CVS Health is planning to acquire Aetna, so insiders have been closely watching the attempted merger of AT&T and Time Warner. This is because both mergers are considered “vertical integration,” meaning that the merging companies don't operate in the same markets. If the Justice Department allows the AT&T/Time-Warner deal to go through, it seems more likely it will allow the CVS/Aetna acquisition.
According to The Atlantic, CVS is looking to start a somewhat new business model by acquiring Aetna: "In 2006, it acquired a company called MinuteClinic, which operates walk-in clinics. CVS now has more than 1,000 of them, including in its stores and also in some Target locations. This is one of the main reasons CVS and Aetna could, together, save money: A company that sells insurance could start providing care directly, and steer customers not immediately to doctors but rather first to its own ensemble of nurses and pharmacists working at CVS locations."
