Wellpoint D.C., Elevance Health’s Medicaid subsidiary in the District of Columbia, will exit the district’s Medicaid managed care program effective Aug. 1.
Enrollees currently with Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup D.C., will be automatically reassigned to AmeriHealth Caritas starting Aug. 1, according to a July 2 notice. AmeriHealth is jointly owned by Independence Health Group and BCBS Michigan.
Wellpoint first won a district Medicaid contract in 2017 but lost it in a 2020 rebid, before winning back the most recent contract in 2022 that was set to run until 2028. The contract has a combined value of $8.8 billion for 250,000 enrollees between Wellpoint, MedStar and AmeriHealth.
Wellpoint enrollees who would rather switch to MedStar will have until Jan. 31, 2027 to make that request.
“For the past several years, it has been our privilege to serve Medicaid members in the District of Columbia. We are grateful for the opportunity to support the health and well-being of District residents and to partner with providers and community organizations across the District to improve health outcomes of our members,” an Elevance spokesperson told Becker’s. “Following extensive discussions with the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance, we have mutually agreed that Wellpoint DC will exit the DC Medicaid market. Wellpoint is working closely with DHCF on its transition process and timeline, and working collaboratively with providers and community organizations to support a smooth transition for members with continuity of care as our highest priority.”
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