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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 11:21 AM Oct 2018

$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 deal’s 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 Cigna’s 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

11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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KY_EnviroGuy

(14,492 posts)
1. "coordinate care for consumers", eh?
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 11:40 AM
Oct 2018

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)
4. Yeah, that was the first thing that jumped out at me, also.
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 12:50 PM
Oct 2018

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)
11. This is why the public needs to be better informed...
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 03:28 PM
Oct 2018

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....

MiniMe

(21,716 posts)
2. CVS already has a deal with CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 11:56 AM
Oct 2018

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)
3. I thought this was already done
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 12:05 PM
Oct 2018

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)
6. "coordinate care'' and ''tighten cost controls'' yeah right. It means 'they' decide on your meds.
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 01:27 PM
Oct 2018

NOT YOUR DOCTOR.

turbinetree

(24,703 posts)
7. The public keeps hearing the same old song and dance..................
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:04 PM
Oct 2018

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)
8. My original health care plan,,,
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:28 PM
Oct 2018

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

????????

Initech

(100,079 posts)
10. Costco.
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 03:06 PM
Oct 2018

Eventually we're heading toward Idiocracy where there will be one Costco the size of Kansas that everyone will go to.

area51

(11,909 posts)
9. "... will be better able to coordinate care for consumers...."
Wed Oct 10, 2018, 02:40 PM
Oct 2018
Consumers, not patients, eh? This is part of the problem, the midset that we're choosing to get sick, and choosing to consume healthcare services.
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