CVS Health Corp. is expecting the U.S. Justice Department to run an antitrust review of its planned acquisition of health insurer Aetna Inc., Reuters reported Dec. 8, citing a spokesman for the retail pharmacy chain.
The proposed deal, which is valued at about $69 billion, is set to create a healthcare conglomerate with a nationwide network of all-in-one medical treatment centers to provide patients with common medical treatments, prescription-filling services and management of health insurance plans.
Reuters cited six antitrust experts as saying they expect the deal to get a green light from either the Justice Department or U.S. Federal Trade Commission, because the companies mainly operate in separate markets. The two federal agencies share the task of conducting antitrust reviews.
However, a couple of the experts told the news agency that it was possible that the Justice Department could move to block the transaction over concerns that it could result in higher drug prices or fewer consumer choices.
