Will insurers lose their antitrust exemption?

One of the first blog posts I made way back in 2003 was a post suggesting that it was time for insurers to lose their antitrust exemption.  Maybe I’ll get my wish.

Washington, D.C. — Democrats launched a drive at both ends of the Capitol on Wednesday to strip the insurance industry of its decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws.
If enacted, the change would put an end to "price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation in the health and medical malpractice" insurance areas, said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Leahy will seek a vote when the Senate debates health care legislation in the next few weeks.
His comments Wednesday came as the House Judiciary Committee voted 20-9 to end an industry exemption that dates to 1945. Three Republicans supported the move.

Source: Democrats push to strip insurers of antitrust protections | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register