Humana, Walgreens Reportedly In Talks

Humana and Walgreens Boots Alliance are in preliminary talks to take stakes in each other, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The health insurer and the drugstore chain already have a partnership that serves seniors. The two businesses are exploring the potential expansion of that partnership,  the Journal said.

The report comes in the midst of some high-level mergers and acquisitions among retail pharmacy chains and health care companies that occurred earlier this year. CVS Health recently acquired Aetna, and Amazon purchased the online pharmacy PillPack.

Pharmacies and health insurance companies face disruptions as consumer buying habits are changing and the health-care industry is dealing with regulatory changes. Consumers today have multiple options on how to buy prescription drugs, household goods and health-related items. Meanwhile, the health-care industry is undergoing dramatic transformation amid regulatory scrutiny over rising costs.