America's Health Insurance Plans is sticking up for the proposed mergers of four insurance giants after Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said the deals should be closely scrutinized by regulators.

Clinton issued a statement Wednesday saying she had "serious concerns" about two planned insurance mergers: Aetna is proposing to purchase Humana for $37 billion, and Anthem wants to buy Cigna for $57 billion.

The mergers would leave just three health insurance companies in the U.S., the industry news site Healthcare Payer News reported.

"These mergers should be scrutinized very closely with an eye to preventing the undue concentration that they appear to create," Clinton said. "I am very skeptical of the claim that consumers will benefit from them because the evidence from careful studies shows that too often the companies end up pocketing profits rather than passing savings to consumers."

AHIP responded by stating that "contrary to political claims," health care plans are the most competitive and highly regulated business environments in the country. Clinton should focus her energies elsewhere, the group said.

"If the goal is to make healthcare more affordable and to provide greater choices for consumers, then policymakers should focus on addressing the real cost challenges facing patients—the soaring prices of prescription drugs and medical services—that drive up the cost of coverage and out-of-pocket costs for millions across the country," AHIP said. http://bit.ly/1LLmaLI

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