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Members of both political parties expressed increasing skepticism Tuesday when they continued their scrutiny of the proposed mergers of insurance giants Aetna and Humana and Anthem and Cigna. Lawmakers have been subjected to heavy lobbying from the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association, who oppose the proposed mergers, as well as from local doctors and hospitals who warn of an unhealthy concentration of market share in the health insurance industry. (Radelat, 9/29)

Top health insurance executives are making the rounds these days in Washington. Last week, CEOs from Aetna and Anthem – who are each looking to complete mega-mergers – testified before the Senate, and the two return again Tuesday for a hearing in the House. Lawmakers have pressed the executives to detail how consumers will benefit from these potential deals. (Gorenstein, 9/29)

The CEOs of Aetna and Anthem returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday to defend their respective transactions to House members, the second such congressional hearing in a week, but hospitals and doctors said the deals remain unjustified and deserve sharp federal scrutiny. (Herman, 9/29)