The engagement

JULY 23, 2015: After bickering over who should be CEO, they make it official. and

Anthem Cigna will merge in a $54.2 billion deal. It is the largestever health insurance transaction and part of the mass-scale merger race that is fundamentally changing the industry and fueling concerns over costs and competition. Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish will serve as the combined company’s chairman and CEO, and Cigna CEO David Cordani will become president and COO. After two years, Swedish will drop the CEO title and remain chairman. The companies expect the deal to close in the latter half of 2016.

JULY 3, 2015: Aetna and Humana announce they have greed to merge in a $37 billion deal to build their government business. The deal could make the nation’s Aetna second-largest insurer and a major presence in the Medicare Advantage market. The companies say the merger would lead to better quality and affordability for their plan members.