The National Cooperative Business Association confirmed that thegeneral profile of cooperatives has risen significantly as part ofthe ongoing debate over health care reform.
The NBCA reported that it has been contacted by members of Congressseeking answers about health care cooperatives as the nationstruggles to reform its health care system.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) haveboth contacted the NCBA with questions about health carecooperatives, how they work, how they're structured and theiradvantages and disadvantages. Conrad has suggested using acooperative structure to help reduce the cost of health care.
“Whether or not the final product contains health care cooperativesor not,” said NCBA CEO Paul Hazen, “it's never bad to havecooperatives leading stories on the front pages of The WashingtonPost, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.”
He also acknowledged that the increased attention has shined abright light on just how many people are confused about whatcooperatives are, how they are structured and the benefits theyoffer.
“We view all of this as an opportunity to highlight and explaincooperatives,” Hazen said, stressing that the cooperative would notbe the “magic bullet” that would solve the nation's health carewoes.
“Part of the problem is that people have been comparing apples andoranges in the health cooperative discussion,” Hazen explained. Headded that there are some health cooperatives that actually ownhospitals and pay doctors for their members. There are also healthcare insurance cooperatives and straight mutual insurance companiesthat are cooperative in structure but generally don't sell theirown health insurance, Hazen explained.
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