Why a giant health insurer merger is probably destined to fail

• The giant health insurers Cigna and Humana are reportedly considering a merger.
• While they offer different kinds of health insurance, the deal is likely to face antitrust scrutiny.
• The Biden administration has taken a more aggressive stance on consolidation in healthcare.

Cigna and Humana, two of the biggest, richest health insurers, are considering merging in a monster deal that would have seismic implications for US healthcare, Reuters, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

But antitrust experts say such a merger would have a hard time standing up to the scrutiny of a Department of Justice that's arguably stronger than the one that blocked previous proposed insurance megamergers six years ago.