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June 29, 2000 Healthcare Leadership Council Statement on House Passage of the Campbell Antitrust Bill (Washington) – The House of Representatives has unwisely passed H.R. 1304, a bill that will directly result in harm to consumers and patients. This ill-conceived legislation amounts to a political reversal of the Hippocratic oath. H.R. 1304 first does harm to consumers. The consequences will be sadly predictable. Health care costs will rise significantly, according to a new, more realistic estimate, by $141 billion over five years. As many as 3 million more Americans will become uninsured over that time as a direct result of the doctor cartels H.R. 1304 legalizes. H.R. 1304 is nothing short of a legal license to form cartels, price-fix and boycott. It benefits a narrow special interest with a blanket antitrust exemption without oversight – something no other segment of society enjoys. The Healthcare Leadership Council exists to promote consumer choice and competition as means for improving our nation's health care system. Unfortunately, H.R. 1304 undermines this goal. HLC calls upon the Senate to reject this anti-consumer, anti-competitive legislation. | |||