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On Friday, June 30, 2000, in a tremendous victory for patients and physicians, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1304, the “Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 1999,” by more than a 2-to-1 margin. The final vote was 276-136. Click here to see how your Representative voted.
H.R. 1304 - the Campbell-Conyers antirust bill - provides physicians with landmark antitrust relief, addressing the dangerous imbalance in the health care marketplace that was created by a small number of enormous corporate insurance companies controlling our health care system. The legislation levels the playing field - giving physicians historic new leverage by allowing at long last health care professionals to negotiate jointly with health plans.
The legislation contains safeguards to ensure that the interests of patients would remain primary. It forbids any collective cessation of patient care, contains a sunset provision that would limit the duration of the legislation to three years, and requires a study of its impact before reauthorization by Congress. Any potentially anti-competitive behavior remains subject to antitrust challenges by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
Opponents of the legislation spent millions to defeat or weaken H.R. 1304 and used a flawed Congressional Budget Office cost estimate as ammunition in their unsuccessful fight to kill this vital legislation. In the days leading up to the vote, several amendments were added that severely threatened passage of the bill, despite strong, bipartisan support for the legislation. Fortunately, the most damaging amendments were soundly defeated.
However, two amendments to the legislation passed. The first amendment, offered by Representative Tom Coburn (R-OK), exempts discussions requiring abortion coverage from collective bargaining negotiations. The second amendment, a Sense of Congress that medical decisions regarding treatment should be made by the physician or health care professional and the patient, was offered by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).
If your Representative voted in favor of H.R. 1304, please thank him or her for supporting this high priority issue.
- AMA
Letter to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) re: H.R. 1304
AMA Letter Thanking House Judiciary Chairman Hyde For Supporting HR 1304--August 7, 2000
- AMA
Letter to U.S. House of Representatives Urging Consideration and Passage
of HR 1304, the Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 2000
Letter from E. Ratcliffe Anderson, Jr., MD, Executive Vice President, AMA--June 8, 2000
- H.R.
1304 the “Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 2000” CBO’s ESTIMATE OFF
BASE
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revised cost estimate of H.R. 1304 is seriously inflated due to inaccurate and unsupported assumptions.
- Oppose
Market Share Amendments - Roadblocks to Reform
H.R. 1304, the “Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 2000”
- Limited
Antitrust Relief - With FTC/DOJ Oversight
H.R. 1304, the “Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 2000”
- AMA
Letter to Non-Cosponsors of HR 1304, the Campbell Antitrust
Bill
Letter from E. Ratcliffe Anderson, Jr., MD, Executive Vice President, AMA--May 16, 2000
- AMA
Letter to Cosponsors of HR 1304, the Campbell Antitrust
Bill
Letter from E. Ratcliffe Anderson, Jr., MD, Executive Vice President, AMA--May 16, 2000
- AMA
applauds Campbell Bill's advance as a victory for patients and
physicians
For immediate release--March 30, 2000
- Exclusive
contracting talking points
"Limited antitrust relief for all health care professionals, not a sweeping exemption"
- Congressional
Budget Office's artful assumptions
Talking points to counter CBO's cost estimate of HR 1304
- FTC/Department
of Justice amendment talking points
H.R. 1304, the “Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 1999” FTC/DOJ AMENDMENT GUTS THE BILL
- State
Action Doctrine amendment talking points
Addressing a national problem with federal solution
- Questions
and Answers on HR 1304
Frequently asked questions (with answers) about the Campbell bill
- Egregious
Contract Clauses
The Campbell bill would allow physicians to jointly negotiate against such clauses
- AMA
Talking Points: Antitrust Relief Needed
Updated points for the second session of the 106th Congress
- AMA
Talking Points: Myths and Facts about HR 1304
New points for the antitrust debate
- Letter
in support of H.R. 1304 and of the AMA's HOD vote to create a national
negotiating organization
Sent to all members of the House and Senate on June 25, 1999. Senate letter urges introduction of legislation similar to H.R. 1304
- Testimony
in support of H.R. 1304, the Quality Health Care Coalition Act of
1999
Presented by E. Ratcliffe Anderson, Jr., MD, EVP and CEO of the AMA, to the House Judiciary Committee--June 22, 1999
- AMA
Hosts "National Call for Action on Antitrust"
Listen to the audio recording or view the written transcript
- Cosponsors
of HR 1304
Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 1999
- Letter
of support for H.R. 1304, the "Quality Health Care Coalition Act of
1999."
The AMA, numerous medical specialties and state medical societies salute Rep. Tom Campbell's (R-CA) legislation--March 25, 1999
