Elevance Health — which operated as Anthem, Inc. until June 2022 — is a $156 billion health insurance and services company. It is one of the two or three largest health insurers in the United States by membership, serving more than 47 million members across Blue Cross Blue Shield licensed plans, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage, and commercial insurance. Its subsidiary Carelon provides health services including behavioral health, pharmacy, and complex care.
Elevance has a long-running supplier diversity program with Billion Dollar Roundtable membership, NMSDC corporate membership, and WBENC corporate membership. For diverse businesses in healthcare services, technology, and professional services, Elevance is one of the largest health sector buyers.
Elevance Health's supplier diversity program
Elevance Health's supplier diversity program is managed through the company's enterprise procurement organization. The program has operated under both the Anthem and Elevance brands and has been active for more than 20 years.
Elevance holds Billion Dollar Roundtable membership, which certifies annual diverse supplier spend of at least $1 billion. This places Elevance among fewer than 30 U.S. companies achieving that threshold. The company reports diverse supplier spend in its ESG report (available at elevancehealth.com/sustainability).
The program covers Elevance's Indianapolis, Indiana headquarters and operations across all 50 states through its managed care plans and Carelon subsidiary. Geographic reach is broad for services categories.
Elevance is an NMSDC corporate member, WBENC corporate member, and participates in NGLCC, Disability:IN, and veteran business programs.
Certifications accepted
Elevance Health accepts:
MBE: NMSDC certification from a regional affiliate. Elevance is a longtime NMSDC corporate member and MBE spend is actively tracked.
WBE: WBENC certification.
LGBTBE: NGLCC certification.
DOBE: Disability:IN certification.
SDVOSB/VOSB: Veteran-owned business certifications.
WOSB: SBA WOSB certification.
SDB / 8(a): SBA certification.
HUBZone: SBA HUBZone certification.
As a Medicaid and Medicare plan administrator, Elevance also operates in regulatory environments where some states require diverse supplier utilization reporting for government health contracts. State-level DBE or MWBE certifications may be relevant for suppliers working in those regulated programs.
How to register
Elevance Health uses Coupa as its procurement management platform. Supplier registration is available through the Elevance supplier portal.
Access the portal at elevancehealth.com/suppliers or through the Coupa Supplier Portal.
Registration steps:
- Access the Coupa Supplier Portal and create a new account using your business email.
- Complete the supplier profile: company information, UEI, NAICS codes, ownership demographics, and diversity certifications.
- Upload current certification documentation with expiration dates.
- Select capability categories aligned with Elevance's business areas.
- Submit for review by Elevance procurement.
Elevance also engages diverse suppliers at NMSDC and WBENC events. Meeting the Elevance supplier diversity team at a matchmaking session often accelerates the formal registration process.
Product and service categories
Elevance's sourcing reflects its health insurance and healthcare services operations:
Healthcare IT: Claims processing systems, data analytics, member portal technology, care management platforms, population health management, and cybersecurity. Elevance operates at massive IT scale — over 47 million members generates significant data and technology procurement.
Pharmacy services: Specialty pharmacy, pharmacy benefit management support, clinical pharmacy, and medication adherence programs. IngenioRx (Elevance's pharmacy benefits subsidiary) sources pharmacy-related services.
Behavioral health services: Mental health and substance use disorder services, behavioral health technology, and care management. Elevance's behavioral health subsidiary (Carelon Behavioral Health) is a large buyer in this category.
Care management and community health: Nurses and case managers for complex care programs, community health workers, and health coaching services. These categories require clinical licensing and HIPAA compliance.
Professional services: Legal, consulting, HR, training, communications, and actuarial services.
Marketing and member communications: Member communications materials (printed and digital), advertising, and health education content. Elevance communicates with tens of millions of members.
Facilities and real estate: Building services, construction, and facility management for Elevance's Indianapolis campus and regional offices.
Staffing: Clinical, technology, and administrative staffing.
Healthcare IT and behavioral health services are the categories with the most active diverse supplier development focus. Elevance has invested in both as strategic growth areas.
HIPAA and compliance requirements
Suppliers handling protected health information (PHI) need to demonstrate HIPAA compliance and sign Business Associate Agreements. Clinical service providers need relevant licensure. These are standard requirements across health insurance procurement.
Elevance may also require background screening, drug testing, and insurance documentation depending on the service category.
Spend data and public commitments
Elevance's BDR membership certifies annual diverse spend of $1 billion or more. The company reports diverse spend metrics in its ESG report.
Elevance does not publicly disclose a specific annual diverse spend dollar total beyond the BDR threshold confirmation. The ESG report provides the most detail available publicly.
Realistic assessment
Elevance's BDR membership and long-running NMSDC/WBENC engagement indicate a genuine, scaled supplier diversity program. The company's size — $156 billion in revenues — means procurement is significant, and the program has the resources to develop new diverse supplier relationships.
Healthcare IT, behavioral health, and care management services are the highest-opportunity categories for diverse businesses. These are growth areas for Elevance and categories where diverse-owned firms with relevant clinical or technical expertise can differentiate.
The Indianapolis headquarters concentrates corporate procurement. Indiana-based diverse businesses have proximity advantages for facilities, professional services, and in-person engagement. Remote IT and services work is accessible nationally.
HIPAA compliance documentation and healthcare experience are expected for clinical and technology categories. Businesses without prior health sector experience should expect a longer qualification process.
Timeline: 6 to 12 months for professional services. 12 to 24 months for healthcare IT and clinical services.
Next steps
- Register in the Elevance supplier portal (Coupa Supplier Portal) with complete profile and current certifications.
- Review Elevance's ESG report for current supplier diversity commitments and metrics.
- Ensure your firm can demonstrate HIPAA compliance if you are pursuing technology or clinical services categories.
- Attend NMSDC Annual Conference or WBENC National Conference where Elevance participates in matchmaking.
- If you are in behavioral health or care management, research Carelon specifically. It is a distinct subsidiary with its own procurement activity and supplier diversity engagement.
- Obtain NMSDC MBE or WBENC WBE certification if applicable. Both are tracked at BDR spend levels by Elevance.
Elevance's scale and BDR membership make it a priority target for diverse businesses in health, technology, and professional services. The program is backed by real spending power.
