Aetna-Humana Merger Bears Close Scrutiny from the Justice Department

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division has vowed to look “very, very carefully” at the implications of the proposed merger between Aetna and Humana. At the heart of their consideration will be how less competition among insurers will affect the price and availability of care for consumers. If the deal is ultimately approved by the government, there will be only three large, national insurance providers. A growing number of states are raising concerns about the deal, as are physician groups. Just last week we told you the American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, and Florida Osteopathic Medical Association have asked Florida to negate the approval of its state insurance regulatory agency and void the deal. The DOJ has not been shy about trying to intervene in such deals in the past. The agency and the Federal Trade Commission filed 17 suits in 2015 alone to try to prevent mergers they thought would increase prices or diminish quality and innovation in a given field.