/ en Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:13:12 -0500 Tue, 22 Dec 20 16:22:34 -0600 <p>The Senate early this morning passed by voice vote the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1418/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr+1418%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=1">H.R. 1418</a>/S. 350), AHA-supported legislation that repeals the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption available to commercial health insurers for anticompetitive conduct. The legislation gives the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission authority over health insurance markets, which had been regulated by states. The House passed the legislation in September, and President Trump is expected to sign it into law.</p><p>“The AHA believes that the commercial health insurance industry should be governed by the same antitrust laws and policies that apply in other sectors of our economy, including hospitals and other health care providers,” AHA said last year <a href="/system/files/media/file/2019/08/aha-rep-defazio-support-competitive-health-insurance-reform-act-2019-hr-1418-8-7-19.pdf">in a letter of support</a> to Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the lead sponsors of the legislation. “Any exemptions should be narrow and carefully tailored to achieve a pro-competitive purpose. We have previously articulated our concerns to the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division about the abuse of market power by large commercial insurers; this remains a concern as large commercial insurers continue attempts to consolidate to the detriment of consumers.”</p><p><strong>Further Questions</strong><br>If you have questions, please contact AHA at 800-424-4301.</p> Tue, 22 Dec 2020 16:22:34 -0600 Health Care Reform