" 'Taxpayers have been forced to foot the bill for the co-op experiment, to the tune of $2.4 billion in federal loans for 23 co-ops around the country,' said [Senate Finance Committee] chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). 'And, to date, more than half of the co-ops have failed, while the vast majority of the others are in poor financial shape. ' ... Hatch blamed the co-op program's problems largely on CMS, which, he said, 'apparently encouraged the co-ops to cook their books with some creative accounting.' "  MORE >>