Health insurer Aetna (AET), the third-largest insurance firm in the country, made a big splash last year when it announced the acquisition of fellow insurance firm Coventry (CVH) for $5.7 billion. This week Aetna will close the acquisition and finalize the deal, pushing the company's membership base higher by millions of members.

This comes not a moment too soon for Aetna. A big membership base is a key strength headed into the post-Obamacare future for the insurance industry, as questions still remain about just how insurance reform will alter the landscape of this industry going forward. Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll and health care analyst Max Macaluso tell you what you need to know about what Coventry's inclusion will mean for Aetna's future -- and how the biggest players in the insurance industry are prepared to face health care reform.