Deals
CVS-Aetna Deal Dodges Antitrust Hurdle That AT&T Faced
- DOJ investigation said to find no vertical competition issues
- Aetna acquisition among deals poised to reshape health care
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CVS Health Corp. has dodged one hurdle in its bid to buy insurer Aetna Inc., as antitrust enforcers don’t see competitive problems that can stem from uniting companies that operate at different levels of a supply chain, according to two people familiar with the matter.
That question has hung over the deal since it was announced last year because the Justice Department under President Donald Trump has raised the bar for approving such transactions, which are known as vertical deals because they don’t combine direct competitors.