Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Industry Watching For Insurance Mergers
Politico Pro: Conditions Are Ripe For Health Insurance Mergers, Observers Say
Although the recent frenzy of speculation about health insurance mergers hasn’t yet resulted in any deals, market watchers say the conditions are just right for a major industry shakeup. In recent weeks, Humana has sought bids from the other major players in the marketplace, and Cigna has so far rebuffed takeover attempts by Anthem, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal. The other two industry behemoths, UnitedHealth Group and Aetna, are also in the mix. (Demko, 6/18)
The Wall Street Journal: Is Trade Agreement Bad For Your Health?
Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement really be bad for your health? The trade pact is under negotiation to lower tariffs and open markets by 12 countries in the Asia and Pacific regions. But over the past several months, portions of the text have been leaked—courtesy of WikiLeaks—and each disclosure has raised fresh questions about the extent to which the pharmaceutical industry might benefit at the expense of consumers. (Silverman, 6/18)
