The Disguise

clipped from michellemalkin.com As for Democrat Sen. Kent Conrad’s health care “co-op” idea, the devil — as always — is in the details. Edmund Haislmaier pointed out a few weeks ago at The Foundry: 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.” Distrust and verify.