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State recoups legal costs in court settlement with Anthem, Cigna over merger try
Staff reports 7 a.m. CONCORD - The state's Attorney General announced on Thursday that New Hampshire, along with 10 other states and the District of Columbia, will collectively be paid $2.975 million in attorney's fees and costs by Anthem and Cigna for the Attorneys General's joint work with the United States Department of Justice in successfully blocking the two insurance giants' merger. New Hampshire's share of the settlement is $297,337.46. In July 2016, New Hampshire joined the federal lawsuit in order to block the proposed merger. In February 2017, the United States District Court of the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the states. Anthem and Cigna lost their appeal before the D.C. Court of Appeals last May. Their petition for a writ of certiorari - an action seeking a re-examination of the appeal process - was dismissed by the United States Supreme Court in June. Anthem and Cigna thereafter abandoned their merger plans and filed a stipulation of dismissal. The prevailing States agreed with Anthem and Cigna to a settlement payment for legal fees and costs. That agreement was approved by the United States District Court of the District of Columbia.
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