Anthem

• Health Insurance Plans Offered
• Member Resources
• Unique Features
• Customer Service

Health Insurance Plans Offered

Owned and operated by BlueCross BlueShield, Anthem offers health insurance to clients in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Limited by location, this insurer nonetheless leaves little to be desired in its health plans.

Anthem offers health insurance options that include PPO plans, HMO plans, Health Savings Account (HSA) compatible plans, and short term health plans. Anthem even offers group disability insurance.

Like many competitor insurance providers, Anthem health plans also include Medicaid and Medicare. Those seeking Medicare or Medicaid services can find options with Anthem.

For individuals, couples, and families under the age of 65 who need health insurance, Anthem has a great selection. Plans are divided into four main groups:

• Bronze Plans
• Silver Plans
• Gold Plans
• Platinum Plans

From bronze to platinum, these plans are organized by price.

For a bronze health plan, you pay a low monthly payment (premium) for the insurance plan but have higher out-of-pocket costs for your actual medical bill. Bronze plans cover about 60 percent of medical bills.

On the other end of the spectrum are platinum plans, which cost you the most amount of money for the insurance policy but the least amount of money for your medical bills. These plans cover 90 percent of health care costs, leaving patients to worry about a mere 10 percent of the bill. 

In between are silver plans, which covers 70 percent of costs, and gold plans, which cover 80 percent of costs. 

Each Anthem plan comes with a different deductible, out-of-pocket expenses, coverage-level, and cost-sharing rules. Most health insurance plans cover preventive care and emergency services. 

It's easy to see, then, that the choices at Anthem are in no short supply. Whether you're an individual, part of a family, under 65, or over 65, you can find insurance coverage from Anthem.

Member Resources

Members are treated well at Anthem. When you register to be an Anthem member, the company does not leave you to fend for yourself. On the contrary, the patient portal and company website work in tandem to answer your questions and keep you up-to-date on your health plan.

First and foremost, the company has a dedicated phone number for members, and members can count on Anthem 24/7 if they need to contact them for any reason. 

At any time of the day, members can check the status of a claim filed through Anthem. Immediate assistance like this is important to customers, and that's why Anthem has other convenient resources, such as LiveHealth Online (their live chat option should you need to speak with a doctor right away).

As a new member, you'll enjoy the Find a Doctor tool to make sure your provider is in Anthem's network. This tool also makes it easy to locate a primary care physician or specialist. 

The Find a Doctor Tool make it easy for Anthem members to locate doctors in their area and network.

Whether a new member or an experienced one, Anthem's patient portal offers explanations of your personal plan benefits, a list of your prescription drugs, and any forms you should need (such as for claims).

Anthem cares about its members health, not just their health insurance plans. Anthem offers a personal health assessment that you can take to see what kind of health you have. You can also watch video tutorials on the company website to learn more about how to navigate the patient portal or even about medical insurance, in general, as this industry can be so easily confusing. Truly, Anthem's member resources are designed to keep you healthy and informed.

Unique Features

Anthem stands out among the crowd of health insurance companies by offering several resources and additional services that make a patient's life easier, more informed, and more convenient. Before potential clients even become a member, they can get a free instant quote on the health plan they would want. 

Another unique feature for Anthem is their LiveHealth Online resource, which is a live chat tool through which you can speak with a doctor right away about a health question you have.

The company's mobile app is also a free provision, giving you more ready access to your patient portal.

It's worth mentioning here that Anthem's company website is a bonus to using this company's health insurance. A website is not the determining factor of your health plan, of course, but transparency and clarity are key to the customer service experience. Anthem delivers in both respects with the company website.

Customer Service

Anthem makes it clear just by the layout of their website that customer service is important to them. While a company website is just a first impression and not a face-to-face interaction, the website also gives you the information you may want upfront to determine whether a company's health plans are right for you.

Online you'll find detailed FAQs sections (through which you can narrow your search by your state and the health plan you have). You can easily download forms, and request an ID card.

Of course, Anthem offers the traditional communication tools as well, offering member-specific phone numbers.

Overall, Anthem does an excellent job of providing answers to questions, like the terms of their health plans, a way to find an in-network doctor, a view of the patient portal, a health insurance quote, and much more. But if questions aren't answered by the website itself, Anthem several different ways for clients to conveniently speak with a customer service representative directly and get the help they need.

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• Limited Customer Insight
• Anthem Hack
• Time in Business
• Locations

Limited Customer Insight

While Anthem has recieved a fair number of reviews, its review count is much lower than other health insurance companies listed on Best Company. It's also concerning that most of Anthem's reviews are negative.

While Anthem is affiliated with a well-known and respected insurer, keep these reviews in mind as you consider plans from the company.

Anthem Hack

In 2015, Anthem was hacked. 78.8 million of its members were affected by the data breach. In a settlement, affected members received help with credit monitoring and identity protection and some compensation. Anthem has improved its security to keep its members' information better protected.

Time in Business

Anthem itself was founded in 2004, so it is less experienced than some health insurance carriers. Some companies have been around for well over a century, making Anthem very new and still in the process of working out kinks.

Locations

As widespread as BCBS is, Anthem plans are only available in select states. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. This doesn't cover even half of the US, which means Anthem might not necessarily cover your area.