Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are commonplace in the world of business, some very successful in terms of revenue, and some which are spectacular failures. An acquisition is a corporate action whereby a company buys most or all of the target company's ownership stakes in order to gain control of it. There have been many famous mergers and acquisitions, resulting in increased revenue for some of the biggest firms in the world.

• Disney/Pixar 2006 - This merger has proved to be very successful for both parties involved. The acquisition and merger means that the tradition of Disney could be maintained and the innovation of Pixar animations could be developed and explored further. The success of all the first six Pixar movies such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo confirmed Pixar's new style of animation as being a hit with the box office, and the heritage and tradition of Disney speaks for itself. This partnership is still going strong today.
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• Exxon/Mobil 1999 - This $81 billion deal was historic in the business world. Exxon, the most powerful and prolific American oil company bought Mobil, the second largest American oil company. In order to ensure that the new ExxonMobil brand did not create a monopoly in certain areas of America, they had to sell thousands of their petrol stations. Today they are still the largest oil company in the world, showing this acquisition and merger to be a great success.


• Premier Lodge/Travel Inn 2004 - The Whitbread Company, who owned the Travel Inn hotel chain, decided to expand their budget hotel business by acquiring Premier Lodge in 2004. Once the two companies had merged, they created the UK's largest budget hotel chain known then as Premier Travel Inn, which has since been rebranded Premier Inn and boasts over 600 hotels including some in Dubai and India.

Mergers and acquisitions happen frequently in the hotel trade; this is how large hotel chains have developed over time. The majority of hotel owners no longer specialise in one type of hotel, e.g. budget or luxury hotels, but they have a mixture of both. The Accor hotel group for example own the budget chain Ibis as well as the luxury hotel brand MGallery. Having a varied portfolio of hotels allows the company to target a range of markets, with the ultimate view to making a success of them all. However, some hotel companies still promote luxury only hotels, such as the Sandals resorts in the Caribbean.

International Referral is a members site which provides advisors in the fields of M&A and other transactions. They also list a number of luxury hotels frequented by their members.

Oxford Benefit Management is a division of Oxford Health Plans. The goal of OBM is to provide one-stop shopping for brokers, employers, and members of existing Oxford health plans. Through OBM, participants can select and manage benefit packages including dental and vision plans, health discount plans, employee assistance programs, and life insurance to add to existing health benefit packages. For employers, this service is especially beneficial as it cuts down on administrative labor hours for human resource departments and human resource employees. Through the OBM portal, employers can select specialty benefits from numerous vendors under contract or otherwise associated with Oxford or UnitedHealthGroup.

Oxford Health Plans, the parent company of Oxford Benefit Management, is owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the largest providers of insurance and healthcare coverage in the United States. As such, through OBM, employers and insurance brokers are able to add on specialty coverage options available from UnitedHealth Group vendors and companies. Some of the coverage options include:

1. Unimerica Workplace Benefits. Underwriters for Unimerica benefits have all been rated A to A+ by A.M. Best or Standard and Poor's. These specialty Oxford health plan services include life insurance policies for employers to offer employees, as well as other services.

2. Optum Health. When an employer needs employee assistance programs, Optum Health offers services, referrals, and educational resources both online and off. Whether employees need resources and support for issues relative to their children, caring for elderly parents, or dealing with a chronic health condition, OBM members can access the services offered via Oxford Health Plans' association with Optum Health.

3. UnitedHealthCare Vision and Dental plans. Participants in Oxford Health Plans' OBM program provide employers and brokers with access to UnitedHealthCare Vision and UnitedHealthCare Dental plans. These plans provide employees and participants with 100% coverage of preventative dental care as well as other dental benefits. Likewise, vision care is covered through UnitedHealthCare vendors such as Sam's Club, Sterling Optical, and other national vision care providers.

4. UnitedHealth Allies. Discounts on LASIK procedures, weight control, gyms, cosmetic dentistry, and many other services not covered under traditional health insurance plans are provided to OBM members through UnitedHealth Allies. This specialty discount program also features the ability to obtain discounts on over the counter medications, vitamins, and other pharmaceutical supplies from the UnitedHealth Allies Marketplace online.

These additional programs, specialty coverage plans, and discount programs are intended to enhance the services offered by Oxford Health Plans, as well as provide easy management of benefits to further reduce costs to employers and brokers.

If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help you save up to 50% on your health insurance.

Sean L Johnson is a journalist for Health Insurance Buyer a referral service that refers consumers to the insurance carriers that can best fit their wants and needs. Get a free Health Insurance Quote [http://www.health-insurance-buyer.com] today, you can save up to 50% on your monthly premium

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