Bill Would Repeal Antitrust Exemption for Insurers

On Tuesday, Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) reintroduced legislation (HR 743) that would repeal a provision in a 1945 law that exempts health insurers from federal antitrust laws. DeFazio and Slaughter argue that protections under the McCarran-Ferguson Act increase health care costs by allowing insurers to inflate the cost of care and limit competition.

• "House Dems Target Insurers' Antitrust Exemption" (Baker, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 2/19).