Leahy Introduces Bill To Repeal Antitrust Exemption For Health, Medical Malpractice Insurance Companies | Virginia Lawyer
US Senator Patrick Leahy has recently introduced a bill to get rid of the federal antitrust exemption for health insurance and medical malpractice companies.
“A few industries have used their influence to obtain a special, statutory exemption from the antitrust laws, and the insurance industry is one of them,” said Leahy. “In the markets for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance, patients and doctors are paying the price, as costs continue to increase at an alarming rate. Insurers should not object to being subject to the same antitrust laws as everyone else.”
This bill would make insurance companies have to follow the same laws as most other companies in America and make them refrain from price-fixing, bid rigging, market allocations and make them subject to good competition laws.
Leahy has introduced similar legislation before but it has failed to pass.
I support this bill and encourage you to call your elected representative and tell them to vote in favor of this legislation. Passing this will help protect consumers from out-of-control insurance costs and help make health insurance more affordable.
There is really no reason for the insurance companies to be exempt from laws that prohibit price fixing.
They have gotten away with this for far too long and it is time it stopped.