The first, monday, september 26, on the campus of Wright State University in dayton, ohio. The second debate on a sunday, october 9th, 2016. At Washington University in st. Louis, missouri, and the third and final debate on wednesday. One Vice President ial debate on tuesday, october 4th, 2016, in farmville, virginia. Joining us on the phone this cochair of the commission on president ial debates. Ty for being here. Pleasure. What led to these four universities . Well, in the 2728 years we have been doing this, we do the year before the debates, we send out to all the colleges and universities in the country in effect a request for bid. We indicate to them what they have to do, what they have to produce. So many hotel rooms within a certain area because of the reporters there, and then we get in bids elm originally narrow what we lad for this year or next year, down to 16 schools. And then we have a team of technological people, camera people, lighting people, et cetera, who go out, so
Were ready to reconvene. Senator klobuchar is next. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I talked a little bit about the Health Insurance consolidation and i know we had some quick answers there from both of you. We have a little more luxury of time now, so if you could, finish up, mr. Swedish. I was asking you, remember, about why you needed the merger to achieve some of these cost goals that you have. Thank you for the followup question. What id like to do is maybe describe to you the various products and services that we do offer in terms of how we segment our business. This is a highly segmented industry that then serves a very focused effort in and around the local markets. For instance, we are very active, as is cigna, in the National Marketplace serving Large National accounts. These are very sophisticated highly educated buyers of Health Care Services typically using consultants who they rely upon to make the selections for the health plan that will serve them in the National Mar
Industry that then serves a very focused effort in and around the local markets. For instance, we are very active, as is cigna, in the National Marketplace serving Large National accounts. These are very sophisticated highly educated buyers of Health Care Services typically using consultants who they rely upon to make the selections for the health plan that will serve them in the National Marketplace they reside in. So specific to your question about why come together, well both be better able to serve that Customer Base of National Accounts that highly desires our support as an Administrative Services only support team to what they need in terms of health plan delivery. Whats fascinating when people ask about the Competitive Landscape specific to National Accounts is that there are 130 unique Health Benefit companies serving that selfinsured marketplace. In 2014, there were 30 new companies that began competing in that space. The gao reported in 2014 that there is an average of 11 ins
Within our own 14 states, the cigna brand, the cigna products, may come into our blue cross portfolio within those 14 states. However, in the National Account space it will still continue to compete as cigna, so its a combination of kind of placements in the country that are based on our blue states and our nonblue states where cigna will, in fact, compete. With respect to the best efforts rule that you brought up, we do need to comply with that rule, and we do not need to respond to the rule in terms of how we will comply until after the transaction closes. And then well have two years thereafter to adjust our portfolio, but we do not believe that will be an impediment to the deal nor do we believe that will present any competitive deterioration in the marketplace. Whereas today cigna has every incentive its incentivized naturally to compete as much as possible and fight for as much market share as possible, but boe wont the best efforts rule necessarily limit and cap cignas future co