旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � DOJ Issues Business Review Letter of Cleveland Hospitals Page 85 � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 � DC, 1-7/US Newswire: The Department of Justice announced it does not � � intend to challenge under the antitrust laws a proposal by Case Western � � Reserve University School of Medicine & University Hospitals of Cleveland � � to use a single agent to negotiate contract terms & fees with third-party � � payers on behalf of the 19 separate physician practice groups that provide� � medical care @ UHC. The position was set forth in a business review letter� � from Gidley, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust � � Division, to Gregory G. Binford, counsel for UHC, a teaching hospital � � affiliated with Case Western. Under the proposal, UHC would designate a � � single agent to negotiate with third-party payers on behalf of all the � � physicians who are organized into different practice groups according to � � medical specialties. Each practice group would provide the agent with a � � list of medical procedures & related ranges of prices for negotiating fees� � for each procedure. Third-party payers would be advised that they would be� � free to conduct negotiations directly with any group. Each practice group,� � similarly, would be free to conduct negotiations directly with a third- � � party payer. If negotiations proceeded through the agent, each practice � � group would be free to accept or reject the agent-negotiated contract. � � If any group rejected the negotiated contract, that practice group could � � renegotiate or decide not to contract. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸