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Kaiser Permanente vs. Anthem Insurance
Which health insurance company is the best option for you and your family? Compare Kaiser Permanente and Anthem side by side.
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 Written & Edited by Fran Majidi Fran MajidiFran Majidi manages content on SmartFinancial's website. She's had nearly a decade's worth of experience writing about i... Read more |
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Kaiser Permanente vs. Anthem: What You Need to Know
After the war ended the shipyard workforce fell from 90,000 to 13,000. Only 12 of 75 medical group providers remained. On July 21, 1945, the Permanente Health Plan opened to the public to continue the health care delivery set up by Kaiser and Garfield. In 10 years, more than 300,000 people enrolled in Northern California with the support of two unions, the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union and the Retail Clerks Union.
In 1953, the name of the health plan and the hospitals were changed from Permanente to Kaiser Permanente. Even today, there are ties between the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and the Permanente Medical Groups.
In 2004, WellPoint Health Networks Inc and Anthem, Inc. merged and became the nation’s leading health benefits company. In December 2014 WellPoint Inc. changed its corporate name to Anthem, Inc. The Anthem companies offer health care plans and related services like dental, vision, behavioral health, life insurance and disability insurance benefits as well as long-term care insurance and flexible spending accounts. Anthem has about 40 million members and is ranked 33rd on the Fortune 500.
To learn more about each company, you can check out the Kaiser Permanente Overview and Anthem Overview.
What is Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Insurance Rating?
Which health insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how Kaiser Permanente and Anthem ranked among the industry ratings.
| Comparison | Kaiser Permanente | Anthem |
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1945 | 2004 |
| Medicare Star Rating | 5 stars (out of 5) | |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| NAIC Complaint Index | 0.36% for group health | 0.30% for individual health insurance |
| Market Share Percentage | 6.3 | |
| Financial Strength | Excellent |
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Pros & Cons of Kaiser Permanente or Anthem
Pros
Kaiser Permanente
- Affordable marketplace plans with different tiers of coverage.
- Low complaint ratio for group health plans.
Anthem
- Anthem Inc. is one of the largest providers of health insurance plans in the country, serving approximately 40 million members
- Anthem Inc. is a financially secure health insurance carrier.
Cons
Kaiser Permanente
- Kaiser Permanente is only available in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Anthem
- Anthem received some bad press in 2014, for refusing to cover the hospitalization of a man with stage 4 cancers. Anthem ended up paying for coverage after public outcry.
- In 2017, Anthem was fined for untimely responses to complaints.
Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Mobile Apps Options
The Kaiser Permanente app allows users to find doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, view claims, and pay your bill. They also offer an app called Humana Pharmacy which helps you to manage your prescriptions.
The Anthem Medicaid app is only available to policyholders in 5 states. Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Virginia. The app allows users to find doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, view claims, pay your bill, and manage your prescriptions.
| Kaiser Permanente Mobile App | ||
|---|---|---|
| iOS | 3.1 | 2K users |
| Android | 4.3 | 16,728 users |
| Anthem Mobile App | ||
|---|---|---|
| iOS | 2.2 | 42 users |
| Android | 2.9 | 101 users |
Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Enrollment Process
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente offers plans through the health insurance marketplace. You can begin searching plans here or you can get several free health insurance quotes.
Each state has its own marketplace. If you’re not sure where to begin, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/. You can also schedule a personal appointment with a local Kaiser Permanente Medicare specialist: 1-866-973-4588.
Anthem
Anthem is available through the health insurance marketplace or you can get several free quotes with SmartFinancial. Each state has its own marketplace. If you’re not sure where to begin, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/.
How to File a Claim with Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Insurance
Kaiser Permanente
To submit claims for reimbursement, contact member services at 1-888-901-4636. Otherwise, you should be covered except for copay. If you need reimbursement for Medicare Part D prescriptions, you must use the Member reimbursement drug claim form (PDF). For all other prescriptions (non-Medicare and Medicare without Part D) you must use this Prescription claim form (PDF).
Anthem
Make sure you use the claim form from your benefit plan because each type is different. You’ll need to get procedures codes from your doctor’s office. File the paperwork within the time limit. Include pre-approval if it’s needed.
Common Questions About Anthem and Kaiser Permanente Insurance
Kaiser Permanente
Does Target Pharmacy accept Kaiser?
Target Pharmacy is now CVS, so yes, for an initial prescription you are covered. However, if your health plan benefits include a prepaid prescription drug plan, you must use a Kaiser pharmacy to obtain drugs at plan prices.
What states have Kaiser Insurance?
Kaiser Permanente is available in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia and Washington D.C.
Who takes Kaiser Insurance?
To search for a doctor according to the insurance they accept visit here. There are over 8,000 internists and over 7200 family doctors and thousands of specialists who accept Kaiser Insurance.
What does Kaiser Permanente insurance cover?
Kaiser Permanente offers different coverages to different people, depending on the plan. Kaiser focuses on prevention as well as taking care of existing conditions. You can sometimes see a specialist without a referral from a primary care doctor.
Check out our full list of common questions about Kaiser Permanente.
Anthem
Are the Anthem Insurance reviews positive or negative?
The complaint ratio on individual health plans are lower than complaint ratios on group health plans. Both fall below the average number of complaints compared with other carriers.
Is Anthem medical insurance good?
Anthem is a trusted medical insurance provider which serves millions of Americans. Complaint ratios, however, tend to be a bit higher than average on group insurance plans.
How does Anthem deductible work?
Like most health care plans, Anthem has an annual flat-dollar deductible you must meet before your plan begins to pay your medical expenses.
Is Anthem Blue Cross the same as Blue Shield?
Anthem offers health insurance as a Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate.
Check out our full list of common questions about Anthem.
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Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Insurance Contact Info
| Kaiser Permanente Contact Info | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Kaiser Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612 |
| Phone | 1 (510) 271-5910 |
| Website | https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/ |
| https://www.facebook.com/kpthrive/ | |
| Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqZdtT_o6xZbMkRbLZJ7Zvg |
| https://twitter.com/aboutKP | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaiser-permanente/ | |
| Anthem Contact Info | |
|---|---|
| Address | 220 Virginia Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46204 |
| Phone | 1 (800) 331-1476 |
| Website | https://www.anthem.com/ |
| https://www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield/ | |
| Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCInrJqNqrSpvHwNErijbVyg |
| https://twitter.com/AnthemInc | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/antheminc/ | |
Fran Majidi manages content on SmartFinancial's website. She's had nearly a decade's worth of experience writing about insurance-related topics. Prior, she was an arts and entertainment editor in New York City. She has a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.F.A. in writing from The New School. She writes books under her given name, Afarin Majidi.
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