"We are prepared to operate the airline with our new maintenance organization indefinitely," he said.

This is the method health maintenance organizations already use to control costs.

For much of the 1990's, health maintenance organizations were viewed as a way to combat complexity and keep medical costs under control.

"It's a ploy health maintenance organizations use to reduce costs."

Such a search is no easy task at a time health maintenance organizations have had troubles of their own.

The state's health maintenance organizations, which already cover about 250,000 people in small groups, plan to advertise for more.

IN the 1970's, new health maintenance organizations boasted that they could provide medical care for up to 40 percent less than traditional insurance plans.

The law requires the basic coverage typical in most health maintenance organizations in California.

With or without the Clinton plan, more doctors may end up in health maintenance organizations, many of which have doctors on salary.

Like most health maintenance organizations, the agency has assigned patients to a single primary care doctor to direct visits to specialists.