Anthem Medicare Insurance Review & Complaints: Health Insurance (2024)
Anthem Medicare plans are offered through a BlueCross Blue Shield licensee offering a range of health care insurance plans. Anthem Medicare Advantage, Supplement, and Part D plans are all available in multiple locations. Anthem Medicare insurance is available at affordable rates with several $0 premium Advantage plans.
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Tim Bain
Licensed Insurance Agent
Tim Bain is a licensed life insurance agent with 23 years of experience helping people protect their families and businesses with term life insurance. His insurance expertise has been featured in several publications, including Investopedia and eFinancial. He also does digital marking and analysis for KPS/3, a communications and marking firm located in Nevada.
Licensed Insurance Agent
UPDATED: Nov 27, 2023
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Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.
UPDATED: Nov 27, 2023
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
A BlueCross Blue Shield licensee and one of the biggest names in health insurance, Anthem offers a solid range of Medicare options. Their products for Medicare-eligible customers include Advantage, Supplement, and Part D plans as well.
This Anthem Medicare insurance review will cover Anthem Medicare Advantage plans as well as Anthem Medicare Supplement options. We’ll look at the coverage, rates, and availability to help you make an informed choice.
Before you buy Anthem Medicare insurance, it’s important to consider your options. Enter your ZIP code to compare Medicare quotes from top companies today.
About Anthem Insurance
Anthem has something of a complex history and was born out of a series of acquisitions and mergers involved several companies. The company’s beginnings can be found in the creation of Mutual Hospital Insurance Inc. and Mutual Medical Insurance, Inc. in the 1940s, two companies that merged in the 1980s to form Associated Insurance Companies, Inc. That name lasted only a year and was changed to The Associated Group; this group was the parent company of BlueCross Blue Shield Association of Indiana.
The first appearance of the name Anthem is under the parent company American General Insurance, which was acquired by The Associated Group early on. In 1995, The Associated Group acquired Community Mutual Insurance in Ohio, followed by the creation of Anthem BlueCross Blue Shield. Finally, in 1996, The Associated Group changed its name to Anthem Insurance Company.
That was not the end of the acquisitions, however. Anthem acquired Wellpoint in 2003 and made another slight name change to Anthem, Inc. in 2015. At this point already one of the biggest health insurance companies in the nation, Anthem sought a merger with another giant, Cigna; this was shot down by the courts in 2017 amid accusations against Cigna for breaching the merger agreement.
Anthem today remains a major player in the health insurance industry and writes individual and family major medical, group health insurance, and all three of the common Medicare products. With headquarters in Indianapolis, Anthem is one of the biggest health care providers in several states and offers Medicare products in 14 states.
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What are Anthem Medicare Plans?
Anthem writes all of the three main types of Medicare insurance: Advantage, Supplement, and Part D Prescription Drug. The availability of plans does vary by state. For the purposes of this review, we looked at the plan options in California.
What are Anthem Medicare Advantage Plans?
There are 13 Medicare Advantage plans available in California, some of which have only slight differences. A few are condition-specific plans as well. Almost all of the plans are $0-premium (aside from your Original Medicare Part A & B premiums), with only three having an added monthly cost. Although Anthem does write PPO plans, none of the listed options are PPO. All of the plans are $0 deductible.
Value Plus HMO offers $0 copays for both primary care and specialist visits, and there is also no copay for inpatient hospital visits at in-network hospitals. There is, however, a copay of $100 for emergency room visits. This plan includes prescription drug coverage starting at $0 for Tier 1. This doesn’t include hearing, medicare dental and vision insurance, but they can be added.
The Diabetes and Heart plans are similar to each other, with each focusing on a different specified illness. Both have $0 copays for most office visits and include prescription drug coverage starting at $0 for Tier 1 drugs, as well as hearing and dental. A third plan, Anthem Lung Care, again has similar coverage but is focused on lung care, and finally, the ESRD plan is focused on End Stage Renal Disease needs.
There are four MediBlue plans are various levels. MediBlue Plus is a $0 premium plan with a $20 primary care copay and a $50 specialist copay. Prescription drugs start at a $7 copay, and additional dental, hearing, and vision can be added for an additional monthly premium. Select also has no premium and has $0 copays for primary care and specialists. Tier 1 drugs start at $0.
MediBlue Extra has an additional monthly premium and has $0 copays for primary care and specialist visits, and for prescription drugs. A $415 deductible applies to all tiers above one. Inpatient hospital services have a copay of $95 for the first four days. It includes dental, vision, and hearing.
MediBlue Coordination Plus has a 20% coinsurance amount for both primary care and specialist visits. Prescription drug coverage is the same as the Extra plan. This plan includes hearing, vision, and comprehensive dental coverage.
There are also two Connect plans; the base plan is a $0 premium with $0 copays for primary care and specialist visits. Prescription drugs start at $0, and dental, vision, and hearing are also included. The Connect Plus has 20% coinsurance for primary care and specialist visits. Prescription drugs start at a 25% coinsurance. Dental, vision, and hearing are all included.
The Anthem Medicare Advantage Preferred PPO is not listed in our results but may be available in other locations.
What are Anthem Medicare Supplement Plans?
In our sample area, Anthem offers Plans A, G, N, and the two versions of Plan F, although Plan F is not available to those newly eligible for Medicare in 2020 due to new laws. These lettered plans are standard and include the same coverage regardless of who writes them.
Plan A is the base plan that pays coinsurance amounts for Medicare Part a & B, as well as covering the first three pints of blood each year. From there, the plans add on additional coverage. Some, like Plan N, have copays that help to reduce premiums, while others, like the high deductible Plan F, bring down the monthly cost with a deductible.
This chart compares the different plans.
Medicare Supplement Plan Comparison
Coverage | Plan A | Plan B | Plan C | Plan D | Plan F | Plan G | Plan K | Plan L | Plan M | Plan N |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Part B coinsurance or copayment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Blood (first 3 pints) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes |
Part A deductible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | 50% | Yes |
Part B deductible | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Part B excess charge | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Foreign travel exchange (up to plan limits) | No | No | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | No | No | 80% | 80% |
Out-of-pocket limit in 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $5,880 | $2,940 | N/A | N/A |
Anthem offers a limited selection of plan options; three of the eleven total standard plans are available with F available to some.
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What are Anthem Medicare Part D Plans?
There are three Part D plans available that can be purchased to supplement the coverage under Original Medicare.
MedicareRx Plus has no pharmacy deductible. Tier 1 drugs start at $1.00. and Tier 2 at $3.00. Tier 3 has a $40 copay and the remaining two Tiers have coinsurance percentages, at 38% for Tier 4 and 33% for Tier 5.
MedicareRx Standard has a deductible of $390, although this does not apply to Tier 1 drugs, which again start at a $1.00 copay. Tier 2 is $5.00, Tier 3 $30, and Tiers 4 and 5 40% and 25% coinsurance respectively.
The Enhanced Plan has a deductible of $300, placing it in between the two other options.
How to Get Anthem Medicare Insurance Rates
Rates are easy to find on the Anthem site, so you won’t have to dig around for Anthem Medicare insurance quotes.
For our sample area, the Part D plans have rates of $26.10 for the Enhanced plan, $79.90 for the Plus plan, and $84.20 for the Standard plan.
On the Supplement side, Plan A returned a rate of $131.29 for a sample of a 65-year-old woman in our test area. Plan G was the most expensive at $157.78.
As we mentioned previously, the majority of Anthem’s Advantage plans are $0 premium plans – you do not pay anything beyond your Original Medicare premiums.
The remaining rates range from $12.20 up to $31.50 a month. Add-ons for dental and vision can increase the rates. All of these plans are very reasonably priced when compared to others in the same area.
Navigating the Anthem Medicare Claims Process
Ease of Filing a Claim
Anthem Medicare insurance offers a user-friendly claims process that allows policyholders to file claims through various convenient channels.
Whether you prefer online, phone, or mobile app submissions, Anthem has you covered. Their commitment to customer convenience ensures that policyholders can choose the method that suits them best, making it easier to navigate the claims process.
Average Claim Processing Time
Anthem Medicare insurance strives to provide efficient claim processing, aiming to reduce the time it takes to settle claims. While specific processing times may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the claim, Anthem’s dedication to timely resolutions benefits policyholders by ensuring they receive the coverage they need as quickly as possible.
Customer Feedback on Claim Resolutions and Payouts
Customer feedback is invaluable when assessing an insurance provider’s claims process. Anthem Medicare insurance consistently collects feedback on claim resolutions and payouts.
This information helps them refine their processes and address any concerns promptly. Policyholders can have confidence in Anthem’s commitment to improving their claims service based on customer input.
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Exploring the Anthem Medicare Digital and Technological Features
Mobile App Features and Functionality
Anthem Medicare insurance offers a comprehensive mobile app with features designed to enhance policyholder convenience. Through the app, users can access their policy information, submit claims, check claim statuses, and even find healthcare providers. The app’s user-friendly interface and functionality simplify insurance management for policyholders on the go.
Online Account Management Capabilities
Anthem Medicare insurance provides policyholders with robust online account management capabilities. This includes the ability to view policy details, track claims, make payments, and update personal information. The online portal offers a secure and convenient way for policyholders to stay in control of their insurance accounts.
Digital Tools and Resources
To further support their policyholders, Anthem Medicare insurance offers a range of digital tools and resources. These include educational materials, cost calculators, and access to healthcare resources. These digital assets empower policyholders to make informed decisions about their healthcare and insurance coverage.
Where to Find Anthem Medicare Ratings and Consumer Reviews
Anthem, Inc. has a F rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is incredibly poor for a huge company. Although large companies may have a lot of complaints, they are usually good at responding to them and resolving them to keep a good BBB rating. Anthem failed to respond to 28 complaints, which led to the lowered score. With only a total of 54 complaints, their volume would be considered very low for their size; they would likely have an A+ if they had responded to what amounts to more than half of the complaints against them.
Again, since Anthem is a huge company, it should be noted that there are multiple BBB files for different areas of the country. We looked at the main office BBB file, but reports may vary, and in some areas, they may have a much better rating.
There are 422 reviews of Anthem on Consumer Affairs, and their rating is just under two stars based on the 65 reviews in the past year. These reviews cover all of Anthem’s products, not only Medicare, and since they are so big the overall complaint volume is not all that high. Most of the reviews are negative, citing denial of claims and poor customer service.
All of Anthem’s Medicare Advantage plans score a 4 out of 5 from the government rating agency for Medicare, which is very good.
Anthem Medicare Insurance: What’s the Bottom Line?
Is Anthem good insurance? There are both benefits and disadvantages. Anthem has very affordable plans across the board, particularly for Medicare Advantage plans. It is concerning that they have failed to respond to so many complaints, but on the Medicare side, they are getting very good ratings, which provides some balance. We recommend checking on the company’s ratings and reviews specific to your area when considering them as your Medicare provider.
There may be affordable Anthem Medicare insurance options for you, but you should always compare multiple companies before you buy. Enter your ZIP code now to get free quotes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Anthem Medicare Insurance?
Anthem Medicare Insurance is a health insurance plan designed for individuals who are eligible for Medicare benefits. It offers a range of coverage options to help you manage your healthcare costs and receive the care you need.
What types of Medicare plans does Anthem offer?
Anthem offers a variety of Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement plans, and Medicare prescription drug plans.
What is a Medicare Advantage plan?
A Medicare Advantage plan is a type of health insurance plan that provides Medicare benefits through a private insurance company. It typically includes coverage for hospital stays, doctor visits, and prescription drugs.
What is a Medicare Supplement plan?
A Medicare Supplement plan is a type of health insurance plan that works with your original Medicare coverage to help cover certain out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.
What is a Medicare prescription drug plan?
A Medicare prescription drug plan is a type of insurance plan that helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. It works alongside your Medicare coverage to help you pay for the medications you need.
How do I enroll in Anthem Medicare Insurance?
To enroll in Anthem Medicare Insurance, you can visit the Anthem website or call their customer service line. You can also speak with a licensed insurance agent to learn more about your options and get help with the enrollment process.
How much does Anthem Medicare Insurance cost?
The cost of Anthem Medicare Insurance varies depending on the specific plan you choose and your individual healthcare needs. You can get a quote for coverage by visiting the Anthem website or speaking with a licensed insurance agent.
How do I file a claim with Anthem Medicare Insurance?
To file a claim with Anthem Medicare Insurance, you can visit their website or call their customer service line. You will need to provide information about the care you received and any related expenses in order to receive reimbursement.
Does Anthem Medicare Insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Anthem Medicare Insurance covers pre-existing conditions, as required by law. However, the specific coverage available may vary depending on the plan you choose.
Can I change my Anthem Medicare Insurance plan?
You may be able to change your Anthem Medicare Insurance plan during certain enrollment periods, such as the Annual Enrollment Period or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. You can also make changes if you experience a qualifying life event, such as a move or a change in your healthcare needs.
Are you looking for free insurance quotes?
Your one-stop online insurance guide. Get free quotes now!
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Tim Bain
Licensed Insurance Agent
Tim Bain is a licensed life insurance agent with 23 years of experience helping people protect their families and businesses with term life insurance. His insurance expertise has been featured in several publications, including Investopedia and eFinancial. He also does digital marking and analysis for KPS/3, a communications and marking firm located in Nevada.
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by insurance experts.