Arlington, VA (May 19, 2003) - Today the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association (HIGPA) announces that all 28 of its American-based group purchasing organization (GPO) members are in compliance with the Association's new GPO Code of Conduct Principles. The purpose of HIGPA's Code of Conduct is to strengthen and improve the delivery of products and services to health care providers.

"In 2002 the GPO members of HIGPA accomplished a remarkable task of adopting the highest ethical standards for the group purchasing industry to practice. Today, these same members have certified to the Association that they are in compliance with the HIGPA Code," said HIGPA President and CEO Robert Betz, Ph.D. "HIGPA challenges the entire health care supply chain to join the Association's members in demonstrating the highest ethical practices by becoming a member of HIGPA and providing the assurance that patients have access to the best products at the best price."

The Code was adopted by the Association on July 24, 2002 and delivered to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust five days later. Throughout the last quarter of 2002, HIGPA developed the compliance process, in conjunction with its members, to ensure that its GPOs began the process of modeling their business practices with the industry-wide Code of Conduct. In 2003, HIGPA distributed to its group purchasing organization members the 2003 Survey of Compliance with Code of Conduct Principles to report compliance with HIGPA's Code of Conduct.

HIGPA will report to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee regarding its GPO members' self-certifying responses to the compliance survey. Additionally, the Association will furnish the U.S. House Judiciary Committee with a copy of HIGPA's GPO survey responses.

GPOs in compliance with the HIGPA Code of Conduct include:

1. AllHealth
2. AmeriNet Central
3. AmeriNet, Inc.
4. CHAMPS Management Services
5. Child Health Corporation of America
6. Consorta, Inc.
7. Cooperative Services of Florida
8. Council Connections
9. GNYHA Venture, Inc.
10. Health Resource Services
11. Healthcare Purchasing Partners International, LLC
12. HSNE, Inc.
13. IHC/AmeriNet
14. Institutional Purchasing Services
15. International Oncology Network
16. Joint Purchasing Corporation
17. MAGNET
18. MedAssets HSCA Inc.
19. The MED Group
20. Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council
21. Managed Healthcare Associates
22. National Oncology Alliance, Inc.
23. Novation, LLC
24. Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P.
25. PRIME, Inc.
26. Shared Services Healthcare
27. SYNERNET
28. Vector

HIGPA is a chartered trade association of approximately 170 health care purchasing and supply chain organizations. HIGPA's Industry Members include purchasing groups, associations, and health care provider alliances. HIGPA's Trading Partner members include many of the world's leading health care product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and related suppliers. According to a recent study conducted by a former principal analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, hospitals save patients over $30 billion each year by purchasing products through group contracts.

To learn more about HIGPA or the group purchasing industry, visit www.higpa.org or call 703-243-9262.

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