Massachusetts health care mergers and consolidation

Aug. 15--The Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care merger comes during a period of continued consolidation in the health care industry. These are the most recent mergers in health insurance -- failed or successful -- that have impacted the Bay State:

* CVS Health and Aetna closed a $70 billion merger in 2018 that brought together one of the nation's largest pharmacy chains and one of the largest health insurers.

* Partners HealthCare and Harvard Pilgrim ended merger talks last year, citing the difficult and complicated nature of the deal.

* Heated conflict led to a failed $49 billion Anthem and Cigna Corp. merger that ended in termination in 2017.

* Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care considered merging in 2011, but did not finalize a deal.

For Massachusetts residents looking for a health care plan, options are getting limited. In addition to MassHealth and the latest merger, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fallon Community Health Plan, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and AllWays Health Partners are still standing.

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