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Anthem (Elevance Health): Medicare Advantage denial & appeal rates

Elevance Health / Anthem · 5% of MA enrollment

PA denial rate
4.1%
Denials appealed
9.1%
Overturned on appeal
87.9%
MA enrollees

In 2024, Anthem (Elevance Health) denied about 4.1% of the prior-authorization requests it reviewed. When members appealed, 87.9% of those denials were overturned — yet only 9.1% of denials were appealed at all. ~81% of appealed MA prior-authorization denials are overturned, so a denial is rarely the final word.

Anthem (Elevance Health)’s posted coverage policies

Insurers must post the medical policies they use to decide coverage. These are the ones most relevant to lab, imaging, and facility denials — quote the matching policy in your appeal.

Service categoryPolicyUpdated
Advanced imaging (MRI/CT)Carelon Radiology / Imaging of the Brain / Spine (Clinical Appropriateness Guidelines)Eff 10/20/2024; Last Review 01/23/2024 (Doc RBM06-1024.2)
PET / oncologic imagingCarelon Oncologic Imaging (Clinical Appropriateness Guideline)Revised Eff 04/04/2026 (Doc RBM07-0426.1)
Skilled nursing facility (SNF)Carelon Post-Acute Care (SNF) + licensed MCG Recovery Facility Care (RFC)not shown
Inpatient rehab facility (IRF)Carelon Post-Acute Care (Inpatient Rehab) + MCG RFCnot shown
Home healthCG-MED-23 Home Healthnot captured (anthem.com bot-blocked)
DME (general)Anthem DME Clinical UM Guidelines (CG-DME series)not captured
CPAP/PAP & suppliesCarelon Sleep Disorder Management (PAP incl.)Rev Eff 09/10/2023 (Doc SDM01-0923.2); updated 2024-10-20
Oxygen / respiratoryCG-DME-18 Home Oxygen Therapy (+ CG-DME-47 Noninvasive Home Ventilator)not captured
Spine surgery / fusionCarelon Spine Surgery (Clinical Appropriateness Guideline)Eff 11/15/2025, updated 01/01/2026 (prior MSK03-1024.2)
Epidural / facet injectionsCarelon Interventional Pain Management (+ Anthem CG-MED-78 Anesthesia)Rev Eff 04/14/2024 (Doc MSK01-0424.2)
Cataract surgeryCG-SURG-40 Cataract Removal Surgery for Adultsnot captured
Anti-VEGF / intravitreal (Eylea/Avastin)Clinical Criteria (ING-CC series) + Anti-VEGF Medical Step Therapynot captured
Behavioral health / inpatient psychLicensed MCG BHG / InterQual (inpatient) - NOT PUBLISHEDn/a
Skin substitutes / CTPsCG-SURG-127 Products for Wound Healing and Soft Tissue Grafting: Medically Necessary Usesnot captured
Oncology / chemotherapy drugsCarelon Cancer Treatment Pathways + Anthem/CarelonRx ING-CC-xxxx per drugnot captured
Knee / hip arthroplastyCarelon Joint Surgery (Clinical Appropriateness Guideline)Eff 11/15/2025 (prior 11/17/2024)
Bariatric surgeryCG-SURG-83 Bariatric Surgery and Other Treatments for Clinically Severe ObesityEff 12/28/2023; Last Reviewed 11/09/2023 (via mirror)
Sleep studiesCarelon Sleep Disorder ManagementRev Eff 09/10/2023 (Doc SDM01-0923.2)
Genetic / molecular testingCG-GENE-13 Genetic Testing for Inherited Diseases + Carelon Genetic Testingnot captured
Hospiceno dedicated published Anthem MA hospice policy locatedn/a

Anthem (Elevance Health)’s CMS prior-authorization metrics posting →

Denied by Anthem (Elevance Health)? Don’t pay a bill you may not owe.

Appeals win far more often than people expect. See how the deadlines and the process work, or fast-track a rehab/nursing discharge.

Insurer / contract level. Medicare does not publish per-plan denial rates. Rates are 2024 prior-authorization determinations; data as of July 2026. Notes: Lowest denial rate. KFF prose/chart-title cite 4.2% (vs 4.1% chart dataset) - flagged. Anthem CMS-0057-F posting CONFIRMED: per-MA-contract PDFs at the DAM pattern shown (verified H1607 CY2025 = 4.2% std denial; see contract-samples sheet).… Informational only — not medical, legal, or billing advice.