Saying that a merger between health insurers Anthem and Cigna would be anticompetitive and hurt consumers, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones urged the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday to block the proposed deal. The call came after what a press release described as an “extensive” review of the potential deal that has an estimated worth of $50 billion and amid growing concern across the country on the issue.
The move by California further clouds the prospect of a proposed merger that is already embroiled in controversy. On the same day California regulators announced their move, officials in Connecticut — which is leading states’ merger review — voted to launch an ethics inquiry into that state’s insurance commissioner over her ties to Cigna. That vote followed an International Business Times investigation documenting those ties, as well as campaign money from Cigna and Anthem to Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy’s political groups.
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