Following Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase's joint announcement Tuesday to create a healthcare company, Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark T. Bertolini said he was "encouraged to see other companies working toward the same goal" of addressing the "unmet consumer need in healthcare," according to Yahoo Finance.
Mr. Bertolini, who announced Aetna's intent to merge with Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health in December, discussed the typical American's healthcare needs in a statement to Yahoo Finance.
"There is an unmet consumer need in healthcare. Individuals and families want a simple, affordable and high-quality experience that helps them stay well," he said, adding Aetna's proposed merger with CVS Health "will help address those needs at the local level, and I am encouraged to see other companies working toward the same goal."
Mr. Bertolini's comments mirrored those provided by Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, during the three companies' joint announcement Tuesday.
"The ballooning costs of healthcare act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy," said Mr. Buffett. "Our group does not come to this problem with answers. But we also do not accept it as inevitable. Rather, we share the belief that putting our collective resources behind the country's best talent can, in time, check the rise in health costs while concurrently enhancing patient satisfaction and outcomes."