At a minimum, two pending mergers of giant insurance companies will shake up Georgia’s health care marketplace. Proponents of the deals say the effect will be beneficial.

But the Medical Association of Georgia says the mergers will be “disastrous’’ for the state, raising prices and lowering consumer choice.

If consummated, the Aetna/Humana and Anthem/Cigna mergers would allow the companies to “control nearly 90 percent of the individual health insurance market in Georgia – the kind of monopoly that undermines our free market system,’’ says Dr. John S. Harvey in a new GHN Commentary.

“What’s more, they would hold dominant positions in the small-group, Medicare and large-group markets,’’ writes Harvey, who is president of MAG.

Here’s a link to his Commentary.

Georgia Health News welcomes Commentary submissions. If you would like to propose a Commentary piece for Georgia Health News, please email Andy Miller, editor of GHN, at amiller@georgiahealthnews.com