Health Co-Ops have no reason for living - at least as co-ops

[BR_Parkway]

Once we had a nationwide system of nonprofit health organizations. While each was local, they were tied into a loose national confederation. Since they were nonprofit, the idea was that their primary goal was to have the interest of their members at heart. The name of this national nonprofit organization?

Blue Cross.

In the last several decades Blue Cross organizations privatized themselves in massive numbers, with the help of supportive state and national politicians. There is no reason to believe that any cooperative will remain nonprofit if it becomes successful. The continued benevolence of any cooperative will depend on the direction and guidance it receives from politicians like Sen. Conrad. But even now, in the courtship phase of this process, Sen. Conrad doesn't hesitate to discuss the establishment of effective cooperatives with passive and indifferent language (see above.)

What will happen ten years from now, when a few executives have the chance to get rich by converting your cooperative to for-profit status? Can we count on state and national politicians to take a brave stand and refuse them, even in the face of the massive campaign contributions they'll be able to offer?

I think we know the answer to that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/dealbreaker-five-reasons_b_247262.html

[rurallib]

1. Co-ops are HMOs

and that worked out well didn't it

[BR_Parkway]

2. I just love how he points out that we've already had state level non profit 'co-ops'

and how often they've converted to for profit corps