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Reports: CVS in talks about acquiring Aetna

CVS Aetna

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WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Published reports said Thursday that CVS Health is in negotiations to acquire health insurer Aetna.

CVS reportedly will offer more than $200 share for the health benefits giant, according to anonymous sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, which originated the story.

Bloomberg reported that a combination of CVS and Aetna would create a health benefits and services behemoth that could challenge UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s biggest health insurer, whose units include OptumRx, a pharmacy benefit manager, and health clinics.

CVS Health’s integrated pharmacy care businesses include the drug store chain CVS Pharmacy, CVS Caremark PBM, in-store medical clinic operator MinuteClinic and specialty pharmacy CVS Specialty.

According to Barron’s, the news of a possible union of Aetna and CVS would raise competitive questions about the PBM market and the health insurance arena. Meanwhile, Investors Business Daily said speculation about a CVS-Aetna deal surfaced not long after reports that Amazon has landed wholesale pharmacy licenses in a dozen or more states.

The pharmacy sector has been concerned about mounting reports that Amazon could enter the Rx arena.

Aetna earlier this year was rebuffed in an effort to build up scale. In February, after being blocked by a federal court, Aetna and fellow health insurer Humana opted to terminate their $37 billion merger deal.

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