Is anthem blue cross the same as blue cross of california

Blue Cross Blue Shield is part of the Anthem family of brands, but the two entities each sell health insurance in different areas of the country, and each company provides Medicare health benefits and prescription drug coverage to beneficiaries in those areas.

In this review, we compare Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem, detailing the types of plans offered by each company and where you might be able to find Medicare plans in your area.

Anthem offers a wide range of health insurance products, such as individual and family plans, standalone dental and vision policies, Medicare plans and supplemental insurance like accident, critical illness and hospital recovery coverage. 

Anthem is one of the largest health insurers in the U.S., partly through its various affiliates like Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Anthem provides a number of helpful tools and resources for its members, including 24-hour telehealth, a medication coverage lookup tool and health care provider finder. Anthem also offers a mobile app for more seamless access to plan information and customer support features including dedicated phone numbers for each product type and live online chat for members.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is a brand name that includes 35 independent and locally operated companies that do business under various names in each state in which they operate (for example, Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona). 

Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a variety of insurance policies in some areas, including individual and family health insurance plans, dental, vision and Medicare Advantage policies. 

Like Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield provides several tools and resources for its members but takes it all a step further with the Blue365 program that offers discounts for products and services related to fitness, eating, personal care, lifestyle and financial health. A mobile app makes it easy to access benefit information, but the customer support portal is far less user-friendly than Anthem and lacks an online chat service.

Because Blue Cross Blue Shield’s various subsidiaries are found in every state, it’s easy to see why there are so many health care providers who are part of these plan networks. 

How to Enroll in an Anthem or Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Plan

Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield are trusted health insurance companies that offer quality coverage to millions of satisfied customers, and it’s hard to go wrong with either carrier.

Your first step in finding the right plan for you is to compare the Medicare plans that are available where you live. Working with a licensed insurance agent allows you to compare plans from different insurance companies so that you can find the Medicare plan with the right price, the right benefits and the right coverage for your needs. 

There are a number of resources available to you whether you're an active or retiree participant, or a district member representing management or labor. These resources can be extremely helpful and convenient for you to find valuable information for any of your healthcare benefit needs. On this site you'll find various CVT forms such as enrollment, change of dependent, as well as major medical forms. You'll find important links for additional references and educational information. On the contact us section you'll find key contacts and reference information for your convenience.

The plans all provide for annual preventive care, hospital emergencies, chiropractic and acupuncture visits as well as mental health options. All the plans have unlimited lifetime maximum benefit and are compliant with Health Care Reform benefits. Plans 1, 2, and 3 pay at 100%, Plans 4 and 5 are 90% co-insurance and Plans 6-10 are 80% co-insurance and require more out of pocket for the participant but lower premiums.

Different requirements determine which network of providers, Anthem Blue Cross or Blue Shield of California, is available to the district and/or bargaining unit. For more information of these networks click on the link below.

• Anthem Blue Cross - With nearly 69 million people served by its affiliated companies including more than 37 million enrolled in its family of health plans, Anthem is one of the nation's leading health benefits companies.  Anthem supports CVT members with a dedicated unit staffed with Anthem associates well versed on the CVT benefit programs.  This dedicated unit is available to answer questions regarding your benefits, claims, provider billings and authorizations and is available Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at (800) 234-4333.
• Blue Shield of California - Blue Shield of California provides CVT members access to the Blue Shield PPO and HMO network of providers and wellness discounts.  Blue Shield of California is an independent member of the Blue Shield Association with a commitment to providing access to high-quality health care at an affordable price.  As a not-for-profit, Blue Shield has been part of California's healthcare landscape since 1939, and is passionate about improving the health and wellness of their members, while giving back to the communities they serve.

Prescription Plan Options

Prescription plans work the same way. There are 5 different plans to choose from depending on the level of benefit desired.

CVT and our prescription benefit provider, CVS/caremark, provide prescription benefits for plan participants and their eligible dependent(s) enrolled in either a CVT High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) or a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan.  Caremark is the largest nationwide network of pharmacies with 60,000 participating retail pharmacies to choose from. 

For an overview of each of the 10 plans and 5 prescription options, click here.

For More Information…

For more information about any of these plans, please contact us through

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