<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> The clinics I was discussing are not free standing entities but are ususally part of one of the larger teaching hospitals. As a major hospital, services under its jurisdiction are usually covered by the contract that an HMO makes with that hospital. It is really just interdisciplinary gathering of certain members of the staff around certain problems. Many hospitals have multitudes of such clinics. For example, Children's Hospital has clinics for Developmental Disabilities, School Functions, Nutrition and Eating Disorders, Cranial Facial problems etc.,etc.,etc. I just have not heard of any for Celiac. I think that, probably, if one were to demonstrate that a clinic approach would provide cost saving, over people just running thither and yon and not geting effective treatment, HMOs would probably support it. The advantage is centered around the more effective use of knowledge, faster communication of results, group problem solving and the opportunity to see patients with a center focus to their problems which would allow for more refining of procedures. It would also allow for better accountability studies which HMOs love. I didn't mean that all the list of people would be involved in every case just that they might be linked in some way and involved when appropriate. It would of course be under the leadership of a the gastroenterologist. Just my opinion, I could be all wet. Irma Debruyn