Tom Perriello: Health Insurance Companies Should Play By Same Rules [UPDATE]

Nice job by Tom Perriello, fighting for people not the health insurance monopolies.

P.S. The bill is H.R. 4626, the "Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act," to "restore the application of the Federal antitrust laws to the business of health insurance to protect competition and consumers." As mcjoan writes on Daily Kos, "This is a perfect litmus test vote for whether your representative is on your side, or your insurer's."

UPDATE: Great news from Tom Perriello!

WOW. 406-19! applaud my colleagues on both sides of aisle. ins companies be very afraid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVIyusBPQvU

UPDATE #2: Tom Perriello has issued a press release.

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted 406-19 to pass H.R. 4626, the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act, introduced by Congressman Tom Perriello and Congresswoman Betsy Markey. The two-page bill repeals the special antitrust exemption that health insurance companies have enjoyed since 1945, and will restore competition to the health insurance market to promote affordability, improved quality, and greater consumer choice.

“Today, Washington finally took a stand for patients, for the free market, and for common-sense, bipartisan principles of fairness. Today, we sent a simple message: health insurance companies must compete for business like everyone else,” said Rep. Perriello. “Working and middle-class families are sick and tired of getting nickel and dimed by these companies while they rack up billions in profit and enjoy their monopoly protection. I applaud my colleagues for standing on the side of consumers over the health insurance companies.”

“I’m proud of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for standing up for a common sense bill,” said Rep. Markey. “Long ago, the insurance industry got a special deal from Washington. Big health insurance companies could conspire with each other to fix prices, divide territories and never be punished for it. It's wrong, and this bill fixes it–once and for all.”

And don't forget to "Become a Citizen Co-sponsor of H.R. 4626".