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Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance 2024 Review
Anthem offers dental and vision coverage options with popular Medigap plan types, but serves only 14 states.
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Written by Alex Rosenberg
Lead Writer
The bottom line: Anthem sells Medicare Supplement Insurance under the Blue Cross Blue Shield collective. The company stands out from most competitors by offering several options to add dental and vision coverage to Medigap plans. It offers only a few plan types, though, and serves relatively few states. Jump to: Full Review
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Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance pros and cons
Pros
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.
Cons
Plan pricing: 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.
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Our full review
Why trust NerdWallet
Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance rating
4.0
NerdWallet ratingAnthem Medicare Supplement Insurance earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account pricing, coverage options, online quote availability, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
Based on these ratings, Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance is one of the highest rated options on our list of the best Medicare Supplement Insurance companies.
Anthem Medicare Supplement Insurance plans
Anthem generally offers three Medicare Supplement Insurance plan types 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.
💬 From our Nerds: Is Anthem a good Medicare Supplement Insurance company?
“Anthem is a good Medigap company, albeit one with some limitations. It scores 4 out of 5 stars on NerdWallet’s rubric, with especially strong performance for premium discounts. Anthem also earned bonus points for its options to bundle dental and vision coverage with your plan.
“Anthem trails competitors in a few areas, too. Its prices for Plan N weren’t as good as for Plan G, for example, and complaint rates were only average. And it’s available in only 14 states, so it may not be an option for many people.”
Note: Since Medigap plan options can vary by location, it’s a good idea to do your research, compare multiple quotes and consider working with a licensed insurance agent for more personalized recommendations.
— Alex Rosenberg, lead writer covering Medicare
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)".
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
Anthem’s premiums varied considerably between plan types in the estimates obtained for this review. Plan G premiums were competitive, at about 21% higher than the least expensive option in the area. Plan N prices were less competitive, at about 64% higher than the cheapest alternative.
How we evaluate Medigap companies’ prices
Plan G
Anthem price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | $183. | $148. |
Atlanta | $151. | $125. |
Aspen, Colorado | $133. | $111. |
Plan N
Anthem price | Medicare.gov lowest price | |
|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | $198. | $114. |
Atlanta | $161. | $95. |
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 and 2023 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for Anthem and its subsidiaries that sell Anthem-branded Medigap policies.
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
Anthem Medigap plans spent about 75.9% of premiums on member benefits, according to the most recent annual data. (The other 24.1% went to overhead expenses like administrative costs, marketing, salaries and commissions.) For comparison, the average for all companies is 80.4%.
Medicare Supplement Insurance companies must report data on the premiums they collect and how much they spend to provide benefits for members. The minimum required by law for individual Medigap policies is 60%.
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.
States that offer Anthem Medigap policies
Anthem covers slightly fewer than 700,000 Medigap beneficiaries and has about a 5% share of the total Medicare Supplement Insurance market.
Anthem Medigap customer service
Here’s how Anthem members can contact customer service:
Call a state-specific phone number. Log in or select your state on Anthem’s Contact Us page to find the number and hours.
Chat on Anthem.com or in Anthem’s Sydney Health app for Android or iOS.
Email [email protected].
Compare Medicare Supplement Insurance companies
Get more information below about some of the major Medicare Supplement Insurance companies. These insurers offer Medigap plans in most states, but specifics may vary depending on your location.
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.
If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).
Best for Extra benefits
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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Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
Close to expected
Premium discounts available
Above average
IS THIS PROVIDER AVAILABLE IN MY STATE?
Plan types offered
A, F, G and N.
NAIC complaint rate
Close to expected
Premium discounts available
Above average
IS THIS PROVIDER AVAILABLE IN MY STATE?
PROS & CONS
Medicare Supplement Insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) ratings are based on pricing, discounts, plan types offered, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, consumer experience, additional perks and benefits, and more. To calculate each health insurance company's rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale, rounded to the nearest half star.
NerdWallet reviewed 15 Medicare Supplement Insurance companies based on highest enrollment and greatest online search volume. At the national level, our scored reviews include companies covering about two-thirds of all Medigap beneficiaries. At the state level, our research includes at least one of the two largest Medigap insurance companies in 48 of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best coverage and rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for Medicare Supplement Insurance.
Insurer complaints methodology
We examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, we calculated a similar index for each insurance company, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary. We score companies based on this index of how many complaints the company receives relative to its market share. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC.
