Reid Muddies Health Care Waters With Co-Op Talk

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) caused some confusion on Capitol Hill Thursday when he described an elaborate hypothetical situation in which he could accept health care cooperatives as an alternative to a public health insurance option.

The co-op talk came at the tail end of the conference, while he was attempting to distinguish between the public option and the cooperative model.

"The purpose of a public option is to create competition, which is so important, and to create quality health care," Reid said. "If we can come up with a concept of a cooperative that does just that, that is it makes more competition and makes insurance companies honest, yes, I think that would fill the bill."

That's a big if, but coming shortly after President Obama told Congress Wednesday night that a public option remains a negotiable element of health care reform, Reid's comments raised alarm bells. Many advocates of a public option see co-ops as an insurance industry ruse to kill government-run insurance.

The support for the co-op overshadowed Reid's positive comments about the public option earlier at the briefing.

"We have a very firm, strong public option in the HELP bill," Reid said, referring to the reform bill passed by the Senate health committee in July. "I favor a public option."

Reid still sees the public option as the best way to accomplish his stated reform goals, spokesman Jim Manley said. "Senator Reid continues to support a public option," Manley wrote in an e-mail. "As the president himself has suggested, the real need is to set up a program that will create competition, drive health care prices down and put the brakes on out of control insurance companies."

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), whose legislative draft includes the co-op model, was quick to compare his reform priorities to those of Obama when talking to reporters Thursday morning. His draft does not, however, pass muster with powerful Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who ranks high on the finance committee.

"Baucus' proposal does not meet my three criteria, I will say that," Schumer told reporters Thursday afternoon, adding that his priority is the immediate roll-out of a public option, a plan that can be purchased by all Americans and is competitive enough to lower insurance costs systemwide.

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Comments

[thefixisin]

10:23 PM on 09/14/2009

Ried be made very aware no public option, no money for democrates from people like me period!

[blinkthink]

10:09 AM on 09/14/2009

You can be 'for the Public Option' all day long-but if the votes aren't there, then it's not Reid's fault, right? That's politics. These guys need to hear from everyone-send them message. Don't let them force everyone to pay out of control premiums-it is time to take a stand now, before damage is done. What has the insurance industry done to warrant everyone giving them a big bailout? They aren't insolvent! Unfortunately, many of us are very close to that.

[S1m0n]

05:15 PM on 09/11/2009

...or not.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

04:08 PM on 09/11/2009

This guy is still alive and in CHARGE? He looks weak and shaky..... really don't like this guy.

[JohnnyWalkerBlueLabel]

04:01 PM on 09/11/2009

Thank goodness this guy will be gone in 2010. Now if we can just get rid of Pelosi.

[Blufftonian]

03:58 PM on 09/11/2009

Censure Reid. He called the President a liar.

[booker52]

02:47 PM on 09/11/2009

Co-opts don't have the same muscle as a true public option.

[Artos]

02:34 PM on 09/11/2009

What is to stop the Health Insurers from coordinating their efforts to keep prices high, absolutely nothing. The whole idea of having a public option was to level the playing field. Now they want to force us to have Health Insurance by leveling the threat of a fine for not doing so, without guaranteeing that the prices of Health Insurance would be affordable. This is atrocious. As far as I am concerned, I will not do it. Republicans bellyache because they feel this is a form of socialism and would mean that they have to depend on the Government for health care. To them I say, Hey you are an American, you have the right to chose whether you want to live or die. If you don't want Government funded health option, don't use it. likewise I will not use buy Health Insurance from Private Industry if forced to. I do not agree with being robbed at gunpoint.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

04:10 PM on 09/11/2009

I agree with you completely. They're going to water this down until we're in the same boat as before (or similar to the insane Pard D of medicare), only we'll be FORCED to buy health insurance, instead of just being denied it at insane rates.

[Artos]

02:28 PM on 09/11/2009

Reid, you can be replaced too.

[Miketou]

01:33 PM on 09/11/2009

I can't stand this guy. He is a total whimp. Every time I hear his voice, I want to hurl and I'm a democrat.

[liberalbug]

03:42 PM on 09/11/2009

Guys like Reid make it exceptionally easy for republicans to be bullies.

[Obamasoldier]

01:30 PM on 09/11/2009

Please get rid of this GUY. Durbin would be so much better

[JohnnyWalkerBlueLabel]

04:02 PM on 09/11/2009

More Chicago cesspool politicians?

[ezeflyer]

01:25 PM on 09/11/2009

Reid could be replaced... to retire with a token high paying job in the revolving door.

[Liberal2]

12:43 PM on 09/11/2009

One question: Why?

How does the concept of a "co-op" solve anything?

Who would run it?

What would they be paid?

On what criteria would their pay be based?

etc.

[liberalbug]

03:43 PM on 09/11/2009

co-ops don't solve anything at all. They are just as bad as other HMOs and face the same difficult issues, like keeping costs under control. Co-ops are just a way for our sissy - arse congress and senate to claim that they have achieved something positive for the american public when in fact they have achieved nothing. Don't stand for it.

[uneeda]

12:39 PM on 09/11/2009

while all the hulabaloo goes on about the health care the scotus is busy figuring out whether to allow corporations to finance political campaigns.This goes on with hardly a peep.

[Liberal2]

12:43 PM on 09/11/2009

Ahhhhh, grasshopper.....you grasp the strategy.

[jayraye]

02:00 PM on 09/11/2009

Exactly. First we're required By Law to hand a sizeable chunk of our paycheck over to Big Insurance each month. Then the Supreme Court clears the way for Big Insurance to take the the $ that we are forced to give them to finance political campaigns that serve their interest and keep our earnings flowing into their pockets. Meanwhile the IRS stands ready to punish us if we don't complie. The fix is in, folks.

[17ladyslippers]

12:23 PM on 09/11/2009

Co-ops won't work. Destined to fail. The numbers simply aren't there. It would take too much time to put an infrastructure in place.

Co-ops are a win for the for-profit Health Insurance INDUSTRY.

Co-ops = No Real Change.

Co-ops would guarantee that Real Health Insurance Reform will not be addressed again for another 25 years.

Harry - hand the reins to someone with the courage to be bold.

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:53 PM on 09/11/2009

Yeah...Someone with a fully occupied Scrote.....