Hot Healthcare

With Anthem trying to buy CIGNA, UnitedHealth wanting to takeover Aetna, while Aetna looks to buy Humana, frenzied healthcare consolidation has arrived. Insures are bulking up to battle increasingly large hospital chains who want to renegotiate discounts to offset lower reimbursement rates for fast growing number of Medicaid and Medicare patients, while more lucrative employer-sponsored plans shrink. Moreover, healthcare, as a rapidly maturing industry, begets mergers to reduce internal costs.