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Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice and Anthem laid out their arguments Monday in opening statements of a court battle over what would be the largest ever health insurer mergers in the country. The sides clashed over how to define the commercial insurance market and what the merger could mean for the future of value-based payment models. Anthem and Cigna are proposing a $54.2 billion deal that would scramble the health insurance industry by combining two of the “big five” national insurers. Two others—Aetna and Humana—are defending their own merger that is being challenged by the DOJ. That case will be heard next month. (Muchmore, 11/21)

Anthem Inc., Cigna Corp., and the US government offered a federal judge widely divergent views of the impact their proposed $48 billion combination will have on health insurance markets. Justice Department lawyer Jon Jacobs said at the start of an antitrust trial in Washington that the biggest merger in the history of the American health insurance industry should be blocked because it will increase the companies’ dominance and cut consumer choice. (Harris, 11/21)

An antitrust lawsuit to determine whether Anthem can proceed with its $54 billion acquisition of Cigna — a deal that would create the largest health insurance company in the country — got underway this morning in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Department of Justice argued that the deal would be detrimental to competition, particular for accounts serving large, multi-state employers. The government further argued that Anthem, which markets Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states, effectively operates as one of just four national carriers through its affiliation with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. (Demko, 11/21)

Anthem, Cigna and the U.S. Justice Department on Monday tried to sway a federal judge with widely differing views on the impact a proposed merger of the insurers would have on the U.S. health care market. ... The Justice Department’s lawsuit to block Anthem’s acquisition of Cigna on antitrust grounds has been joined by eight states, including Connecticut, and the District of Columbia. (Radelat, 11/21)