����������

The AHA yesterday voiced support for the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1418/S. 350), legislation that would repeal the antitrust exemption available to commercial health insurers for anticompetitive conduct. “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 in a letter to Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., 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.”