North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan says she is willing to consider health care co-ops as an alternative to a government-backed insurance option.
     
Hagan said in an interview Thursday she supports the current plan to provide a government alternative to private insurance. But the freshman Democrat says a co-op may also have benefits.
     
The comments could prove a source of middle ground for Hagan and fellow North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican who has been adamantly opposed to more government involvement in health care. Burr has also said that he would consider a co-op plan.
     
Both stressed they haven't seen any specific proposals on what the co-op plans would look like. They are generally designed as nonprofit, member-run systems for providing insurance.