Anthem's mission is to improve the health of the people they serve. At Anthem, they believe the best health care coverage can actually help people stay healthy. That's why theygo beyond simply providing coverage. Anthem encourages members' wellness by:

• Offering large networks of some of the region's best physicians, specialists and hospitals.
• Reminding members to have important preventive screenings.
• Providing programs and information to help manage chronic health conditions.
• Offering related services including dental coverage, life insurance and pharmacy benefits management.

Anthem works with physicians, hospitals and other providers to help ensure that care is accessible, coordinated, timely and provided in a manner and setting that promotes positive patient-provider relationships.
Anthem Life provides insurance products and services to over 37,000 groups, covering approximately 830,000 employees, with over $27 billion of life insurance benefits in force.

On November 30, 2004, Anthem and Wellpoint completed their merger. The Stock is NYSE listed, symbol WLP and is the largest health insurer in the U.S.
 

Financial Ratings

Information from AM BEST. www.Ambest.com:

Rating: A (Excellent)
Financial Size Category: X ($500 Million to $750 Million)
Outlook: Stable
Action: Affirmed
Effective Date: March 20, 2008
 

Plan Features

BlueAccessSM

Freedom with security is the perfect combination for your health care coverage. For generations, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has provided its members with reliable health care coverage. We've learned a lot during those years and we encourage you to look through these materials and learn what Blue Access can offer. Blue Access is a preferred provider organization (PPO) health care benefit plan with a network of some of the area's best physicians. As a Blue Access member, you pay less out of your pocket -- and Anthem covers more -- if you obtain care from Anthem network physicians.

Network Physicians Make Life Easier
While you have the freedom to choose a network or non-network provider, we hope you will establish a long-term relationship with a physician. Working with network physicians can offer you: more effective health care coordination, a potential cost savings, less paperwork hassle. If you see a non-network provider, you must first obtain precertification by calling the Anthem Precertification Center for certain services (one exception is emergency care). Otherwise, you may have a greater financial responsibility or the services may not be covered. You are also responsible for claims filing anytime you see a non-network provider.

An Ounce of Prevention
Preventive care for you and everyone covered under your Certificate is included with Blue Access. This care is aimed at keeping members healthy and productive. Our preventive care benefits include: well baby and well child care, certain routine or periodic exams, immunizations, In an Emergency With Blue Access, there is a distinction between an emergency and a need for urgent care. To ensure access to your benefits, you need to understand both. In either situation, there are different steps to take. We encourage you to review the differences so you'll be prepared.

Emergency care
Emergencies are medical conditions that in the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected by a prudent layperson to place a person's health in serious jeopardy. They reveal themselves by acute or severe symptoms.
During an emergency, immediately call 911 or go to an emergency room. Contact Anthem within 24 hours (within 48 hours in Indiana) or as soon as reasonably possible.

Urgent and after-hours care
Urgent care situations are serious conditions that cannot reasonably be postponed for regularly scheduled care, but are not emergencies. In these cases, always call your physician first for advice about the appropriate treatment. Many physicians have extended hours to accommodate patients during evenings and weekends. When choosing a physician, be sure your doctor's hours fit your schedule.

Coverage While Traveling
With Blue Access, you have access to more than 80 percent of hospitals and nearly 90 percent of physicians nationwide.1
To receive the highest level of benefits for routine covered care and services, call the toll-free customer service number on the back of your ID card for the location of participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield providers. For urgent care, call your physician for advice about appropriate treatment. For emergency care, go to the nearest health care facility for treatment. Contact your physician within 24 hours (within 48 hours in Indiana) or as soon as reasonably possible to coordinate follow-up care. Obtain and save receipts for any medical treatment you receive so you can file a claim for covered services when you return home.

Coverage for Out-of-area Dependent Children
Covered dependent children living outside the service area can access these benefits. Whether away at school or living in another city or state, all they need to do is visit a participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield provider. Covered services are paid at the highest benefit level and you may not be billed for the difference between the amount charged and the amount paid to the participating provider. If your dependent child chooses to see a non-participating provider, he or she will receive coverage at a lower level and may be billed for any unpaid balance.

Basic Product Design
Members receive their care from any physician or hospital in Anthem's expansive Blue AccessSM network. Members have a non-network option with reduced benefit levels. Network physicians handle precertification and claims filing. Lifetime maximum
Flat dollar copayments for physician office visits on network benefits

Some Special Features Offered with Blue AccessSM
BlueCard® - Benefits travel with members throughout the United States and in 40 foreign countries. Preventive Services - Includes well baby/well child care and immunizations. SpecialOffers@Anthem- Provides members access to discounts on health/wellness products and services. Complementary BlueSM - Access to information on complementary medicine and alternative therapies, as well as discounts on nutraceuticals. Anthem Rx Mail Service Prescriptions - Up to a 90-day supply of maintenance medications that can lower prescription costs Anthem Rx - A prescription drug card for more than 53,000 retail pharmacies and 250 chains Blue Quality Centers for Transplant - One of the largest transplant networks in the country.

The Choice for You
If you're looking for a flexible plan with the security of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield -- Blue Access is the choice for you.
This plan overview is intended to be a brief outline of coverage. The entire provisions of benefits and exclusions are contained in the Group Contract, which shall control in the event of a conflict with this overview.
 

Underwriting & Renewals

Anthem can be a tougher underwriter. Most Blue Cross carriers are vidualent in trying to defend their blocks of business. Anthem is a very competitive provider in groups of more than 25 employees. Customer Service from Anthem over the past several years has been very challenging. The product is excellent, the little things need work. We are very optistimistic about the prospects of customer service with the Wellpoint Merger. Wellpoint has been exceptional in understanding that insurance is more than the contact. Anthem has not made it easy for small group agents over the past few years either.

If you are not a member of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, you should join. Small groups will get appx 5% off their rates by being a member. This is open for existing groups as well with the discount taking effect at the next renewal.

Renewals:

We expect 2008 renewals to be in the midrange of other carriers. . Anthem never made itself out to be the "low cost" provider. They were not aggresive in protecting their blocks of business with low renewals. On the other hand, they have been a pilar of stregth in a "legislatively-challenged" state. Indiana residents and businesses saw a lot of names disappear from the marketplace over the past few years. Anthem has been consistant in renewals although Trends have been higher than average.

Special Note For groups of less than 20 employees:

When a small company has an employee turn 65 the employee needs to elect Medicare Part B. Medicare becomes the primary insurer. Anthem would be secondary. Anthem is one of the few companies that assumes that you are not going to elect Medicare Part B. By doing that, they protect a person from not having outpatient coverage if they didn't elect Part B, but they charge everyone the higher rate. Most companies make the assumption that you did the right thing and they make themselves secondary and lower the premium charged to the 65+ employee by about 60%. With Anthem, you must prove that the employee elected Medicare Part B and send timely proof to Anthem in order to have the premium lowered. It can be very frustrating and time consuming.