Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Review
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has cheap rates and a large network of doctors, but customer satisfaction is low in some states.
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Editor's Rating
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield stands out for its wide range of affordable health plans. Anthem customers have access to more than 90% of doctors and hospitals nationwide. However, customer satisfaction differs widely depending on where you live.
Anthem is a part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) family of companies.
Pros and cons
Pros
Offers a wide variety of insurance types
Affordable rates
Cons
Customer service is poor in some states
Low-quality Medicare Advantage plans
Cost of Anthem insurance
Anthem health insurance individual plans are cheaper on average than many competitors. However, it doesn't usually have the cheapest plans on the market.
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The $558 per month cost for a Silver Anthem policy is slightly cheaper than the national average of $584 per month. Anthem is usually cheaper than Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare.
However, it's not the cheapest option on the market. Kaiser Permanente and Aetna both have cheaper Silver plans than Anthem on average.
Anthem costs by plan tier
Plan tier | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $348 |
| Bronze | $458 |
| Expanded Bronze | $445 |
| Silver | $558 |
| Gold | $667 |
| Platinum | $1,263 |
Averages based on a 40-year-old.
Anthem plan options and types
Anthem has a variety of health insurance plans available including options for individuals, families, Medicare, Medicaid and group insurance.
Individual and family health insurance
You can get Anthem health insurance through your workplace or you can buy it through HealthCare.gov, your state's health insurance marketplace or directly from Anthem. For medical coverage, plan types include:
- HMO (health maintenance organization): Only covers in-network medical care, and referrals are required from a primary care doctor.
- EPO (exclusive provider organization): Only covers in-network medical care, and you can visit specialists without a referral.
- PPO (preferred provider organization): More expensive plans that cover both in-network and out-of-network medical care. [/link]
When buying health insurance through the marketplace, the size of Anthem health insurance means you could see several plan types available in your region, and there can be options across all tiers including Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Anthem also offers other types of insurance through its website including:
- Prescription drug plans
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Short-term health insurance
- Supplemental insurance (accident, critical illness, hospital recovery)
Medicare
For seniors and those who are eligible for Medicare, Anthem offers several coverage options.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C): These combination plans offer Original Medicare Part A and B benefits. In addition, many plans bundle prescription drug coverage, vision and dental insurance and wellness benefits. Anthem Medicare Advantage plans are cheap, but the company has a slightly below-average star rating .
- Prescription drugs (Part D): For stand-alone prescription drug coverage, Anthem offers two Part D plan options including MediBlue Rx Plus and Standard.
- Medicare supplement (Medigap): Supplement plans can help you cover the part of your medical bill that you're responsible for paying if you have Original Medicare. There are several options available through Anthem, including Plan F, G and N.
- Dental and vision insurance: Anthem sells stand-alone dental and vision plans. You should consider buying stand-alone coverage if you buy a Medicare Advantage plan that doesn't have bundled dental or vision benefits.
You cannot buy a Medicare Part D or a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan if you have Medicare Advantage.
Medicaid
Anthem works with state partners to offer Medicaid coverage and administer health insurance to people who have a low income, disabilities or other qualifying conditions. Anthem Medicaid plans are available in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio and New York.
Even if you sign up for Medicaid through the government, you may actually have a version of Anthem health insurance.
Where can you get Anthem?
Anthem health insurance policies are available in 14 states across the country including the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast.
In states where Anthem sells policies, it is usually a major player in the health insurance market. However, plans may not be available everywhere in those states.
It's not always easy to tell if you have Anthem health insurance because Anthem owns several smaller companies. The names of Anthem health insurance plans can change based on what state you're in. Also, some Anthem subsidiaries don't have Anthem in their name.
For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Community Insurance Company in Ohio and Compcare plans in Wisconsin are all owned by Anthem.
States with Anthem health insurance
State | Anthem insurance company |
|---|---|
| California | Anthem Blue Cross Blue Cross of California |
| Colorado | HMO Colorado Inc.
Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service Inc. |
| Connecticut | Anthem Health Plans Inc. |
| Georgia | Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia Inc.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia |
Is Anthem now Elevance Health?
In June of 2022, Anthem Inc. — the parent company for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — changed its name to Elevance Health. But under Elevance Health, your insurance will still be with Anthem. You'll still go to Anthem.com to shop for a plan, and will see the familiar Blue Cross and Blue Shield logo when you visit the site.
Anthem member resources and unique features
Anthem insurance offers several ways to improve your coverage, help you get more value from your plan and improve how you manage your health care.
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Dental and vision coverage: Anthem offers stand-alone vision and dental insurance. Adding these policies to your health insurance plan lets you combine multiple coverage types while only using one insurance company.
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Telehealth: Anthem has several ways that you can talk to your doctor or another medical professional online, called telemedicine, and members have access to the 24/7 NurseLine, LiveHealth Online for virtual doctor visits and telehealth systems directly from their doctor or hospital.
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Support for healthy living and mental health: Members can also access resources like weight management programs, coaching, discounted gym memberships, stress management, mental health support and SilverSneakers memberships.
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Anthem mobile app: With Anthem's app, you can access digital ID cards, find a doctor, check your plan's costs and benefits, ask questions, sync your account with a fitness tracker and more.
Customer reviews and complaints
Anthem has a good overall reputation for customer satisfaction. However, it's important to keep in mind that customer service will depend on your Anthem subsidiary. For example, Anthem Blue Cross of California gets two and a half times as many complaints as an average insurance company of the same size, while Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky gets just half as many complaints as a similar-sized company according to the NAIC.
Anthem gets 63% fewer complaints than an average insurance company of the same size.
The most recent J.D. Power Medicare Advantage overall customer satisfaction survey also shows the wide differences between regional companies. Anthem customers rated the company as slightly above average in New York. In California, Anthem came in second-to-last for customer satisfaction.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anthem good insurance?
Anthem is a good insurance company for most people. The policies are usually popular in states where they're available, and the company has a large network of doctors and hospitals.
Keep in mind that Anthem's customer service reputation varies widely depending on where you live.
What is the difference between Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem?
The major difference between Anthem and BCBS is that Anthem tends to have cheaper rates while Blue Cross Blue Shield typically offers better customer service.
Anthem is a company that operates as a subsidiary under the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) brand umbrella. Depending on where you live, you may have a choice between Anthem and another Blue Cross subsidiary.
How much is Anthem health insurance per month?
In 2024, an average Anthem Silver health plan costs $558 per month for a 40-year-old which is slightly below the national average of $584. Anthem Medicare Plans with Part D coverage are $17 per month on average, although $0 Medicare Advantage plans are widely available.
Methodology and sources
The cost data for insurance policies is from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Customer complaints and overall satisfaction are from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and J.D. Power.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.