Cigna and Humana have renewed talks of a potential merger, Bloomberg reported Oct. 18.
The companies called off a planned merger in late 2023 after a disagreement over the price of the deal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The insurers have held informal discussions, sources told Bloomberg. The news outlet granted the sources requests to remain anonymous because the talks are not public.
Cigna reached a deal to sell its Medicare business to Health Care Service Corp. in January. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.
The move could make a potential Humana-Cigna merger more palatable to regulators. Humana is the second-largest Medicare Advantage insurer in the U.S.
If a merger goes through, it will create one of the largest healthcare companies in the U.S., rivaling UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health and CVS Health.
Cigna is waiting until the sale of its MA business is closed to commit to any deal, Bloomberg reported. The companies could opt to wait until 2025 to strike a deal or decide against the merger.
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