TheHill.com: Sen. Reid endorses healthcare co-ops

[Thiebear]

http://www.thehill.com/homenews/senate/58275-sen-reid-endorses-co-ops

Sen. Reid endorses healthcare co-ops

By Alexander Bolton, Jared Allen and Jeffrey Young - 09/11/09 06:25 AM ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) endorsed the concept of health insurance cooperatives Thursday, siding with centrists in the House and Senate who want healthcare reform but oppose a public option.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also hinted she could accept that approach a day after President Barack Obama delivered an address to a joint session of Congress that offered encouraging words for both centrists and liberal Democrats who have demanded a public insurance option

Reid told reporters that healthcare cooperatives could be as effective as a government insurance plan in fostering competition and reining in costs.

That goes against the latest talking points from the Dems.

AND i'm ALL on board with the 2nd quote. That would get it through.

Took about 3 minutes for the "Seatbelt rule" to come to mind though.

We would never stop you for a seatbelt law .. this is only a secondary and then WHAM! a year later.

I see this as a: We went with coops instead of the public option and passed 90% of the bill.

Then WHAM! We've decided they don't work and at this amendment to the bill is adding the public option as a 2nd option to the coops.

Ohh yeah, its coming.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

But I thought Harry Reid was pure evil?

[SnyderShrugged]

Ah, co-ops is just a word twist that still increases federal control over private industry. Dont buy into the semantics game.

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/08/17/co-ops-a-public-option-by-another-name/

"The health care “co-op” approach now embraced by the Obama administration will still give the federal government control over one-sixth of the U.S. economy, with a government-appointed board, taxpayer funding, and with bureaucrats setting premiums, benefits, and operating rules."

[Kilmer17]

Reid better hope it gets voted on before next November, or his opinion will mean as much as any of ours n ES.

[Thiebear]

But these aren't true co-ops. The members wouldn't choose its officers — the president would. Plus, the secretary of Health and Human Services would have to approve its business plan, and thus could force it to offer whatever benefits, premiums and reimbursement schedules Washington wants. Finally, the federal government would provide start up, and possibly ongoing, subsidies.

Nevermind.

[AsburySkinsFan]

They are putting everything out there right now, all of this is just public maneuvering. Don't believe anything until the final Bill is sent to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.