Elevance Health, Inc.
Company History
Elevance Health History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1944 in Indianapolis, Indiana
When was Elevance Health founded?
Elevance Health was founded in 1944 in Indianapolis, Indiana by Indiana Hospital Leaders (Mutual Hospital Insurance), making it 82 years old.
- Founded
- 1944
- Founding place
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Founders
- Indiana Hospital Leaders (Mutual Hospital Insurance)
- Headquarters today
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1944–2026)
- Current CEO
- Gail K. Boudreaux
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1944 | Indiana Health-Plan Roots |
| 2001 | Anthem IPO |
| 2004 | WellPoint and Anthem Combination |
| 2012 | Amerigroup Acquisition |
| 2013 | Joseph Swedish becomes CEO |
| 2014 | WellPoint Renamed Anthem |
| 2015 | Acquired Simply Healthcare Holdings |
| 2017 | Gail Boudreaux Becomes CEO |
| 2017 | Cigna Merger Abandoned |
| 2022 | Elevance Health Rebrand |
| 2025 | FY2025 Scale Update |
| 2026 | Margin Repair Year |
- Where was Elevance Health founded?
- Elevance Health was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1944.
- Who founded Elevance Health?
- Elevance Health was founded by Indiana Hospital Leaders (Mutual Hospital Insurance).
- When did Elevance Health start?
- Elevance Health was founded in 1944.
- How old is Elevance Health?
- Elevance Health is 82 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Elevance traces its roots to 1944, when Indiana hospital leaders organized Mutual Hospital Insurance, Inc., which became Blue Cross of Indiana; a companion physician plan that became Blue Shield of Indiana followed in 1946. The Indiana plans later combined as Anthem, merged with other Blue plans, converted from a mutual to a stock company with a 2001 IPO, and combined with California's WellPoint Health Networks in 2004.
Founders
Indiana Hospital Leaders (Mutual Hospital Insurance)
The company's lineage runs through Blue Cross of Indiana (1944) and Blue Shield of Indiana (1946), which later combined as Anthem. Anthem merged with other Blue plans in the 1990s, demutualized and went public in 2001, and combined with WellPoint Health Networks, created from Blue Cross of California, in 2004. The combined company used the WellPoint name until 2014, Anthem until 2022, and Elevance Health since then. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Indiana Health-Plan Roots
The organization traces its roots to Indiana health-plan predecessors.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWellPoint and Anthem Combination
The Anthem and WellPoint combination creates a larger national health benefits company.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAmerigroup Acquisition
WellPoint acquires Medicaid specialist Amerigroup for about $4.9B.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJoseph Swedish becomes CEO
Joseph Swedish became CEO of Elevance Health in 2013. His tenure ended after the failed Cigna deal, with the company pivoting to organic growth and services under his successor.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgWellPoint Renamed Anthem
WellPoint changed its name to Anthem, Inc. in December 2014.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired Simply Healthcare Holdings
Elevance Health acquired Simply Healthcare Holdings in February 2015.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgGail Boudreaux Becomes CEO
Boudreaux becomes CEO and later leads the company's broader health strategy.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCigna Merger Abandoned
Anthem ended its planned $48 billion purchase of Cigna in May 2017 after US courts blocked the deal.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgElevance Health Rebrand
Anthem changes its name to Elevance Health and expands the Carelon services identity.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFY2025 Scale Update
Elevance reports $199.125B revenue, $5.662B net income, and 45.2M medical members.
Source: sec.govMargin Repair Year
Q2 2026 operating revenue reaches $49.8B and adjusted EPS guidance is raised to at least $27.00 as membership falls to 44.9M.
Source: elevancehealth.comMajor Acquisitions
WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
2020Anthem acquired WellCare in January 2020 to expand its Medicaid and Medicare Advantage businesses.
Amerigroup Corporation
2012WellPoint acquired Amerigroup in 2012 to expand in Medicaid managed care.
BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy
2023Add specialty pharmacy capabilities to CarelonRx.
CareBridge
2025Add home- and community-based care management for people receiving long-term services and support.
Keep researching Elevance Health
Elevance Health Company History FAQ
When was Elevance Health founded?
Its oldest predecessor, Mutual Hospital Insurance (later Blue Cross of Indiana), was organized in 1944. Anthem went public in 2001, merged with WellPoint in 2004 and renamed itself Elevance Health in 2022.
When did WellPoint change its name to Anthem?
In December 2014, aligning the parent name with its Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans.
When did Anthem launch its own pharmacy benefit manager?
IngenioRx launched in 2019, replacing a contract with Express Scripts. It is now called CarelonRx.
When did Anthem become Elevance Health?
In June 2022, when the parent company changed its name and NYSE ticker to ELV.
How big is Elevance Health today?
It reported $199.1B of FY2025 revenue and served about 44.9M medical members at June 30, 2026.
How did Elevance Health start?
Elevance Health (formerly Anthem) was founded in 1944 in Indianapolis as Mutual Hospital Insurance Inc. It operated as a small, non-profit mutual insurer before aggressively demutualizing in 2001, going public, and buying up massive for-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across the country.
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