Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance 2024 Review

Anthem offers dental and vision coverage options with popular Medigap plan types, but serves only 14 states.
Alex Rosenberg
By Alex Rosenberg 
Updated
Edited by Holly Carey

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Anthem Medigap

Anthem

Anthem stands out from most other Medigap companies by offering options to add dental and vision coverage to Medigap plans. It offers only a few Medigap plan types, though, and serves fewer states than most competitors.

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GET A QUOTE

from askchapter.org

Plan types offered

A, F, G and N.


NAIC complaint rate

Close to expected


Premium discounts available

Above average


Plan types offered

A, F, G and N.


NAIC complaint rate

Close to expected


Premium discounts available

Above average


Pros

  • Mix and match dental and vision add-ons.
  • Several discounts based on household and payment methods.
  • Extra perks for fitness, health and wellness products and services.

Cons

  • Lower-coverage plans are sometimes more expensive.
  • Few Medigap plan types available.
  • Available in only about one-third of states.

Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance is sold under the Blue Cross Blue Shield collective.

Anthem stands out from most other Medigap companies by offering options to add dental and vision coverage to Medigap plans. It offers only a few Medigap plan types, though, and serves fewer states than most competitors.

Here’s what you need to know about Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance pros and cons

Anthem’s Medigap offerings have advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

Cons

  • Dental and vision coverage options. Anthem offers several tiers of dental and vision coverage to mix and match with Medigap plans.

  • Plenty of discounts. There are several options to save on premiums with discounts based on your household and payment methods.

  • Health and wellness extras. Anthem offers extra perks for a variety of fitness, health and wellness products and services.

  • Plan pricing doesn't always make sense. Anthem sometimes charges more for plans with less coverage, which can get confusing.

  • Few plan options. Only a few Medigap plan types are available — albeit the most popular ones.

  • Limited state footprint. Medigap policies are available in only about one-third of states.

Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance plans

Anthem generally offers three Medicare Supplement Insurance plans for purchase by any Medicare member:

  • Medigap Plan A — the basic benefits included in every Medigap plan without any extras.

  • Medigap Plan G — the highest-coverage option available to new Medicare members.

  • Medigap Plan N — a plan with lower premiums but higher copays.

Anthem also offers Medigap Plan F for qualifying beneficiaries who were eligible to enroll in Medicare prior to 2020. Newer Medicare members can’t buy these plans from any company.

In addition, Anthem offers Medicare Supplement Insurance in Wisconsin that fits the state’s standards, which differ from the standardization system used in the majority of the country.

Enter your ZIP code on Anthem’s website to see the Medigap plan types available in your location.

Medicare Select policies add network requirements

In some locations, Anthem offers both standard and Medicare Select versions of certain Medigap plans.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Select is "a type of Medigap policy sold in some states that requires you to use hospitals and, in some cases, doctors within its network to be eligible for full insurance benefits (except in an emergency)"

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare & You. Accessed Jan 18, 2024.
.

In exchange for the network restrictions, Medicare Select plans might offer lower premiums than their non-Select counterparts.

Review the materials for a Medicare Select policy you’re considering to learn about the network limitations and in-network facility list for the policy.

Add-on coverage for dental and vision

In some locations, Anthem offers the option to add on coverage with cost sharing for services not included in standard Medigap plan types. For example, Anthem Extras packages can cover some costs for dental cleanings, dental procedures and eye exams, plus an allowance for eyeglasses or contact lenses.

This add-on coverage requires its own premiums, which vary according to your location and the coverage level you select.

Cost for Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance

The following price estimates were obtained for three metropolitan areas representing above-average, average and below-average costs for the most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plans (Plan G and Plan N)

NerdWallet analysis of American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance data. Best Costs Medigap 2024 – Plan G. Accessed Feb 9, 2024.
:

  • Los Angeles: More expensive than average.

  • Atlanta: Average cost for the U.S.

  • Aspen, Colorado: Less expensive than average.

The sections below show pricing information from Anthem for a 65-year-old female nonsmoker as filed with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Find a Medigap Policy That Works For You. Accessed Jan 18, 2024.
. (Note: Some Medigap prices may be higher for males.)

For comparison, each table also includes the price for the least-expensive option to buy the same plan from any company that filed prices. For example, Anthem’s price for Medigap Plan G in Los Angeles appears alongside the lowest price on Medicare.gov for all Plan G policies available in Los Angeles to an applicant with identical demographics.

Plan G

On average, Anthem’s estimated prices for Medigap Plan G were about 23% higher than the least-expensive Plan G policy in the area.

Anthem price

Medicare.gov lowest price

Los Angeles

$167.

$137.

Atlanta

$151.

$119.

Aspen, Colorado

$133.

$111.

Plan N

On average, Anthem’s estimated prices for Medigap Plan N were about 66% higher than the least-expensive Plan N policy in the area.

Anthem price

Medicare.gov lowest price

Los Angeles

$180.

$105.

Atlanta

$161.

$90.

Aspen, Colorado

$120.

$81.

Dental and vision add-ons

Costs for Anthem Extras packages vary depending on your location and the level of dental and vision coverage you choose, but they’re the same regardless of your choice of Medigap plan. For example, a basic Anthem Extras package could cost $25 per month whether you’re buying it with Medigap Plan G or Plan N.

Here are the example price ranges for Anthem Extras packages offered in the three states with price estimates in this review:

  • California: $19.48 to $63.40 per month.

  • Georgia: $19 to $48.40 per month.

  • Colorado: $23.66 to $58.61 per month.

Discounts

Here are some examples of discounts Anthem offers to qualifying Medicare Supplement Insurance applicants:

  • Household: Some members can receive a discount for each additional household member who also has a Medigap policy from Anthem. The discount percentage varies by location.

  • Automatic payments: Some members can receive $2 per month off of premiums if they pay with automatic bank draft withdrawals.

  • Annual payment: Some members can receive $48 per year off of premiums by prepaying for a whole year of coverage.

Available discounts may vary according to factors such as your location, household status and how you apply for a policy.

Anthem member complaints

5% more complaints than average

Anthem members file complaints about their Medicare Supplement Insurance policies about 5% more often than the average for all Medigap companies, according to 2022 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for Anthem and its subsidiaries that sell Anthem-branded Medigap policies

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Company Complaint Index. Accessed Feb 9, 2024.
.

NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.

Anthem’s spending on care

75.9% for member benefits

Medicare Supplement Insurance companies must report data on the premiums they collect and how much they spend to provide benefits for members.

Based on the most recent year of data, Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance plans spend about 75.9% of premiums on member benefits

. (The other 24.1% goes to overhead expenses like administrative costs, marketing, salaries and commissions.)

For comparison, the average for all companies is 80.4%. The minimum required by law for individual Medigap policies is 60%

Code of Federal Regulations. Title 42, Part 403, Section 215. Accessed Jan 18, 2024.
.

Additional benefits

Medigap plans have standardized Medicare benefits, but companies can offer additional perks. Here are examples of extras included with some Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance policies:

  • Fitness: The SilverSneakers fitness program gives qualifying members access to participating gyms, pools and classes, plus on-demand videos for home workouts.

  • Prescription drug discounts: Qualifying members can use a discount card to save on prescription drugs not covered by insurance at participating providers.

  • Health and wellness discounts: Anthem offers discounts on certain vision, hearing, fitness and alternative medicine products and services.

Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance service area

Anthem offers Medigap policies in 14 states.

  • California.

  • Colorado.

  • Connecticut.

  • Georgia.

  • Indiana.

  • Kentucky.

  • Maine.

  • Missouri.

  • Nevada.

  • New Hampshire.

  • New York.

  • Ohio.

  • Virginia.

  • Wisconsin.

Anthem covers slightly fewer than 700,000 Medigap beneficiaries and has about a 5% share of the total Medicare Supplement Insurance market

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. 2022 Medicare Supplement Loss Ratios. Accessed Feb 9, 2024.
.

Anthem Medigap customer service

Here’s how Anthem members can contact customer service:

Compare alternatives

About Anthem

Anthem's parent company, Elevance Health, is headquartered in Indianapolis and was formed in 2004 out of a merger between WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem. In 2022, the company changed its name to Elevance Health, but it continues to sell Medicare products under the Anthem brand.

Elevance Health offers commercial health insurance for individuals and employers; Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement Insurance and Medicaid plans; life, disability, dental and vision insurance; and services for other government health insurance programs.

Find the right Medicare Supplement Insurance plan

Because Medigap plans are standardized, you can get precisely the same Medicare benefits from any company offering the plan. So when you shop, keep these considerations in mind to find the best policy to fit your needs:

  • Is your preferred plan available? Health insurance companies don’t always sell every plan, so check who sells the plan you want to buy in your area.

  • What are the premiums? Prices for the same plan can vary between companies, so check to find the most competitive rates.

  • Will your premiums change over time? Most policies cost more as you age, but some companies offer policies that let you lock in a price when you sign up.

  • Are there extras? Medigap plans’ core benefits are standardized, but in certain cases, some companies include such perks as discount programs or gym memberships.

Still deciding on the right carrier? Compare Medigap plans

If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).

Still deciding on the right carrier? Compare Medigap plans

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