The U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust review of Hartford health insurer Aetna’s proposed acquisition of Humana will be extended another month, Aetna said.
Aetna said it will refile its Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act premerger notification with DOJ, which triggers the 30-day extension.
Aetna said it still projects the transaction will close in the latter half of next year.
Under Hart-Scott-Rodino, which applies to large deals, federal regulators must determine that combining the two companies will not have an anti-competitive effect in the health insurance market.
According to Health Leaders Media, part of DOJ’s review will likely include scrutiny of impacts on state insurance exchanges created under Obamacare. Neither Aetna nor Humana currently offers plans through Access Health CT.
