Federal Judge Denies Aetna-Humana Insurer Merger

(AP) – A federal judge has rejected health insurer Aetna’s plan to buy rival Humana Inc. for about $34 billion and become a major player in the market for Medicare Advantage coverage.
U.S. District Judge John Bates says in an opinion filed Monday that he largely agrees with federal regulators who contended that such a combination would hurt competition.
Aetna spokesman TJ Crawford said the insurer was reviewing the decision “and giving serious consideration to an appeal after p