How Valley IHP Differs from IPA
“ValleyIHP membership is not an IPA. It complements IPA membership by preserving full independence while offering advocacy, education, and visibility for patients and providers.”
Valley IHP was formed to be a patient-centered, independent healthcare option in the Lehigh Valley offering patients an additional choice alongside local health networks, while preserving the trusted
doctor–patient relationship.
ValleyIHP is committed to supporting independent healthcare providers in the Lehigh Valley through advocacy, visibility, and collaboration—while always prioritizing patient choice and access.
Main Features of Valley IHP Membership are as Follows:
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No Contractual or Payer Restrictions
ValleyIHP: Patients can choose you based on quality, trust, and personal fit—not on insurance network limitations. Membership never requires joining restrictive payer contracts.
Member Benefits:
- Recognition as an Independent Provider—the only regional platform dedicated to connecting patients with independent physicians, dentists, chiropractors, and other providers.
- Public online and printed directory listings so patients can find you easily, independent of health system control.
IPA membership is usually focused on contractual relationships with Payers.
No Shared Financial Risk as a Group
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ValleyIHP: Flat annual dues fund advocacy, visibility, and patient education—not risk sharing models that can pressure providers to limit care.
Member Benefits:
- Opportunity to promote transparency and high-value care without the influence of financial penalties.
IPAs are usually governed by leadership that work with payers to get bonus payments for meeting predetermined quality measures as a group.
Direct-to-Patient Marketing & Community Engagement
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● ValleyIHP: Actively promotes independent care so patients know they have a real alternative to large systems.
● Member Benefits:
○ Website link promotion in online and printed directories to drive patients directly to your practice.
○ Printed Independent Provider Directories distributed throughout the community.
○ Public events (upcoming) to foster personal connections between providers and patients.
IPA: Primarily focuses on developing insurer relationships
Flexible, Mission-Driven Collaboration
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Supporting community health and wellness initiatives
● ValleyIHP: Welcomes all independent practice models DPC, fee-for-service, concierge, dental, chiropractic, holistic united by a shared patient-first vision.
● Member Benefits:
○ Professional community and peer support network.
○ Opportunities to participate in initiatives that promote patient choice and transparent care.
IPA: Collaboration is usually related to meeting contract requirements.
501(c)(6) Valley IHP is a nonprofit business association
● Exists solely to advance the common business interests of members—protecting patient choice and provider independence.
● Can lobby for pro-patient, pro-physician legislation without the limits placed on 501(c)(3) organizations.
● Does not engage in collective price-setting, joint contracting, or coordinated referral arrangements.
● Each provider remains fully independent in financial, clinical, and operational decisions.
● Dues are generally tax deductible as a business expense (consult your tax advisor).
● All funds are reinvested into advocacy, visibility, and education to benefit both patients and providers.
● Patients always retain full freedom of choice in their healthcare decisions.
Understanding Role Differences
IPA
A business arrangement (often for-profit or LLC) designed mainly to negotiate with insurance companies, manage risk contracts, and sometimes share financial performance risk.
ValleyIHP (501c6):
A nonprofit business association that:
○ Promotes the common interests of independent providers
○ Focuses on advocacy, visibility, and collaboration
○ Does not enter into payer negotiations or act as a contracting entity
Because ValleyIHP doesn’t engage in payer contracting, it doesn’t directly
compete in the same legal space as an IPA.
Can You Belong to Both an IPA and ValleyIHP?
Yes — There’s no legal conflict of interest in belonging to both:
● Review your IPA agreement to confirm any membership restrictions. Because ValleyIHP and IPAs are structured very differently—both in IRS classification and organizational mission membership in ValleyIHP typically does not present an issue.
● Different Roles:
○ IPA: Primarily negotiates payer contracts and may share risk pools.
○ ValleyIHP: Focuses on advocacy, visibility, collaboration, and patient choice—not payer contracting.
● No Contract Overlap: Because ValleyIHP does not engage in insurer negotiations, it does not compete with an IPA’s contractual role.
● Antitrust Safety: 501(c)(6) organizations can promote member interests collectively as long as they don’t engage in collective price-setting—which ValleyIHP does not do.
Bottom Line
You can be part of both unless your IPA specifically prohibits it. ValleyIHP membership adds visibility, community, and patient-centered advocacy without interfering with IPA obligations.
To ensure independent physicians have a strong, unified voice in our local community and to advocate effectively on behalf of our patients, we need every independent physician to join ValleyIHP.
Together, we can protect patient choice, preserve the trusted doctor–patient relationship, and lead the transformation of healthcare in the Lehigh Valley toward a more transparent, patient centered future.
Are you an Independent Healthcare Provider?
Become a Member Today!
Help promote a culture of independent healthcare practice in the Lehigh Valley.
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