Congress is in session this coming week, and the President will be releasing his Administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget tomorrow.

Business Week is reporting that the Federal Trade Commission may take action on the Express Scripts – Medco merger next month.

Express Scripts is expected to certify to the
Federal Trade Commission [tomorrow] that it’s finished providing the
necessary information for the antitrust review, said the people, who
declined to be identified because the matter isn’t public. Under
antitrust law, the agency is required to act on a merger request within
30 days of the certification.

The agency’s options then include clearing the
deal, suing to block it or negotiating a settlement. It could also agree
with the company to extend the 30-day period. The company and the
agency aren’t engaged in discussions about a settlement or extension,
the people said. The FTC isn’t expected to decide on the deal until the
beginning of March, one of the people said.

America’s Health Insurance Plans commented in a press release that health plans need more time and flexibility is needed to  implement the summary of benefits and coverage rule that was finalized last week. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners developed the SBC form with individual health insurance in mind.  It would be helpful for HHS to recognize, for example, basic differences between group and individual health insurance and fully insured and self funded arrangements in the forms.