WANGER ADVISORS TRUST
SC 13G, 1997-02-14
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                                 UNITED STATES
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                       (Amendment No. ____________)*
 
                    UNITED PAYORS & UNITED PROVIDERS, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               (Name of Issuer)

                         COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.01
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   911319101
                             --------------------
                                (CUSIP Number)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

                               Page 1 of 8 Pages

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- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 911319101                   13G                PAGE 2 OF 8 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
                          
        Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]
                                                 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        Delaware

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5      
     NUMBER OF              None
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            635,800
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            635,800
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        635,800

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        5.49%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IA

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 911319101                   13G                PAGE 3 OF 8 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
                          
        Wanger Asset Management, Ltd.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]
                                                 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        Delaware

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5      
     NUMBER OF              None
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            635,800
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            635,800
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        635,800

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        5.49%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        CO

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
 
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
  CUSIP NO. 911319101                   13G                PAGE 4 OF 8 PAGES
- -----------------------                                  ---------------------
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
                          
        Ralph Wanger
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
      Not Applicable                                            (b) [_]
                                                 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3
 

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4    
        U.S.A.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5      
     NUMBER OF              None
 
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6    
                            635,800
     OWNED BY
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7     
    REPORTING               None
 
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8    
                            635,800
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9    
        635,800

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10                  
        Not Applicable
 
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11    
        5.49%

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IN

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!
<PAGE>
 
Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:

                    United Payors & United Providers, Inc.

Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                    2275 Research Boulevard
                    6th Floor
                    Rockville, Maryland  20850

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:

                    Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM");
                    Wanger Asset Management Ltd., the general partner of WAM
                    ("WAM LTD.");
                    Ralph Wanger ("Wanger")

Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:

                    WAM, WAM LTD. and Wanger are all located at:
                    227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                    Chicago, Illinois 60606

Item 2(c)      Citizenship:

                    WAM is a Delaware limited partnership.
                    WAM LTD. is a Delaware corporation.
                    Wanger is a U.S. citizen.

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:

                    Common Stock, par value $.01

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number:

                    911319101

Item 3         Type of Person:

                    (e)  WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section
                    203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM LTD. is the
                    General Partner of the Investment Adviser; Wanger is the
                    principal stockholder of the General Partner.

                               Page 5 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>
 
Item 4         Ownership (at December 31, 1996):
                                            --  

                    (a)  Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of 
                         rule 13d-3:

                         635,800  shares

                    (b)  Percent of class:

                         5.49% (based on 11,573,637 shares outstanding on
                         November 2,1996)

                    (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:

                             (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote: none

                            (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote:  
                                  635,800                                      

                           (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the       
                                  disposition of: none                         

                            (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct         
                                  disposition of: 635,800                       

                    WAM serves as investment adviser to Acorn Investment Trust,
                    Series Designated Acorn Fund (the "Trust"). Various of WAM's
                    limited partners and employees are also officers and
                    trustees of the Trust, but WAM does not consider the Trust
                    to be controlled by such persons. Although the Trust is not
                    controlled by WAM, pursuant to rule 13d-3(a) the 505,000
                    shares beneficially owned by the Trust, with respect to
                    which the Trust has delegated to WAM shared voting power and
                    shared dispositive power, are considered to be shares
                    beneficially owned by WAM by reason of such delegated
                    powers. In addition to the shares beneficially owned by the
                    Trust, other clients of WAM may own shares which are not
                    included in the aggregate number of shares reported herein
                    because WAM does not have or share voting or investment
                    power over those shares.

Item 5         Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                    Not Applicable

Item 6         Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:

                    The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
                    discretionary clients of WAM.  Persons other than WAM are
                    entitled to receive all dividends from, and proceeds from
                    the sale of, those shares.

                               Page 6 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>
 
Item 7         Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company:

                    Not Applicable

Item 8         Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                    Not Applicable

Item 9         Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                    Not Applicable

Item 10        Certification:

                    By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge
               and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the
               ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the purpose
               of and do not have the effect of changing or influencing the
               control of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired in
               connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
               such purpose or effect.

                               Page 7 of 8 Pages
<PAGE>
 
                                   Signature
                                   ---------

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date:  February 14, 1997

               The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
               and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
               13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.

                                        WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD.
                                         for itself and as general partner of
                                         WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.

                                        By:  /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                           -------------------------------------
                                                 Bruce H. Lauer  
                                                 Vice President   

               The undersigned individual, on the date above written, agrees and
               consents to the joint filing on his behalf of this Schedule 13G
               in connection with his beneficial ownership of the security
               reported herein.

                                        RALPH WANGER



                                        /s/ Ralph Wanger
                                        ----------------------------------------

                               Page 8 of 8 Pages


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