National and Missouri-based advocacy groups are asking Director of the Missouri Department of Insurance John Huff to publicly complete the final review of the Aetna-Humana merger, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
On May 24, Missouri's DOI barred the merger, citing the acquisition would decrease competition. For example, the combined company market share of individual Medicare Advantage plans would be higher than 70 percent in 33 counties, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Officials directed the insurers to stop selling comprehensive individual and small group plans as well as some Medicare Advantage plans if the $37 billion merge moved forward. Missouri acted as the first state to regulate an Aetna and Humana merge, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Over 10 advocacy groups — including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Consumer Action, Consumers Council of Missouri and Consumers Union — signed a letter sent to the DOI.
"We believe that a continued commitment to a fully public process, with the opportunity for meaningful public comment, would be very helpful for determining whether or not any proposed remedies will fully restore competition and are therefore in the public interest," the letter says.
Former U.S. Department of Justice attorney David Balto is leading the call for transparency.
"Much is at stake for the hundreds of thousands of affected consumers in Missouri," he said in a letter.
Also highlighted in the letter was a call for the DOI to disclose and explain any remedies, designate a time for public comments, survey those comments and select a date for a public hearing on the topic, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Aetna declined to comment.
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