The CVS—Aetna merger gets the green light, premiums for employer plans are rising, and the new North American trade deal includes protections for drug makers. Welcome to This Week in Managed Care, I'm Laura Joszt. CVS—Aetna Merger Is Approved On Wednesday, the Justice Department signed off on the $68 billion merger between CVS and Aetna, which could pave the way for bringing more medical services into the retail drug chain. The deal is the biggest consolidation to reshape the healthcare landscape since the Affordable Care Act set off a wave of these transactions in 2010. However, Aetna does have to sell its Medicare Part D plans to WellCare, according to a Justice Department official, who said: "The divestitures required here allow for the creation of an integrated pharmacy and health benefits company that has the potential to generate benefits by improving the quality and lowering the costs of the health care services that American consumers can obtain."