Full U.S. House Approves Amendment Repealing Insurance Industry's Antitrust Exemption

The U.S. House of Representatives this morning approved by voice vote an amendment that would repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act's antitrust exemption as it applies to health insurance companies. That exemption, which Congress enacted in 1945, was intended to make it easier for states to regulate insurance without federal interference. The ADA and other health care groups have long argued that the exemption gives the insurance industry an unfair advantage in the marketplace. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) offered his legislation as a floor amendment to the ADA-supported Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare Act (H.R. 5).

H.R. 5, which would reform medical malpractice laws by limiting awards and attorney fees, passed the House today by a vote of 223 to 181.