Think Progress

By Faiz Shakir at 12:20 pm  June 15, 2009

Last week, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) floated a health care proposal intended to mollify conservatives who are upset over the possible creation of a public health insurance plan. Instead of offering consumers a government-run option similar to Medicare, Conrad suggests giving individuals and very small businesses the option to buy into a plan that would be run by a non-profit cooperative. The idea has gained the support of Democratic senators, including Max Baucus (D-MT).

The idea would be to create multiple state or regional non-profit co-operatives, operating through members who choose a board of directors and a CEO. Unlike Medicare, this model “would lack the market leverage to bargain for lower prices.”   Source Article