The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will attempt to block two mega health-care mergers over concerns they could increase premiums and reduce competition.
The Justice Department is targeting Anthem's $48 billion acquisition of Cigna and Aetna's $37 billion acquisition of Humana with lawsuits, threatening to put an abrupt stop to the insurance industry's rapid consolidation.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia joined the fight to block the Anthem deal, which would combine the nation's second and fourth largest insurers.
Eight states and D.C. joined the suit to stop the Aetna deal, which would combine the third and fifth largest.