Another Moderate Dem Likes Healthcare Co-Op Idea
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Arkansas, Democrats, Health Care
The moment I heard Kent Conrad’s plan I knew it could pick up steam as a bipartisan solution…especially since it was designed to do just that.
Now another Blue Dog Dem is voicing support for the idea…
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., says she prefers private insurance cooperatives to a government-run provider that would compete with the private sector in reforming the nation’s health care system.“We want to keep what works in the private industry and make it better,†Lincoln told Arkansas reporters in a conference call today. “There’s a lot of discussion about what else we might need that we can’t get from the private sector.â€
Lincoln sits on the Senate Finance Committee, which will have a central role in determining how to pay for a health care overhaul intended to control skyrocketing costs and provide health coverage for 47 million uninsured Americans. More than 500,000 Arkansans have no health insurance, 66,000 of which are children, according to the senator.
“A co-op would be the back up for the private industry,†Lincoln said.
Listen, when you have Dems talking like this, something is going on. Back channels are being worked and coalitions are being built. So don’t be surprised if you hear a lot more about this co-op idea in the coming days.
More as it develops…
This entry was posted on Saturday, June 20th, 2009 and is filed under Arkansas, Democrats, Health Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:34 am
I think what really needs to be answered is what IS working right now with private coverage, and what isn’t.
June 20th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
If the private sector plan “worked” we wouldn’t be having this discussion in the first place.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:26 am
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June 21st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
That’s kind of my point. :)