When she adopted the antitrust case over Anthem Inc.’s proposed $54 billion acquisition of Cigna Corp., the first order of business for U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington was setting a starting date for the trial.
For the government and the two health insurance giants, it was a significant step: The government wanted enough time to properly prepare, while Anthem worried a prolonged proceeding would make it impossible to obtain all regulatory approvals before its April 30 deadline to close the deal with Cigna. Jackson scheduled the trial in August to begin on Nov. 21 and commented that it was a “bizarre situation” to be accommodating a deal that Cigna appears to no longer desire.
