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US: Judge in Humana-Aetna case says he’ll rule in a ‘timely manner’

By  |  January 3, 2017

Attorneys for the US Justice Department, Humana and Aetna made their final arguments Friday in the antitrust case about Aetna’s proposed $37 billion acquisition of Louisville-based Humana.

Bloomberg reports that US District Judge John Bates said he would issue his ruling in a “timely manner” but did not say when that would be.

The Justice Department contends the Aetna-Humana deal would harm seniors who have Medicare Advantage, the government-subsidized insurance program for the elderly, and individuals who buy insurance on Obamacare exchanges in Florida, Georgia and Missouri.

“Protecting competition in these markets is critically important,” Justice Department lawyer Craig Conrath told the judge, according to the report. Bates is deciding the case in Washington, DC, without a jury.

Bates questioned, among other things, how the federal government’s role would affect competition after the merger, according to the report. Aetna and Humana argue the government would act as a check on the combined company because it pays claims and regulates the market.

Full Content: Healthcare Dive

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