11.  Some legislators, health officials, and advocates have concluded that state action to create large purchasing groups offers the best, and simplest, approach.

12.  The GAO also found that big groups like Premier and Novation often did not get better prices for the products under study than did smaller purchasing groups.

13.  The purchasing group is also headed by Cumming.

14.  The purchasing groups are not a new idea, but they have gained momentum in the last few years as medical costs kept rising.

15.  The purchasing groups can be a godsend for smaller companies.

16.  They say the new purchasing groups would give small businesses the same advantages that large corporations have when buying health care.

17.  To be most effective, they say, the new purchasing groups must be exempt from state insurance regulations and state laws that mandate specific coverage.

18.  In addition to Schultz, the purchasing group includes team president and general manager Wally Walker.

19.  The purchasing group includes an affiliate of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and DB Capital Partners Inc.

20.  Profits have been eroded by increased restrictions on heath spending by Western countries and by purchasing groups strong enough to influence prices, especially in the United States.