By now you have so much great information. One remaining question might be:
How do I keep the doctors I’ve come to know at Torrance Memorial Medical Center? There are many options for doing that, of course, and one of the best
might be to become a member of the nonprofit Torrance Health Independent
Practice Association, or THIPA.
THIPA is a multi-specialty physician network and a division of Torrance
Memorial Health System. THIPA contracts with eight major insurance companies
that offer Medicare Advantage HMO plans, including:
Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of CA, Care1st, Health Net, Humana,
SCAN and AARP Medicare Complete (insured through United Healthcare).
THIPA has been serving the South Bay community for more than 30 years.
Members have access to high-quality and personalized care from more than
450 primary care and specialist physicians as well as the nationally recognized
Torrance Memorial.
“THIPA is not your insurance company or health plan,” explains
Norman Panitch, MD, chairman of THIPA Physician Council. Dr. Panitch was
one of the founders of THIPA in the early 1980s. Our contracted insurance
companies provide the financial coverage for your medical care. As your
Medical Group, THIPA provides the medical care covered by your health plan.
He adds, “We pride ourselves in providing effective, high-value,
patient-centered care to align with national quality standards. In 2017,
we achieved 5-Star Elite Status from the CAPG’s Standards of Excellence™
(SOE®). CAPG is the leading association in the county representing
physician organizations practicing coordinated care. We’re also
proud to have achieved 4-star status in 2016 for our CMS Star Rating as
a result of the high quality care we provide to our Medicare Advantage
members. And for the fourth year in a row, THIPA was voted South Bay’s
Best Medical Group.”
THIPA is the only physician network in the South Bay offering direct access—also
known as “member self-referral”—to several select specialties.
“What this means,” says Dr. Panitch, “is that for these
covered specialties, members do not need to see their primary care doctor
to get a referral before they see a specialist within the THIPA network,
which saves them a lot of time.”
See our physician directory at thipa.org/physiciandirectory or check with
your PCP for a recommendation if you need to see a THIPA specialist.
THIPA offers up to 40% discount on the exercise classes offered at Torrance
Memorial. The other upside? There’s no extra cost for THIPA. Members
pay their co-pays and the cost of their Medicare, and that’s it.
THIPA boasts a few additional perks according to Dr. Panitch: “We
offer personalized care. When a member calls Member Services and asks
to speak to a representative, they get a real human,” he jokes.
“What I mean is they get a person who is a specialist in their health
plan. It’s a well-trained team dedicated to helping members with
issues such as eligibility, co-pays, billing or other issues or complaints.
Our reps know the South Bay and our doctors. And if you have to leave
a voice message, it will be returned within the hour. If it requires research,
you’ll get called back within 24 hours. That’s a huge timesaver.”
To find a great THIPA doctor near you call 310-257-7239 or visit thipa.org/learnmore.