Five things to know:
1. In a memorandum and order filed Jan. 11, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon responded to the Justice Department’s request for a stay in court proceedings surrounding the merger due to a lack of appropriations.
2. In a Jan. 8 filing, the Justice Department’s antitrust division said it won’t meet a February deadline to return comments, as it “cannot work on its response to public comments at this time, and it will not be able to do so until funding is restored by Congress, unless otherwise ordered by the court.”
3. Judge Leon denied the department’s request and rebuked its argument. “To say the least, this pronouncement was surprising given the government’s earlier arguments to me that slowing implementation of the CVS-Aetna merger could ‘delay any efficiencies that might result from the transaction’ and ‘create uncertainty for customers, employers and shareholders,'” he wrote.
4. He continued: “In short, the government’s internal, political squabble over funding is NO [emphasis in original] reason to postpone the congressionally mandated evaluation of the government’s proposal to remedy the antitrust concerns allegedly raised by the merger’s consummation!”
5. Judge Leon is tasked with completing certain procedures required by the Tunney Act, which won’t be complete until the government responds to comments from the public and court. The Tunney Act is a federal law requiring the Justice Department to get a federal court’s approval for merger settlements.
More articles on payers:
4 recent health plan data breaches
The health insurance industry in 2019: 4 things to know
1 in 4 pre-Medicare adults don’t think they can afford insurance next year
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
