In late July, the Justice Department sued to block both insurance mergers, arguing that competition is important to keep premiums down and that the deals “would leave much of the multitrillion-dollar health insurance industry in the hands of three mammoth insurance companies.”
They also rejected the Wal-Mart argument, which is related to what economists call “monopsony,” a concentration of buying power.
Monopsony is the opposite of monopoly: Instead of using market dominance to raise prices for consumers, huge buyers force down prices from suppliers. Wal-Mart is often described as holding monopsony-like power.
But critics of the insurance deals say monopsony can go too far. If the buyer pushes prices too low, suppliers stop producing, making needed goods and services unavailable.
“As a result of the merger, Anthem likely would reduce the rates that … providers earn by providing medical care to their patients,” the Justice Department argued. “This reduction in reimbursement rates likely would lead to a reduction in consumers’ access to medical care.”
HENRY KOTULA 