Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Helps Georgia Small Businesses Lower Costs and Improve Health Outcomes

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As small businesses across Georgia face rising healthcare costs, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is delivering solutions that help employers offer competitive benefits, improve health outcomes, and keep costs clearer and more predictable.

Recent research shows small businesses and their employees have experienced healthcare cost increases of 26% over the past five years, underscoring the need for more stable and predictable solutions.

Through innovative funding options like Balanced Funding and Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs), Anthem’s health plans are making healthcare accessible and reducing costs for employers and their employees.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Georgia’s economy, but many lack the scale to manage rising healthcare costs,” said Amanda Free, President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Georgia. “Solutions designed for smaller employers provide greater cost stability, shared risk protection, and tools that support preventive care. When costs are more predictable and employees stay healthier, businesses are better positioned to grow and compete.”

Predictable Costs with Balanced Funding
Balanced Funding provides small and mid-size employers with a fixed monthly payment and built-in safeguards that cap financial risk. When employee healthcare costs are lower than expected, employers may receive money back, creating shared incentives around prevention and early care.

Balanced Funding also helps employers:

• Avoid some of the fees and taxes associated with traditional fully insured plans.
• Access monthly financial and employee health reporting to better understand cost drivers including hospital and prescription drug costs.
• Encourage preventive and primary care that helps people get care earlier and avoid more costly health issues later on.

Coordinated care and better health outcomes are the foundation for lower costs across the healthcare system. When employees access care earlier, small problems are less likely to turn into costly emergencies. Balanced Funding supports preventive care, chronic condition management, and offers integrated pharmacy and behavioral health services to help employees stay healthier and avoid preventable complications.

Strength in Numbers: Chamber and Farm Bureau Partnerships
MEWAs allow small employers to band together, pooling employees into a larger risk group to access competitive rates and broader benefit options. These partnerships—often with state chambers and farm bureaus—provide the purchasing power and stability typically available only to larger organizations.

Anthem has partnered with the Georgia Chamber for seven years, with more than 3,000 employers participating in the MEWA health plan program statewide.

“Predictable, manageable healthcare costs are critical for small businesses to remain competitive and continue creating jobs,” said Morgan Law, Chief Experience Officer, Georgia Chamber. “Through our ongoing partnership with Anthem over the past several years, we’ve helped give smaller employers access to the same advantages as larger organizations including strong benefits, shared risk, and greater cost stability. That’s a meaningful step forward for Georgia’s business community.”

Anthem also offers a MEWA program designed for Georgia Farm Bureau members, providing farmers access to comprehensive benefits, predictable costs, and a broad network of care providers.

Together, these programs demonstrate sustained savings and long-term cost stability for local employers, helping them attract, retain, and support a healthy workforce.

Simplified Healthcare Navigation for Employees
Beyond funding structures, Anthem supports lowering healthcare costs through digital tools and care teams. Through the Sydney Health app, employees can compare care options, understand costs, and access virtual care. The app has saved users across the country an estimated 1.5 million hours by making it faster and easier to find and access care, helping employees address health needs earlier and avoid unnecessary costs.

By combining innovative funding models with digital access, preventive care, and coordinated support, Anthem is helping small businesses deliver meaningful benefits. These solutions also help employers achieve more consistent and predictable healthcare costs over time.

Expanded Support from Anthem Foundation
In addition to employer-focused solutions, the Anthem Foundation launched its Impact Investing Program, which provides affordable financing to small businesses, nonprofits, and social enterprises addressing health-related social needs. In Georgia, the Foundation’s first investment includes a $100,000 loan to Firefly Wellness Counseling, a Scottdale-based mental health practice offering behavioral healthcare and therapy for children, teens, and adults.

“This impact investment is helping us expand our team so we can reach more adults, teens, and children with the care they need,” said Anne Rice, LPC, LMHC, owner of Firefly Wellness Counseling. “By growing our capacity, we’re able to provide more evidence-based therapy for anxiety, depression, and neurodevelopmental differences, and better serve our community.”

By supporting organizations like Firefly, the impact investment program helps strengthen local care access, address healthcare needs, and reduce barriers that can drive higher healthcare costs over time.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Georgia
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us at @anthemBCBS on X or https://www.linkedin.com/company/anthembcbs/ on LinkedIn.