20 things to know about Anthem

From growing to become the largest Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate to its varied history of acquisitions, here are 20 things to know about Anthem. 

Company Basics

1. Anthem is the largest publicly traded Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate, operating as a Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in 14 states. The payer also offers Medicaid plans in 23 states as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and Medicare plans in 24 states and Puerto Rico. 

2. Anthem was founded in 1992 by Blue Cross of California as WellPoint Health Networks to run its managed care business. 

3. Between 1993 and 1999, WellPoint Health Networks would merge with or acquire Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates in Kentucky, Ohio, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Nevada. It would continue to acquire both Blue Cross Blue Shield and independent health plans through 2004.

3. In 2004, Anthem merged with WellPoint Health Networks to form WellPoint. The company would go by WellPoint until it rebranded as Anthem in 2014. 

4. Today, Anthem covers 45 million members through its health plans. About 1 in 8 Americans are covered by Anthem. 

5. Between health coverage and healthcare services offered throughout its portfolio, Anthem serves 117 million people. 

6. Gail Boudreaux has led Anthem as its president and CEO since 2017. Forbes named her the 16th most powerful woman in the world on its top 100 list. 

7. The payer employs 90,201 associates and is focused on workforce diversity. Over 76 percent of its employees are women and nearly half are people of color. 

Financial Reports

8. Anthem reported $35.8 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2021, representing 15 percent year-over-year growth. 

9. The payer also posted $1.51 billion in profit in the third quarter of 2021, up 579.7 percent year over year. 

Acquisitions

10. Over the past 10 years, Anthem's notable acquisitions include ocular product company 1-800 CONTACTS in 2012, managed care company Amerigroup, Florida-based managed care companies Simply Healthcare Holdings, Florida-based Medicare Advantage plan and network Health Sun, and home-based nursing company myNexus.

11. The payer's largest acquisition of late involved purchasing Beacon Health Options, the nation's largest independently held behavioral health organization, for an undisclosed amount. 

12. Anthem attempted to acquire Cigna for $54.2 billion in 2015. The move aimed to bring a total of 53 million members under Anthem's roof. 

13 However, after years of legal struggles, the deal would eventually be blocked in 2017 following a judge's ruling

Recent Moves and Looking Ahead

14. Anthem joint venture Hydrogen Health — a partnership between the payer, investment firm Blackstone and digital primary care company K Health — launched its virtual primary care offering across the U.S. in December. The joint venture seeks to expand its membership by 10 million in 2022. 

15. Anthem expanded its high performance network, BlueHPN, at the start of 2022. 

16. Anthem partnered with Kroger Health to offer members in four regions a Healthy Groceries Card to use at Kroger locations. The parties previously partnered on Medicare Advantage plans. 

17. The payer announced its intent to acquire Integra Managed Care, a New York-based, managed long-term care plan, in November for an undisclosed amount. The deal is set to close in the second quarter of 2022. 

Rankings and Ratings

18. Anthem is ranked No. 23 on Fortune's U.S. 500 list and No. 50 on Fortune's global 500 list.

19. The payer received a slew of inclusive workplace recognitions in 2021, including Bloomberg's Gender Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality" list, and four recognitions from Military Friendly.

20. Anthem made both the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices in 2021.

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