Last reviewed September 21, 2026.
What is specific to Pasadena
Pasadena has a dense specialist market, so a carrier logo is easy to misread. The useful question is whether your doctor, that doctor’s medical group, and Huntington or Kaiser are the same arrangement.
Hospital or health system
A hospital is one building. A health system is the name that runs more than one. In Pasadena, check the building you mean, not only the system name. Hospital or health system explains the difference.
Medical groups you may hear in Pasadena
A medical group or IPA lines up doctors. It is not the plan and not the hospital. These names have been seen around Pasadena. Open a name to read more, then ask the office whether your doctor uses that group this year. A name here is not a Medicare Advantage network.
- USC Care Medical Group. The medical group for Keck Medicine of USC doctors. Heard in central Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley.
- Huntington Health Physicians. The medical group for Huntington doctors in Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley. It is not Huntington Hospital.
- Community Family Care IPA. An IPA heard in the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles, often alongside community clinics.
- Korean American Medical Group. A medical group heard in central Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley.
- Seoul Medical Group. A medical group many Korean-speaking patients hear in Koreatown, central Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley.
- Allied Pacific of California IPA. An IPA in the San Gabriel Valley. The doctor’s office may name Allied Pacific as the group that lines up its doctors.
- Adventist Health Physicians Network. The physician network for Adventist Health, heard in Glendale, East Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley. It is not the Glendale hospital by itself.
- Optum Care Network–San Gabriel Valley. Optum’s medical group for the San Gabriel Valley. It is not the same list as Optum Care Network–Los Angeles.
Community health centers
- ChapCare. A community health center in Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley.
Broader names also show up in Pasadena: Global Care Medical Group IPA, Regal Medical Group, Angeles-IPA, HealthCare Partners Medical Group (Optum), and Optum Care Network–Los Angeles. A countywide name is still not your doctor’s group until the office says so.
- DoctorYour doctor
- Medical groupThe medical group
- HospitalThe hospital
The plan pays the benefit. On many California Medicare Advantage plans, the medical group handles the referral from the doctor to the hospital or specialist.
Los Angeles County resources
The Pasadena Medicare Care Map
Use this map to explore nearby healthcare providers. Then make a list of your doctors, preferred hospitals, medical groups, and prescriptions to help evaluate your Medicare coverage.
City Hospital Health system Medical group ACCESS Senior help
Your focus
Pasadena
This page is about Medicare decisions in Pasadena. Nearby names only help if your coverage pays those doctors and hospitals.
Medicare in PasadenaAround Pasadena
Communities
Cities drawn on this map, then the rest of San Gabriel Valley.
Also in San Gabriel Valley
Hospitals and health systems
A hospital is one building. A health system is the name that runs more than one. Hospital or health system explains the difference. The system pin sits on one of those buildings.
Health systems
Hospitals
Extra help with Original Medicare
Some people with Original Medicare can get extra help lining up their care. This is not a Medicare Advantage network. A pin does not mean your doctor is in it.
Medicare ACCESS
ACCESS started July 5, 2026. Approved groups can help with some long-term health problems, often from home. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use ACCESS. Medicare named these California groups and did not give a street address:
- Aledade Care Solutions of California P.C.
- Cadence Health CA P.C.
- Headspace Medical Group CA P.A.
- Pair Team Medical Group of CA P.C.
Find an ACCESS organization · What is ACCESS
LEAD
LEAD is a newer program for groups of doctors who coordinate care for people with Original Medicare. A practice period runs from September 15 through December 31, 2026. The program starts January 1, 2027. On September 21, 2026, Medicare listed 79 groups getting ready. That is not the full 2027 list, and it does not give Los Angeles street addresses.
- CHS LEAD ACO CA, LLCMedicare named this group on September 21, 2026. It did not publish a Los Angeles office.
- United Physicians Association, Inc.Medicare named this group on that list. Its office is in Garden Grove, which is not in Los Angeles County.
Names you may hear in Pasadena
These names have been seen in this area. A name here does not mean your doctor is in the group, or that a Medicare Advantage plan pays them. Open a name for the referral fact, then ask the office about your plan.
Medical groups and IPAs
- USC Care Medical GroupMedical group · central Los Angeles · East Los Angeles · San Gabriel ValleyThe medical group for Keck Medicine of USC doctors. Heard in central Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley.For a referral, you usually ask the Medicare Advantage plan, not USC Care.
- Huntington Health PhysiciansMedical group · Pasadena · west San Gabriel ValleyThe medical group for Huntington doctors in Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley. It is not Huntington Hospital.For a referral, you usually ask the Medicare Advantage plan, not Huntington Health Physicians.
- Seoul Medical GroupMedical group · Koreatown · central Los Angeles · San Gabriel ValleyA medical group many Korean-speaking patients hear in Koreatown, central Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley.On many HMO plans, Seoul Medical Group handles the referral and the approval before a visit.
- Allied Pacific of California IPAIPA · San Gabriel ValleyAn IPA in the San Gabriel Valley. The doctor’s office may name Allied Pacific as the group that lines up its doctors.On many HMO plans, Allied Pacific lines up the doctors and is paid a set amount to manage that care. Your plan can keep referrals instead. Ask.
- Adventist Health Physicians NetworkMedical group · Glendale · East Los Angeles · San Gabriel ValleyThe physician network for Adventist Health, heard in Glendale, East Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley. It is not the Glendale hospital by itself.These are Adventist Health doctors, not Adventist Health Glendale. Ask the office who approves a referral on your plan.
Community health centers
Broader names
- Regal Medical GroupMedical group · San Gabriel Valley · San Fernando Valley · north Los AngelesA large medical group. Offices use this name across the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, and north Los Angeles.On many HMO plans, you call Regal for a referral and for approval before a visit. Some plans keep that job. Ask which one you have.
- HealthCare Partners Medical Group (Optum)Medical group · Los Angeles CountyThe older HealthCare Partners name is now used inside Optum. Ask the office which name is on your card.On many HMO plans, this group handles the referral and the approval before a visit. If the card says Optum, use the name the office confirms.
- Optum Care Network–Los AngelesMedical group · Los Angeles CountyOptum’s countywide Los Angeles medical group. A doctor in the San Gabriel Valley network is not automatically in this one.On many countywide Los Angeles HMO plans, this Optum group handles the referral, the approval before a visit, and much of the paperwork. It is a different list from the San Gabriel Valley Optum group.
Checked September 21, 2026.
Where to ask
These offices explain Medicare. They do not enroll you in a plan.
Four-part verification
Check these four before you compare extra benefits. Ask the office, then confirm the same names on Medicare. gov and with the plan.
- The individual physician, not only the practice name.
- The medical group or IPA that doctor uses for that plan. An IPA is a physician organization that, on many HMO plans, lines up doctors and handles referrals.
- The hospital you want, and whether a referral is required to use it.
- The plan’s contract number, not only the insurance company name. A network is the list of doctors and hospitals that plan pays.
A Pasadena Medicare example
A Pasadena resident uses a Huntington-affiliated PCP, an independent ophthalmologist, and a specialist at a Los Angeles academic medical center. The correct review is not “Does the carrier include Huntington? ” It is whether each named provider and referral pathway works under the exact plan being considered. Write those four verification questions in My Medicare Checkup, then schedule a conversation if you want help comparing the structure.
Why work with a Medicare agent who understands Pasadena?
Alan starts with the doctors and hospitals you already use in Pasadena, then explains how Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage treat them differently. You decide what happens next.
More providers does not automatically mean more access
A long list of plan names is not the same as access to the people you already trust. Coverage that fits depends on the person’s doctors, prescriptions, budget, and preferences—not on how many logos appear in an ad. Confirm the doctor on Medicare. gov, with the plan, and with the doctor’s office.
PACE sites in Pasadena
CalPACE’s January 2025 list names a PACE site in Pasadena. A site in town does not mean your ZIP is in the service area, and it does not mean you qualify. PACE is for some people 55 or older who need a nursing-home level of care and can live safely at home. Joining it means you get Medicare services through that organization. Read what PACE is, then check the ZIP on [Medicare. gov](https://www. medicare. gov/plan-compare/#/pace). A site can move.
- WelbeHealth, 50 Alessandro Pl., Suite A20, Pasadena, 91105
Senior and public resources
Resource links are provided for convenience. Medisure Agency is not affiliated with the listed government agencies or healthcare organizations.
- Pasadena Senior Center programs and benefits assistance: pasadenaseniorcenter.org
- City of Pasadena Dial-A-Ride and transit information: cityofpasadena.net
- Pasadena Public Health Department
- Pasadena Elderly and Dependent Adult Liaisons (PEDAL), where appropriate
- HICAP 1-800-434-0222 · LA County Aging & Disabilities 800-510-2020 · Medicare.gov · TTY 711
Questions we hear in Pasadena
Choose a question. The answer stays until you press Back or Next.
Does a doctor’s Huntington affiliation prove that the doctor takes my plan?
No. A Huntington name only helps if your plan pays that doctor at that location. Ask the office which plans they take this year, then check the same names on Medicare. gov so you can keep the care you already use.
What is the difference between an HMO medical group referral and PPO access?
HMOs often require the PCP and medical group to authorize specialists. PPOs may allow more out-of-network use, usually at a higher cost. Neither structure is automatically better. See Medicare HMO vs PPO.
Can a Pasadena resident keep a Los Angeles specialist after changing plans?
Only if that specialist participates—or if Original Medicare plus a Supplement is the structure you use. Verify the named physician before you change.
What should I check when comparing an integrated system with independent-network coverage?
Kaiser generally keeps care inside Kaiser. Other plans put together a main doctor, a medical group, and hospitals separately. Match the setup to how you actually get care.
Talk with Alan
A phone or Zoom conversation about the doctors and hospitals you want to keep in Pasadena.
Call (626) 214-5774