House Democratic leaders unveiled a comprehensive health care reform plan on June 19, calling for the establishment of a public health insurance program that would compete with private insurers to lower costs. The proposal would create a Health Insurance Exchange to provide a functional marketplace for individuals and small employers to comparison shop among private and public insurers.

Few details of how the plan would be paid for were announced, and lawmakers said they were awaiting estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.

As Congress and the Obama administration consider reform of the healthcare system, they may consider the experience