We have association-based health plans already--corporate America. The Freelancers Union, on the other hand, reminds us of the need for some additional associations.

Commenting on a commentary by David Brooks, Anya Kamenetz writes:

"The idea is that organizations like, say, for example, this one, will be at once more responsive to their members and less partisan than the government, and less absolutely mercenary than employers, and thus would be better positioned to organize and provide for peoples’ needs."

The Freelancers "union" is not a union in the same way that, say, the Teamsters or UAW are. Still, it does have some requirements for membership, at least as far as its insurance offerings go. But it's an example of how people are able to find health insurance outside of the traditional HR office down the hallway.

All of this discussion--the link to Kamenetz linking to Brooks--keys off a paper written by Stuart Butler for the Brookings Institution. It's titled "Evolving Beyond Traditional Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance."

Devils and details, I suppose, but that sounds like a good idea.