Consumer Watchdog: The health insurance purchasing co-ops proposed by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and a number of Senate conservatives have been tested and largely failed throughout the country. At best they do not have the market clout to leverage discounts and good policy choices with health insurers. At worst, co-ops are a path to gutting state consumer protection laws.

State-based or regional co-op health plans would remain beholden to for-profit insurance companies for provision of coverage. Conversely, the proposed "public option" would allow business and individuals and small businesses to bypass the private insurance market altogether, if they chose, and avoid wasteful administrative costs and profits that are ten times greater than administrative costs of public health plans like Medicare.

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