Speaking of cooperative efforts to bring down health costs -- out of the Ithaca Hours movement the co-op Ithaca Health Fund has developed, offering limited health insurance and, recently, loans for some procedures.
The organisers (Paul Glover and co.) are calling it a "locally controlled non-profit mutual health security", and anyone, anywhere, is allowed to join.
Does anyone know of similar efforts elsewhere?
cheers, Joanna S.
At 01:09 22-05-01, you wrote:
>Gordon Fitch>Oddly,
>co-op HMOs, which would seem to be a partial answer to the
>problem, are practically nonexistent except in the state of
>Wisconsin, I believe. Maybe they're forbidden elsewhere?
>
>http://www.google.com/search?q=HMO+Co-Op+Cooperatives&hl=en&lr=&safe=off
> One of my ex'es worked for Group Co-Op Hospital in Seattle for about a
>decade as an admin. asst.
>http://www.ghc.org/web/ They were one of the first HMO's, founded in the
>late 40's. Last time I visited we went to a African-American cultural
>festival, ran into a fellow staffer for Group Co-Op, she was a former Black
>Panther Party member that was their (GHC) coordinator for clinics in the
>underserved communities.
> GHC, was bought out by Kaiser, though a few years ago. Washington State
>btw, because of the Washington Commonwealth Federation of the 30's has alot
>of cooperativism. The Federation elected many lefties (including Hugh
>deLacy, a CPUSA'er and later Progressive Party candidate, to Congress in the
>late 30's) to political office. Wonder how many EPIC in California did? One
>was Sam Yorty, later a stone cold reactionary.
>Michael Pugliese
www.overlookhouse.com