U.S. judge blocks Anthem, Cigna merger

A U.S. federal judge has blocked Anthem's $54 billion acquisition of Cigna.

The ruling, from Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, came less than a month after a different federal judge blocked the merger of Aetna and Humana.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in July 2016 to block both the Cigna-Anthem and Aetna-Humana mergers, arguing the acquisitions would lead to higher prices for consumers.

Anthem said it will appeal the decision and has requested an expedited hearing of its appeal. The merger would "positively impact the health and well-being of millions of Americans," the company's president and CEO stated in a press release.