Withholding specifics, Anthem professes commitment to Cigna merger despite legal roadblock
Statement leaves door open for potential Supreme Court appeal; Anthem, Cigna decline comment.
Anthem is giving no specifics, but the insurance giant hasn't given up on its intent to complete a $54 billion merger with Cigna.
"We are committed to completing the transaction and are currently reviewing the opinion and will carefully evaluate our options," Anthem said in a statement after a federal appeals court ruled against the merger last week.
Anthem declined further comment.
Cigna did not immediately return a request for comment.
[Also: Federal Court rules against Anthem, upholds permanent injunction against Cigna merger]
By the terms of the July 2015 contract, Cigna is due a $1.8 billion breakup fee if the deal does not go through. Anthem had stretched the deadline of the contract to the end of April. Last week, prior to the court ruling, it had won a motion to temporarily prevent Cigna from exiting the deal.
The next hearing on that motion is scheduled for Monday, May 8 in the Delaware court.
Anthem said Friday it was disappointed by the 3-1 court decision, with Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the minority dissent opinion.
[Also: Anthem earns $1 billion, wins motion to keep Cigna from walking away from merger]
"As Judge Kavanaugh noted in his dissent, 'the record decisively demonstrates that this merger would be beneficial to the employer-customers who obtain insurance services from Anthem and Cigna,'" Anthem said.
