Anthem Watch: A New Accountability Project from Action For Health

Effort Comes as Payor Seeks to Cement Provider Penalty by Jan 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2025

CONTACT 
Christopher Sheeron
+1 (202) 823-2333
media@action4health.org

WASHINGTON — National nonprofit Action for Health is today launching Anthem Watch to hold one of the country’s biggest insurers accountable for the harm it is causing to patients, providers, and the American healthcare system. The project comes as Anthem seeks to implement a new provider penalty policy undermining federal surprise billing law starting January 1, 2026. The broader accountability campaign will also activate with an inaugural six-figure digital advertising buy from Action for Health to ensure both policymakers and the public are aware of the corporate insurance giant’s behavior.

Action for Health President Christopher Sheeron stated, "After last year’s outrageous 1-hour-anesthesia policy, Anthem is turning itself into the poster child for causing harm in American healthcare. They’ve raised premiums without improving their network or coverage. They’ve raked in record profits while now trying to penalize the doctors who save lives. This new project will work to bring some much needed sunlight and accountability to this opaque industry and its bad actors like Anthem.”

Anthem, which alternatively operates under the newer corporate name Elevance or Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, is one of the largest and most integrated health insurance conglomerates in the country. This insurance giant, with over $175 billion in annual revenue last year, has regularly pushed boundaries of acceptable and responsible behavior in the industry. Last year, the company was forced by public pressure to pull back its proposed policy of covering only one hour of anesthesia for patients in surgery.

Anthem is now attempting to solidify policies that would penalize hospitals in eleven states that use out-of-network providers. The widely common practice of having out-of-network providers like anesthesiologists and radiologists working in a hospital may now force a hospital to pay a 10% penalty “fee.”

Simply put, the new policy is trying to subvert the federal No Surprises Act and shift responsibility for adequate networks from Anthem onto hospitals.

Meanwhile, the company has posted massive quarterly operating profit of $1.3 billion at the same time it has announced premium hikes for plan members in states like California (14.7%), Colorado (+33.6%), Connecticut (14.2%), Georgia (+25%), Indiana (21.3%), Kentucky (+24%), Maine (23.1%), Missouri (22.67%), Nevada (12.95%), New Hampshire (redacted), New York (9.7%), Ohio (14.40% to 31.57%), Virginia (21.3%), Wisconsin (+33%).

In the coming months, Anthem Watch will document these anti-patient, anti-provider, and anti-American health actions from the corporate insurance giant. The project will provide insight, data, and analysis to equip everyone–from consumers to lawmakers–to address the problems and protect America’s health.