As the Department of Justice's decisions on the Aetna-Humana and Anthem-Cigna deals loom, one Connecticut senator is hoping to persuade the insurers to remain in the state, according to The CT Mirror.
Earlier this week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent letters to Aetna and Cigna urging them to keep their "strong presence" in the state whether the deals go through or not, according to the report.
In particular, he commented on Aetna's "unique place" in the state. "Connecticut, and in particular the metro Hartford area, has been defined by its association with your industry generally, and your company specifically," Sen. Murphy wrote in his letter to Aetna. "Aetna is part of the historical fabric of Connecticut." In his letter to Cigna, he said called the insurer "one of Connecticut's most iconic companies."
However, he remained vague on his opinion on the mergers, saying only that he "understand[s] why Aetna and Cigna believe the mergers are beneficial to their businesses" and that the deals are in pursuit of "greater scale and efficiencies" in healthcare today.
Sen. Murphy's letters follow the effort of another Connecticut senator — Richard Blumenthal (D) — to protest the mergers. In late June, Sen. Blumenthal and six other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats wrote a letter to the DOJ, claiming they were "concerned by the detrimental impact that both of these mergers would have on premium prices, jobs and healthcare costs for consumers and businesses," according to The CT Mirror.