Federal judge swats Aetna-Humana insurer combo
A federal judge has rejected health insurer Aetna's plan to buy rival Humana Inc. for about $34 billion and become a major player in the market for Medicare Advantage coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans, which are fast-growing, privately run versions of the government's Medicare program, and on public health insurance exchanges.
Federal regulators had said in July, when they sued to block the deals, that the combinations would hurt competition that restrains the price of coverage and reduce benefits, among other drawbacks.