Andrea Joy Campbell: “The extent of the immunity is in the context of bargaining. And even today, I heard a related myth, that this will be a…”

“The extent of the immunity is in the context of bargaining. And even today, I heard a related myth, that this will be a wholesale antitrust exemption and would allow doctors to join in a boycott, a boycott of a particular pharmaceutical company, Merck was mentioned because it was in the news, the argument about price fixing, the argument that doctors could get together and agree that no nurse anesthetist would practice. Those are all false. The exemption is specific to the practice only of bargaining; and to make it even more clear, we added an amendment that even in the context of bargaining it shall not be permitted as an exemption from the antitrust laws to agree to exclude any other professional from their scope of conduct, and we have our colleague from the other side of aisle, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), to thank for working out that amendment. The Nadler amendment is part of this bill. So price fixing at the patient level, not permitted. Exclusion of other professionals, not permitted. Barring the doctor's right to choose a pharmaceutical of his or her choice, not permitted.”