Alignment Healthcare Adds MemorialCare Hospitals and Doctors to 2021 Medicare Advantage Provider Network

ORANGE, Calif. (Oct. 12, 2020) – MemorialCare, a leading nonprofit health system in Southern California with hundreds of primary care and specialty providers, four top hospitals and 200 locations, is joining Alignment Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage provider network starting Jan. 1, 2021, expanding its scope of coverage to 2 million Medicare-eligible residents in Los Angeles and Orange counties.[1]

This means that Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in select plans from Alignment – named one of four 2020 Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage in California by U.S. News & World Report – will have access to MemorialCare’s hospitals, health centers and urgent care locations and may seek “in-network” care from physicians associated with MemorialCare Medical Foundation. Medicare’s annual enrollment period for the 2021 plan year begins Oct. 15.

“As part of Alignment’s network, we will ensure that more people will have increased access to MemorialCare’s renowned services,” said Mark Schafer, M.D., CEO, MemorialCare Medical Foundation, which includes MemorialCare Medical Group, Greater Newport Physicians, and Edinger Medical Group. “MemorialCare has a long, 113-year history of providing quality care to Southern California communities, and joining Alignment’s network allows us to continue delivering on that commitment.”

Alignment Healthcare continues to grow and recently announced in August that it plans to expand its Medicare Advantage plans into several new markets across California, Nevada, and North Carolina starting in 2021. Alignment’s health care delivery model – powered by its proprietary command center technology AVA™ – and ACCESS On-Demand Concierge program, launched in 2019, offers its Medicare Advantage members white-glove service such as round-the-clock access to a doctor by phone or video, a dedicated concierge team, and a black benefits card that can be used like a debit card – all at no additional cost. Depending on their plan, members receive a monthly allowance automatically loaded onto their black card to purchase eligible over-the-counter and grocery benefit items at more than 50,000 retailers nationwide.

“At Alignment Healthcare, we are always looking for ways to make our members happy, and we hope they will be pleased with having access to MemorialCare’s top-rated doctors, hospitals and services,” said Dawn Maroney, president of consumer and markets, Alignment Healthcare. “This announcement is also an important consideration for Southern Californians who are making a decision about their 2021 Medicare coverage during this year’s Medicare Annual Election Period – to know what health care providers will be available to them in their health plan’s network when they need it in 2021.”

MemorialCare’s Long Beach Medical Center, Orange Coast Medical Center, Saddleback Medical Center and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach have been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Hospitals and "high performing" in numerous clinical categories since the rankings began. In addition, MemorialCare Medical Foundation comprises more than 350 primary care physicians and 2,250 specialists in the areas of internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, geriatric medicine, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, physiatry, sleep medicine and acupuncture.

“MemorialCare’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the individuals they serve fits well with Alignment’s serving heart culture,” said John Kao, Alignment Healthcare CEO.  “MemorialCare and Alignment share common values – providing care centered on the unique needs of each member and working with them to find solutions that help them lead healthier lives.”