Independent Practice Association

in·de·pen·dent practice association (nd-pndnt)

n.

An IPA.

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Independent Practice Association (IPA),

a U.S. type of physician alliance in which the physicians own the practice, as opposed to physicians employed by an entity such as a health maintenance organization. Physicians in the IPA are legally organized as a corporation, partnership, professional corporation, or foundation to contract as a group to provide services. Economic risk is shared, but overhead is not. The IPA may contract with a health maintenance organization (HMO) to service enrollees but will usually still see non-HMO clients. See also health maintenance organization.

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independent practice association

Managed care A group of providers, typically physicians, who organize into a corporation that contracts with HMOs; in IPAs, physicians retain their traditional practice autonomy while integrating themselves into self-directed groups that solve group problems and exert political influence. See HMO, Managed care, Risk pool. Cf Group model, Network model, Staff model.