US judge blocks merger of Anthem and Cigna

by Dramelin 10:00 PM 0 comments

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled against U.S. health insurer Anthem`s proposed $54 billion merger with smaller rival Cigna, derailing an unprecedented effort to consolidate the country`s health insurance industry. Last month, a different U.S. judge ruled against Aetna`s proposed deal for Humana. On Wednesday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the ruling against Anthem`s deal under seal. In one, she weighed arguments over whether the tie-up would hurt the ability of large national employers to get competitive rates for the health coverage they provide workers. The U.S. Justice Department sued in July to stop Anthem`s purchase of Cigna, a deal that would have created the largest U.S. health insurer by membership, and Aetna`s planned $33 billion acquisition of Humana.