A bill that would repeal the U.S. insurance industry's exemption from federal antitrust regulations remains in limbo after its chief backer in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), was unable to insert it into the finance reform law.
Many dental organizations, including the ADA and the Academy of General Dentistry, oppose the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which leaves antitrust regulation of insurers up to states.
Leahy introduced a repeal of McCarran-Ferguson as an amendment to the finance reform bill that passed in the Senate last month, but the amendment never came up for a vote. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a separate bill to repeal McCarran-Ferguson, and President Barack Obama has indicated support. But since neither the House nor Senate included McCarran-Ferguson repeal in their finance reform bills, the issue may not surface as the two chambers work on final finance reform, leaving it in limbo for the time being.
Leahy has not indicated how he will address the issue in the future, said his spokesman, David Carle.
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