Anthem Blue Cross Medicare refers to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Part D prescription drug plans sold under the Anthem Blue Cross brand, one of the Blue Cross Blue Shield companies owned by Elevance Health. In California, Anthem operates as Anthem Blue Cross. In several other states, the same company sells plans as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Either way, the plans work the same basic way: they're private insurance options that either replace or supplement your Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) coverage.
What Is Anthem Blue Cross Medicare?
Anthem Blue Cross is not a government program. It's a private health insurance company that contracts with Medicare to offer Medicare Advantage plans, and separately sells Medicare Supplement and Part D drug plans that are regulated at the state level. School of Medicare is an independent education resource and isn't affiliated with Anthem, Medicare.gov, or the federal government, but our licensed agents do help people compare Anthem plans alongside other carriers.
The "Blue Cross" name can be confusing because it shows up in different states under slightly different corporate names (Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in New York). They're related companies operating under the larger Blue Cross Blue Shield Association license, but plan availability, pricing, and benefits vary by state and even by county.
Types of Medicare Plans Anthem Blue Cross Offers
Anthem Blue Cross generally sells three categories of Medicare-related coverage:
- Medicare Advantage (Part C): Bundled plans that combine Part A, Part B, and usually Part D drug coverage into one plan, often with extra benefits like dental, vision, or hearing.
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap): Plans that work alongside Original Medicare to help cover deductibles, coinsurance, and copays that Medicare doesn't pay.
- Medicare Part D: Standalone prescription drug plans for people who have Original Medicare without a drug plan already built in.
Not every plan type is sold in every state, and not every county within a state has the same options. This is one of the more important things to understand before assuming a specific Anthem plan will be available where you live.
Where Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Plans Are Available
Anthem Blue Cross Medicare plans are sold in California under the Anthem Blue Cross name. Related Anthem-affiliated Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are also sold in states including Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin, though the exact plan types and benefits differ by state.
Because Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are approved county by county, two neighbors in different zip codes can sometimes see different Anthem plan options, or different provider networks for the same plan name. Medicare Supplement plans are typically statewide but still priced differently depending on where you live.
What's Included in Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage Plans
Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover everything Original Medicare covers, including hospital care under Part A and outpatient medical care under Part B. Beyond that baseline, many Anthem Medicare Advantage plans add extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't include, such as:
- Routine dental cleanings and exams
- Vision exams and eyewear allowances
- Hearing exams and hearing aid allowances
- Fitness program memberships
- Over-the-counter allowances for approved health items
Most Anthem Medicare Advantage plans are structured as HMOs or PPOs, which means you'll typically need to use in-network doctors and hospitals, or pay more to go outside the network with a PPO. Some plans also include built-in Part D drug coverage, which means you get medical and drug coverage from a single plan and a single card.
Anthem also offers Special Needs Plans (SNPs) in some areas for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, or who have certain chronic conditions. These plans are designed around the specific needs of that population and often include care coordination support.
Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans
Medicare Supplement plans work differently than Medicare Advantage. Instead of replacing Original Medicare, a Medigap policy pays after Medicare pays, helping cover leftover costs like Part A coinsurance, Part B coinsurance, and in some plans, the Part B deductible.
Anthem Blue Cross sells standardized Medigap plans, meaning a Plan G from Anthem covers the exact same benefits as a Plan G from any other insurer. The differences between carriers come down to premium pricing, customer service, and discounts, not the benefits themselves, since Medigap plan letters are standardized nationwide (except in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which use their own standardization systems).
One advantage of Medigap plans, including Anthem's, is provider flexibility. As long as a doctor accepts Original Medicare, you can generally see them, without needing referrals or staying in a network. This is a meaningful difference from the network rules that apply to most Medicare Advantage plans.
If you're comparing Medigap carriers, it can help to look at how other regional insurers structure their plans too. Our breakdown of Bankers Fidelity Medicare Supplement plans walks through similar plan letter options from a different company, which is useful context when you're shopping around.
Anthem Blue Cross Part D Prescription Drug Coverage
If you choose Original Medicare plus a Medigap plan instead of a Medicare Advantage plan, you'll usually need a separate Part D plan to get prescription drug coverage. Anthem Blue Cross sells standalone Part D plans in many of its service states.
Each Part D plan has its own formulary (list of covered drugs), pharmacy network, and cost tiers. Two Anthem Part D plans sold in the same state can have very different costs depending on which medications you take, so it's worth checking your specific prescriptions against a plan's formulary before enrolling, rather than assuming any Part D plan will cover your drugs the same way.
How to Compare Anthem Blue Cross Plans With Other Carriers
Here's a scenario that comes up often. David is turning 65 in August and has heard the name "Anthem Blue Cross" from a friend, so he assumes it's automatically his best option. But David takes two brand-name medications, sees a specialist outside his immediate area twice a year, and wants to keep his costs predictable. When David actually compares an Anthem Medicare Advantage HMO against a Medigap Plan G paired with a standalone Part D plan, he finds that the Medigap route costs more in monthly premium but gives him more flexibility to see his specialist without a referral. The Anthem Advantage plan, on the other hand, has a lower premium but requires staying in-network.
Neither choice is universally right. The point is that David only found the right fit by comparing plans side by side, not by picking a familiar name. The same logic applies whether you're looking at Anthem, a smaller regional insurer, or a large national carrier. Reading about how other companies structure their Medicare offerings, like our overview of United Medicare Advisors, can also help you understand the range of options available before you commit to one carrier.
When You Can Enroll in an Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Plan
Timing matters as much as the plan itself. You generally have these windows to enroll in or switch an Anthem Blue Cross Medicare plan:
- Initial Enrollment Period: The 7-month window around your 65th birthday, starting 3 months before your birth month and ending 3 months after.
- Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 through December 7 each year, when anyone can switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for the following year.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 through March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan who want to switch to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare.
- Medigap enrollment: Your best window to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan without medical underwriting is generally the 6 months after you first enroll in Part B at 65 or older. Outside that window, an insurer like Anthem can typically ask health questions and may decline coverage or charge more, depending on state rules.
Missing these windows doesn't always mean you're stuck, but it can limit your options or add costs, so it helps to know which window applies to your situation before you decide.
If you're not sure whether an Anthem Blue Cross plan fits your specific prescriptions, doctors, and budget, talking through the details with a licensed agent can save a lot of guesswork.