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CARES Act Expands Bankruptcy Options for Individuals and Small Businesses

Client Alert
March 30, 2020

Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA)

In August of 2019, President Trump signed into law the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (SBRA) – a piece of legislation that gave small businesses a variety of benefits when filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Effective February 22, 2020, the SBRA offers small businesses with aggregate liabilities that do not exceed $2,725,625 the opportunity to resolve their outstanding debts and financial obligations through a more price-conscious and streamlined Chapter 11 process under a new subchapter V component of the Bankruptcy Code. In an attempt to minimize business liquidations, the SBRA will allow business owners to retain the equity in their business, while simultaneously providing more guidance and structure throughout the reorganization process at an affordable cost.

The SBRA’s key provisions include:

Simplifying the Process

Debtors now have 90 days to file their reorganization plan from the day in which they file their bankruptcy petition, with easier rules for extending their payment plans. The SBRA will also incorporate more lenient reorganization requirements. Aside from maintaining that all plans are “fair and equitable,” businesses now have two primary ways to repay their creditors: (1) the business, through its restructuring plan, will identify any “disposable income” (income not used to pay for a business’s necessary expenses) and how it plans on distributing this income to its creditors; or (2) the plan will lay out an outline of how a company intends on distributing some or all of its property, provided that it can demonstrate that such property “is not less” than the projected disposable income that would be paid to its creditors. In exchange for complying with one of these two plans, the SBRA permits business owners to maintain possession of their company.

Extending the Payment Schedule & Debt Dismissal

A small business’ debts are no longer required to be paid in full. Under the SBRA, business owners can now create a repayment schedule that can span anywhere from 3 to 5 years. By adhering to this payment schedule, business owners are permitted to maintain ownership of their companies. After complying with this 3- to 5-year creditor repayment plan, courts are required to discharge any remaining debt owed by the small business.

Standing Trustee Appointment

Similar to Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy filings, the SBRA establishes that once a small business files under the SBRA, a “standing trustee” will be appointed to oversee the case. Throughout the plan of reorganization payment period, the standing trustee will oversee the small business’ estate, which includes general business operations, reviewing the company’s financial condition, or possibly, reporting any fraud or misconduct to the court. The goal under the SBRA is that by appointing a standing trustee, small businesses will have an additional resource in ensuring that adherence to their reorganization plans. In addition, unless the court orders otherwise, no unsecured creditors’ committees are permitted to be appointed or otherwise oversee the case.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provisions related to expanding bankruptcy options for small businesses

Under the CARES Act enacted March 27, 2020, the debt limit under the SBRA for small businesses filing under the new subchapter V of chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code increases from $2,725,625 to $7.5M for a period of 1 year only. The debt limit would then decrease back to $2,725,625 after the one-year increase. For small businesses in financial distress with debts between this range ($2,725,625 - $7,500,000), a time-sensitive evaluation of bankruptcy options should be considered prior to the expiration of the expanded debt limit in March,2021.

The CARES Act also extends benefits to individuals in a bankruptcy. For individuals in a chapter 13 bankruptcy case that have a material financial hardship due to the coronavirus, bankruptcy plans can be expanded for up to 7 years. Further, the coronavirus financial assistance funds shall not be considered “income” for bankruptcy purposes.

For more information about the changes to the bankruptcy laws, please contact Michael Steel at (330) 374-7471 or masteel@bmdllc.com.

CARES Actbankruptcy
Client Alert

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s Latest Batch of Rules: What Providers Should Know

January 15, 2024The Ohio Board of Pharmacy released several new rules and proposed amendments to existing rules over the past month that will significantly impact pharmacy operations. Topics range from updates to the Terminal Distributor of Dangerous Drugs license to mobile clinics to mandatory rest breaks for pharmacists of outpatient pharmacies. A summary of the proposed changes is below, along with instructions for commenting on the rules. Your BMD healthcare attorney can help write comment letters and submit the comments on your behalf as well.Client Alert

Employee or Independent Contractor? New Guidance Issued by the Department of Labor

January 10, 2024On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-awaited final rule — effective March 11, 2024 — revising its prior interpretation of worker classifications under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new final rule rescinds the standard previously established in 2021, in turn, shifting the analysis of whether a worker is an employee (versus an independent contractor) of a business from a more streamlined “economic reality” test to a more complex “totality of the circumstances” standard.Client Alert

Increased Medicaid Rates to Take Effect This Month for Ohio Providers

January 5, 2024As required by House Bill 33, Ohio’s 2024-2025 operating budget bill, reimbursement rates paid by the Ohio Department of Medicaid will increase for a wide range of providers starting on January 1, 2024.Client Alert

Corporate Transparency Act Update

December 27, 2023The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”), with an effective date of January 1, 2024, is set to impose strict reporting guidelines on business owners throughout the country. The following provides a brief update on two aspects of the CTA ahead of its effectiveness next week.Client Alert

The Second Wave of UnitedHealthcare's Prior Authorization Cuts Started in November

December 11, 2023In August 2023, UnitedHealthcare released its plan to eliminate roughly one-fifth of its then-current prior authorization requirements. The first round of prior authorization cuts took effect on September 1, 2023. In that round, UnitedHealthcare eliminated the necessity for some prior authorizations for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare commercial, UnitedHealthcare Oxford and UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange plan members. The second and final round of prior authorization cuts began on November 1, 2023. The November 2023 Prior Authorization Cuts apply to the same plans as well as community plans (i.e., Medicaid managed care plans).
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