Insurer Antitrust Exemption Repeal Gets Push From 18 Dem Senators

[Robb]

Source: P&C National Underwriter

WASHINGTON—Eighteen Democratic senators have written congressional leaders and the White House urging that the final health care reform bill draft include language repealing the antitrust exemption afforded health and medical liability insurers.

At the same time, insurance industry officials are lobbying senators not to vote for any final bill that includes such a provision, especially as it regards medical liability insurers.

The senators’ letter was written under the aegis of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sent to President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the speaker of the House. They are leading intense negotiations aimed at producing a compromise bill combining versions of health care delivery reform legislation passed by the House and Senate.

“For nearly 65 years, the insurance industry has been exempt from federal antitrust laws. Regulation of the insurance industry has been left with the states, which often lack the time and resources to effectively investigate antitrust conspiracies,” the senators wrote.

Thus, the letter said, “the competitive activities of health insurers and medical malpractice insurers remain effectively unchecked.”

Read more: http://www.property-casualty.com/News/2010/1/Pages/Insurer-Antitrust-Exemption-Repeal-Gets-Push-From-18-Dem-Senators--.aspx

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Odd source, I know, but slim pickings just yet.

Signatories (an interesting mix, frankly) were Senators John F. Kerry, John D. Rockefeller IV, Joseph I Lieberman, Dianne Feinstein, Russell D. Feingold, Ron Wyden, Mary L. Landrieu, Charles E. Schumer, Maria Cantwell, Frank Lautenberg, Bernard Sanders, Claire McCaskill, Sheldon Whitehouse, Roland Burris, Edward Kaufman, Michael Bennet, Kirsten E. Gillibrand, and Al Franken.

The only full text of the letter I could find is here.

[naaman fletcher]

1. how can anyone be against this?

I have yet to find anyone like National Review or any republican politicians explain the rationale for why the anti-trust exemption should be upheld. Does anyone know where I can find one?

[alstephenson]

2. I asked the same question on another thread.

WHY do the insurance companies say they need an anti-trust exemption??? I can't think of any good reasons either...

[rhett o rick]

3. Sen Landrieu??? She must be putting on pressure for more lobbyist money. nt

[Robb]

5. I know, right?

...And show me another official document with Lieberman and Franken both signing on. I mean other than the Congressional parking pass applications. :D

[rhett o rick]

4. Bravo Sen Cantwell. nt

[LiberalFighter]

6. Gee... I don't see Indiana's Senator Evan Bayh on this list.

Could it be because his wife's relationship with the health industry?

[ThisThreadIsSatire]

7. The way to get this through...

... is to pass the bill now "as-is" and then introduce this ON ITS OWN, where it won't get lost among any other provisions.

A vote on this lone provision, prior to the election could force people's hands -- after all, open competition & free markets are more of a 'Republican' principle. But forcing any industry to compete the way all the others must is sure to have overwhelming public support -- so why add it to a bill where attention can be deflected to other issues and have it fail for the wrong reasons?

If we can get the bill as-is, and add this before the midterms, it would not only do more than a watered-down public option or 55+ Medicare buy-in would to lower costs, but would also ensure greater success for both health care reform and the Democrats...

[Jefferson23]

8. Lieberman signed on??? Makes me wonder about the details if he agrees with it.

[Robb]

9. Indeed. Some odd bedfellows here. nt

[bemildred]

10. Insurance ought not be the province of private enterprise.

It is the classic case for communal action. This is an attempt to stave off the "public option", which is and always has been the only sensible option for any sort of individual insurance against common calamities, if one is concerned about the public interest. Medicare and Social Security are both huge successes and ought to be emulated wherever appropriate.

[Wilms]

11. impressive. n/t

[IRemember]

12. Wow, no Max Baucus. Big surprise.

Corrupt bastard.

[sabrina 1]

13. How many of them are up for re-election I wonder?

I'm surprised to see Lieberman on the list. Maybe those devastating polls have finally reminded him of who he is supposed to be working for.