TRADE AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Trade associations exist to represent their members' economic interests. Journalists covering managed care need to know what those biases are. But many associations also have experts on their staffs who can give reasonably objective technical information about the particulars of legislation and other matters. Don't hesitate to seek them out.

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy

100 North Pitt St., Alexandria, Va. 22314, (703) 683-8416, fax (703) 683-8417, Web site: www.amcp.org. Communications director Marlene Bloom; executive director Judith Cahill. Represents the views and interests of 4,500 pharmacists who work for some 600 managed care organizations or pharmacy benefit management companies. Has information on disease management and drug formularies (lists of drugs managed care organization will cover).

Alliance of Community Health Plans

100 Albany St., New Brunswick, N.J. 08901, (732) 220-1388, fax (732) 220-0298, Web site www.achp.org. Vice president corporate communications William Rovner (732) 220-1388, ext. 28. Formerly known as The HMO Group, this association represents twenty-six not-for-profit managed care organizations and provider-sponsored health plans. It publishes white papers and newsletters discussing techniques members have used to improve health care.

American Association of Health Plans

1129 20th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 778-3200, fax (202) 331-7487. Web site www.aahp.org. Vice president communications Susan Pisano 202-778-3245; president Karen Ignagni. The granddaddy of HMO trade associations, it lobbies on behalf of 1,000 managed care organizations. Makes available publications, including Healthplan magazine, policy analyses, and research papers on managed care. Can provide journalists with a list of state managed care trade associations.

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

901 E St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004, (202) 783-2242, fax (202) 783-2255, Web site: www.aahsa.org. Associate director public affairs Robert Greenwood, (202) 508-9475. Represents not-for-profit nursing homes. Their issues often intersect with managed care payment issues for Medicare beneficiaries. The association has been advocating return-to-home laws, which guarantee nursing home residents the right to return to the same facility after hospitalization.

American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations

1 Bridge Plaza, Ft. Lee, N.J. 07024, (201) 947-5545, fax (201) 947-8406, Web site: www.aappo.org. Executive director Brad Kalish. Represents about 80 percent of the country's 1,035 preferred provider organizations (PPOs). Publishes an annual report on PPOs .

American Health Quality Association

1140 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D. C. 20036, (202) 331-5790, fax (202) 331-9334, Web site www.ahqa.org. Director of public affairs Laura Kaloi. This is a trade group of thirty-nine peer review organizations, or PROs, that contract with the Health Care Financing Administration to monitor the care received by Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid recipients in managed care organizations as well as in fee-for-service settings.

American Hospital Association

325 Seventh St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004, (202) 638-1100, fax (202) 626-2255, Web site: www.aha.org. Communications director Etta Fielek; assistant director of media relations Alicia Mitchell; president Richard Davidson. Association represents 5000 hospitals and health networks. Publishes Hospitals & Health Networks, which often carries useful articles about managed care and the health care system.

American Medical Association

515 North State St., Chicago, Ill. 60610, (312) 464-5000, fax (312) 464-4184. Web site: www.ama-assn.org. Interim vice president Emerson Moran; news and information director Linda Stepanich (312) 464-2410; executive vice president E. Radcliffe Anderson Jr., M.D. The AMArepresents 300,000 physicians. Publishes American Medical News that often gives clues to physicians' points of view on managed care.

American Nurses Association

600 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024, (202) 651-7027, fax (202) 651-7005, Web site: www.nursingworld.org. Communications director Joan Meehan; public relations specialist Michelle Slattery; president Beverly Malone. Represents 180,000 nurses. Has reports that assess the impact of managed care on nursing.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

225 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60601, (312) 297-6000, fax (312) 297-6609, Web site: www.bluecares.com. Director of media relations Chris Martin (312) 297-5523; manager of special projects, media relations Laura Ryan (312) 297-6161; president Raymond McCaskey. Represents fifty-four organizations and offers the usual mix of fact sheets, news releases, legislative testimony, trend reports, and in-house experts on aspects of managed care.

Employers Managed Health Care Association

1299 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C., 20004, (202) 218-4121, fax (202) 842-0621. Executive director Pam Kalen, (202) 218-4121. An association of more than 100 health benefits managers from Fortune 500 companies. Members share tools such as "An Employers Guide to Medicare+ Choice Program," discuss how they use Hedis data, and sponsor conferences on quality improvement.

Health Insurance Association of America

555 13th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004, (202) 824-1600, fax (202) 824-1660. Web site: www.hiaa.org. Communications director Richard Coorsh (202) 824-1787; president Charles Kahn. The major lobbying arm of the insurance industry, HIAA represents 269 insurance companies of all sizes. Has worked with the Health Benefits Coalition to defeat patient protection legislation and is pushing for an increase in federal reimbursement rates for Medicare HMOs. Opposes federal regulation of quality.

National Business Coalition on Health

1015 18th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 775-9300, fax (202) 775-1569, Web site: www.nbch.org. Vice president Catherine Kunkle. Founded in 1992, the group represents ninety-one employer coalitions. Focuses on value-based purchasing and tries to change incentives in the health system to promote market-based reform.

Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

2300 9th St. South, Arlington, Va. 22204, (703) 920-8480, fax (703) 920-8491. Media coordinator Kathleen Pennington; president Delbert Konnor. Represents health insurance companies, pharmacy benefit management companies, HMOs, PPOs, third party administrators, pharmaceutical manufacturers, community pharmacy networks, and drug wholesalers. Lobbies on their behalf and promotes managed care pharmacy.

The Health Benefits Coalition

600 Maryland Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024, (202) 554-9000, fax (202) 484-1566, Web site: www.hbcweb.com. Chairman Dan Danner. Group was formed in early 1998 to oppose federal health care mandates, including the patients' bill of rights, which Congress may consider this year.