Health Care Update: What is a Co-Op?

I picked this up over at Rep. Michele Bachmann's TownHall blog. The latest attempt to confuse the American people involved the words "consumer co-op" as a means of rebranding the "public option" health care "reform" plan that the Demcorats are pushing and the American people don't want.

"If by health care 'co-op' Congress means allowing private associations to collectively buy health insurance for their members or operate a health insurance exchange, or allowing people to buy health insurance from a non-profit, member-owned private insurer, then those would be positive, pro-consumer developments.

"However, simply slapping the word 'cooperative' onto a new 'insurer,' but then specifying that the government — not the policyholders — picks the board of directors (as Sen. Schumer wants), or that taxpayers will subsidize it, or that it has to pay doctors and hospitals at Medicare rates, would just be an exercise in trying to disguise a 'public plan.'"

Don't be fooled by slick marketing, this is a bad idea...