Google’s Alphabet, Facebook’s Meta, and now Anthem’s Elevance

By Clive Riddle, March 10, 2022

In 2015 Google unveiled Alphabet, a new name to brand the parent holding company separate from the Google identity. Last year, Facebook announced Meta in a similar fashion.  And now, 2,306 miles from Silicon Valley, an announcement emerges from Indianapolis that the separate parent name above the Anthem brand will become Elevance Health. Their announcement states that “the new name underscores the company’s commitment to elevating whole health and advancing health beyond healthcare.”

Anthem President and CEO Gail Boudreaux says the new name reflects “our transformation from a health benefits organization to a lifetime, trusted health partner.” Aetna in 2018 also shed the parent branding identity of a health benefits organization out of necessity, being acquired by CVS Health. While Cigna’s parent identity is still a health benefits organization - Cigna, their PBM Express Scripts acquisition in 2020 rolled up into Evernorth branding with new and existing applicable sister health service solution businesses. Last year Humana – like Cigna still sticking to parent health benefits organization branding – introduced CenterWell as the new brand for a range of its payer-agnostic health care services offerings. Not that this is a brand new concept in the health benefits organization world – UnitedHealth Group announced its "Optum" master brand for its health services businesses in 2011.

In their announcement, Anthem states its “family of companies has evolved to offer products and services beyond traditional health insurance. Through its digital capabilities, pharmacy, behavioral, clinical and complex care assets the company is able to address consumers’ full range of needs with an integrated, whole-person approach. It’s through these diverse assets that the company will deliver on its strategy, drive growth and exceed expectations for consumers.”

And their branding makeover won’t stop there. Anthem tells us that “the corporate rebranding is a first step in the company’s effort to optimize its brand portfolio. While Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans’ names will not change, the company does expect to streamline the number of other brands in the market to reduce complexities and improve consumer experiences.”

The company does more details in the form of FAQs in their new one-page website: https://www.elevancehealth.com/