Letter to Charles Gonzales, 20th Congressional District, TX
The Honorable Charles Gonzalez
Dear Representative, it has been reported by Dylan Ratigan of MSNBC in the Huffington Post that health insurance companies are exempt from the Sherman anti-trust laws.
If this report is accurate and true why is this the case? You have stated you want fair and open competition but I fail to see how this can be accomplished if the insurance companies enjoy protection under the law from competing insurance companies.
I also understand from the report that Texas is one of the states that allows this to occur. Why aren’t you trying to have this law changed in order to lower the costs.
Are you so bent on a government option that you cannot support fair and open competition?
I think that Tort Reform and eliminating the exemption from the anti-trust laws would go along way to reforming health care and not cost us billions of dollars.
What is your position on this?
Thank you for your time
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The Common Man: I am just that, someone who spent 30 plus years working for the government as a mid-level manager and program manager. This forum allows me to have a voice and share my concerns. I have been a voting member of the silent majority my entire adult life, now however it seems voting is not enough and being silent is a bad idea. This forum is an attempt to move the conversation from the kitchen table, friends and families to people who would also like to voice opinions and Participate in a civil debate.
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Rod
On 17 Sep 2009, John Conyers (D-MI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced bills to in the House and the Senate to end the health insurance industry’s exemption from federal anti-trust laws which was granted to them under the McCarron-Ferguson Act of 1945. There are no Republican co-sponsors yet.
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3596/show
“This legislation would specifically prohibit price fixing, bid rigging, and market allocation in the health insurance industry,” said Conyers. “These pernicious practices are detrimental to competition and result in higher prices for consumers. Conduct that is unlawful throughout the country should not be allowed for insurance companies under antitrust exemption. The House Judiciary Committee held extensive hearings on the effects of the insurance industry’s antitrust exemption throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. It became clear then that policyholders and the economy in general would benefit from eliminating this exemption.
“The legislation we introduced today is intended to root out unlawful activity in an industry grown complacent by decades of protection from antitrust oversight. In doing so, we aim to make health insurance more affordable to more Americans. I want to thank my friend Senator Leahy for his leadership on the bill and for working with the House on this joint introduction.”
I still want to know where The Honorable Gonzales stands on this issue. I have heard him speak on local TV but it was the typical talking points…
Now you can point to this specific House bill and see if he is willing to sign on as a cosponsor. That’s a simple “yes or no” question right there! But politicians of all stripes do seem to be able to weasel out of even the simplest of straightforward questions!
yep that is going to happen monday thanks for the input, Glad you visit this site. RodZ