Health insurer Anthem’s planned $47 billion takeover of rival Cigna will not hurt consumers but increase choice and affordability, Cigna CEO David Cordani said, defending the merger against widespread criticism that it will harm competition. The Anthem-Cigna deal and a plan by Aetna Inc to buy Humana have come in the wake of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and amid pressure on insurers to keep healthcare spending down for their biggest customers – employers and the U.S. government.