UPDATE: The House passed this bill 406-19! Now we need to get the Senate to act!

Since 1945 the health insurance industry has been exempt from U.S. anti-trust laws designed to fight the unfair power of monopolies to control markets. The only other exemption is for Major League Baseball.

Under this protection, the health insurance monopolies have been legally allowed to do what other business can’t: fix prices, collude behind closed doors, and set their own markets without any fear of regulation.

Two first-year representatives in the House introduced a bill to end the monopoly protections for health insurers. Prices have skyrocketed while insurers enjoyed the anti-trust exemption and the time has come to make them compete openly and honestly.

This is a common sense measure that representatives from both parties should be able to support. Monopolies are never good for customers and don’t belong in a fair marketplace.

Send a letter to your Senators urging support for the Perriello-Markey bill to eliminate monopoly protections for giant health care insurance companies.