Consumer Confidential: Anthem’s Good Intentions Get Lost in Aggressive Telemarketing
Joseph Goldstein received a call the other day at his Los Angeles home from someone claiming to represent his insurer, Anthem Blue Cross. The caller said he knew that one of Goldstein’s family members had been seriously injured in a fall and wanted to make sure that Goldstein knew about Anthem’s wellness and home-care programs. “They said I had to sign up right away or I’d lose these benefits,” Goldstein recalled. “It was a very hard...
Anthem Sets Merger With Cigna
Washington — Anthem, the nation’s second-largest health insurer by revenue, will acquire Cigna, the nation’s fifth largest, the companies announced Friday, creating a health insurance behemoth that raises fresh questions about competition in the industry. The $54.2 billion deal will create the largest private health insurer as measured by the number of members. It values Cigna at $188 per share, a 38 percent premium from its closing...
