There are a lot of theories circulating out there today regarding how to make affordable family health insurance a reality for the millions of Americans who can't afford coverage.

And the article at the Washington Post regarding health care legislation offers another good one: repeal the exemption from antitrust laws that protect the financial interests of insurance companies.

What too few people know is that nearly 65 years ago insurance companies were made exempt from the antitrust laws that protect us from monopolies and keep prices down.

As a result, insurance is unregulated on a state by state basis, leaving many states to deal with only 1 or 2 insurers who can inflates costs as they please.

And now today, with millions of uninsured Americans struggling to pay their medical costs, the need for affordable family health insurance has drawn this legal loophole into the limelight.

Insurance companies, of course, don't want the laws to be repealed. Doing so would mean that the federal government could control how much they charge consumers and hospitals for services.

Repealing these exemptions from antitrust laws would also lead to more competition in the insurance industry, further driving prices down. As it says in the article, by forcing insurance companies to play by the same ethical rules as all other corporations in America, we come "one important step" closer to meeting the health care needs of Americans.

And to providing an afforable alternative to family health insurance for the millions of men, women, and children who are suffering without it today.