The co-ops can use earned media, and that’s where we come in. They are counting on the press to tell their story. Fair enough. But the story we tell must be more than a puff piece. It is the kind of story old-school consumer reporters used to do, complete with solid analysis of what their policies offer. That means scrutinizing and evaluating benefits, prices, restrictions—how the co-ops policies are better (or worse) than what the competition offers. If journos reporting on this new insurance animal do find it can provide a better product, then maybe co-op insurance might take off after all.
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For those interested, more on co-op health plans, from an article I did a year ago.
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/February/21/health-coop-cooperatives-federal-loans.aspx
#1 Posted by Harris Meyer, CJR on Tue 29 Jan 2013 at 07:33 PM
You offer zero proof of your contention that for-profits killed off co-ops. Plus, you write as if ALL health insurance were for-profit. But 45% of Americans already get their health insurance through nonprofits, who are not beholden to Wall Street and shareholders.
http://nonprofithealthcare.org/resources/BasicFacts-NonprofitHealthPlans.pdf
Co-ops don't come cheap - maybe it WAS budgetary; and even those that were funded find there are many obstacles to overcome:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/28/so-you-want-to-start-a-health-insurance-plan/
And why will co-ops need money to market themselves when they can offer their products on tax-funded health insurance exchanges for everyone to see and compare prices and products. If they're so great, they'll be competitive and people will go for the best deal. Their consumer boards can always consider guerilla marketing tactics, plus the exchanges ARE getting money for marketing.
Morrison should know better than most the uphill battle facing any new health plan - he's being disingenuous not to address the problems. With a single-source article like this, seems like you came to this story with a POV that facts could not get in the way of.
#2 Posted by Killroy71, CJR on Wed 30 Jan 2013 at 04:05 PM
I started the Ithaca Health Alliance in 1997 because it was clear that Big Insurance would never permit its Congress to enact universal coverage. Members of the Ithaca co-op were covered for 12 categories of common emergency, to specified maximum amounts, anywhere in the world, for $100/YEAR.
My book Health Democracy explains how to start a local health co-op. http://www.paulglover.org/hdbook.html
#3 Posted by Paul Glover, CJR on Wed 3 Apr 2013 at 12:37 PM