"With prospects fading that the Senate will include a government-run insurance option in healthcare reform legislation, congressional Democrats and Republicans are already sparring over an alternative -- a series of private regional cooperatives that advocates say could achieve the goals of a public plan without the potential for government interference.

"The key negotiators in the Senate -- the so-called Gang of Six of three Republicans and three Democrats from the Senate Finance Committee -- are scheduled to meet today by teleconference to discuss prospects for keeping a bipartisan health plan alive, which could hinge on the acceptability of co-ops to both sides."