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I remember Anna Rosenberg brought Bill O'Dwyer, who was a candidate for mayor, to see me. I gave him a contribution towards his campaign of $2,000 in the fond hope and expectation that he would sympathetic to going ahead with the participation of city employees in the HIP. Shortly after his inauguration as Mayor, he kept his word, that he was indeed interested. He held a meeting and signed a contract with HIP, and HIP was in business.

I don't say that I was the only factor in this at all, but I do say that O'Dwyer was sensitive to the needs of people and that Mrs. Rosenberg and I brought it sharply to his attention in a favorable way.

A few sections of the employees came in at this time. Dr. Baer and others helped to organize 30 medical groups, which were to take care of the subscribers, because the subscribers to HIP were to be taken care of by groups of doctors not by individual doctors, as Group Health Insurance insured you for the care by an individual doctor. Through HIP you could get the services of a group and you were assigned to a group. You could move from group to group if it was convenient.

Almost like a clinic.

It was like a clinic service, more. It was a terrific job that Baer did, and it was the first comprehensive group medical program in the United States, as far as I know, and