Anthem Blue Cross is one of the largest health insurers in California, covering millions of members through individual, group, Medi-Cal managed care, and Covered California marketplace plans. If you need to serve Anthem Blue Cross with legal papers, the first thing you need to know is that “Anthem Blue Cross” is a trade name — it is not a legal entity. The actual corporate name on the Secretary of State’s records is different, and naming the wrong entity in your complaint is a mistake that will cost you time.
The Correct Legal Entity
The correct entity for most California health insurance litigation is Blue Cross of California. This is the legal name of the entity that does business as Anthem Blue Cross in the state. Blue Cross of California is a California corporation licensed by the California Department of Managed Health Care.
The entity confusion goes deeper:
• Anthem Blue Cross — Trade name only. Not a legal entity. You cannot serve “Anthem Blue Cross” because no such entity is registered with the California Secretary of State.
• Blue Cross of California — The correct legal entity for most California HMO and health plan litigation. This is the entity licensed to operate as a health care service plan under the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act.
• Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company — A separate entity that issues certain indemnity insurance products (PPO plans, life insurance, disability). If your client’s coverage is through a PPO product rather than an HMO, this may be the correct or additional defendant.
• Anthem Blue Cross Partnership Plan, Inc. — A separate entity that operates Medi-Cal managed care plans. If the dispute involves Medi-Cal coverage through Anthem, this entity may be relevant.
• Elevance Health, Inc. (formerly Anthem, Inc.) — The parent holding company, incorporated in Indiana and traded on the NYSE as ELV. Elevance Health rebranded from Anthem, Inc. in 2022. This is generally not the correct defendant for individual policyholder disputes in California.
The naming matters. Filing a complaint against “Anthem Blue Cross” when the legal entity is Blue Cross of California will prompt a demurrer or motion to dismiss. Check your client’s insurance card and policy documents — the legal entity name typically appears in the fine print.
Search bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov to confirm the current registered agent for Blue Cross of California before serving.
Where to Serve
Registered agent: CT Corporation System
Address: 330 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 700, Glendale, CA 91203
CT Corporation serves as the California registered agent for Blue Cross of California. The Glendale office at 330 N. Brand Boulevard, Suite 700, is CT’s primary California location for accepting service of process.
CT Corporation accepts service during normal business hours. Present the documents identifying the target entity — Blue Cross of California, not “Anthem Blue Cross” — to CT’s authorized staff.
For Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company and Anthem Blue Cross Partnership Plan, Inc., verify the registered agent separately on the Secretary of State’s website. These are distinct entities that may have different agent designations.
What Documents Are Commonly Served
Blue Cross of California (Anthem Blue Cross) is a high-volume litigation target:
• Insurance bad faith complaints — Coverage denial disputes, claim underpayments, unreasonable delays in authorization, and failure to provide medically necessary care. California’s robust bad faith law allows recovery of consequential and punitive damages beyond the policy benefits.
• Knox-Keene Act violations — Claims alleging violations of the Health Care Service Plan Act, including network adequacy failures, improper grievance handling, and failure to provide timely access to specialists.
• ERISA actions — Employer-sponsored plan disputes governed by federal ERISA law. As with UnitedHealthcare, a significant portion of Anthem litigation involves ERISA-preempted claims with limited remedies.
• Covered California disputes — Claims related to marketplace plan enrollment, premium subsidies, coverage effective dates, and plan changes.
• Provider disputes — Physician and hospital claims for underpayment, improper denials, and contract violations.
• Subpoenas — Discovery requests for claims files, medical necessity determinations, policy documents, and coverage histories.
• Class actions — Multi-plaintiff cases targeting systematic claims practices, rate increases, and provider network changes.
How We Handle It
CT Corporation at 330 N. Brand Blvd. in Glendale is a location we serve regularly for Blue Cross of California documents. The key service detail is ensuring the complaint or subpoena names the correct legal entity. We see documents come through naming “Anthem Blue Cross” as the defendant — and while we serve what we are given, we note the potential entity mismatch so the attorney has the opportunity to correct the pleadings.
For cases naming multiple Anthem/Blue Cross entities (Blue Cross of California + Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company, for example), we verify the registered agent for each entity and serve all required locations. Separate proofs of service are provided for each entity.
Service Level | Timeframe | Price
Standard | 10 business days | \$99
Expedited | 3 business days | \$150
Rush | 24 hours | \$175
Court Filing Add-on | — | +\$30
