Competition, choice hang in balance as merger deal goes to court

“The nation’s slide toward health insurance monopolies will be contested in federal court today as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general launch an unprecedented court challenge against a merger deal involving two of the few remaining national health insurance companies.

“Competition and choice hang in balance as the court begins to weigh the impact of the proposed deal between Anthem and Cigna. This potential mega-merger is the latest in a series that has allowed a few publicly-traded companies to gain a stranglehold on commercial health insurance markets around the country.