Preventing the Preventable: Advancing Affordable Care in Georgia

Delivering Better Health Through Prevention and Affordability

At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, we're committed to making healthcare more affordable and helping Georgians stay healthy.

What’s Driving Costs

 

There are many factors driving healthcare costs in Georgia. Some are medical, while others are social and economic. Major cost drivers include:

 

  • Chronic conditions – Diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are common and expensive to treat.
  • Drug costs – Prices for new and specialty medications continue to rise faster than inflation.
  • Aging population – More Georgians are living longer, requiring complex and coordinated care.
  • Provider consolidation – When hospitals and physician groups merge, competition decreases and costs rise.
  • Social drivers of health – Barriers like lack of transportation, food insecurity, and financial strain prevent people from seeking preventive care.
  • Fraud, waste, and abuse – Complex systems make it easier for inefficiencies to occur.

 

At Anthem, we’re addressing these challenges by tackling both medical and non-medical drivers of cost — because true affordability starts with prevention and whole-person health.

 

See our recent article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle about what we're doing, and keep reading below.

What We’re Doing to Improve Healthcare Affordability in Georgia

 

 

Here are some of the ways Anthem is working today to make healthcare more affordable across Georgia:

 

  • Expanding preventive care programs to include free checkups, screenings, and vaccines for members.
  • Providing chronic disease management programs that help members better manage conditions and avoid costly hospital visits.
  • Negotiating lower prescription drug prices and promoting affordable alternatives.
  • Implementing value-based care models with Georgia physicians that reward quality of care, not quantity of services.
  • Offering member rewards through programs like SmartShopper for finding high-quality, lower-cost care (available in certain plans).
  • Using AI and analytics to detect potentially fraudulent or improper claims.
  • Advocating for state and federal policies that strengthen affordability, transparency, and access.

Investing in Georgia Communities

 

Through the Anthem Foundation, Anthem is investing in community-based solutions that address the root causes of poor health and unaffordable care.

Recent grants in Georgia include:

  • Maternal Health: $2.9 million in open grants to expand prenatal and postpartum care, improve maternal health outcomes, and support new parent programs statewide.
  • Food As Medicine: $954,000 in funding to connect healthcare providers and food banks to address food insecurity and improve nutrition for Georgians managing chronic conditions.
  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Recovery: $2.9 million invested in recovery programs that provide treatment, peer support, and housing stability for individuals and families affected by addiction.
  • Disaster Relief: $166,000 in support to strengthen Georgia’s response and recovery efforts in communities impacted by natural disasters.

These investments help address barriers like transportation, financial strain, and food insecurity — factors at the heart of Anthem’s Whole Health approach.

 

By working together with providers, employers, policymakers, and community organizations, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia is committed to “Preventing the Preventable” — building a healthier, more resilient, and more affordable future for all Georgians.