Does the House bill eliminate the anti-trust exemption?

[PhilosopherKing]

Who here knows the details?

[FrenchieCat]

1. I believe it does.

House Health Bill Removes Insurer Anti-Trust Exemption, Taxes Health Industry http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/10/29/details-house/

[bfarq]

2. This is really important. Why has it been so silent?

Either they are intending to silently drop it or there is some understanding that this will be the one point that survives in place of the public option.

The House negotiators should really draw the line on this one. That is huge.

[Captain Hilts]

4. We have to lean on them on this, especially if the mandate is included. nt

[FrenchieCat]

5. Actually when I googled it, there were multiple articles about it.

So who is being silent?
Those who hate this health care bill no matter what?
Keep in mind that those folks don't focus on what is actually in the bills,
they only focus on what isn't in them.

That's part of the problem in the non debates being had here at DU;
nothing that is good is being recognized....
cause that would mean that good has been done.
Can't have that.

[bfarq]

8. It is a close call

For me, it is a close call whether the thing is worth doing.

If the final thing is 100% as the Senate has it, I don't think it is worth doing. The bad outweighs the good, IMHO. For me, the Senate bill looks like 55% bad, 45% good.

The point is that we need some real progress in Conference in order to cross the tipping point for most of us. Getting rid of the anti-trust exemption would be huge for me, immediately making this a 75%/25% proposition. Anti-trust is a huge problem. Here I have Anthem and Wellpoint -- and they are both in collusion to carve up the market and keep the proces sky high. That same story is happening in at least 30 other states. It is the very definition of anti-trust.

Take away the exemption and even a centerist administration like the present one can push back significantly on these companies.

[Captain Hilts]

3. At one point it did. I HOPE that it is included in the final bill. We need to fight for it. nt

[Yuugal]

6. How about we agree

to fight for it only if it is discovered and removed. As it stands now, I think it has a better chance of surviving if TPTB forget it is in there. It's not like they ever read these multi-thousand page boondoggles. If we make a fuss that it stays that might just ensure it gets removed.

[amborin]

7. No

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