Trending News Today: Anthem-Cigna Merger in Doubt

The steep price increase of Mylan’s EpiPen may not be something that just affects parents of children with life-threatening allergies. A new report indicates that Medicare spending jumped 1100% from 2007 to 2014, the period of time in which the cost of the EpiPen increased, according to Kaiser Health News. This is likely due to the fact that Medicare Epipen users grew by 164% during this time.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, MD, announced that they will invest $3 billion toward preventing, curing, or managing diseases over the next 10 years, The New York Times reported. They have already begun to invest in charter schools and educational start-ups to further their initiative. The goal of the health initiative is to cure diseases, while advancing human potential and promoting equality.

Both health insurers Anthem and Cigna have accused each other of breaching their merger agreement that gathered much criticism over the past few months. Filings with the US Department of Justice, who is suing to block the merger, said that there has been deterioration in the companies’ relationship, according to The Wall Street Journal. Government attorneys have argued that if they cannot get along before the merger, they are unlikely to achieve the goals of the merger.