AMA statement on Anthem termination of Cigna merger agreement

“Today’s action marks the end of a proposed merger that the American Medical Association, courts and regulators widely condemned as a bad deal for patients and harmful to the nation’s health system. The termination of the Anthem-Cigna merger is a clear victory to preserve competition in the health insurance industry. To the detriment of patients, there is already far too little competition among insurers. Networks are already too narrow, and premiums are already too high. Competition, not consolidation, is the right prescription for health insurance markets.

“Following 21 months of advocacy before the U.S. Department of Justice, congressional committees, state attorneys general, insurance commissioners, and federal courts, the break-up of the Anthem-Cigna mega merger deal shows again that when doctors join together, the best outcome for patients and doctors can be achieved.”