Cigna

• Positive Customer Reviews
• Types of Plans Offered
• Dental and Vision Coverage
• Group Plans
• Supplemental Insurance
• Member Resources and Perks
• Helpful Tools
• Customer Service

Positive Customer Reviews

Best Company has received a good number of positive Cigna health insurance reviews. Reviewers most commonly mention customer service. Claims and coverage are also mentioned in some positive reviews.

Customer Review: Matthew J. Collin from Stephenville, Texas

"I love everything about this company they have made dealing with medical so easy. There has not been a single time I have had a bad time dealing with them."

Types of Plans Offered

First of all, it's important to note that Cigna is a worldwide company, with customers in 30 countries around the world. No matter what kind of coverage or insurance plan a consumer is looking for, Cigna will probably have a good option available.

Cigna offers a wide selection of insurance policies, including:

• Medicare (Medicare Advantage plans and Part D)
• Medigap (Medicare supplement insurance)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) Compatible Plans (typically high deductible plans)
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) Compatible Plans
• Health Maintenance Organization Network Plans (HMO)
• Preferred Provider Organization Network Plans (PPO)
• International Health Plans

When you enroll in Medicare, you can purchase a Medicare Advantage plan or enroll in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Medicare Advantage plans cover the same medical care services that Original Medicare does but are managed by a private insurance carrier instead of the federal government.

If you enroll in Original Medicare, you can purchase a Medigap plan to control your out-of-pocket expenses and a prescription drug plan to cover your medications. Cigna Medicare options can vary by area, so work with the company to learn more.

Cigna health care insurance options also include indemnity plans and international plans. The one type of health plan that Cigna is unclear about providing is short-term insurance (except for short-term disability insurance).

Like other multi-state insurance companies, the availability of specific plans varies by state.

Covered services tend to be pretty similar across traditional plans, like a Cigna PPO and a Cigna HMO. However coverage levels, networks, and cost-sharing rules differ. For example, a PPO network offers more options for choosing doctors. It offers coverage and discounted rates for in- and out-of-network providers.

Additionally, some plans require prior authorization for some health care services before the insurance kicks in to help cover the health care costs. The insurance premiums also vary based on the number of people on the plan and demographic information, like age.

Most of Cigna's individual and family plans include access to telehealth providers so members can quickly get medical advice or be seen by a doctor remotely in non-emergency situations. Many plans include this as a complimentary service, though some do not.

If you're looking for an international health plan, you can purchase one from Cigna. These plans typically cover mental health, cancer treatment, and more. You can also customize these plans to meet your needs.

Dental and Vision Coverage

Cigna also offers individual and family dental and vision coverage as well. There are three types of dental plans to choose from, each of which covers a certain percentage of preventive services, restorative, and major dental work. A Cigna dental care plan is available to individuals and families. However, the terms and costs vary depending on the number of people insured.

• Cigna Dental Preventive — This plan has no annual maximum and no deductible! As long as your dental work is completed by an in-network dentist, Cigna is responsible only for the costs of preventative work.
• Cigna Dental 1000 — With this plan, your deductible is either $50 for an individual or $150 for a family. After that, Cigna pays a maximum of $1,000 every year for restorative dental expenses!
• Cigna Dental 1500 — Deductibles with this plan are the same as the Dental 1000. The difference is that after that deductible, Cigna covers a maximum of $1,500 per year for restorative work. This plan also includes coverage for orthodontia.

While it is difficult to tell whether or not Cigna offers vision insurance that individuals can purchase independently, Cigna does offer plans that employers can offer employees. For more information, you'll need to work with Cigna directly.

Group Plans

Cigna insurance is also available to employers who provide health insurance and other benefits to their employees.

Cigna has a wide range of health plan offerings available to groups with different network structures. This variety makes it easier to find a health plan that works best for your group.

If you need to purchase international health coverage for members of your organization, Cigna also offers a good selection of plans. Its offerings are primarily for groups based in the United States and Canada. You can also find international health plans designed to cover short-term needs, which are ideal for business trips.

Cigna stands out for its international health insurance offerings because it offers plans designed for intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government employees, overseas students, and healthcare travelers.

Supplemental Insurance

Cigna also offers insurance policies for specific conditions, including heart attack, stroke, and cancer. You can also purchase whole life insurance through Cigna. 

Member Resources and Perks

Right away, it's easy to see how Cigna allows you to find an in-network provider, look up coverage, and perform all other basic tasks you need to as a member.

The Cigna website is fairly easy to navigate. Before becoming a member, you can tour the patient portal that Cigna has created for all members. This gets you acquainted with the website and allows you to see what resources you would have as a member.

You can also view the health benefits, coverage, and costs (copayment, deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket expenses, etc.) for plans and get a quote of monthly premiums for the plan you're interested in buying. And if you're interested in international insurance, you can get a quote for that too.

If you decide to register with Cigna, your resources expand even more. You're able to, of course, log into your patient portal and view your personal account information. Just as important, you can check a claim's status, acquire an ID card, find the form you need to download, look up your benefits, and find a doctor that works within Cigna's network (if you haven't already verified this).

Members benefit from a dedicated member customer service line as well, and through what Cigna calls the Health Information Line, members can contact the company 24/7. It's important to note, too, that Cigna provides more than explanations about benefits and forms. They also have sections with information about health care in general, including the changing laws, like the Affordable Care Act, that affect the industry.

Cigna also offers programs to support the health and well-being of its members. The Cigna Healthy Rewards® program offers discounts to members for fitness clubs, nutrition programs, alternative medicine, and more.

Helpful Tools

Cigna is more than one company. It has several subsidiaries that either focus on certain kinds of insurance or serve specific areas.

Cigna offers a good provider network, which makes it easy to find an in-network care provider. Aside from providing a fairly large network, Cigna gives members perks like a home delivery pharmacy and discounts on healthy products. These discounts come through the Cigna Healthy Rewards® program.

Cigna also gives members education about health care. Should your doctor suggest that you need an MRI, a PET scan, or a CT scan, you would benefit from the Informed Choice Program. Through this, Cigna informs you about facilities that would charge you the least amount of money for one of these procedures.

Finally, Cigna offers several apps. For example you can review your account balance, check a claim's status, find doctors and hospitals, and perform other member tasks with the myCigna app.

Customer Service

With millions of customers around the globe, customer service is important to Cigna. Cigna promises live customer service that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. You can contact Cigna via mail, or phone. The mobile apps make communication much more convenient and transparent too. Cigna's company website is intuitive to use overall.

Cigna's contact page lists several phone numbers, but many of these have specific business hours attached to them. That being said, it's great that Cigna can provide 24/7 customer service, but it would do well to make these means easier to find for both members and potential customers.

Overall, it's clear from the company website that Cigna wants its customers to feel informed and to get the best prices. To help customers with this, Cigna offers convenient tools to look up benefits, acquire discounts, and of course search through available health plans.

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• Negative Customer Reviews
• No Domestic Short-Term Health Insurance

Negative Customer Reviews

Unfortunately, Cigna has received a high percentage of negative reviews. High percentages of negative customer reviews is common with health insurance. However, some competitors have lower percentages of negative customer reviews.

The most common issues mentioned in reviews are issues having services covered, claims payments, and working through issues with customer service. Keep these reviews in mind as you determine whether or not to buy a plan from Cigna.

No Short-Term Insurance

Aside from short-term disability insurance and short-term international insurance, there's no clear mention of Cigna providing short-term health insurance (one health plan that other competitors do provide). These plans are designed to cover basic health services and have more exclusions than Marketplace health plans. They are designed to provide short-term coverage while you wait for a more standard health plan to start. If you're interested in a short-term health plan, you may need to find another insurer.