Anthem Health Insurance Review

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Contributor, Benzinga
March 24, 2022

Anthem health insurance is the third-largest company in the country since it sells policies in all 50 states. The needs of individuals, families, seniors and anyone else who qualifies for state Medicaid programs are the top priority. Anthem operates through affiliate companies and subsidies that serve only certain states and regions. It has more than 106 million customers. To get a better understanding of the benefits of Anthem and its plans, including health insurance cost, scopes of coverage and customer ratings to help determine if the company is right for you, keep reading below.

Pros
  • People who need standard health insurance plans and coverage
  • Those who want to combine health insurance with vision, dental or other policies
Cons
  • Large, less-personal experience
  • Possibility of coverage denial

Anthem Health Insurance Ratings at a Glance

Anthem Insurance Policy Options
Customer Service
Pricing
Application Experience
Overall

Anthem Insurance Policy Options

Offers HMO?Yes
Offers PPO?Yes
Offers EPO?Yes
Offers POS?Yes

Anthem is one of the best insurance companies since it has an extensive network of providers. This gives customers many choices on where to receive medical services. Anthem's variety of health insurance plans assists individuals and families using Medicare, Medicaid and group insurance. 

Individual and family health insurance plans are available through an employer, the Marketplace or directly from Anthem. Medical plan coverage includes:

  • Health maintenance organization (HMO): Covers only in-network medical care. Referrals from a primary care physician are a requirement too.
  • Exclusive provider organization (EPO): Only offers coverage in-network medical care. You do not need a referral to visit a specialist.
  • Preferred provider organization (PPO): A more expensive plan covering both in-network and out-of-network medical care.

Be mindful when buying health insurance through the marketplace. The size of Anthem health insurance means that you could potentially see multiple plan types in your region. Options range across all tiers like Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. 

You can reference Anthem's website to see a list of other types of insurance. A quick peek looks like this:

  • Prescription drug plans
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Short-term health insurance
  • Supplemental insurance (accident, critical illness, hospital recovery)

Furthermore, Medicare is available for seniors and anyone eligible. Anthem's insurance options include:

  • Medicare Advantage plans (Part C): These combination plans bring together the Original Medicare benefits of both Part A and B. Anthem's health insurance is still substantial with its HMO and PPO policies. Additionally, options for prescription drug protection, vision, dental insurance and even wellness benefits are available to customers.
  • Prescription drug plans (Part D): Stand-alone prescription drug coverage is available through Anthem under three Part D options. The three plans are MediBlue Rx Enhanced, Plus and Standard.
  • Medicare supplement plans (Medigap): This type of insurance improves the protection you receive with Original Medicare helps pay deductible and coinsurance. Anthem's choices are Plan F, G, and N.
  • Dental and vision insurance plans: Anthem offers this insurance as stand-alone plans or as a component of Medicare Advantage Part C plans. Customers can add on coverage or bundle with other parts of Medicare.

Under Anthem, state partners can provide Medicaid plans and administer health insurance to people with low incomes, disabilities or other qualifiers. 

Anthem Health Insurance Customer Service

How Anthem deals with customer complaints and claims is an accurate indicator of how it might handle your specific claims. 

For instance, the Better Business Bureau gives Anthem a low rating of F. It found that the company's most recent 61 complaints are directly related to billing or problems with denying claims.

In terms of the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Anthem's private health insurance plans receive overall ratings between 2.5 and 4.5. This translates to mid-to-high performance. Consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment contribute to Anthem's score.

Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs gives Anthem a 4 out of 5 rating. Over 1,000 reviews that feature four- and 5-star ratings are the main contributors to its high scores.

BBB RatingF
AM Best RatingA+
NAIC Complaint Index0.20
Moody's RatingA
J.D. Power RatingA

Anthem Health Insurance Pricing

The prices of Anthem health insurance are slightly lower than many competitors. You can find great deals on policies, and if you are a resident of Kentucky, you can expect the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan to be the cheapest.

On average, the monthly cost of Anthem insurance looks like this:

  • Catastrophic - $288
  • Bronze - $362
  • Expanded Bronze - $382
  • Silver - $477
  • Gold - $487

For example, a $477-per-month premium for a Silver Anthem policy is higher than competitor Cigna but lower than Oscar.

Maximum Annual out of Pocket$150
Minimum Deductible$60

Anthem Health Insurance Application Experience

A multitude of features of Anthem can improve your policy and help you receive more value from your plan while better managing it.

Features of an Anthem policy include the following:

  • Add-on coverage: Vision and dental insurance additions can be a simple solution for combining more policy types while only using one insurer.
  • Telehealth: Access to include 24/7 NurseLine, LiveHealth Online for virtual doctor visits and telehealth systems directly from a doctor or hospital.
  •  Support for healthy living and mental health: Becoming an Anthem member grants customers access to other resources such as weight management programs, coaching, discounts to gym memberships, stress management, mental health support and SilverSneakers memberships.
  • Mobile app: Policyholders can access their digital ID cards, find a doctor, check on benefits and costs, ask questions and sync the account with a fitness tracker.

Anthem vs. Competitors

The chart displays Anthem's competitors and the price distinction among each company. As you move along the chart, you will notice Anthem's cost is $477 per month, and Cigna's cheapest company costs $462 per month. CareFirst BlueChoice costs an average $598 per month.

The rate you pay for insurance varies based on details like where you live and the level of coverage you need. This year, in 2022, individual health insurance plans are a little more expensive, and the rate of increase varies by state.

Anthem Health Insurance Overall

Anthem health insurance provides customers with a wide selection of policies to make it easy for you to find a plan that meets your standards. Another great feature of Anthem is that its affiliate, BlueCross BlueShield, boosts its reputation as reliable. Anthem is, in fact, newer as a business when you compare it to other health insurers. If you reside in a state where Anthem policies are available, benefits are excellent.

With Anthem working hard to serve customers, its members are in good hands and can take advantage of supplemental insurance like vision and dental and discounts on wellness products. 

The tools members have the chance to utilize helps manage claims payments and locate an in-network provider. General health support through educational resources is also part of Anthem's offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

What type of insurance is Anthem?

A

Anthem offers different types of health insurance with plan types such as HMO, PPO, EPO, prescription drug plans, vision, dental, short term and supplemental insurance. Individuals and families qualify for policies. Senior citizens and people with low incomes can sign up for Medicare plans.

Q

Does Anthem Blue Cross work in other states?

A

Whether or not you have access to in-network providers in other states is based on Anthem’s insurance policy. Anthem’s customer services department is your point of contact when submitting an out-of-state claim.

Q

Is Anthem good insurance?

A

Anthem is a well-rounded health insurance company. The policies are popular in states where available but stay on the lookout for avoiding problems by carefully reviewing policy documents. You can also contact the insurance company before receiving care. Anthem is a public subsidiary of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. It is financially strong given its AM Best rating of A.

User Reviews

Jacqueline Johnson

How do you use this product to boost your finances?

Very expensive we pay over 1200.00 a month.plus they have denied certain medications they want me to take metformin and I have told them that medine can kill me the vision no Dr where we live and dental same problems and it is extra cost to have

Donnette Daley

How do you use this product to boost your finances?

I cancel my policy and anthem still when in my account and took monthly payment i was furious and there out of pocket costs is ridiculous. I purchase my policy thru anthem and i have to cancel thru market place so if its thru market place.

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