Enzi: Co-Op ‘Should Be Considered’

Even as some Republican leaders are blasting the co-op insurance model as the first step toward socialized medicine, others appear ready to embrace the strategy as a more conservative alternative to the creation of a government-backed insurance plan. Here’s Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), a member of the Gang of Six, writing today in USA Today:

In the Finance Committee, six of us leading the negotiations are working from the premise that there will not be a government-run plan. One alternative we are considering is a non-profit health insurance cooperative where consumers could band together to seek better rates and coverage from health insurance companies.

I can count votes, and I know that a government-run plan will not pass in the Senate. The co-op approach has potential and should be considered, but it must not get hijacked in the House-Senate conference as a backdoor way to get a government-run program in place. A government-run option is really no option at all.