Never underestimate the political advantage of beating up on the insurance industry. This message was evident as the House of Representatives voted 406-19 to repeal the limited federal antitrust exemption for health insurers under the McCarran-Ferguson Act.
To understand why this measure passed, you need to examine the political context. The House vote occurred as the final push by Democrats who support healthcare reform was gathering steam. January had begun with Democrats having passed versions of a health bill in both the House and the Senate. All that remained was for the two versions of the bill to be merged and a consensus version passed by both chambers.
Then, Republican Scott Brown won the Senate seat held for 47 years by Edward M. Kennedy, denying the Democrats the 60th vote they needed to halt Republican filibusters. In late December, the Senate had passed a healthcare reform bill with exactly 60 votes.
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