Amerigroup (Wellpoint) Review of Medicare and Medicaid
Cheap plans with mediocre customer satisfaction.
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Editor's Rating
Amerigroup, now called Wellpoint, is a lower quality subsidiary of its parent companies Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Wellpoint Medicaid plans (for those who have a low income) are usually better than Wellpoint Medicare plans (for seniors and those who have disabilities). If you're shopping for a Medicare plan, you'll usually be happier with a plan from another company.
Key takeaways about Amerigroup/Wellpoint
| Medicaid: In most states, Wellpoint is a good choice for Medicaid because its quality is tied with what you can get from other companies. But in Maryland and Tennessee, Wellpoint Medicaid plans are worse than other companies. |
| Medicare Advantage: Wellpoint's Medicare Advantage plans are cheap but can be frustrating. Most people will be happier with a cheap plan from one of the best Medicare Advantage companies in the country. |
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| Medicare Supplement: Wellpoint's Medicare Supplement plans are not a good deal because the company raises rates quickly as you age. By age 80, you'll typically be paying $16 more per month than average. Instead, consider one of the top Medicare Supplement companies. |
| Where is Amerigroup/Wellpoint available? Wellpoint operates in eight states — Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington — and Washington DC. Though not all types of plans are available in each state. |
| About Amerigroup's name change to Wellpoint: In most cases, your Amerigroup plan is now called Wellpoint, and you can use the Wellpoint website to manage your coverage. The name is the only thing that changed, not the company. |
Pros and cons
Pros
Cheap Medicare plans
Offers Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
Services Medicaid in most states
Cons
Poor customer satisfaction for Medicare
Only available in a few states
Can be hard to get medical care with Medicare
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Advantage
Wellpoint's Medicare Advantage plans are cheap but have lower ratings than other companies.
Cost of Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Advantage
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage costs only $3 per month, on average. This makes it one of the cheapest companies in the areas it sells policies.
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Wellpoint Medicare Advantage plans usually have no monthly cost. The most you'd pay is $28 per month.
Medicare Advantage plan cost by company
Company | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Wellpoint | $3 |
| Cigna | $8 |
| AARP/UnitedHealthcare | $15 |
| Aetna | $16 |
| Humana | $23 |
Averages are based on plans in the states where Wellpoint/Amerigroup operates
Not only are monthly costs low, but you'll also save on medical care. Compared to other plans, Wellpoint also has a lower deductible. That means you have to pay less of your medical expenses yourself before the plan's full benefits kick in.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Advantage ratings
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage plans receive low overall ratings from Medicare.gov for plan quality. Wellpoint's main issue is that people struggle to get the medical care they need because of which doctors and hospitals are in the network.
Wellpoint averages 3 out of five stars overall on Medicare.gov. That's worse than average, as 92% of people have plans rated 3.5 stars or better. Wellpoint is especially bad in Texas where it received just 2.5 out of five stars.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans
Wellpoint offers Special Needs Plans (SNPs) to those who qualify. These types of Medicare plans are not offered by many providers.
Plus, Wellpoint's Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are also usually cheaper than other companies.
Special needs plan | Wellpoint | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Chronic or disabling condition | $5 | $12 |
| Institutional | $0 | $30 |
| Dual eligible | $31 | $31 |
Average monthly cost based on plans in the states where Wellpoint/Amerigroup operates
Wellpoint offers all three types of SNPs.
- Dual-eligible plans (D-SNP) are available for those who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.
- Chronic illness plans (C-SNP) are designed for those who have certain conditions such as cancer, diabetes, lung disease, kidney failure or heart disease.
- Institutional plans (I-SNP) are for those in nursing homes or who need nursing care.
However, Wellpoint's problems with poor access to medical care extend to its Special Needs Plans.
Coverage with Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Advantage
The majority of Wellpoint's Medicare Advantage plans are HMOs, which means you have to use a doctor in the plan's network if you want the insurance company to help pay for your health care.
Medicare Advantage, also called Medicare Part C is a bundled health insurance plan that covers hospital care, medical care and usually prescription drugs.
Wellpoint's Medicare Advantage plans often require insurance approval for health expenses before you get medical care. Called prior authorization, this can add more paperwork and slow down how quickly you can get medical care.
In sample plans ValuePenguin reviewed, getting basic medical care like a specialist visit, X-ray or diagnostic test required the insurance company to sign off first. The insurance company's approval is also needed for more expensive services such as hospital care or skilled nursing, but this is more common with Medicare Advantage.
On the plus side, Wellpoint's Medicare plans include many extras. For example, plans include dental, vision, 24/7 telehealth, fitness programs, rides to doctor appointments and an allowance for over-the-counter health needs.
Alternatives to Wellpoint Medicare Advantage plans
For most people, a Medicare Advantage plan from Humana, AARP, or Blue Cross Blue Shield will be better than Wellpoint. These are the best Medicare Advantage companies because they have good ratings and affordable options with low monthly costs.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicare Supplement
Wellpoint's Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans are not usually a good deal when you get older.
Remember that it's important to choose a good Medigap plan when you first sign up because it can be difficult to change plans after your initial enrollment period at age 65.
Cost of Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medigap
Wellpoint's Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans start out cheap at age 65. But they get expensive as you get older, which makes them a bad deal.
At age 65, Wellpoint Medigap Plan G costs about $118 per month. That's 15% cheaper than average.
But the same Medigap Plan G costs 8% more than average at age 80. That's an average rate of $222 per month.
Medigap costs at age 65
Plan | Cost | vs. average |
|---|---|---|
| A | $116 | 17% cheaper |
| F | $157 | 11% cheaper |
| G | $118 | 15% cheaper |
| N | $100 | 6% cheaper |
Medigap costs at age 80
Plan | Cost | vs. average |
|---|---|---|
| A | $180 | 12% cheaper |
| F | $271 | 4% more expensive |
| G | $222 | 8% more expensive |
| N | $178 | 9% more expensive |
Average monthly rates in Arizona and Texas, the two states where Wellpoint sells plans.
Medigap Plan A is the exception. Wellpoint's Plan A is cheap at age 65 and 80.
Medigap plans give you the same amount of coverage no matter what company you buy a plan from. Most people don't choose Plan A because Plan G gives you much better coverage for not that much more money each month.
Wellpoint offers several ways to get discounts on your Medigap plan.
- Save 5% with a household discount when multiple family members have Wellpoint Medigap.
- Save $2 per month by using an automatic bank draft
- Save $24 per year by paying annually
However, these discounts are not unique, and you'll be able to get similar savings from another company.
Alternatives to Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medigap
Most people will be happier by getting a plan from one of the best Medicare Supplement companies which have high quality plans with cheap rates. Top companies include AARP/UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Mutual of Omaha.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicaid
Wellpoint has good Medicaid plans in most states because its plan quality is similar to the other companies that are available.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Medicaid plan ratings
In most states, Wellpoint's Medicaid plans have ratings that tie other companies as being the best quality option.
State | Rating | Is it as good as other companies? |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | ||
| Iowa | ||
| Maryland | ||
| New Jersey | ||
| Tennessee |
Ratings based on Amerigroup/Wellpoint plan quality information from NCQA versus other Medicaid companies in the state
There are two exceptions where Wellpoint Medicaid is not the highest rated, and you can get better quality coverage from another company.
- In Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare and BlueCare Tennessee both have four out of five stars. That means they're better rated than Wellpoint's plans which have 3.5 out of five stars.
- In Maryland, Kaiser Permanente has the highest-rated Medicaid plans with 4.5 out of five stars.
Medicaid plan ratings are based on a range of factors including customer satisfaction, ability to get medical care, and the quality of care patients receive.
Where is Amerigroup/Wellpoint available?
Wellpoint offers plans in eight states and Washington D.C. However, state availability varies based on the type of plan.
State | Medicaid |
Medicare
| Medigap |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ | |||
| DC | |||
| GA | |||
| IA | |||
| MD |
Based on plans being sold in 2024.
- Wellpoint Medicare Advantage is available in six states — Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. In Iowa and Washington, only SNPs are offered.
- Wellpoint Medigap is available in two states — Arizona and Texas.
- Wellpoint Medicaid is available in seven states — Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Washington — and Washington D.C.
Amerigroup has changed its name to Wellpoint
Amerigroup health insurance company is now called Wellpoint.
Starting in 2024, your insurance card will probably say Wellpoint, instead of Amerigroup. You'll also need to use the Wellpoint website to look up your plan benefits and available doctors.
The business itself is not changing. Only the company name and marketing materials are changing. Amerigroup, now Wellpoint, is still a part of Anthem, which is also called Elevance.
All of these brands fall under the umbrella of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. But because each brand operates independently, plan quality varies widely. That's why you'll see high ratings for Blue Cross plans in some states and low ratings for a subsidiary like Wellpoint.
In Massachusetts, UniCare plans that are offered to state employees through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) will also become Wellpoint plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amerigroup a good company?
Wellpoint/Amerigroup is an average insurance company with a Medicare rating of three out of five stars. Its plans are cheap, but customers struggle to get the medical care they need. The best Medicare Advantage companies have better quality coverage, while still having affordable options with no monthly cost.
Does Amerigroup have Medicare?
Yes, Wellpoint/Amerigroup offers several types of Medicare plans including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement plans (Medigap) and Special Needs Plans (SNPs). However, the company only operated in eight states, and where you live affects your plan options.
Is Anthem the same as Amerigroup?
Amerigroup, now called Wellpoint, is a subsidiary of Anthem. While the companies are not the same, Amerigroup is a part of one of the largest health insurance companies in the country.
Is Wellpoint Medicaid?
Wellpoint does offer Medicaid plans for those who have a low income, as well as Medicare insurance plans for seniors and those with certain disabilities.
Methodology and sources
Medicare Advantage plan costs and star ratings are sourced from the public use files from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Average costs of Medicare Advantage plans exclude plans that don't have prescription drug benefits, employer-sponsored plans and special needs plans, which are calculated separately.
Medicare Supplement plan costs are based on actuarial data and for a 65-year-old woman who doesn't smoke and doesn't qualify for a household discount. Rates are also based on the preferred pricing of initial enrollment when shoppers don't have to answer medical questions. Averages exclude Select plans and plans in states that don't use national standardization.
Medicaid plan ratings are from National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) which provides quality measurements by company and state.
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