PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers). I might think of some others, but you'll definitely want to listen to the show with Paul Holmes (EP397); the one with Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA (EP418); and also AJ Loiacono (EP379). Also mentioned in this episode are Chris Deacon; Cora Opsahl; Claire Brockbank; Mark Cuban; Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA; AJ Loiacono; and Shawn Gremminger. You can learn more by connecting with Marilyn on LinkedIn.   Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFM, serves as a consultant focused on lowering healthcare costs and empowering employer health plans and state policymakers with data to support cost-saving initiatives. She recently developed the Hospital Cost Tool for the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), an interactive online tool which utilizes hospital Medicare Cost Report data to calculate various hospital metrics used to support hospital and health system financial analysis and health policy. As administrator of the Montana State Employee Health Plan, she disrupted the status quo by implementing Medicare rate reference-based contracting with all Montana hospitals, enhancing primary care through near-sight health centers, moving to a transparent, pass-through PBM, eliminating duplication of vendor services, and improving data access and analytics. These efforts increased plan reserves from actuarial projections of -$9 million to $112 million in two years. For her efforts, Fortune magazine selected Marilyn as #13 of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders.   06:45 What gave Marilyn the confidence to fix Montana's state health plan? 08:11 Why Marilyn knew she would have enough power to make the changes needed in Montana's state health plan. 09:11 What Marilyn achieved in her time as the administrator of the Montana State Employee Health Plan. 10:38 What were the “quick wins” Marilyn was able to achieve when she first took over as administrator? 17:33 Stay tuned for an upcoming episode that covers RFP in detail. 17:50 How Marilyn structured her plan for the Montana State Employee Health Plan. 21:21 What's the key to setting yourself up for success when doing what Marilyn was able to achieve? 25:02 Why putting together your own team is so important. 29:07 What happened when Marilyn left the Montana State Employee Health Plan? 31:08 Have the costs of the plan gone up since Marilyn's time working on it?   You can learn more by connecting with Marilyn on LinkedIn.   Marilyn Bartlett discusses #healthplan finances on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation #vbc   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Dr Marty Makary, Shawn Gremminger (Part 2), Shawn Gremminger (Part 1), Elizabeth Mitchell (Summer Shorts 9), Dr Will Shrank (Encore! EP413), Dr Amy Scanlan (Encore! EP402), Ashleigh Gunter, Dr Spencer Dorn, Dr Tom Lee, Paul Holmes (Encore! EP397), Ann Kempski

Episode 224 Botkeeper Presents AI UNCHAINED On October 8-10 2024, in Santa Rosa California LINK BELOW SAVES YOU $290, GET YOUR TICKET FOR $509 (REG PRICE $799) https://app.hubspot.com/payments/purchase/hscs_r07FYxQ5lcH36SD4YjS9gOMpmt9QnN8uODZWT2AydCTH75jxtFfhmYO2SNRbtzxc FACULTY: Tim Petrey, CPA CLASS: #TheGuide In this episode of the podcast, Scotty interviews Tim Petrey, CPA about his approach to firm growth with gratitude. Tim shares his journey from washing semi trucks to building a successful CPA firm and several other ventures. Tim emphasizes paying it forward, work-life balance, and the necessity of hiring great people. He also offers valuable advice to Accounting High students.