With all the hooting and hollering over the fate of the Public Option in the health care reform effort, a simple compromise is being overlooked. Why not start health care co-ops AND a Public Option to allow for even more choices for health care consumers?
The current proposals taking shape in the reform effort would allow for EITHER a Public Option (PO) OR Co-Ops on Health Exchanges along with existing private insurance plans for consumers to choose from, with the thinking being that the increased competition on such exchanges will drive prices down while the non-profit nature of either the PO or Co-Ops will keep insurance companies honest. Why not try out BOTH? Why not provide even more choice for the consumer?
People who want private insurance can stick with private insurance. People who trust the government more can pick the PO for their coverage. People who distrust the government plan, but aren't too crazy about insurance companies either could hop onto a co-op and try that out. If it doesn't work out for any of the above choices, for whatever reason, the consumer could switch to a different form of coverage. The more choices out there, the better it will be for consumers.
Plus it stands to reason that the government-run PO, newly created co-ops and, yes, even the insurance companies could actually learn something from one another in such a system that allows for innovation in the way health care is administered and paid for - and that all of these forms of coverage could actually improve themselves in the process, making for better care for us all.
Finally, this final compromise could give both the Baucus/Conrad/Nelson/Blue Dog brand of Conserva-Dems (and perhaps even Olympia Snowe) and the Progressive Caucus what they BOTH want while eliminating the need for taking the bill through the reconciliation process in order to pass the Senate. We could get 60 votes in the Senate on this folks and win, without the 10 year sunset provision that reconciliation entails, and therefore without having to fight this all over again years down the road when we may not have the votes. All the while the consumer wins with more choices and the health care system wins by having different models all working to improve care.