Regulators, Providers Push Back on Elevance’s Deal to Buy Louisiana Blues

  • Sep 01, 2023

    The proposed acquisition of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) by Elevance Health, Inc., the parent company of Anthem, faces deepening legal and political opposition from Louisiana elected officials and other stakeholders. The deal is not the first proposed rollup of Blues affiliates to face determined opposition from state officials and regional health care stakeholders — nor is it likely be the last, experts say.

    Public officials including Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, have spoken out against the deal. Landry, also the leading Republican candidate in this year’s governor’s race, is in the midst of an antitrust investigation of the sale, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. If the deal goes through, the paper reports, it will make Elevance the largest health insurer in the state, with 1.4 million members, beating out UnitedHealthcare.

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  • Peter Johnson

    Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.

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