The talks come amid ongoing pressure from the federal government to control Medicare costs that have eaten away at Humana's finances and market value.

The Wells Fargo plan paid almost $10,000 for a generic pill for multiple sclerosis that Wegmans pharmacies sold for $648, according to the complaint, driving up premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

On Thursday, Cigna also raised its target for long-term average annual adjusted earnings per share growth to 10%-14% from 10%-13%.

Though J&J is one of the country's largest drugmakers, the lawsuit argues, it failed to use its buying power when purchasing medications to negotiate the best prices for medicines for workers on its health plan.

Two of the biggest health insurers are in talks about a potential powerhouse merger, comparable to the last major wave of industry consolidation five years ago when CVS closed its near-$70 billion deal for Aetna.

The health insurers' comments suggest a shift in care patterns are finally reverting, with patients who had deferred procedures like knee or hip surgeries now returning for care in greater numbers.

In its third largest deal in the last decade, the pharmacy chain digs deeper into health care services, after buying Oak Street, which runs clinics that specialize in treating Medicare Advantage patients.

New Jersey, which has one of the country's largest state employee health plans, has an ongoing conflict with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, alleging the insurer failed to deliver on a program designed to reduce health care costs.