20 pages. Excerpt: As Congress approaches what may be the final stage of this year's health reform debates, legislators continue to search for creative solutions that will expand coverage and reduce costs with little impact on the federal budget. One proposed solution ? health insurance cooperatives ? has received increasing attention as an alternative to a new public coverage plan. Cooperatives are businesses that are owned by members. A health insurance cooperative is owned and operated by the people receiving health coverage through the organization. Since there are no shareholders, profits and savings in a health cooperative can generate reduced premiums or increased benefits for the consumer.  MORE >>