Citing billions of dollars in costs from fraud against private and public health plans, a Delaware senator is seeking to strengthen the government’s role in investigating and prosecuting individuals abusing the system.

Omitting a government-run health insurance program from a Senate reform bill will give private insurers “free rein” to increase premiums and “drive up the cost of federal subsidies,” according to a group of Senate Democrats.

Patrick Leahy, chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, has introduced a bill that would eliminate the federal antitrust exemption given to health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies as a means of cutting costs.

Citing the need to introduce competition in the health insurance market and contain health care costs, a group of 28 U.S. senators introduced a resolution to include a federally-backed health …  Read →