Wellness fund guide / Anthem

How to use your Anthem wellness fund

If your company has an Anthem plan, you may have wellness dollars to spend. Here is how an Anthem wellness fund usually works, and how to put it toward wellness boxes for your team.

How Anthem wellness funds work

Many Anthem employer groups have a wellness fund in their plan agreement. It is money Anthem sets aside for your company to spend on employee health and well-being, and it is most common with fully insured plans.

The amount, the deadline and the rules are set in your group's agreement, so they vary. Your Anthem account manager or your broker can tell you how much you have and when it expires.

Like most carrier funds, an Anthem wellness fund is usually use it or lose it. Any amount left at the end of your plan year typically does not roll over.

New to wellness funds? Our wellness fund guide covers the basics for every carrier.

What it can pay for

Each group's rules are a little different, but Anthem wellness funds generally cover things that help employees build healthier habits or learn about their benefits, like wellness events, fitness challenges, health education and employee wellness boxes built around a health theme.

Wellness boxes work well because they reach every employee, including remote and field teams. Each box is built around a theme like stress relief, healthy eating, sleep or exercise, and can include printed materials like your EAP flyer or benefits information. That makes the spend easy to tie to a real wellness goal, which carriers like to see. For ideas, see how to pair your wellness boxes with an initiative.

How we bill Anthem

With Anthem, many groups use reimbursement. Your Anthem account manager will confirm how your group is set up.

You pay, Anthem reimburses you

We send you the invoice and our W-9. You pay the invoice, then send the paid invoice to Anthem, and Anthem reimburses your company from the fund.

Anthem pays us directly

If your group is set up for direct payment, we send the invoice and W-9 to your Anthem contact and they pay from your fund.

Keep a copy of the paid invoice and your proposal. Those are usually all Anthem needs for reimbursement.

Step by step

  1. Confirm your balance and deadline with your Anthem account manager or broker.
  2. Request a proposal. Tell us your headcount, budget per employee, wellness theme and delivery date.
  3. Share the proposal with Anthem for approval if they need to sign off.
  4. Sign the proposal. We send the invoice and W-9, and you submit the paid invoice to Anthem if your group uses reimbursement.
  5. We build and ship your boxes, usually in about 4 to 5 weeks.

Orders start at $3,000 total, and most companies spend between $35 and $65 per box. If your deadline is close, reach out as soon as you can and we will tell you what timing is possible.

Common questions

Can an Anthem wellness fund pay for employee wellness boxes?

In most cases, yes. HealthBoxed is an approved wellness fund vendor with all major carriers, including Anthem, as long as the boxes support a wellness theme. It is still worth confirming with your Anthem account manager before you order.

How do I get reimbursed by Anthem?

Pay the HealthBoxed invoice, then send the paid invoice to your Anthem contact. We can provide the invoice, our W-9 and your signed proposal for your records.

Who do I contact at Anthem about my wellness fund?

Usually your Anthem account manager. If you work with a benefits broker, they can connect you.

Does my Anthem wellness fund roll over?

Usually not. Most funds follow your plan year, so plan your order early enough to deliver before your deadline.

Other carriers

Cigna · Aetna · UnitedHealthcare · CareFirst · All carriers

HealthBoxed is an independent wellness box company and is not affiliated with Anthem. Wellness fund amounts, rules and payment steps are set in each group's plan agreement, so confirm the details with your Anthem contact or broker.

Ready to put your Anthem wellness fund to work?

Tell us about your team and we will send a custom proposal within 1 business day. You can also ask for a quick call first.