$69 Billion Merger of Aetna and CVS Health Is Approved With Conditions
Source: The New York Times
By Reed Abelson
Oct. 10, 2018
The era of giant pharmacy managers that brokered prices between drug companies and insurers and employers has been upended, now that the $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna, a big health insurer, has been approved by the Justice Department. The merger can go ahead as long as Aetna sells off its private Medicare drug plans, the Justice Department said in announcing the deals approval on Wednesday.
CVS Health was the last of the large independent pharmacy managers to enter into deals with major insurers, consolidating control over the money that Americans spend on medical care and prescription drugs.
The deal is the latest in a flurry of combinations among health care companies in the past few years. Last month, the Justice Department approved Cignas takeover of Express Scripts, a major CVS rival.
The companies involved say that they will be better able to coordinate care for consumers as the mergers help tighten cost controls. But critics worry that consumers could end up with far fewer choices and potentially higher expenses.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/health/cvs-aetna-merger.html
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)What a lie. More like "control care for consumers". Just like our Medicare insurer regularly calling and wanting to discuss our health and send a rep to our house to evaluate us. No thanks.
Very simple: the insurance companies want to dictate or control everything related to America's health care to increase their margins. People are suffering and dying every day due to these shifts in medical decision making away from our doctors.
..........
pangaia
(24,324 posts)PEOPLE believe this shit !!!
It's like airlines saying they are making leg room more expensive becasue cystomers complained about long lines at gates and the toilets will now be blue.. so all will be better....
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)about these devious attempts of insurance companies trying to dictate our healhcare to boost their profits. One of the best ways is for people to refuse to cooperate with their programs that attempt to influence our decisions and even send their experts to our homes for interviews. In other words, replace my doctors.
And, as you say just like good and faithful Repugs, they paint it like it's in our best interest. I call bullshit....
LakeSuperiorView
(1,533 posts)just saying
MiniMe
(21,716 posts)I have had these clowns call me up trying to ask me questions. Of course, I don't answer the phone because it is an unrecognized number. These clowns have tried to call my doctor to authorize a refill on a prescription at CVS of course, and that is NOT where I get my prescriptions filled. I have to call them back to tell them to cut it out. I did not request that and that is NOT my choice of pharmacy. They haven't done it for a while, I'm sure it will start up again at some point.
radical noodle
(8,000 posts)I have CVS Silver Script Part D and it's also Aetna. I discovered that the first time I called them about a problem and they transferred me to Aetna. I suppose Part D is different than other insurance, though.
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)NOT YOUR DOCTOR.
turbinetree
(24,703 posts)better coordinate care, help tighten cost controls........more libertarian bull shit..........go fuck your self.
This capitalist bullshit ..............Democracy cannot survive global capitalism..............never has and never will, the model is based on finance in everything and who is financing this shit..................and its not me or you, but wall street, oligarchs, and there fucking shit bonds in M & A, because someone is carrying this debt................you and me in prices, and no fucking competition, that is a fact, look no further than the airlines, my former industry................railroads, you name it
benld74
(9,904 posts)Got bought out by
Mail Handlers Benefit Plan
Who got bought out by
Coventry
Who got bout out by
Aetna
Who got bought out by
CVS
Who will get bought out by
????????
Eventually we're heading toward Idiocracy where there will be one Costco the size of Kansas that everyone will go to.