For those of you who know me, I like to have fun with my Zoom backgrounds – choosing photos of interesting scenery or changing them mid-call to reflect my mood or negotiating strategy. Sitting in front of my computer this...more
As reported in earlier blogs, the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) has been actively looking into potential abuses by Medicare Advantage (MA) Organizations as to allegedly improper risk adjustment claims submissions and...more
During the summer of 2015, within a matter of days, Aetna announced an intention to merge with Humana and Anthem announced an intention to merge with Cigna. The deals, among the largest insurance industry combinations ever...more
In July 2016, following a lengthy review, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ), together with several states, sued to block two proposed health insurer mergers: Aetna/Humana and Anthem/Cigna. On January...more
Securing the Safety Net for America's Vulnerable Populations - Editor's Note: America's population is aging rapidly. By 2029, 75 million baby boomers will have reached age 65 and older, and older adults will represent...more
On February 8, 2017, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted a request filed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division for an injunction blocking Anthem, Inc.’s (Anthem) proposed $54...more
In the past month, the DOJ and several state governments scored two trial wins in their challenges to mergers among some of the country’s largest health insurers. First, Judge Bates of the District of Columbia blocked the...more
In a continuation of recent Department of Justice (DOJ) successes challenging mergers, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently enjoined two more proposed mergers brought and litigated under the Obama...more
On January 23, 2017, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division’s (DOJ) request for an injunction to block Aetna Inc.’s (Aetna) proposed acquisition of...more
The District of Columbia federal court recently ruled that a proposed $37 billion merger between health insurance giants Aetna and Humana cannot proceed, granting the US Department of Justice’s bid to block the combination on...more
On January 23, 2017, United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (the “DOJ”), request for an injunction blocking Aetna’s proposed $37 billion acquisition of...more
Judge John Bates of the US District Court for DC has blocked a proposed $37 billion mega-health-care-merger between Aetna and Humana, one of 2 major deals before the courts opposed by the Obama-era DOJ over antitrust...more
While the election of Donald Trump as the nation's next president is clearly the biggest news in Washington over the last two months, for the insurance industry, big news has also been made at the federal district courthouse....more
The trial over Aetna and Humana's $37 billion proposed merger kicked off today in a Washington, D.C. federal court. At issue is whether the companies' merger would substantially lessen competition in the market for...more
In late July, the DOJ Antitrust Division filed actions in federal district court seeking to derail both the Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana mergers. In each case, the DOJ contended that consumers would face higher insurance...more
Fast Facts - - In the first three quarters of 2016, there were 24 significant merger investigations, which is on pace to challenge the record of 37 set in CY2015. - Significant merger investigations through Q3 2016...more
Following more than a year of regulatory review, in late July 2016 the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division and a number of states filed actions seeking to derail both the Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana mergers. In...more
In July 2015, health insurer mergers were announced between Anthem and Cigna and between Aetna and Humana. The effect of these mergers would elevate Anthem/Cigna to the #1 rank in size among national health insurers. ...more
Last week, the United States Department of Justice’s Antitrust Section (DOJ) filed suit to enjoin two proposed mergers that would consolidate the nation’s five largest insurance companies into three. The DOJ argues that if...more
Consolidation in health insurance markets can injure hospitals and doctors by creating buyer-side market power that can force providers to accept below-market prices, limit patients’ access to care, and reduce innovation in...more
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), joined by attorneys general from several states, filed a lawsuit last Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to block two major mergers between health...more
We’ve heard about VW’s $15 billion settlement to resolve US claims by owners and regulators, but a spate of recent state AG-led actions shows that the fallout from the emissions cheating scandal is far from over. NY, MA, and...more
On June 23, 2016, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones submitted a letter urging the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (DOJ) to block the proposed merger between Aetna, Inc. (Aetna) and Humana, Inc. (Humana). ...more
The proposed merger between major health insurers Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. continues to inch closer to finalization. In a recent press release, Aetna announced that 10 states have now signed off on its proposed acquisition...more
While the Department of Justice Antitrust Division is responsible for reviewing the proposed Anthem/Cigna and Aetna/Humana mergers for any potential competitive concerns, Congress jumped into the process with both feet in...more