Amerigroup Community Care Medicaid insurance is the insurance name we see most often. As a co-owner of a medical clinic that treats opioid addiction via telemedicine, it's easy to think of Amerigroup as little more than an invisible entity that provides reimbursement for insurance claims and occasional customer support but not much more. There has to be more to Amerigroup (aka Wellpoint) than meets the eye.
After doing some research, I realized there was a lot I didn’t know about Amerigroup. Amerigroup Wellpoint is a unique, employee-friendly, and patient-centric insurance provider.
Note: Amerigroup has officially changed its name to Wellpoint. Both names are referenced in this article and refer to the same entity.
Interactions with Amerigroup Wellpoint
Occasionally, I will make a call regarding a patient-related issue, but this is rare. Amerigroup Wellpoint provides outstanding services to many of our patients; we submit claims, and Amerigroup reimburses us for those claims. Our patients, on the other hand, have far more interactions with Amerigroup than we do.
I decided to learn more about Amerigroup's history and culture. After all, who is this company that provides outstanding benefits to so many of our Medicaid-insured addiction patients?
Amerigroup Insurance History
Often, the history of a company will tell you a lot about them. Who started the company and why? What was the original purpose or company mission that drove a startup into an insurance behemoth? Certainly, Amerigroup’s history would tell the story of its skyrocketing growth in the insurance sector over the past twenty years, right?
The History of Amerigroup Insurance
Amerigroup began as American Community Care in 1994. It was initially created to provide healthcare solutions for children, mothers, and pregnant women. Its primary sector was Medicaid. It continued this focus of care until 2001, when it became a publicly traded corporation. (source: Wikipedia)
"Amerigroup is a leading provider of health insurance for Medicaid and Medicare programs. This focus allows them to develop plans that address the unique healthcare needs of these populations. They have a "state-based approach" where health coverage is designed to meet the specific requirements of each state, ensuring members receive coverage that aligns with local regulations and resources."
Jon Stolzer - Co-Owner/CEO of Recovery Care of Columbia
Amerigroup entered the Medicare space in 2006. This is when it began serving low-income people who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare and require special programs. In 2007, Amerigroup began operations of a traditional Medicare program named Medicare Advantage.
Amerigroup continues to offer healthcare services through three government programs that each target different segments of the low-income population:
- Medicaid
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Medicare
Interestingly, Anthem Insurance was named Wellpoint when it acquired Amerigroup in 2012. As noted above, Amerigroup recently changed its name to Wellpoint.
Amerigroup Employee Culture
While I don't have access to speak with Amerigroup employees often, my interactions with them have always been helpful and pleasant. Their employees seem empowered, and confident and are able to answer questions related to their departments.
The Amerigroup Foundation
The main goals of the Amerigroup Foundation are to increase access to care, encourage safe and healthy children and families, and promote community involvement and healthy neighborhoods.
Amerigroup has put its money where its mouth is by contributing more than $17,000,000 to various local community health centers, service organizations, and other local programs.
Employee Volunteerism
Wellpoint has a Community Volunteers Program, through which any employee who is willing to do volunteer work in their local communities may receive a paid day off each year. That’s quite a financial contribution to local communities, considering Amerigroup Wellpoint has over 10,000 employees.
"Amerigroup often partners with community organizations and healthcare providers to offer additional services and support to their members. This can include programs for preventive care, chronic disease management, and social services. They provide excellent customer service and support to its members."
Jon Stolzer - Co-Owner/CEO of Recovery Care of Columbia
Amerigroup Outpatient Addiction Treatment Coverage
Amerigroup’s Medicaid division, known as Amerigroup Community Care, provides comprehensive insurance coverage for people with low-income in need of addiction treatment. In particular, outpatient addiction treatment, MAT - Medication-Assisted Therapy using Suboxone medications.
Amerigroup covers 100% of all costs associated with outpatient addiction treatment, including Suboxone medication costs, with no copay. They fully support telemedicine addiction treatment and provide zero-cost ride assistance programs to patients who need to visit a Suboxone clinic in person.
Amerigroup Community Care Medicaid Insurance
Below are some of the benefits Amerigroup Community Care provides in regards to virtual outpatient addiction treatment using Suboxone:
- Eligibility: Amerigroup Community Care is their Medicaid insurance division and is primarily geared toward low-income individuals and families.
- Premiums and Co-pays: Wellpoint Community Care has no premiums and no co-pays associated with its virtual addiction treatment coverage.
- Prescription Drug Coverage: Amerigroup Community Care provides 100% prescription drug coverage for virtual addiction treatment, including generic Suboxone sublingual films and tablets.
- Long-Term Care: Wellpoint Community Care will cover the costs associated with long-term care when needed.
Amerigroup/Wellpoint Insurance Accepted at This Suboxone Clinic
Amerigroup was one of the first insurance companies we wanted to work with at Recovery Care of Columbia. We weren’t aware of their culture, foundation, or history at the time of applying, but we did have knowledge of a few motivating factors that led us to put them at the top of our list of insurance companies to work with. Here are just a few reasons we chose to work with Amerigroup/Wellpoint:
- Amerigroup Community Care Medicaid insurance provides 100% coverage for outpatient telemedicine addiction treatment, including all visits and medication costs.
- Amerigroup Community Care Medicaid insurance provides outstanding support for its enrollees. Some years ago, I spoke with an Amerigroup Community Care customer service representative who was calling all Suboxone clinics in the Columbia, TN, area in search of an outpatient addiction treatment solution for one of their enrollees. This is my only experience with a Medicaid insurance provider going to such a great extent to help someone.
- Wellpoint Community Care was one of the first Medicaid insurance providers to approve the use of virtual addiction treatment with Suboxone following the COVID-19 epidemic. In my experience, the use telemedicine has exponentially improved access to outpatient addiction treatment by eliminating the most common barriers to treatment such as transportation, time away from work, and child care.
Learn more about Amerigroup Community Care Medicaid insurance and Amerigroup commercial insurance by visiting their websites below.
Sign Up for Telemedicine Addiction Treatment with Suboxone: