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Here is a press release that  may be of interest to some
readers of this newsgroup.

 Health Organizations Call for Reform of Delivery System
 To: National Desk, Healthcare Writer
 Contact: Fred Caesar of Catholic Health Association, 314-427-2500;
          Rick Smith of the Washington Business Group on Health,
            202-408-9320;
          Jon Ross of the American Hospital Association/Congress
            of Hospital Trustees, 312-280-6342;
          Lisa Wyatt of the American Nurses Association,
            202-544-4444, ext. 210; or
          Clay Mickel of Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association,
            202-626-4811

   WASHINGTON, Nov. 9  -- A coalition of health
advocacy groups today urged President-elect Clinton to make a
commitment to significantly restructure how healthcare is delivered,
calling that "the central task of real health system reform."
   The organizations, including the Catholic Health Association of
the United States (CHA), American Hospital Association (AHA),
American Nurses Association (ANA), Washington Business Group on
Health (WBGH), Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association, and Congress of
Hospital Trustees pledged to work with the Clinton administration to
effect healthcare delivery reform and made public a joint letter to
the president-elect at a news conference here today.
   The coalition advocates structural changes in the healthcare
system that would create incentives for employers, insurers,
physicians, nurses, hospitals, and other health providers to come
together in integrated, community-based networks.  Such partnerships
would link providers financially and clinically, expand access to
care for the more than 35 million Americans without health insurance,
broaden primary and preventive care, and improve the efficiency and
accountability of the healthcare system, the coalition said.
   The result of increased networks, the coalition's letter to
Clinton said, "will be real cost containment, better quality care,
and improved health status for all Americans and the ability to
support research and medical education."
   Each of the organizations has put forth its own healthcare reform
proposal, with differences existing among their various plans
relating to questions of access to care and health financing.
However, they were drawn together, the letter said, because "all of
us assign the highest priority to delivery system-based comprehensive
reform."
   "Healthcare reform must begin by restructuring the delivery
system," stated Ronald R. Aldrich, chairperson of the Catholic Health
Association of the United States (CHA), and president/CEO of the
Franciscan Health System, Aston, PA.  "This is necessary to better
meet the needs and preferences of patients and their families.  The
current fragmented, non-system of healthcare delivery must be
replaced with a system that offers an integrated continuum of
services emphasizing prevention and rehabilitation."
   The coalition expressed concern that patchwork alterations to the
health payment system would fail to control spiraling healthcare
costs, which some estimates say may double by the year 2000 without
significant changes to the healthcare system.
   "The way we pay for care should change," said Pat Nazemetz, a
member of the board of directors of the Washington Business Group on
Health.  "Payment changes should support a delivery system strategy.
They are not a quick fix that can substitute for fixing the delivery
system," she said.
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