Articles by Andrew Harris, David McLaughlin and Zachary Tracer

Health Insurers Weigh Next Moves After Striking Out on Mergers

After 18 months of courtship and court cases, two massive deals that would have reshaped the U.S. health insurance industry have both been declared dead, blocked by judges who said they’d do unacceptable harm to competition in the industry. Now, …

Judge Nixes Aetna’s $37 Billion Purchase of Humana; Aetna Considers Appeal

Aetna Inc.’s $37 billion deal to buy rival insurer Humana Inc. was blocked by a federal judge, thwarting one of two large mergers that would reshape the U.S. health-care landscape. Aetna said it was considering an appeal. The transaction would …

Anthem-Cigna Merger Trial Pits Efficiency Claims vs. Loss of Competition Claims

Anthem Inc. and the U.S. Justice Department extended their clash over whether the insurer’s planned takeover of rival Cigna Corp. will raise costs, as government witnesses testified Friday that the deal will harm health-care providers and patients. Frank Gorse, a …

U.S. Expected to Sue to Stop Anthem, Aetna Deals

U.S. antitrust officials are poised to file lawsuits to block Anthem Inc.’s takeover of rival health-insurer Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc.’s deal to buy Humana Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter. Justice Department officials, who are responsible …

Health Insurer Merger Interest Could Turn to Smaller Plans

A breakup of Anthem Inc.’s $48 billion bid for Cigna Corp., under scrutiny by U.S. antitrust regulators, could spark new deals for smaller health plans in a continued wave of industry consolidation. Smaller insurers could become targets for Cigna, including …

Meeting with Antitrust Official Key Moment for Anthem-Cigna Merger

Anthem Inc. and Cigna Corp. are preparing for a showdown with senior Justice Department officials this week in their effort to persuade the government to allow the health insurers to combine, lest they wind up dueling in court over a …

Health Insurers Next on Justice Department’s Antitrust Agenda

Bill Baer was the ultimate Washington antitrust insider when he came to the Justice Department in 2013: At law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, he’d counseled the biggest U.S. companies, including deal machine General Electric Co., on getting mergers over …

Hospitals Say Anthem-Cigna Merger Will Empower Blue Cross, Hurt Consumers

U.S. hospitals are stepping up their bid to stop Anthem Inc.’s takeover of rival health insurer Cigna Corp., saying the deal will increase the dominance of Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and potentially raise premiums for consumers. The enhanced bargaining …

Fraud Class Action Claim Filed Against Fantasy Sports Sites

Fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings are coming under further pressure as a player in Kentucky accused them of negligence and fraud in a lawsuit. Adam Johnson, a daily fantasy player from Jefferson County, says in the suit that players …

Judge Rules for Greenberg in Suit Against AIG Bailout But Nixes Damages

Update: Greenberg Will Appeal AIG Bailout Case Win Over Lack of Damages The U.S. set illegal terms in demanding American International Group Inc. stock for an $85 billion bailout during the financial crisis, but that doesn’t mean AIG investors deserve …