ByHow To File Anthem Complaints and Get The Money You’re Owed
Anthem Inc. is a health insurance provider based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company has a large, well-established network of providers for its policyholders to choose from but does not offer the same range of services as some other insurance providers.
Anthem was recently accused of purposely limiting options for its customers. This has resulted in a lot of complaints by users on various social media platforms. Thousands of people have also opted to cancel their Anthem insurance as a result.
The most common complaints from insurance holders revolve around the company's policies. Some of these complaints include:
- Unacceptable cancellation and nonrenewal policies: The company appears to be more interested in making money than in treating its customers fairly. Some policies are even canceled with little or no notice by Anthem, and the company does not offer any explanations for such actions.
- Refusing to pay for covered services: Anthem has been accused of refusing to pay out on legitimate claims that have been submitted by policyholders.
- Compliance violations: Anthem's rules are very strict and often result in the company denying claims that were valid and paying out less than is usually expected.
- Poor communication: Anthem has very poor communication standards, and they do not respond to many of its customers who genuinely have a problem. The worst is when an insurance holder says he or she received the wrong policy information, but they did not receive a single response from Anthem.
If you've had issues with your insurance claim, we'll show you how to file Anthem insurance complaints and, if necessary, that the insurance provider to small claims court.
How To File Anthem Complaints
Anthem Inc. is the largest for-profit managed healthcare company in the entire Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
The company operates under three different names in various states:
- Anthem Blue Cross in California
- Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in 12 states
- Empire BlueCross BlueShield in New York
Depending on which branch of the company you're having trouble with, you'll need to use the appropriate communication channels to voice your complaints.
We'll provide you with contact information for all three "subsidiaries," as well as ways to get in touch with the parent company.
Anthem Blue Cross Complaints
If you're a Californian, you should contact Anthem Blue Cross first before reaching out to the parent company. There are several options to reach the company's customer service department in California.
As a member, you can log into your account and use the Live Chat function from the Contact Us page to explain your issue to a support agent in writing.
If you want a more immediate answer, you can call one of the following phone numbers:
- Individuals & Family Plans (under age 65): 1-855-875-1584
- Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage Plans: 1-855-816-3087 (TTY/TDD: 711)
- Medicare Part D Plans: 1-855-816-3084 (TTY/TDD: 711)
- Employer Plans: 1-877-242-5659
The phone waiting times are between 5 and 30 minutes, so be prepared to wait on hold. The support agents are generally helpful, although they might now always be able to provide you with a solution to your problem on the spot.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Complaints
If you're in one of the other 12 states where Anthem operates, you'll have to call one of the phone numbers for your state, depending on the coverage plan you're having issues with.
Below is the table with contact information for each of the 12 states.
| Anthem Customer Service Phone Numbers by State | |
|---|---|
| State | Phone Numbers |
| Colorado |
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| Connecticut |
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| Georgia |
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| Indiana |
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| Kentucky |
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| Maine |
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| Missouri |
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| New Hampshire |
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| Nevada |
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| Ohio |
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| Virginia |
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| Wisconsin |
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You can find other available phone numbers for the wide range of services Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offers on this page.
Empire BlueCross BlueShield Complaints
If you live in the state of New York, you'll also have Live Chat available as an Anthem member.
Apart from that, you can call the following numbers to voice your complaint to a customer support representative:
- Individuals & Family Plans (under age 65): 1-855-879-6174
- Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage Plans: 1-855-876-9586 (TTY/TDD: 711)
- Employer Plans: 1-866-868-8967
Filing an Anthem Corporate Complaint
If you've attempted to resolve the issue with the customer support agents in your state to no avail, you can mail a written complaint to the company's headquarters.
Anthem's corporate address is:
Anthem, Inc.
220 Virginia Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
You can also call the corporate office at (800) 331-1476 and explain the issue you are having and how the customer support has handled it (or failed to handle it) thus far.
Filing Complaints Against Anthem With the Better Business Bureau
If you've tried everything and the company is persistently refusing to pay for covered services, you can contact the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint against Anthem.
The BBB is the leading organization that rates and exposes fraud and other business misconduct, as well as assists consumers with filing complaints against bad businesses. Anthem has a BBB rating of A-, which is an average rating for insurance providers.
Before you contact the BBB, make sure you have your policy information at hand, including your enrollment number or ID card. All of this information can be found on the membership card you received when you signed up for an Anthem health insurance plan.
Remember that the Bureau isn't an enforcement agency, so it can't make Anthem resolve your complaint. The Bureau can mediate the dispute if the company responds. Should Anthem continue ignoring your complaint, the Bureau can only lower the company's rating.
How To Send Demand Letters To Anthem in Small Claims Court
If you've made an Anthem insurance complaint, and the company refuses to accept it and offers no solution, you can send demand letters to Anthem in small claims court.
Keep in mind that small claims courts have an upper limit of $10,000 and that you will need to prove that the company has unrightfully denied you an insurance claim or otherwise wronged you and caused monetary damages.
If you want to send demand letters to Anthem in small claims court, you will need to file your complaint with the county clerk within six months of your confrontation with the company.
Each state has its own laws on how to file a small claim. This can typically be done by completing an online form or in person with the court clerk's office. We recommend contacting your local small claims court to inquire about the procedure.
Apart from filing the claim, you will need to send Anthem a demand letter. The letter must include:
- Your name and contact information
- The name, address and telephone number of the defendant
- A copy of the complaint that you filed with the court
- A demand for money or resolution to your problem
- Proof of the monetary damages, if any, that have resulted from the company's actions
- Evidence stating that Anthem was informed about your complaint and had a reasonable amount of time to settle it
- Your intent to file a lawsuit against the company
You should also provide all relevant details, such as how much money is involved or what you would like in exchange for a judgment.
The company will have 15 days to respond. If they fail to do so or if Anthem refuses to pay you what you're owed, the case will go to trial.
DoNotPay Can Help You Send Demand Letters To Anthem In Small Claims Court
Most people don’t want to take the fight against Anthem to court because they fear that the fees will outweigh the amount the insurance provider owes them.
While attorneys’ services are exorbitant and some court fees will be involved, there is a way to take action against any company that has wronged you without spending a small fortune.
With DoNotPay’s AI Consumer Champion, you can send demand letters to anyone without spending a single penny on representation. How is this possible?
Our award-winning app will put together a professional demand letter for you and help you file all the required court forms. We’ll even provide you with a guide on how to make a strong case in court, so you can represent yourself and win!
All you need to do is follow these simple steps:
- and select the Complaint Letters product
- Enter how much money the insurance provider owes you
- Select the reason for your lawsuit
- Answer a few questions by our chatbot
- Provide any supporting evidence that will help us build your case
That’s it! DoNotPay will send the demand letter to Anthem, putting pressure on the company to resolve your complaint.
If the insurance provider ignores the demand letter or refuses to pay the damages you’re seeking, you’ll have everything you need to take the case to trial.
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