Emma Berry

Unlike just about every other industry in America, health insurance companies are completely exempt from federal antitrust laws.

They can establish monopolies and raise rates without having to worry about competition, like Blue Cross just did in California, where they’re raising premiums by up to 39% for some customers.

But now, there’s a real chance that could change, thanks to Rep. Tom Perriello, a progressive freshman in a very challenging Virginia district. His bill to subject insurers to antitrust laws just passed the House 406-19 despite overwhelming opposition from the insurance industry.

Republicans have been trying to protect insurers—they even tried to block this bill from coming to a vote—but Perriello called their bluff and forced them on the record.  Some Republicans are saying that the bill is political grandstanding on the part of Democrats and that it won’t make any difference.  Well, neither Democrat nor Republican politicians are above political grandstanding but on this one I side with the Democrats.  What person who supports a Democratic society and the “free” market also support monopolies?  The two do not go together. Making exceptions to the law for some is NOT how democracies work

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HELP RESTORE OUR DEMOCRACY NOW!

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL YOUR SENATORS TODAY AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON EXTENDING SPECIAL ANTITRUST LAWS TO HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES. For Texans: Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn

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To Sam Johnson’s credit, whether he liked it or not, he voted to abolish these special antitrust privileges for Health Insurance Companies.  He was not among those 19 Republicans  who were on the wrong side of the fence.