The U.S. Senate recently voted on December 22 to pass the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1418), a bill to repeal the antiquated McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption granted to the health insurance industry decades ago. The legislation was passed by the House in September and is currently pending before the President.
 
This bipartisan bill was led in the House by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and in the Senate by Senators Daines (R-MT) and Leahy (D-VT).
 
Repeal of the McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption would empower federal agencies, like the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice, to enforce the full range of federal antitrust laws against health insurance companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct. AGD appreciates the many members who participated in advocating for passage in both the House and Senate, as they were an integral part of making this achievement possible.
  
Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD has been a longtime supporter of efforts to reform McCarran-Ferguson to eliminate the health insurance industry's exemption from Federal antitrust laws. The passage of this legislation is a major success for consumers that have been left susceptible to unfair price fixing, bid rigging, and market allocation.