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.”