Senate Bill Increases Health Care Options Through Marketplace Competition

CHICAGO, December 20, 2018 — The American Dental Association (ADA) is pleased that Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana), introduced S. 3782, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act. This legislation would help ensure more competition in the health insurance marketplace by reestablishing federal antitrust enforcement over the health insurance industry.

This bill is narrowly drawn to apply only to the business of health insurance, including dental insurance. The House passed its version of The Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 372), by a vote of 416-7, which illustrates the bipartisan support for this policy.  

This legislation, if enacted, will amend a section of the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945, which exempted the insurance industry from important provisions of the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act – acts that have the purpose of ensuring fair competition. If passed, this legislation will help level the playing field between health insurers, providers, and consumers, and may help to make health insurance more affordable for all Americans. 

 For more information, visit Actioncenter.ADA.org.