Rockefeller health about co-ops (H/T Digby)

[Mass]

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/jello-thickens-by-digby-john-amato.html
The Jello Thickens

by digby

John Amato caught Jay Rockefeller taking an unusual upright position:

Jay is a supporter of the public option and was pissed that the co-op proposal was inserted in the Baucus bill since it was never even talked about during the general election. Isn't it nice that Baucus has killed the public option just to work with Republicans? Conservatives don't even have to win elections to get what they want. That's some deal they have.

Ed: It's not going to work. There's really no successful model out there to support the basis of signing on to a co-op. Would you sign on to a co-op or is that unacceptable?

Rockefeller: That's unacceptable and I can almost prove it. We've been in touch with all the folks that oversee, represent all the co-ops in the country on all subjects and they point out that there are probably less than twenty health co-ops in the country. There are only two that really work that well. One in Puget Sound, one in Minnesota, except for those two, they are all unlicensed. All present health co-ops are all unlicensed, they're unregulated. Nobody knows anything about them, nobody has any control over them and nobody has ever said, which is stunning to me, no government organization or private organization has ever done a study to what effect they might have in terms of bringing down the insurance prices.

They are untested, they are unlicensed, they are unregulated, they are unstudied. Why would we even think about putting them in as a control on this massive insurance industry instead of the public option?

[kirby]

1. Or...

How about the fact that co-ops can and already do exist today. The fact that they have not made one iota of an impact on the nations health care system tells you they are not the solution.

[Oregone]

2. I feel sorry for Congress

It must be difficult coming up with "reform" when you aren't actually allowed to do anything proven effective. I guess you really have to use your nog to throw something shiny out there for the mensch

[Honeycombe8]

3. I saw that exchange on The Ed Show. It was very enlightening and convinced me

that the co-op plan is a ruse.

No co-op!