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Podcasts Take Two
Anthem to buy rival Cigna to create new health insurance
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Jul 24, 2015
Listen • 7:05
Anthem to buy rival Cigna to create new health insurance
Insurer Anthem says it has agreed to buy Cigna for just over $48 billion. It's the latest move in a wave of consolidation within the health insurance business.
The Anthem Blue Cross headquarters is seen after the health insurer began informing its individual policyholders of rate hikes up to 39 percent to take effect at the beginning of March, on February 9, 2010 in Woodland Hills, California. Anthem Blue Cross, which has the highest number of individual customers in California, raised rates by as much as 68 percent in 2009. Health insurance companies in California can legally raise their rates at any time by as much and as they want.
The Anthem Blue Cross headquarters
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David McNew/Getty Images
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Insurer Anthem says it has agreed to buy Cigna for just over $48 billion. It's the latest move in a wave of consolidation within the health insurance business.

Your health insurance choices may be shrinking. Insurer Anthem says it has agreed to buy Cigna for just over $48 billion. 

It's the latest move in a wave of consolidation within the health insurance business. Earlier this month Aetna acquired Humana. If both deals are approved it would leave the U.S. with only three major health insurers. 

Chad Terhune of the LA Times recently wrote about this and joined the show to explained what it all means.