Public Plan, Co-ops Remain on Health Reform Plate

But will the use of insurance co-operatives be the logical solution to expand insurance coverage without creating a government agency--that Republicans oppose?

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), who initially proposed the co-op alternative to the public plan, told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that it is clear that in the Senate, "the public option does not have the votes."

"It does provide not for profit competition to insurance companies, so it has appeal on both sides. It’s the only proposal that has bipartisan support and if we’re going to get 60 votes we're going to need bipartisan support," he said.

But last week, indicators were appearing that Republicans may also oppose the co-op idea as well. Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) called the co-op idea a "Trojan horse" and encouraged his fellow Republicans not to vote for any healthcare bill.