Anthem’s takeover of Cigna scares a lot of people. The  merger may well create more efficiencies  within the new behemoth, and perhaps the huge new enterprise’s supercharged payer clout will drive down excessive provider prices. But many fear that the deal will dramatically reduce  private-market price and quality competition  and consumer choice sought in the Affordable Care Act and undermine coordinated-care networks.

Meanwhile, it’s clear that a core  aim of the merger is  to benefit more from the Medicare Advantage premiums bonanza.

It almost seems as if we’re headed for a private-sector single-payer system!