In an effort to expedite her decision, the federal judge overseeing the US Justice Department’s antitrust challenge to Anthem and Cigna Corp.’s $53 billion merger will split the trial in two.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told the government and insurers on Tuesday that she will hear testimony about the massive merger’s impact on national markets in late November before turning her attention to the Justice Department’s concerns about local markets in December.
By splitting the trial, to be held in US District Court for the District of Columbia, Jackson could hand the Justice Department a quick win if they show adequate harm during the first two weeks of testimony.
Opening statements are set for Nov. 21, with national market testimony wrapping up by Dec. 2. The trial will take a one-week hiatus before returning to discuss local market issues, according to Jackson’s order.
The Justice Department initially sued in July to prevent the merger over antitrust concerns. The agency has claimed the growing tensions between Anthem and Cigna show the merger won’t create the alleged efficiencies the companies have touted. In a filing last month, the Justice Department claimed both insurers had accused each other of breaching their merger agreement terms.
But Anthem has persisted doggedly to close the merger and prevent paying a $1.85 billion breakup fee to Cigna if the deal doesn’t close by April 30, 2017.
Full Content: Modern Health Care
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
DirecTV and Disney Resolve Dispute, Restore Programming for Subscribers
Sep 15, 2024 by
CPI
UK Antitrust Authority Raises Concerns Over Vodafone-Three Merger
Sep 15, 2024 by
CPI
Brazilian Supreme Court Lifts Freeze on Starlink Accounts, Transfers $3.3 Million to National Treasury
Sep 15, 2024 by
CPI
Steptoe Expands Antitrust Practice with Key London Hire
Sep 15, 2024 by
CPI
Instant Ad Auctions at the Heart of Google’s Federal Monopoly Case
Sep 15, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Canada & Mexico
Sep 3, 2024 by
CPI
Competitive Convergence: Mexico’s 30-Year Quest for Antitrust Parity with its Northern Neighbor
Sep 3, 2024 by
Francisco Javier Núñez Melgoza
Competition and Digital Markets in North America: A Comparative Study of Antitrust Investigations in Mexico and the United States
Sep 3, 2024 by
Julio Garcia
Recent Antitrust Development in Mexico: COFECE’s Preliminary Report on Amazon and Mercado Libre
Sep 3, 2024 by
Alejandra Palacios Prieto
The Cost of Making COFECE Disappear
Sep 3, 2024 by
Mateo Fernández