Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield: What’s the Difference?
Blue Cross Blue Shield is a better overall choice for health insurance and Medicare than Anthem.
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Anthem usually has cheaper rates, but Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has stronger customer service and is available in more areas.
Technically, Anthem is a part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield group. However, if you live in a state that has Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield options, you may still have to choose between Anthem and another BCBS company.
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Anthem is a Blue Cross Blue Shield company
The Blue Cross Blue Shield group is made up of 35 separate companies that all operate under the same brand. Anthem is one of the largest Blue Cross Blue Shield companies nationwide with roughly 47 million members across 14 states.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield rates
Anthem is usually cheaper than other Blue Cross Blue Shield companies.
But the cheapest health insurance company for you will depend on where you live and what kind of coverage you buy.
Only the states where Anthem sells coverage alongside another Blue Cross Blue Shield company were used to compare the cost of Anthem with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Rates for Blue Cross Blue Shield nationally include Anthem. Focusing on states where Anthem and another Blue Cross Blue Shield company both sell plans makes it easier to show how the two companies are different.
Cheapest for health insurance: Anthem
Anthem has cheaper health insurance plans than Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) in both California and Missouri, two states where both companies are available.
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In California, a Silver plan from Anthem Blue Cross is $68 cheaper per month than Blue Shield of California. In Missouri, a Silver plan from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield saves you $95 per month compared to the same plan from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield: Health insurance rates
State | Anthem | BCBS |
|---|---|---|
| California | $534 | $602 |
| Missouri | $707 | $802 |
Average monthly costs for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.
Cheapest for Medicare Advantage: Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield has cheaper Medicare Advantage plans than Anthem. Both companies are cheaper than the state average. Medicare Advantage plans are also called Medicare Part C plans.
In Missouri, Blue Medicare Advantage has $0 plans. Keep in mind that you’ll still pay your $174.70 Medicare Part B monthly rate, though. You’ll pay an average of $10 per month if you buy a plan from Anthem, which has two separate companies in Missouri.
A Medicare Advantage plan from Blue Shield of California costs $12 per month, on average. Anthem has three different companies for Medicare Advantage in California. On average, Anthem Medicare Advantage plans in California cost $15 per month.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield: Medicare Advantage rates
State | Anthem | BCBS |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $10 | $0 |
| California | $15 | $12 |
Average monthly costs for plans with prescription drug coverage.
Cheapest for Medicare Supplement: Tie
Blue Cross Blue Shield has cheaper Medicare Supplement Plan G rates in California. But if you live in Missouri, Anthem is the cheaper option for Medicare Supplement coverage, also called Medigap. Plan G has the best Medicare Supplement plan benefits if you’re a new Medicare enrollee.
In California, it’s $10 per month cheaper to get Medigap Plan G coverage from the local Blue Cross Blue Shield company versus Anthem Blue Cross. In Missouri, Anthem is the cheaper option. A Plan G from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is $35 cheaper per month than a Plan G from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield: Medicare Supplement Plan G rates
State | Anthem | BCBS |
|---|---|---|
| California | $144 | $134 |
| Missouri | $151 | $186 |
Average monthly costs for Medigap Plan G.
Cheapest for Medicare Part D: Anthem
Anthem has cheaper rates for Medicare Part D in California. However, both Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield cost more than the state average. California is the only state where Anthem and another Blue Cross Blue Shield company both sell Medicare Part D plans.
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However, the average cost for Medicare Part D in California is 35% lower than a plan from Anthem.
You can probably find a cheaper plan with another company outside of the Blue Cross Blue Shield group. Consider Wellcare Classic or Aetna if you’re looking for a cheap, high-quality Medicare Part D plan.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield: Medicare Part D rates
Anthem | BCBS | |
|---|---|---|
| Average monthly rate | $93 | $135 |
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage options
Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield usually have similar coverage options where both plans are sold.
Blue Cross Blue Shield has in more areas than Anthem. That means it’s usually easier to find the policy type you need. The types of policies available to you will depend on the specific Blue Cross Blue Shield or Anthem company in your area. You might find your local company offers different types of policies, including supplemental coverage, dental and vision plans, or group health insurance.
Both Anthem and BCBS offer private health plans, Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D plans. However, availability varies depending on where you live.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield availability
Blue Cross Blue Shield sells health insurance and Medicare in more states than Anthem.
Anthem offers health insurance policies in only 14 states. In contrast, you can find a Blue Cross Blue Shield company in every state. The plans available to you will depend on the state you live in, what county you’re in and the type of health coverage you’re looking for.
You might even have access to both Anthem and another Blue Cross Blue Shield company. Four states have both an Anthem company and another Blue Cross Blue Shield option selling health insurance.
California
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
Missouri
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield MO
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Ohio
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield OH
- Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield WV
Virginia
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield VA
- CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
You might also have access to more than one Blue Cross Blue Shield company depending on where you live. For example, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Ohio and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia both sell plans in Washington County, Ohio.
Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield plan availability differs depending on the type of insurance you’re buying. For example, Georgia has both Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee for Medicare Advantage plans, although only Catoosa County residents have access to both companies.
Anthem availability
Anthem sells at least one type of health coverage in 14 states.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Blue Cross Blue Shield availability
At least one Blue Cross Blue Shield company is available in every state.
However, you can’t buy BCBS health insurance from the federal marketplace in Mississippi, Nebraska or South Dakota. But other types of coverage, like Medicare Advantage, may be available in these states.
Anthem vs. Blue Cross Blue Shield customer service
Blue Cross Blue Shield has better customer satisfaction than Anthem.
The largest Blue Cross Blue Shield company, Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), has fewer complaints than usual for a company its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The largest Anthem company also has fewer complaints than average but still slightly more than HCSC.
Judging the customer service of Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield can be difficult. Every Blue Cross Blue Shield company, including Anthem companies, operates independently. That means the service could be great in one area of the country and below average in another. The best way to know what kind of service to expect is to look up your local Blue Cross Blue Shield company.
Blue Cross Blue Shield also has higher satisfaction for Medicare Advantage plans. J.D. Power analyzed customer satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans in five states.
- Anthem only has good customer satisfaction in New York.
- Other Blue Cross Blue Shield companies have strong customer satisfaction ratings in New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
- Neither Anthem nor Blue Cross Blue Shield have strong ratings in California and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anthem the same as Blue Cross Blue Shield?
Anthem is part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield group. Blue Cross Blue Shield is made up of independent companies. Anthem is one of these companies. Other Blue Cross Blue Shield brands include Highmark, Regence and CareFirst.
Is Blue Cross Blue Shield or Anthem better?
Overall, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is better than Anthem. You can get Blue Cross Blue Shield in more areas, and it generally has better customer satisfaction than Anthem. However, Anthem usually has cheaper prices than BCBS.
What did Anthem change its name to?
Anthem Inc., the parent company of Anthem, changed its name to Elevance Health in June 2022. Although the overall company is now Elevance Health, health insurance plans are still branded as Anthem.
Methodology and sources
Average rates were collected based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) public use files (PUFs). Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this data set may not appear. For states that don’t use the federal marketplace, data was obtained and analyzed based on state-run marketplaces. Average rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.
Cost data for Medicare Advantage plans came from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) public use files (PUFs). Average costs are for plans with prescription drug coverage. Employer-sponsored plans, Health Care Prepayment Plans (HCPPs), Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MMPs), PACE plans, sanctioned plans and Special Needs Plans are excluded.
Rate data for all private insurance companies was used for Medicare Supplement costs. Rates are for a 65-year-old nonsmoking woman. Costs reflect the price at open enrollment with preferred or guaranteed-issue status.
Rates were obtained using public use files (PUFs) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Employer-sponsored and sanctioned plans are excluded from this analysis.
Other sources include AM Best, J.D. Power, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
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.