Terry, Robinson Patman Act is much broader than retail stores and goods.
In 1938 some Non Profit Hospitals and others were exempted in the "Non Profit Institutions Act" see this link. http://www.lawmall.com/rpa/rpadrugs.html A later ruling in the courts conclude however that government purchases were "not" exempt since they were not specifically mentioned in the exemption as a non profit. This could mean that VA prices, as an example, could be used to enforce anticompetitive wholesale prices to drugstores. The FTC Antitrust Actions in Health Care Services and Products October, 2003 is now released. I just downloaded a copy 105 pages and invite others to do the same. I think Terri will find a great deal of FTC information that supports RP for services as well. If RP has any gaps the Sherman or Clayton Acts appear to able to fill them and drive the message home to the source. It will in fact extend the rules to protect not only businesses engaged in competition but discriminatory consumer prices and practices as well. This is the address for the report. http://www.ftc.gov/bc/hcupdate031024.pdf If, anyone after reading these published government reports, viewing several court cases which apply to healthcare "services" and still doesn't see price manipulation and restraint of trade by insurance companies and their intimidation of providers by their contracts with them then maybe a visit from the healthcare division of the FTC to Minnesota is due. Paul Double From: terri hyle [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 11:03 PM My understanding of the Robinson Patman act is that it specifically was designed to exclude such things as medical and legal services. The Robinson Patman act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1936 to supplement the Clayton Antitrust Act . The act forbade any person or firm engaged in interstate commerce to discriminate in price to different purchasers of the same commodity when the effect would be to lessen competition or to create a monopoly. The purpose of the act was to protect independent retailers from chain-store competition, but it was also strongly supported by wholesalers eager to prevent large chain stores from buying directly from the manufacturers for lower prices. There are lots of citations on the web, but a law library or attorney well versed in anti trust law would be a better source. Terri Hyle
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