CVS Health Corp. and Aetna Inc. received conditional approval to proceed with their proposed $68 billion merger, one of the largest in a series of recent deals that stand to transform the U.S. health-care business.
The combination would create a giant with a hand in insurance, prescription-drug benefits, and drugstores across the U.S. By bringing those businesses under one roof, the companies are betting they’ll be better-positioned to face changing consumer habits and the emergence of new rivals.
